Read Online All The Time You Need by Melissa Mayhue - Free Book Online Page A

burst toward the light, a cold rush tingling on her face as she struggled to open her eyes.
    She lay on her back, a blurry figure hovering over her. A man, she could tell. And a large man at that. But she knew no man who would be this close to her. Well, none except the one she wanted most to escape…
    “Peter?”
    In the instant after she spoke his name, her vision cleared and she recognized her mistake. This was certainly not Peter. It wasn’t anyone she’d ever seen before.
    Except she had seen this ruggedly handsome man before.
    Again the invisible fingers from the tunnel reached up to grab hold of her and drag her back down into their pit of oblivion.
    Within her mind, she struggled to remember. She had known that man. He wasn’t Peter. He wasn’t family. But he was somehow a part of whatever it was that she needed to do.
    Like a cold slap to the face, it came back to her in a rush. Lissa! That girl who’d tried to rescue her from the arbor. She’d abandoned that poor girl to the uncertain mercies of the man who hovered over her now. She’d done her best to drive him away, to protect the girl, but she’d been too weak.
    Once more she summoned her strength and fought against the invisible ties holding her down, thrashing her head from side to side, clawing her way back up toward the light. She was determined to succeed this time, no matter how tightly they tried to hold her down.
    When her eyes opened again, she felt very different than she had on each prior attempt. As if awaking from a long, refreshing sleep, none of that exhausted weakness clung to her any longer. This time, she was ready for battle.
    With a shout of outrage, she burst up from the bed where she lay to confront those who held her prisoner.
    In her mind, at least, that was the scenario. And though her mind was indeed ready for battle, frustratingly, her body didn’t seem quite up to the task. The mighty shout she’d envisioned came out as more of a raspy groan, and she was quite certain her head hadn’t cleared the mattress by more than a quarter of an inch.
    This wasn’t good. Not good at all.
    “It would seem she’s returning from the Land of Oracles to rejoin us.” The voice of a woman. An old voice, hoarse with age. “My timing, as always, is perfect.”
    “Yer timing?” a man said, followed by a snort of derision. “Then I suppose that my having to carry you here like a sack of belligerent grain was little more than a part of yer master plan, aye? To delay yer arrival until this very moment?”
    “In a manner of speaking,” the woman answered as she laid a cool hand on Annie’s cheek. “Are you back with us, then, sweetling?”
    Annie did her best to nod, but wasn’t sure she did more than blink a couple of times.
    “Help me to prop her up a bit. With those parched lips, she’s likely ready for a sip or two.”
    Water! Now that her thirst was brought to her attention, Annie could hardly wait as two large hands snugged in under her arms and lifted her up, leaning her back against a fluff of pillows.
    “Here you are. Take it slowly now,” the woman cautioned as the thick rim of a mug touched Annie’s lips.
    One huge gulp later, she understood the need for caution, sputtering and choking on what tasted like a bitter, diluted version of flavored vinegar.
    “What is that?” she said, fully awake at last. “It’s awful.”
    “Mulled wine, of course,” the old woman answered, her face wrinkled in indignation. “And one of our better batches, if I do say so myself.”
    “Sorry.” Annie shook her head, keenly aware of the heat rising in her face. “I didn’t mean to insult your cooking. Or brewing. Or whatever you do to make that stuff. It’s just…I expected water, you know? Just plain old water. May I have some, please?”
    “Water?” a male voice scoffed. The man in the corner, the one who’d leaned over her earlier, spoke this time. The one with the intense eyes. He approached the bed again, his arms crossed