He shook his head. “Absolutely not. Luckily, as I’ve grown up, I haven’t lost my love for games. I still like capturing my victims and tying them up — except now, I know what to do with them once I’ve got them tied.”

I was practically bursting with need. I held out my wrists, keeping my expression cautiously skeptical, while inside, I was screaming for his touch.

“What exactly do you plan to do with me, pirate?” I said. His smile was restrained, as was the brush of his fingers over my throat.

“Be patient,” he said. “And do as I say unless you want to get hurt.” My throat bobbed against his hand as I swallowed, and he ordered, “Strip down. Take everything off.”

I thought about resisting, pushing back so I could find out what this pirate could do with his bratty victim. But I liked the way he looked at me when I teased, so as I stripped off my shirt, I said, “Please don’t hurt me, sir. I’ll do whatever you say.”

He smiled, swinging a length of rope around in a quick circle as I took off my shoes, then unbuttoned my jeans and peeled them down. When I lifted my head after tossing them aside, his carefully concocted expression was gone, leaving something that looked like amazement in its place.

“What?” I said, hating that I sounded more vulnerable now that most of my clothes were off. It was inevitable, I guess. Confidence and insecurity ran hand in hand inside me.

“It’s funny how life works,” he said, eyes roaming over me like he was trying to learn every curve. “A few years ago, I thought the closest I’d ever get to something like this was when I danced with you at prom.”

“Prom…” I hadn’t thought of that night in so long. It had been a shitty day all around, but there had been that moment outside, in the pouring rain. “Yeah. Wild how things end up.”

Wild, senseless, chaotic. I wasn’t sure if anything made sense anymore, but maybe it wasn’t supposed to.

“I’ve thought about this for a long time, Jess,” he said. His fingers traced along the edge of my bra, lightly touching the pale blue satin fabric. “What are you waiting for? I said, everything off.”

The authority in his voice was different from the other guys. It hovered on the edge of merely being playful, put with a sharp warning beneath the surface. I had a feeling he could switch from jovial to serious in a split second, so I obeyed.

The air was warm and slightly humid as I stood there naked, my clothes dumped aside in a pile. Shafts of sunlight fell over Vincent’s face as he smiled.