Willfully In My Sheriff’s Custody : She makes him beg for her crumbs

Which One Will Break Their Restraint First

Eli remained on his knees for a lingering, breathless second after he finished binding her left foot in clean, aromatic linen. The rich, calming scent of lavender oil completely flooded the kitchen space, but the physical tension between them had grown incredibly heavy.

Instead of looming over her or flaunting his massive size, Eli casually tossed the cloth onto the slate counter and began to slowly stand upright, keeping himself completely hung back. He gave her an uncharacteristic amount of breathing room, his dark, piercing eyes mirroring a quiet, professional innocence as he smoothed down the front of his crisp white shirt. He wasn't playing a game, and he wasn't demanding her surrender; he was simply being the steady, unyielding wall she had never known.

"I'll leave you to your breakfast, Rosalie," Eli said softly, his deep morning baritone radiating a calm, guarded restraint that sent a sudden, unexpected shiver straight down her spine. "I need to retreat to my study to get some work done before I head out to that city summit tonight."

He reached for his leather-bound sketch notebook resting on the counter island, intending to smoothly exit the kitchen and give her the isolation she usually fought for.

But Rosalie’s wild, rebellious nature couldn't stand his sudden detachment. Her heart had begun to soften toward him after learning about his secret garden's purpose, and seeing him act so entirely innocent and controlled completely provoked her. She didn't want him to just walk away into his masculine study. She wanted to test the boundaries of this intoxicating man, to see exactly how much power she held over his unyielding authority.

Moving with a lightning-fast, playful grace that caught him entirely off-guard, Rosalie shifted on her high leather barstool. Before he could take a single step away, she confidently extended her uninjured, bare right leg, placing her foot flat against the center of his broad, hot chest.

Eli froze instantly in his tracks.

The small, leather-bound notebook remained securely tucked beneath his arm, but his massive frame went entirely rigid as her bare toes pressed into the fabric of his shirt, directly over the heavy, rhythmic thudding of his heart.

The ruthless Sheriff, still on his knees, slowly tilted his head back, his dark eyes rising to meet hers captivated her.

He didn't swat her leg away. He didn't bark a command or enforce his badge. He simply anchored his feet to the floorboards, holding his body entirely still, completely surrendering the control of the room to her wild whim.

"Is the lawman in such a rush to escape me?" Rosalie teased softly, a pompous, triumphant smile tugging at the corner of her red lips. Her stunning blue eyes opened with obvious enjoyment, as she leaned forward on the stool, her foot flexing slightly against his chest to feel the raw, hard muscle beneath her skin.

"For a man who storms into a city of wolves to rescue a thief, you're being remarkably skittish this morning, Cade.

"Eli didn't break her intense eye contact. A low, gravelly chuckle rumbled deep inside his chest, vibrating directly against the sole of her bare foot. He allowed a small, knowing smirk to finally play on his chiseled lips, his gaze softening into a heavy, flirty heat as he looked up at his beautiful captor."

I am simply trying to follow my own strict custody guidelines, Miss Vane," Eli murmured, his voice dropping into a serious, protective lower voice that made her own breathing turn shallow. He didn't pull his chest away from her touch; instead, he leaned into the pressure of her foot a fraction of an inch, his eyes locking onto hers with an absolute, breathless devotion.

"I have an unyielding rule about my sanctuary. I won't be doing anything too romantic or crossing any lines with you while you're healing inside this canopy... even if your eyes are currently telling me that you desperately want me to."

Rosalie's breath completely caught in her throat. She had expected him to push back, to use his dominant size to overwhelm her, but his quiet, hung-back restraint was infinitely more dangerous to her sanity. It wasn't a trick; it was a direct, alarming confrontation to her own mind and her forbidden feelings. She could feel a heavy, undeniable desire pulling her towards him, a wild urge to draw him closer, but her virginal resistance fought to keep her armor intact.

"I certainly do not want you to do anything of the sort, Sheriff," she snapped softly, her voice losing its toxic bite as she tried to deny the frantic rise and fall of her chest.

"You highly flatter your own authority."

"Is that so?" Eli whispered, his smirk widening as his gaze drifted down to trace the rapid, heavy pulse beating at the base of her throat. "Because your lungs seem to be making a completely different executive decision right now, Rosalie. You're breathing exceptionally fast for a woman who claims to be entirely unaffected."

Rosalie flushed a brilliant, beautiful shade of crimson, entirely trapped by how perfectly they were beginning to fit together. They were forming a magnificent baseline of friendship laced with heavy, steamy flirting, a slow-burn psychological chess match where she held the reins, but he held her entire focus.

Slowly, Eli raised his large hand and confidently brushed a stray lock of red hair away from her cheek, his fingers lingering against her warm skin for one breathless second before he finally stepped back, letting her foot slide gently from his chest.

"Eat your wild caught eggs and fruit, rebel," Eli murmured, a rich, teasing amusement warming his dark eyes as he turned on his heel. "I'll be in my study if you find yourself needing to interrogate the law any further."

He sauntered smoothly across the living space, closing the heavy mahogany door of his study behind him and leaving her completely frozen on her stool. Rosalie stared at the wood, hands spread apart, her heart hammering a chaotic rhythm against her ribs as she realized that she was entirely playing with fire and becoming consumed by the very man she was supposed to be running from.