Read Online A Perfect Hero by Samantha James - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Samantha James
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touch and explore. To feel him grow hard beneath her fingertips.
In some faraway part of his mind, he regretted the barrier of his breeches. Out of consideration for her sensibilities, he hadn’t discarded them these last few nights. Her fingertips extended, a tentative venture. With dainty hesitance, almost stealthily . . .
With an oath, he vaulted from the bed.
The lovely lady was already on her feet. She was backing away. Her eyes were sizzling, pure, bright, and filled with blue fire.
She stopped. In her hands she held one of his pistols, aimed directly at the middle of his chest.
“Don’t move!” she cried. “Stop right there.”
Dane froze. Bloody hell! He’d been careless. He’d been foolish, and both might well come back to haunt him. Oh, but he should have known! He’d sensed her willfulness in the tilt of her chin.
“Give me the key,” she said, her voice very low.
A dawning awareness slipped over him. Damn! he thought. She was neither meek nor weak, and quite insistent.
Bloody hell, this was what happened by letting down his guard. He should have known better. He did know better! Never again would he be so gullible.
“Well,” he said. “It appears I underestimated you. You weren’t ill, were you?”
Her lips pressed together.
“It was a ruse. A way to disarm me, I sup pose.” He paused. “I suppose you think you’re very clever.”
“Cleverness has nothing to do with it. You wouldn’t let me go!” Her tone was accusing.
Their eyes met. Softly he said, “I was worried about you, kitten.”
“Worried! You left me alone for hours on end.”
“Not because I wanted to,” he said immedi ately. And indeed, he hadn’t. But if he hadn’t shown up for his meeting with Phillip, it would have thrown everything into chaos. All would have been ruined.
“Why should I believe anything you say? From your own lips, you’re a thief. A brigand!”
A logical assumption, he thought.
“. . . and now I want that key!”
Dane shook his head. “And where would you go? I told you, we’re in the middle of the forest, far from the nearest village. Would you rather be lost than here with me? I won’t harm you.” His tone was cajoling. “If that was my intention, I would have done so by now.”
Dane eyed her, silently calculating the distance between them. She stood perhaps ten paces away. She was a well-bred young woman, clearly of privileged upbringing. It was a miracle she knew one end of a pistol from the other.
“If you want the key, you’ll have to take it from me. You’ll have to get close. And who will
have the advantage then, I wonder?”
Her eyes flickered.
“You won’t shoot,” he predicted.
“I will! Do you think you know me so well? You do not know me at all, sir! Now put your hands up!”
Damn! His hands inched up, while he eyed the barrel, which was level with his chest. “Yes. But have you ever seen a dead man?”
“I have. My father.”
“Perhaps I should rephrase. Have you ever seen a man die? Have you ever seen a man shot?”
“Stop it!” she said wildly. “I know what you’re doing!”
“It’s not a pretty sight,” he continued. “Frankly, it’s damned messy. Granted, that de pends on where a man is shot. A head wound—”
“Cease!”
“You’re sweating, kitten. I can see it from here. I think if you were to shoot me, you’d probably faint dead away.” Her resolve was weakening. The tables were about to turn. Perhaps it was stubborn pride, but he was reasonably certain his instincts hadn’t deserted him entirely.
His eyes bored into hers. “I thought you were going to shoot.”
“I am. I will!” She swallowed hard. She was faltering, the barrel of the pistol wavering.
“Then do it,” he dared.
She retreated a step. “Stay there!” she said
shakily. Smug now, Dane took a step forward. Julianna squeezed her eyes shut, turned her
head aside...and fired.
Five
t was most odd how it happened . . . It was not pain, but shock
In some faraway part of his mind, he regretted the barrier of his breeches. Out of consideration for her sensibilities, he hadn’t discarded them these last few nights. Her fingertips extended, a tentative venture. With dainty hesitance, almost stealthily . . .
With an oath, he vaulted from the bed.
The lovely lady was already on her feet. She was backing away. Her eyes were sizzling, pure, bright, and filled with blue fire.
She stopped. In her hands she held one of his pistols, aimed directly at the middle of his chest.
“Don’t move!” she cried. “Stop right there.”
Dane froze. Bloody hell! He’d been careless. He’d been foolish, and both might well come back to haunt him. Oh, but he should have known! He’d sensed her willfulness in the tilt of her chin.
“Give me the key,” she said, her voice very low.
A dawning awareness slipped over him. Damn! he thought. She was neither meek nor weak, and quite insistent.
Bloody hell, this was what happened by letting down his guard. He should have known better. He did know better! Never again would he be so gullible.
“Well,” he said. “It appears I underestimated you. You weren’t ill, were you?”
Her lips pressed together.
“It was a ruse. A way to disarm me, I sup pose.” He paused. “I suppose you think you’re very clever.”
“Cleverness has nothing to do with it. You wouldn’t let me go!” Her tone was accusing.
Their eyes met. Softly he said, “I was worried about you, kitten.”
“Worried! You left me alone for hours on end.”
“Not because I wanted to,” he said immedi ately. And indeed, he hadn’t. But if he hadn’t shown up for his meeting with Phillip, it would have thrown everything into chaos. All would have been ruined.
“Why should I believe anything you say? From your own lips, you’re a thief. A brigand!”
A logical assumption, he thought.
“. . . and now I want that key!”
Dane shook his head. “And where would you go? I told you, we’re in the middle of the forest, far from the nearest village. Would you rather be lost than here with me? I won’t harm you.” His tone was cajoling. “If that was my intention, I would have done so by now.”
Dane eyed her, silently calculating the distance between them. She stood perhaps ten paces away. She was a well-bred young woman, clearly of privileged upbringing. It was a miracle she knew one end of a pistol from the other.
“If you want the key, you’ll have to take it from me. You’ll have to get close. And who will
have the advantage then, I wonder?”
Her eyes flickered.
“You won’t shoot,” he predicted.
“I will! Do you think you know me so well? You do not know me at all, sir! Now put your hands up!”
Damn! His hands inched up, while he eyed the barrel, which was level with his chest. “Yes. But have you ever seen a dead man?”
“I have. My father.”
“Perhaps I should rephrase. Have you ever seen a man die? Have you ever seen a man shot?”
“Stop it!” she said wildly. “I know what you’re doing!”
“It’s not a pretty sight,” he continued. “Frankly, it’s damned messy. Granted, that de pends on where a man is shot. A head wound—”
“Cease!”
“You’re sweating, kitten. I can see it from here. I think if you were to shoot me, you’d probably faint dead away.” Her resolve was weakening. The tables were about to turn. Perhaps it was stubborn pride, but he was reasonably certain his instincts hadn’t deserted him entirely.
His eyes bored into hers. “I thought you were going to shoot.”
“I am. I will!” She swallowed hard. She was faltering, the barrel of the pistol wavering.
“Then do it,” he dared.
She retreated a step. “Stay there!” she said
shakily. Smug now, Dane took a step forward. Julianna squeezed her eyes shut, turned her
head aside...and fired.
Five
t was most odd how it happened . . . It was not pain, but shock
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