Free Taken and Kept (Reluctant BDSM) by Elaine Cara

My feet pounded the sidewalk. I had new
sneakers, new workout clothes. The first jog of spring always
revived me. After spending the winter on a treadmill, getting out
and breathing the fresh flowery air and feeling the sun beat down
on me was incredible. I felt invigorated, and maintained a speed I
couldn't on a machine.
     
    My lungs burned and sweat poured down my
back. I ran down the block and turned the corner to the park. As I
jogged through the trees and grass, I noticed a big black truck
with tinted windows sitting in the gravel parking lot. I figured
the vehicle belonged to some necking teenagers, so I didn‘t think
twice.
     
    As I ran past the truck on my way to the
paved path in the park, someone shouted at me. I turned around, and
noticed a man standing by the truck with the door open. When I
looked, he waved me over to him. I hesitated, my heart pounded, and
something in my stomach fluttered. I ignored the feelings and
walked over to him.
     
    "Sorry to bother you," he said. He dressed
nice. He wore a blue button up shirt and tan slacks. He had a
silver watch on his wrist, and he smelled of spicy cologne.
     
    He was handsome, one of the best looking men
I'd seen in a while. He had deep brown chocolate eyes, black hair
that fell over his full eyebrows, dimples, and straight white
teeth. I felt at ease just looking at him.
     
    "That's okay," I sputtered. He made me
nervous, like all of a sudden I cared what a complete stranger
thought. I smoothed my brown hair back, and dabbed at the sweat on
my brow with my sweatshirt sleeve.
     
    "I'm trying to find the Mabel Inn," he said.
"Do you know where that is?"
     
    "Yeah," I said. "It's on highway 4."
     
    He raised an eyebrow. "Really? I just came
from there and I didn’t see it."
     
    He turned to the truck and pulled out a map.
He leaned up against the truck and looked at the paper.
     
    "Think you can point it out on here?" he
asked, not looking up.
     
    I swallowed the lump in my throat and sidled
up next to him. I was so close I thought he could hear my blood
surging through my veins.
     
    I reached my hand out to point with my finger
when he grabbed my wrist.
     
    "What are you doing?" I asked, my voice
shaking.
     
    He pressed into my flesh, and something
caught the light near his waist. I looked down to see a gun. I
thought I would faint. Blood rushed to my head, and I got dizzy.
Stars floated into my vision, and my knees wobbled.
     
    "Don't say anything," he growled. "Don't
scream. Don't make a scene. If you catch anyone's attention, I'll
kill you."
     
    He shoved me into the truck. He pushed me
face down on the driver’s seat and cuffed my arms behind my back.
What the hell? Was he a cop? What the hell was he doing? It never
occurred to me that he kidnapped me. The idea was too absurd to
consider. My mind raced with stress and my entire body shook.
     
    I scrambled into the passenger seat and he
came in after me. He shut the door, locked the doors, and started
the engine. He peeled out of the parking lot and headed for the
highway. I opened my mouth to speak, to ask what he was doing, but
I hesitated. The guy was deranged and I didn't want to say anything
to make him snap.
     
    We drove in silence until we pulled onto the
highway.
     
    "What is this?" I asked. "I just want to know
what's going on."
     
    "I'm taking you," he said, not taking his
eyes off the road. The question didn't faze him.
     
    "Why?"
     
    "Because you're vulnerable," he said.
"Trusting. Unaware."
     
    I prickled. I squirmed as my arms fell
asleep. I hated the pins and needles. He looked at me out of the
corner of his eyes.
     
    "Stop moving," he said. "You're breaking my
concentration."
     
    "Sorry. My arms are numb."
     
    "Just hang on. When we get where we're going
you won't have to sit on your hands."
     
    I nodded though he didn't see me. The sun
rose higher in the sky, and I figured at least four hours had gone
by. How far was he going? I looked out the window and watched