Leopard 03 - Burning Wild

so far nothing of his world had impressed her. He was used to women throwing themselves at him, and she was different enough to be a challenge.
    Well . . . that and he somehow had a built-in radar when it came to psychic abilities. It must have been how he’d found his bodyguard and why he had been so drawn to her.
    At least she knew why he was so interested in her now, or it might have been difficult not to be flattered by his attentions. Stavros was a handsome, intelligent man, and he knew how to pull out every stop to seduce a woman. He was charming about it, but there was an aura of danger surrounding him, and she never discounted reading auras. He wasn’t going to let her go, his black eyes piercing and cunning, a predator unsheathing his claws. She was in trouble and she knew it. Stavros didn’t like taking no for an answer.
    Her heart beat a little too fast, and she took a couple of deep breaths to calm the flood of adrenaline.
    She knew she would be out of range of communication here, completely cut off from all help, especially with that bothersome pain growing stronger in her head. The current felt electrical, interfering with her ability to reach out psychically. There had to be a transmission of some kind to block psychic energy. She wasn’t certain it was even possible, but the moment she was alone, she was going to test her theory.
    “Sheena?” Stavros rubbed the back of her hand again. “I wanted you to see my home.” His voice purred. “Say you’re not you upset with me for kidnapping you and bringing you home with me,” He paused on the intricate walkway leading to his magnificent home, tipping up her face to stare intently into her eyes.
    Elle could imagine that his intent look would make most women feel a little faint. She just felt sick.
    Whatever Stavros’s intentions were, he didn’t much care if she agreed or not.
    “Does telepathy run in your family?” She wanted him to think only of that ability and no other. She kept herself strictly under control, not giving in to fear when she wanted to raise her arms to the wind and use the force of it to gain freedom.
    “Don’t talk about that in front of anyone,” he hissed, still smiling. “This is for us alone.
    Another bid to join them together. She recognized manipulation when she saw it. At least he was still trying to be charming to gain compliance rather than forcing it. She nodded her head, unwilling to try to fight a losing battle. She’d much rather wait and see what Stavros wanted from her. Maybe she could collect information that Dane would find helpful—if she managed to make it out alive.
    The door was opened by a matronly woman who managed to look right through Elle as if she wasn’t there. “This is Drusilla. She’s our housekeeper,” Stavros introduced. “Without her we’d all be lost.”
    Drusilla beamed and smiled a welcome to Stavros while she nodded a little warily at Elle. Elle stepped inside the enormous multilevel glass-walled room. “This is beautiful, Stavros.”
    “I’m glad you like it, as it will be your home.”

    Elle heard Drusilla’s swift intake of breath and Stavros immediately sent her a glaring reprimand. Elle forced herself to step farther into the room, looking around her. The view was breathtaking, the most incredible she’d ever seen. The bedroom was enormous, with the bed on a platform close to the glass wall overlooking the sea. Several steps down took her to a sitting area with plush, comfortable chairs and a table off to the side, but she noticed that there seemed to a pulley system of some sort overhead.
    Her heart began to pound. It was an amazing silken cage, a prison beyond her wildest dreams.
    She allowed Stavros to lead her through the long, starkly beautiful room and up the wide staircase to a large bedroom. He pushed open the door and gestured toward the four-poster bed. “This will be your room. Mine is just down the hall.”
    Someone had already placed Elle’s small overnight bag on the bed. It looked ridiculous in the rich opulence of the room.
    “Stavros, wait.” Elle caught his arm. “I really can’t stay. I have an appointment this afternoon and I can’t be late.”
    “You’re going to stay, Sheena, and you’re going to have my babies. I’ve been looking for a woman like you for years. I’m not about to let you slip away now.” He pushed her farther into the room and glanced at his watch. “You are to stay here in this room until I come for you. The