The Prisoner Of Desire

Hayden slipped her fingers into the pockets of her green jacket, and shivered as the wind tore through her dark hair. Quickening her pace, she rushed down the sidewalk until she spotted the beacon of the bus shelter at the end of the block.

Her tennis shoes scurried across the ground while she rushed towards it. Once she slipped inside, a triumphant breath escaped her. Settling down onto the bench, she turned to smile politely at the man who had made himself comfortable by sitting on it sideways at the other end.

"Cold night, huh?" he greeted her.

Shivering again in response, Hayden nodded. "If I knew it was going to get this windy out I would have worn a thicker jacket."

A slight smile tilted his lips upward. "You would freeze to death in no time wearing just that," he said motioning towards her apparel.

His hands were buried inside the pockets of his long, black, wool trench coat as he said it, and one half of the coat gaped open as he pointed at her without removing his hand.

Glancing down at her wrist watch, Hayden checked the time. It was three minutes past eleven. Only seven more minutes until the bus was due.

"I think I'll survive. Just a few more minutes until my chariot arrives," she said with another smile.

Her words made a chuckle escape him. "Your chariot. I like that."

Hayden tucked her dark hair behind her ear before glancing towards him. "It's my savior right now while my car is being fixed," she informed him.

Lifting his brows, he nodded. "What's wrong with it?" he wondered aloud.

"It needs a new transmission."

Tilting his head back for a moment, his response was quick. "Ah."

When he said nothing further, Hayden reached into the pocket of her jacket to pull out her cell phone. Glancing at the face of it, her brows furrowed before she shook her head, and placed it back into her pocket.

"Something wrong?" he asked her.

With another polite smile, she shook her head. "Nothing worth mentioning," she replied vaguely.

"Boyfriend problems?" he asked with a smirk.

Scrunching her nose, Hayden suppressed a laugh. "Not exactly."

"Ex boyfriend problems?" he inquired with a chuckle.

"Something like that," Hayden replied mysteriously.

Biting the side of his lip he nodded again. "Some people just don't know how to let go."

"We decided to stay friends," she admitted. "He's just being a little more friendly than I had hoped for."

"Been there," he returned companionably. "How long were you together?"

Hayden glanced towards the ceiling of the shelter as she gave it some thought. "About a year?" she finally answered. "Maybe a little less?"

"That sounds about right," he replied. "Takes about that long to get sick of someone when they're not the right person."

His response made her face crinkle with amusement. "That's kind of a harsh way of looking at things, but I suppose it's not that far from the truth."

Tilting his head to the side, he shrugged. "I'm a realist. I don't like to beat around the bush, or pretend."

"That's a good way to be," she said in response. "It just means that you're honest."

"I'd like to think so," he said in agreement.

"What's your name?" she suddenly asked.

He seemed to hesitate for a moment before he finally responded. "It's Zach. What is yours?"

"Hayden," she replied automatically.

"That's kind of unique. You have a pretty name. I approve."

A small laugh escaped Hayden as she looked at him. "Thanks for your support."

His lips twisted in amusement before he nodded. "Anytime."

Another shiver passed through Hayden's frame as she leaned forward. "Where is this bus? I'm going to be a popsicle in no time if it doesn't show up soon."

"It will come," he said with certainty. "You just have to be patient."

"I've never been known for that," she told him with a smile. "I'm probably the least patient person in the world."

His lips tilted derisively. "Give it some time. You'll learn eventually."

His strange words made Hayden lift a brow, but she soon became distracted as two large headlights began traveling up the road.

"Oh good. It's coming," she sighed in relief. "Damn thing was taking forever."

Her large grey eyes watched as it slowly began it's ascent up the hill, chugging along like the tortoise in a race. When it finally reached the corner where the shelter resided, Hayden got to her feet, and stepped in it's direction.

"Time to trade in one box for another. Ready to get out of this cold?" she asked with another smile.

Zach grinned in response as he looked up at her from where he sat. He was still leaning with his back against the shelter wall, and had made no move to rise.

His knees were still bent, and his feet were still flat on the bench as she waited expectantly. When he reached out to take her hand in his, Hayden looked down at him in surprise.

Gently, he pulled her towards him, and reached out to wrap his fingers around her other wrist. When her brows knitted in confusion, his grip suddenly tightened, and he pulled her forward until she fell into his lap.

A gasp was torn from her throat, and a scowl began to form on her face as she looked up at him. "What the hell are you doing, Zach?"

Instead of responding, he reached into the pocket of his long coat, and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. Slapping one end around her wrist, he quickly attached the other end to the railing at the top of the bench. When it was secured, he slipped out from under her, and stood to approach the bus.

Hayden was stunned as she gazed at the metal casing around her wrist. There were eight inches of chain that separated one from the other. Pulling at it in horror, it clanked against the railing as her shocked eyes traveled to her captor.

He stood patiently before the bus doors, and when they parted, he waved at the driver in greeting.

"We're good," he informed her with a smile. "A friend is coming to pick us up. You can go."

The black woman eyed him for a moment before responding. "You know this is the last pick up for the night, right?"

Zach nodded. "I know. We'll be fine. Thanks."

Turning away from her, the bus doors closed, and he stepped back towards the shelter.

Hayden's eyes widened at his approach. Jumping to her feet, she leaned forward as far as her restraint would let her. Then she took a deep breath, and began to shout.

"Wait! Don't leave! Help!"

The sound of the bus engine was loud as it pulled away from the curb. Pausing on the sidewalk, Zach turned casually to look at it before swiveling back to her. "You should have been louder. I don't think she heard you."

Hayden's wide, grey eyes grew fearful as she looked at him. "What are you going to do to me?" she asked him tremulously.

Standing beneath the street light, she could see his face more clearly, and her chest filled with trepidation when his impassive blue eyes met hers. For an endless moment they just gazed at one another, and then he shrugged before stepping towards her.

Hayden leapt away from him immediately. Backing up as far as she could get, she dragged the handcuff down the rail until she was pressed into the opposite corner of the bus shelter.

"You stay away from me," she told him as she pointed a finger at him.

Zach had paused the moment she had moved, and now he stood looking at her from several feet away. After a moment, he entered the shelter, and resumed his seat in the corner where he had been before.

Once he was positioned, he rested his wrists on the tops of his knees, and lifted his eyes to look at her.

Hayden pulled at her restraint roughly making it clank. "Take this off of me," she demanded stiffly.

Zach shook his head slowly as he looked at her.

"Are you crazy," Hayden asked incredulously. "I mean it. Take it off!"

Lifting his hands helplessly, he shrugged again. When she began yanking on it viciously, he finally pulled himself to his feet.

Walking across the bus shelter, he paused once he was before her. His large frame towered above her as his intent blue gaze roamed her face.

Looking up at him, she frowned. "Great. Now that you're here, take it off," she growled.

Biting the corner of his lip, Zach shook his head. "I'm not taking it off," he told her flatly.

Her mouth parted in surprise. "Why not?" she asked in disbelief.

Leaning forward, he brought his lips dangerously close to her ear. "Because I don't want to," he whispered softly.

When he pulled back to look down into her stunned face, a slight smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

"I'm going to scream," Hayden informed him.

His brows furrowed in response. "You probably shouldn't do that," he told her.

Hayden's eyes narrowed. "Why? Are you worried that someone will come running, and find out that you're a lunatic?"

Zach grinned at the insult. "No. There's nothing for four blocks in every direction as you are probably aware of. All you're going to do is hurt your throat, and possibly my ears." Turning away from her, he walked back to the end of the shelter, and sat back down.

"Why are you doing this?" Hayden asked in confusion.

Zach looked at her directly before responding. "Because I can."

"Are you going to hurt me?" Hayden asked worriedly.

"No," he answered.

"Are you going to rape me?" she wondered next.

He smiled. "No."

"Then what are you going to do?" she wondered as she eyed him warily.

Hesitating for a moment, he continued to watch her intently. "Sit down, Hayden."

"I don't want to sit down," she said stubbornly.

Zach shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"How long are you going to keep me here like this?" she asked next.

"As long as I feel like it," he informed her.

Turning away from him, Hayden glanced down the road in search of anyone who could help her. There was nothing, and her shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"This is a deserted road. It's unlikely that anyone will come down it until morning. Don't waste your time searching for something that isn't going to appear."

"You can't keep me here until morning," she gasped in horror. "I'll freeze to death."

Zach nodded in agreement. "That's actually a real possibility. That coat you're wearing is extremely thin."

"You would keep me here, and make me suffer like that?" Hayden asked in amazement.

Zach's chest lifted as a small laugh escaped him. "Of course not," he told her. "You don't have to be cold if you don't want to be."

"You have me chained to a God damned bench. How would you suggest that I get warm?" she inquired angrily.

Zach's lips lifted in a smirk as he looked at her. "Come here," he said softly.

Hayden's eyes widened at the request. "I'd rather freeze to death," she spat out.

Her response made Zach chuckle as he shook his head. "Alright. I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do."

When she pulled on the cuff to emphasize the inaccuracy of his statement, he smiled. "Besides that," he told her in amusement.

Turning away from him, Hayden glanced down the road once more, then turned to peer down the other side. There was nothing but blackness on both ends.

"This has been fun, and all," she told him. "But I'd really like to go home now. What do I have to do to get you to take this damn thing off?"

"You don't have to do anything," Zach told her. "I'll let you go when I'm ready to let you go."

Hayden snorted at the cryptic response. "Is this what you do for kicks, Zach. Chain unsuspecting people to bus shelters so that you can play sick little games with them?"

Zach's breath left him on another laugh as he lifted his index finger, and rubbed it against the lower part of his mouth. "This is actually a first for me," he admitted.

Her lip curled scornfully at his words. "Well, thank you for including me in this trial run. It's nice to know that I'm contributing to your skills as a future serial killer."

His brows knitted as he looked at her. "You know, Hayden. You really have quite a mouth on you. I'm kind of amazed that this ex boyfriend of yours is so eager to get you back in the saddle."

Holding up her cell phone, he rocked it in his hand as he smiled.

Hayden's mouth parted as she looked at it. "How did you get that?" she breathed.

The answer became obvious after a moment. He had pulled it from her pocket when he had leaned in to whisper in her ear. She hadn't even noticed him do it.

"Give that back," she demanded.

Zach's smile became taunting as he responded. "Come get it."

She didn't hesitate to comply as she walked down the length of the shelter. The cuff scraped along the railing as she walked, and when she stood in front of him, she held out her palm.

He looked up at her in amusement as she scowled at him. "Give it to me," she ordered.

Zach's lips pressed together as he thought about it for a moment, and then he shook his head. "Actually, no. I don't think I will," he finally told her.

Hayden's scowl grew darker. "Give me my phone!" she barked.

"What are you willing to give me in return?" he asked quietly as he looked up at her.

Hayden rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"

He seemed to think about it for a moment, and then a slow smile snaked across his lips. "Kiss me, and I'll give you your phone back."

Hayden looked down at him in amazement. "You are fucking pathetic," she said in awe.

Widening his eyes, Zach turned his head away before glancing back at her. "I guess you really don't want your phone back that bad." Slipping it into his pocket, he pulled his hand back out, and rested it on his knee.

"Wait," Hayden said. "Fine. Just a kiss, right?"

Zach smirked as his blue eyes met hers. "Just a kiss," he repeated.

"Then you'll give me the phone?"

"That's the deal," Zach agreed.

"Alright, fine." Hayden said in aggravation.

Leaning down, she pressed her lips to his quickly before straightening once more. "There. Now hand it over."

Zach looked up at her incredulously. "What the hell was that?" he asked with a laugh.

"It was a kiss. Now give me my phone."

"That, was not a kiss," he said with a frown. "I've gotten better kisses from my mother," he informed her.

"That does not surprise me, you perv," she responded rudely.

"I want a real one. A good one," he emphasized. " or I'm keeping the phone."

Growling in aggravation, Hayden's grey eyes darted down the road again. When there was still nothing, her scowl darkened, and she let out a long, exaggerated sigh.

"I can't believe that you are making me do this," she spat out in annoyance. Bending towards him again, she pressed her lips to his.

Instead of pulling back immediately, she allowed them to linger, and was surprised to find that his lips were soft beneath hers. When they parted, and his tongue came out to slip inside of her mouth, Hayden hesitantly met it with her own.

The pair slid together, and entwined as Zach lifted his hand to touch the side of her face. His thumb brushed along the side of her cheek while his tongue slid along her bottom lip before he pulled it into his mouth to suck on it gently.

Hayden gasped as she pulled away from him. Her voice held a slight tremor as she held out her hand to him again. "Alright. I held up my end of the bargain. Time to hold up yours."

Zach smirked as he reached into his pocket. Pulling out the cell phone, he placed it into her hand.

Hayden grasped it in her palm, and turned away from him as she looked down at it. Stepping away from him, she began pushing buttons on it, but the face of it didn't light up.

Brows furrowed, she flipped it over, and removed the casing from the back. Her mouth parted as she looked at the empty space where the battery had once been.

Whirling around, Hayden glared as she stepped back towards him. "Give me the battery," she bit out angrily.

"Ask me nicer," he replied softly.

Hayden's mouth pinched as she forced a smile. "Give me the battery, please."

"That didn't sound very nice," he observed.

Gritting her teeth, Hayden forced out a breath. Her infuriated eyes raked over him scathingly for a moment before she attempted to put on a more pleasant visage. Forcing another smile, she used a sweeter tone of voice. "Can I please have the battery, Zach?"

Zach returned her smile with one of his own. "No you may not," he replied.

Hayden curled her lip as a sound of disgust escaped her throat. Turning away from him, she slipped to the other end of the shelter to lean against the wall.

"You can bargain for it though," he told her quietly.

Rolling her eyes, Hayden shook her head before lifting her gaze to his. "Another kiss?" she asked suspiciously.

"Not this time," Zach said firmly. "I want three minutes."

Hayden lifted a skeptical brow. "Three minutes to do what?"

"Whatever I want," he replied.

Hayden's mouth parted again in surprise. "You're not going to try having sex with me, are you?"

Zach's blue eyes widened as a bark of laughter escaped him. "As enticing as that idea is, I don't think I could accomplish it in under three minutes," he informed her.

Biting her lip, Hayden eyed him warily. "What are you going to do?"

"Whatever I want," he repeated softly.

"This isn't another trick is it? You didn't break the battery, did you?"

"I did not break the battery," he reassured her.

"Three minutes, and then I can have it, right?"

Zach nodded in agreement. "Then you can have it."

Taking a deep breath, Hayden gave an abrupt nod. "Alright. I'll agree."

Zach stood up from the bench, and approached her slowly where she stood. Just before he reached her, Hayden held up a hand to stop him. "Wait!" she cried out.

Obeying, he paused in front of her as his blue eyes grazed her frightened grey ones.

"You're not going to do anything painful, are you?"

A slight smile passed over his lips before he shook his head. "Nothing painful. I promise."

Sagging in relief, Hayden lowered her hand to her side. Her eyes were still wary as she looked at him, but then she nodded. "Okay. I'm ready," she said.

His gaze held hers intently, and as he drew closer, Hayden drew a staggering breath into her rib cage, and held it.

His fingers lifted to brush her dark hair back from her face for a moment as he looked down at her. "Breathe," he told her softly.

The air expelled from her lungs in a burst, making him smile. Reaching down to grab her wrist in his hand, he lifted it between them. Tilting his head, he looked down at the face of her watch, then glanced up at her.

"It's eleven twenty four. We'll start the time at eleven twenty five."

Nodding brusquely, Hayden looked away from him as her grey eyes wandered the darkness around them. She shifted in agitation as her nervousness increased.

"Relax," he said softly. "It's only three minutes. It will be over before you know it."

Dragging her eyes back to his, Hayden gazed into their intense depths. They looked confident, and completely in control. The underlying heat within them sent a shiver sliding through her slight frame.

When they dropped away from her to glance back at her wrist, a look of anticipation appeared on his face. "It's time," he informed her softly.

When he released her hand, Hayden lowered it to her side. Her heartbeat increased it's tempo as he drew closer, and then he was cupping her face in his hands. His intense blue eyes searched hers for a moment, and then he lowered his mouth to take hers.

He wasn't rough, but his mouth was urgent as he pressed her lips into parting. Once she opened to him, his tongue slipped deep inside to dominate, and take control. It swept through the recesses of her mouth as a harsh breath escaped him, and then he was pressing his knee between her legs making her gasp.

Her palm lifted to his chest in an instinctual desire to push him away, but she controlled the desire by fisting it on the front of his coat as he leaned into her frame.