Read Online A Touch of Camelot by Delynn Royer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Delynn Royer
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weapons?"
Cole studied the delicate line of her jaw, the curve of her lips. Oh, she knew what she was doing to him, and he didn't doubt for a minute she would try to use it. When Fritz Landis had warned him not to let his guard down, Cole had never foreseen this particular danger. He hadn't known then he would be stuck traveling across the country with a sharp-witted, smart-mouthed, pint-sized temptress.
He took the handcuffs from his pocket and reached for her right hand. She jerked back. "Hey! What's this?”
"Just taking precautions."
"Where in heck do you think I'm going in my underclothes? Do you intend to shackle Arthur, too?"
"No, he's sleeping with me. He can't go anywhere without crawling over me, and, I assure you, I'm a very light sleeper."
She rolled over onto her back and covered her face with her hands. "How am I supposed to sleep all tied up?"
Cole couldn't help but notice that her sheet had slipped down, baring cleavage. That was all his erotic imagination needed. "You won't be tied up. One wrist locked to the berth chain, that's all."
"That's all? Why don't you try sleeping that way?"
"I don't have to try sleeping that way. I haven't broken the law lately."
"Which brings us to the subject of charges. No one has actually charged us with anything. What right do you have to kidnap us, shackle us, and drag us halfway across the country?"
Cole was losing his patience. "If you want charges, we could start with horse-stealing."
"I didn't steal your horse!"
"I'm talking about Garden City, Gwin. They sent us a warrant."
She snorted. "Oh, well! If you want to go picking hairs off an egg, we could be here all night."
"All right, Gwin, leaving all egg hairs aside, we could move on to the fact that you and your brother are witnesses in a murder case. Have you ever heard of subpoena powers?"
"Supeena? That sounds like something you'd find on the menu at one of those fancy French restaurants."
"No, it means you have to appear if the court orders you to, and the court, in this case, has ordered you to."
"But, I'll wager it's not the court that's paying you. Who is paying you for this?"
"I'm employed by the Agency. You know that."
"Who's paying the Agency?"
"I can't divulge that."
She studied him grimly in the dim light. "It seems to me that I have a right to know."
Cole held up the cuffs. "Give me your hand."
"No."
"Either you give me your hand or I take it."
She frowned. "All right, but do me one favor."
"What's that?"
She offered her left hand. "If you have to do it, do this one instead. I always sleep on my left side."
Cole was exasperated. "What the hell difference does it make which side you sleep on?"
She arched an eyebrow. "You said a bad word, Cole. I'm disappointed in you. Am I asking so much?"
"All right, all right." Cole stepped up onto the lower berth and reached across her supine body to search for an anchor point for the cuffs. His forearm brushed against her breast, and he jerked back.
Rattled, he looked down to see Gwin staring back up him, appearing a little disconcerted herself. She didn't move, however, or open her mouth, for which he was grateful. He averted his eyes and leaned over her more carefully this time.
It was a moment till she spoke. "It sure is a pity that a big strapping fellow like you needs handcuffs to control one small, helpless female."
Small, helpless female? Cole refused to look at her as he pushed and probed at the wood and metalwork. "I think I've handled you just fine up until now, Gwin."
"If I were you, I wouldn’t go tooting my horn just yet."
Cole tested a corner joint by tugging on it. "Oh, I don't know. I caught you twice already, didn't I? What's that come to? Two out of two?"
"You know what they say."
Cole looked at her. It was a mistake. She was as good as lying flat beneath him. Cleavage seemed to swell over the top of her chemise. Her hair was plaited into a single braid that snaked down over the rise of her right breast. Cole would
Cole studied the delicate line of her jaw, the curve of her lips. Oh, she knew what she was doing to him, and he didn't doubt for a minute she would try to use it. When Fritz Landis had warned him not to let his guard down, Cole had never foreseen this particular danger. He hadn't known then he would be stuck traveling across the country with a sharp-witted, smart-mouthed, pint-sized temptress.
He took the handcuffs from his pocket and reached for her right hand. She jerked back. "Hey! What's this?”
"Just taking precautions."
"Where in heck do you think I'm going in my underclothes? Do you intend to shackle Arthur, too?"
"No, he's sleeping with me. He can't go anywhere without crawling over me, and, I assure you, I'm a very light sleeper."
She rolled over onto her back and covered her face with her hands. "How am I supposed to sleep all tied up?"
Cole couldn't help but notice that her sheet had slipped down, baring cleavage. That was all his erotic imagination needed. "You won't be tied up. One wrist locked to the berth chain, that's all."
"That's all? Why don't you try sleeping that way?"
"I don't have to try sleeping that way. I haven't broken the law lately."
"Which brings us to the subject of charges. No one has actually charged us with anything. What right do you have to kidnap us, shackle us, and drag us halfway across the country?"
Cole was losing his patience. "If you want charges, we could start with horse-stealing."
"I didn't steal your horse!"
"I'm talking about Garden City, Gwin. They sent us a warrant."
She snorted. "Oh, well! If you want to go picking hairs off an egg, we could be here all night."
"All right, Gwin, leaving all egg hairs aside, we could move on to the fact that you and your brother are witnesses in a murder case. Have you ever heard of subpoena powers?"
"Supeena? That sounds like something you'd find on the menu at one of those fancy French restaurants."
"No, it means you have to appear if the court orders you to, and the court, in this case, has ordered you to."
"But, I'll wager it's not the court that's paying you. Who is paying you for this?"
"I'm employed by the Agency. You know that."
"Who's paying the Agency?"
"I can't divulge that."
She studied him grimly in the dim light. "It seems to me that I have a right to know."
Cole held up the cuffs. "Give me your hand."
"No."
"Either you give me your hand or I take it."
She frowned. "All right, but do me one favor."
"What's that?"
She offered her left hand. "If you have to do it, do this one instead. I always sleep on my left side."
Cole was exasperated. "What the hell difference does it make which side you sleep on?"
She arched an eyebrow. "You said a bad word, Cole. I'm disappointed in you. Am I asking so much?"
"All right, all right." Cole stepped up onto the lower berth and reached across her supine body to search for an anchor point for the cuffs. His forearm brushed against her breast, and he jerked back.
Rattled, he looked down to see Gwin staring back up him, appearing a little disconcerted herself. She didn't move, however, or open her mouth, for which he was grateful. He averted his eyes and leaned over her more carefully this time.
It was a moment till she spoke. "It sure is a pity that a big strapping fellow like you needs handcuffs to control one small, helpless female."
Small, helpless female? Cole refused to look at her as he pushed and probed at the wood and metalwork. "I think I've handled you just fine up until now, Gwin."
"If I were you, I wouldn’t go tooting my horn just yet."
Cole tested a corner joint by tugging on it. "Oh, I don't know. I caught you twice already, didn't I? What's that come to? Two out of two?"
"You know what they say."
Cole looked at her. It was a mistake. She was as good as lying flat beneath him. Cleavage seemed to swell over the top of her chemise. Her hair was plaited into a single braid that snaked down over the rise of her right breast. Cole would
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