The Tender Trap

The tires crunched against the gravel driveway as the stretched limousine finally rolled to a stop outside Pine Grove Manor. The passenger door swung open.

Donovan released his iron grip on her waist just enough to step out. He turned and looked down at her. "Get down."

Valerie pressed her back against the leather seat, staring at the towering facade of the estate. The manor had never been a home to her. It was a cold, suffocating cage, and she had zero intention of stepping foot inside again. She did not want to be Mrs. Whitmore, and she flatly refused to live at his mercy any longer.

She crossed her arms. "I don't want to."

Donovan did not waste another second on words. He leaned into the car, his massive frame blocking out the sunlight, and hooked his arms under her knees and back. Before she could even gasp, he hauled her out of the vehicle.

Valerie found herself crushed against his broad, muscular chest. His solid heartbeat drummed against her ribcage, and his overwhelming body heat seeped through her clothes. A strange, unwanted flutter erupted in her chest. She pushed her palms against his shoulders, but he did not even flinch. He carried her up the stone steps and straight through the front doors.

The housekeeper froze in the grand foyer. Her jaw practically hit the marble floor as she stared at the sight. Just days ago, Valerie had been chased out of this very house like a stray dog. Now, the untouchable Donovan Whitmore was carrying her inside like a prized possession.

Donovan ignored the stunned staff. He carried Valerie into the living room and deposited her onto the velvet sofa. Before she could scramble away, he snatched her injured hand. The raw cut on her palm pulled, sending a sharp sting shooting up her arm. She winced, her shoulders tensing.

He turned his head. "Bring me the first-aid kit."

The housekeeper snapped out of her daze. She hurried to a nearby cabinet, retrieved the medical box, and set it on the glass coffee table.

She wrung her hands together. "Should I do it, Mr. Whitmore?"

"It's fine." Donovan dismissed her with a brief wave.

He cracked open a bottle of aqueous iodine, soaked a cotton swab, and pressed it directly against Valerie's raw skin.

Valerie bit her lip as the fierce sting flared. She tried to yank her arm back. "Ouch! It hurts!"

Donovan clamped his large fingers around her wrist, locking her hand in place. His thumb brushed over her knuckles. "Be good. Bear with it."

The deep, coaxing tone of his voice felt so alien. Valerie stared at him in utter bewilderment. He was a towering, ruthless corporate shark, yet here he was, treating her with a strange, careful tenderness. The afternoon sunlight angled through the massive windows, washing over his usually sharp features and softening the rigid lines of his jaw. It made him look serene.

He wrapped a clean bandage around her palm, securing the tape with steady fingers. Then, he lowered his head and blew lightly across the wrapped wound. The warm rush of his breath grazed her sensitive skin, feeling far too much like a physical caress.

A hot flush crept up Valerie's neck. The intimacy of the gesture was suffocating. She tore her arm out of his grasp and looked away, refusing to acknowledge the heavy, tangled tension in the air.

She stood up from the sofa. "Thank you. Can I go home now?"

Donovan remained seated. He looked up at her, his expression darkening instantly. "Do you suffer from amnesia? This is your home."

He was acting as if the divorce had never happened. Valerie's chest tightened with frustration. Confronting him head-on was a losing battle, but she needed to make him see reason. Why was he acting like this? He had ignored her existence for three whole years. Was this sudden possessiveness just because they had slept together in that hotel room?

She clenched her uninjured hand into a fist. "We are already divorced. What you are doing right now is unlawful imprisonment!"

Donovan surged to his feet. He closed the distance between them in a single stride, pinched her chin between his fingers, and tilted her head up. He forced her to meet his cold, calculated gaze.

A mocking smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Who would have thought you were so knowledgeable in legal matters?"

Valerie felt the blood rush to her cheeks at his dripping sarcasm.

Donovan leaned down until his face was inches from hers. His warm breath fanned across the tip of her nose. "In that case, let me educate you. Are we still considered divorced if the agreement is conveniently missing, and we have yet to finalize any paperwork at the courthouse?"

Valerie's eyes widened in horror. He had forced her to sign those papers, and now he was burying them to keep her trapped. He was as cunning as a fox, twisting the law to suit his twisted games.

The sharp ring of a cell phone shattered the heavy silence. Donovan released her chin and pulled the phone from his suit pocket.

"Mr. Whitmore, there is an emergency meeting with the authorities from Oakhaven that requires your personal attention. I have brought the car around to the entrance." Leander's voice crackled through the speaker.

Donovan gave a curt hum of acknowledgment and ended the call. He reached out, casually smoothing a wrinkle on the lapel of Valerie's suit, before turning on his heel.

Valerie watched his broad back as he walked away. Her mind instantly raced. As soon as his car left the driveway, she would find a way out the back door.

Donovan reached the grand entryway and stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to the two massive bodyguards stationed at the door.

He pointed a long finger back toward the living room. "Stand guard here. Make sure she does not go anywhere."

The bodyguards snapped to attention. "Understood, Mr. Whitmore!"

Valerie felt the floor drop out from under her. He was officially placing her under house arrest. She was trapped.

The heavy front doors shut, sealing her inside the manor. Valerie stared at the imposing figures blocking her only exit. She swung her fist through the empty air, letting out a heavy breath as the reality of her cage finally set in.