Swept Away: A Krinar Story Read online

  The thought makes me sick.

  I am trying not to think about what’s to come, but it’s impossible. I don’t know why I’m so sure he’ll come to me tonight. It’s possible he has an entire harem of women stashed away on this island, and he visits each one only once a week, like sultans used to do.

  Yet somehow I know he’ll be here soon. Last night had simply whetted his appetite. I know he’s not done with me, not by a long shot.

  Finally, the door opens.

  He walks in like he owns the place. Which, of course, he does.

  I am again struck by his masculine beauty. He could’ve been a model or a movie star, with a face like his. If there was any fairness in the world, he would’ve been short or had some other imperfection to offset that face.

  But he doesn’t. His body is tall and muscular, perfectly proportioned. I remember what it feels like to have him inside me, and I feel an unwelcome jolt of arousal.

  He’s again wearing jeans and a T-shirt. A gray one this time. He seems to favor simple clothing, and he’s smart to do so. His looks don’t need any enhancement.

  He smiles at me. It’s his fallen angel smile—dark and seductive at the same time. “Hello, Nora.”

  I don’t know what to say to him, so I blurt out the first thing that pops into my head. “How long are you going to keep me here?”

  He cocks his head slightly to the side. “Here in the room? Or on the island?”

  “Both.”

  “Beth will show you around tomorrow, take you swimming if you’d like,” he says, approaching me. “You won’t be locked in, unless you do something foolish.”

  “Such as?” I ask, my heart pounding in my chest as he stops next to me and lifts his hand to stroke my hair.

  “Trying to harm Beth or yourself.” His voice is soft, his gaze hypnotic as he looks down at me. The way he’s touching my hair is oddly relaxing.

  I blink, trying to break his spell. “And what about on the island? How long will you keep me here?”

  His hand caresses my face, curves around my cheek. I catch myself leaning into his touch, like a cat getting petted, and I immediately stiffen.

  His lips curl into a knowing smile. The bastard knows the effect he has on me. “A long time, I hope,” he says.

  For some reason, I’m not surprised. He wouldn’t have bothered bringing me all the way here if he just wanted to fuck me a few times. I’m terrified, but I’m not surprised.

  I gather my courage and ask the next logical question. “Why did you kidnap me?”

  The smile leaves his face. He doesn’t answer, just looks at me with an inscrutable blue gaze.

  I begin to shake. “Are you going to kill me?”

  “No, Nora, I won’t kill you.”

  His denial reassures me, although he could obviously be lying.

  “Are you going to sell me?” I can barely get the words out. “Like to be a prostitute or something?”

  “No,” he says softly. “Never. You’re mine and mine alone.”

  I feel a tiny bit calmer, but there is one more thing I have to know. “Are you going to hurt me?”

  For a moment, he doesn’t answer again. Something dark briefly flashes in his eyes. “Probably,” he says quietly.

  And then he leans down and kisses me, his warm lips soft and gentle on mine.

  For a second, I stand there frozen, unresponsive. I believe him. I know he’s telling the truth when he says he’ll hurt me. There’s something in him that scares me—that has scared me from the very beginning.

  He’s nothing like the boys I’ve gone on dates with. He’s capable of anything.

  And I’m completely at his mercy.

  I think about trying to fight him again. That would be the normal thing to do in my situation. The brave thing to do.

  And yet I don’t do it.

  I can feel the darkness inside him. There’s something wrong with him. His outer beauty hides something monstrous underneath.

  I don’t want to unleash that darkness. I don’t know what will happen if I do.

  So I stand still in his embrace and let him kiss me. And when he picks me up again and takes me to bed, I don’t try to resist in any way.

  Instead, I close my eyes and give in to the sensations.

  * * *

  All three books in the Twist Me trilogy are now available (click HERE). Please visit my website at www.annazaires.com to learn more and to sign up for my new release email list.

  About the Author

  Anna Zaires is a New York Times, USA Today, and #1 international bestselling author of sci-fi romance and contemporary dark erotic romance. She fell in love with books at the age of five, when her grandmother taught her to read. Since then, she has always lived partially in a fantasy world where the only limits were those of her imagination. Currently residing in Florida, Anna is happily married to Dima Zales (a science fiction and fantasy author) and closely collaborates with him on all their works.

  To learn more, please visit www.annazaires.com.

  Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Excerpt from Close Liaisons

  Excerpt from Twist Me

  About the Author