Chapter 1
Lara was trying to decide whether or not she'd dreamed the sound that had woken her. She stretched languidly, her black silk nightgown pulling taught across her breasts as she lifted her head from the pillow, propping herself up on her elbows. Her soft brown curls spilled over her bare shoulders as she looked around her large bedroom. It was dark, and there was no immediate source of the noise that had woken her, the only light coming from the streetlight outside the open window, the white gauzy curtains blowing gently in the breeze. Had she left it open before she'd gone to bed? She stood slowly, walking across to the window, pulling it closed, her actions slow as she was still in a sleepy fog. Had she been more awake, she might have noticed the black clad figure leaning nonchalantly against the opposite wall, watching her intently. As it was, Lara was about to turn back to her bed, already thinking of re-setting the alarm clock for an hour later than she'd originally planned for the next day when she felt strong hands close over her upper arms and pull her back into a firm chest.
Lara shrieked but the sound barely escaped her lips before a gloved hand was pressed hard over her mouth. She struggled, fully awake now and twisting violently but it was no use. The unknown figure behind her held her easily. She writhed in his arms and he leaned his head closer to her ear, whispering in a soft voice, "I wouldn't struggle, darling, it'll only make it worse for you."
Lara froze at the voice, smooth and enticing. She hadn't expected that. "Good girl," he said mockingly, pushing her roughly back onto the bed, her two hands held in one of his gloved ones. Deftly and with a speed Lara hadn't thought was possible, he looped a length of rope around her hands, bound them firmly and tied the other end to one of the cast iron bed posts. She was completely immobilized, her hands extended up above her head, her body stretched across the bed.
"There we are," he said in a self-satisfied voice. "Don't you make a pretty picture, all laid out like that. I think I should turn on the light and get a better look at you."
Lara blinked and flinched as the bedside lamp blazed into light. "Oh yes," he growled, "For a rich woman, you really are stunning." His eyes tracked up her body behind a black mask and she shivered at the obvious appreciative stare. "Long lithe legs, so petite and sweet, and that soft skin... I might have to take some of you before I leave."
Lara found her voice finally, "Who are you?"
He laughed, turning away from her and surveying the room carefully.
"My husband will be home any minute," Lara said fiercely, trying to quell the fear inside her.
"We both know that's not true," he said, turning back to her, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Wha-"
"Your husband isn't going to be home any minute. Your husband is on a business trip on the other side of the country, probably fucking his little slut of a secretary. So unoriginal," he scoffed, going back to his slow perusal of the room.
"He's what? How do you know that?" Lara squeaked, the terror creeping back into her voice.
"I've been watching you. I've been watching him. I've been watching everyone you interact with. That's how I know about his little secretary too... Although from your voice you didn't know. If you weren't so obviously oblivious and vapid, I might have felt sorry for you. But, you married the jackass, you made your bed and..." he looked over his shoulder and although she couldn't see his face through the black mask, she could tell he was smiling. "Well, I suppose you're lying in it now, aren't you? Shouldn't have married such a bloodthirsty business mogul if you weren't prepared for something like this to happen."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Lara screeched furiously, tugging at the rope binding her hands. He laughed, watching her stretch and struggle.
"Oh sweetheart, I like when you arch up like that, do it again for me..." he said huskily.
Lara immediately froze, glaring scathingly at him but he only shrugged, infuriating her more.
"What do you want?" Laura asked ferociously.
"Oh, the kitten has fangs," he said mockingly, "Well darling, I'm here for what's in your husband's safe. And for whatever else of value I can strip out of this mansion. He owes me this."
"What do you mean he owes you?" she asked, confused.
"Your husband, he buys and sells companies for a living, breaking them up and selling them off to the highest buyer with little concern for the people he puts out of work. He took everything from me. Now, I'm going to take everything from him." He paused for a moment, his eyes flittering over her body suggestively again, "I might even take you. He wouldn't like that, if I took his sweet, nubile little wife..."
He laughed at her disgusted expression, turning his back as she began struggling again. Her wrists were thin, and by twisting one, she was able to slip her hand free. Before she was able to free her other hand, he had turned and was by her side, reaching out for her hand. Instead, she jerked her hand up and pulled off his mask. She gasped, looking into dark, surprised eyes. He was... handsome.
Before she could contemplate his features anymore, he was withdrawing a pair of silver handcuffs from his back pocket, putting them around her wrists and tightening them painfully and twisting them around the cast iron headboard. "Now you've done it," he hissed. "You couldn't just sit quietly while I found what I was looking for, now you've seen my face..." he hesitated, shaking his head, his eyes tracking down her long torso, "Now I might have to kill you."
Lara stopped breathing as his eyes, now fully visible to her raked over her skin. "But first, you're going to tell me where the safe is," he said smoothly.
Lara shook herself from her terror, anger suffusing her cheeks, "You won't be able to leave back out the window with everything you're trying to take. As soon as you open the door, the alarm will go off. The police will come, you'll get caught."
He paused, thinking, and she continued quickly. "I can bargain with you. I will disarm the alarm if you leave. Now."
He laughed, his eyes sparkling dangerously, "I'm afraid that's not enough. I could just kill you now, take everything and then make it out before the cops show up. But I'm a reasonable man, if you bargain with me, I promise to give you a fair trade..."
Lara bit her lip. "My wedding ring, it's worth a lot of money."
He scoffed, "I'm going to find more than twice that much in that safe."
"His watch, it's a rolex. Or maybe the..." Lara said desperately but he came forward and put his finger on her lips.
"I don't want your jewelry Lara," and she sucked in a shocked breath at the sound of her name on his tongue, "Think harder, sweetheart."
He removed his finger, and Lara wracked her brain, her brows furrowing in frustration as she ground out, "You want me?"
He gazed at the lace trim of the black nightgown, "Oh yes..."
