Carter wasn't a complete fool. He wasn't lost on the fact that not too long ago she had claimed that he'd taken advantage of her. He found it a little odd that all of a sudden she was requesting sex. 

He hoped she was coming around and it wasn't some kind of trick. But he had to be sure.

So he'd stopped things and left.

The look of shock she'd given him sent a thrill of pleasure through his body, making it harder not to finish things, but he didn't give in and go back to her. He'd know for sure the next time he saw her if it had been for real.

He relieved himself, picturing the expression that might have been on her face and her response if he hadn't backed off. It wasn't easy trying to fall back asleep, and when he woke, the sun was starting to rise. 

After a long stretch, he got out of bed and dressed. Grabbing the car keys and a quick granola bar, he managed to avoid looking toward the cellar. He knew his resolve would crumble if he did. And as much as he wanted to go see if she still wanted him, he knew he had to get going.

By the time he reached the small town, the diner was cleaning up from breakfast. Carter only got a coffee and then made his way to the hardware store. 

"Mornin'." He heard the gruff voice of the owner, but didn't see him.

"Mornin', Jeremiah." He took a swig of his coffee and headed for the aisle he wanted.

There wasn't much of a selection, but he wasn't picky. After debating between the two he liked, he decided the faux marble look would be best. He could see Sloane liking it more than the speckled stone look. He almost splurged for an all natural wood, but it was out of his price range and he felt it might be too masculine for Sloane. 

He shook his head as he reached for the laminate sheeting. He had to stop thinking about her. Thinking about her was going to make it much more difficult to keep from giving in to his urges.

Jeremiah checked him out, the only communication being a quick compliment on the choice Carter had made. He helped load the sheets into the back of the truck and then went back to his store, waving over his shoulder.

The ride home seemed to take forever as he thought about Sloane, how she might react to his reappearance. But that would have to wait until he got the counter fixed up. With a vision of her pretty face teasing him, he stepped on the gas.

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Sloane woke to an empty room. She was fine with that because she wasn't so sure she would have been able to pretend anything first thing in the morning. Her mind was foggy as she replayed the last moments with him.

She had to admit that she hadn't expected him to just quit. She was sure he would have gone all the way. There had to be a reason for him to back off. 

But she began to wonder when he'd come in. Her emotions were going haywire which was driving her crazy. One second, she hoped he never came back and then the next, she wished he'd hurry up and stomp down the stairs. 

She wanted to stop thinking. She wanted a break from the stress because no matter what, she couldn't change anything. But her mind was like the spinning barrel on a concrete truck and kept going.

She didn't know how long she lay there just waiting. There were several times that she cried, frustrated with everything. She began to blame herself for the whole situation. If she had paid attention to where she was going instead of focusing on her video, maybe she wouldn't be stuck there. None of this would have happened if she'd just gone hiking somewhere else. 

She didn't realize more tears had leaked from the corners of her eyes. But she could feel the dried, stickiness against her cheeks and neck. This made her even more upset. 

Because Carter was crazy, she had to lay there in discomfort. He'd ruined her life and she didn't know if she'd ever be able to regain control. 

The thought didn't cross her mind that he was playing some kind of trick on her. She didn't consider that he was testing her. All she knew was that she had to make him believe that she wanted him and she had failed on her first attempt.

She tried to come up with a new approach, but that would be difficult since she'd already set her original plan into motion. All she could do was try to find a way to salvage that.

Her stomach grumbled and she realized that he hadn't left her anything, not that it would have made a difference since she was still strapped down. She sighed, finding it difficult to keep her mind on any one topic. 

With nothing else to do, she let her thoughts go wild until a new one sparked a whole new fear. 

What if nothing changes even if he believes me? What if I end up trapped in this cellar forever? What if he changes his mind and decides I’m not what he wants and he hunts me?

As if he were in the room, threatening some new form of torture or abuse, her heart hammered in her chest and she cast a quick glance at the door. It was a real possibility that she could trick him into thinking he was her only desire, but that didn't mean he was going to take off the restraints. 

As if Carter knew he was on her mind, he stood in the doorway, just looking at her. It took all his effort to keep himself from rising at the sight of her. 

She'd been so preoccupied with her thoughts, she hadn't heard him come down. Her breath caught before she glared at him and let out a huff.

"You said you wouldn't leave me." Sloane hadn't planned on saying the words. She hadn't planned on saying anything. Her mind hadn’t settled on just what she’d do when she saw him again.

"I didn't. I'm here." He slid a hand up the door jam, looking very relaxed.

"You started to…with foreplay…and then you left." 

He gave a weird snort and a crooked grin, but didn't speak. 

"Why?" Her voice cracked a little, surprising them both.

"I needed to know." He shrugged before letting his hand fall to his side.

"Needed to know what?" Her tone was demanding as she continued to glare at him. 

"It doesn't matter." He made his way to her, gliding a rough hand up her leg to rest on her knee. "You must be starving."

All she could do was nod her head.

"I'll be back." He gave her a quick peck before leaving her.

His sudden appearance hadn't put a stop to her out of control mind racing, but had upset it even more. What did he mean “it doesn’t matter”? 

She didn't have time to reach an answer. Carter came back in with a tray. As usual, he sat it on the bedside table and positioned himself to feed her. 

He watched the way she took bites, the way her mouth moved as she chewed. She kept her eyes on him, not the glare from before, but something questioning.

Once she finished her meal, he reached to her hand closest to him and released the restraint. A small gasp came from her and he reached to her other hand to free it.

She sat for a moment, rubbing her wrists as strange, tingling pricks ran up and down her arms and into her fingers. He was at her ankles, already unstrapping her right one, before pulling out the key to unlock her left ankle. 

"I think you need to try to walk a little." 

She was so astonished that he had taken off the restraints, all she could do was give him a blank stare. 

"Come on." Carter motioned for her to slide to the edge of the bed.

Sloane did so, bracing her hands on either side of her. Before looking at him, she sat for a second and looked toward the floor.

He knelt in front of her, positioning her feet. Once satisfied, he grasped her hands and placed them around his neck.

"Ready?"

She took in a slow, shaky breath and then nodded. "Sure."

Her legs wobbled and she realized just how weak she was. If she had any hope of getting away, she had to get him to let her move around much more. Her foot was tender and there was an ache as she put her weight on it, but she could manage. 

With his help, she took several steps. 

"Now, you do it." 

She tried to grasp his shirt as he stepped away, her hands sliding down his chest. "But…"

"You can do this." 

She swallowed hard, determined to show him that he was right. She had to do it. Her movement was awkward without his help, but she did take a few steps.

The smile that spread across her face sent a thrill through him. "Excellent." He swept her up into his arms and carried her back to the bed.

For a moment, she thought he was only going to set her down, but he reached for the ankle cuff.

"No." She groaned before she could stop herself.

"It's for your own good."

She started to argue, but decided that would be detrimental. So she slumped on the bed and waited for him to strap her back into place.

He left off the hip and chest belts this time and when he reached for the hand closest to him, she jerked away.

He frowned, but didn't try again, questioning her with his eyes.

"I…I want to be able to touch you." Her words were soft spoken and she questioned if he had even heard her. 

He quirked a brow at her before resuming the position he'd held the night before, already sliding his hands along her body, kissing her neck to her chest and further down. 

This time, he didn't leave. This time, he grabbed a condom and slid it on, watching Sloane.

She brushed her free hand against his arm, ran her fingers through his hair, touched whatever part of him she could reach as he moved along.

He slid into her, releasing a moan. She gasped and dug her nails into his bicep. Once she figured out what his rhythm was, she began to thrust her hips to meet him, unsure she was doing it right. 

Her moans grew louder and she never released her hold on his arm. She kept her eyes closed, scared he'd be able to tell that she wasn't enjoying herself.

He liked watching her face and he liked that she had requested to be able to touch him. Her one hand had touched him everywhere and gripped him as if he were her anchor.

When they finished, he watched her open her eyes to see that they shimmered.

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