Read Online Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire (Love at Stake) by Kerrelyn Sparks - Free Book Online
Authors: Kerrelyn Sparks
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hear.”
“Maybe I should call them in to beat the tar out of you.”
“I would just teleport away.”
“Coward.”
He drew in a hissing breath. “Princess.”
“Don’t call me princess.”
“Don’t call me coward.”
“If the shoe fits.” She stomped on his foot, but he merely winced and pulled her tighter against him.
She grew still. He closed his eyes briefly, relishing this position. He’d enjoyed it last night, too. Even with the backpack she wore, her body seemed to fit perfectly against his, smaller, but snug and sheltered, as if she were a blade and he, the sheath. He lowered his head till his nose grazed her hair, and the floral scent of her shampoo filled his senses.
A shudder ran down her body.
Was he offending her by holding her like this? He knew he should release her, but it felt so damned good. Just a few more seconds. “My apologies for grabbing you. I thought you were going to slap me.”
She shook her head slightly. “I was only going to point at the rope to prove how desperate I am to escape.”
“I see,” he murmured against her soft hair.
“Why won’t you take me with you?” she whispered.
“I work alone.” And I don’t want you to get hurt .
“But I can help you.” She turned her face to try to see him, and his mouth accidentally brushed against her brow.
He lifted his head, and she looked away. He felt her rib cage expand as she took a deep breath. Would it hurt to take her to a few of Master Han’s camps? She would be an extra set of eyes.
But she would get in the way, he argued with himself. He would get distracted, and that would put them both in danger.
He eyed the silk rope she’d made to escape. She was clever, resourceful, and brave. Excellent with knives. How could he find fault with her for wanting to succeed? Especially when her goal was the same as his?
“We want the same thing,” she whispered, echoing his own thoughts. “Please take me with you.”
He swallowed hard. It was getting damned hard to refuse her. “You could get hurt.”
“So could you. I’m willing to take the risk. I won’t be a burden to you, I promise.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. You could be her hero.
A knock sounded at the door and he jumped back, releasing her.
“Jia?” Rajiv called from the front porch. “Are you asleep?”
Her eyes wide with horror, she lunged forward and grabbed Russell by his T-shirt. “They mustn’t find you here!”
“I’ll just go.”
“No! I still need to talk to you.”
Meaning she still wanted to convince him to take her with him. “I can—”
“Hide!” She ran over to the screen, pushed it back, and motioned for him to come.
As he approached, his gaze landed on the white banner with the figure of a man painted on it and a knife firmly embedded in his groin. “What the—”
She gasped. “My favorite knife! I almost left without it. How could I be so forgetful?”
He gave her an incredulous look. “I’m a little more concerned about your aim.”
She winced. “I was . . . distracted.”
“Remind me never to distract you.”
“Jia?” Rajiv knocked on the door again.
“Just a minute,” she called back. “I-I was asleep.” She dashed across the room and furiously pulled the rope back through the window. Loops of red and gold silk pooled onto the floor.
With a snort, Russell yanked her favorite knife from the wall, then levitated up to the beam and sliced the material free.
“Thank you!” she whispered, bundling up the fabric in her arms.
He dropped quietly to the ground and helped her gather up the rope and carry it to the small area behind the screen.
“Don’t leave!” she warned him. She dropped her backpack on the floor by his feet, kicked off her boots, then stretched the screen across the room.
He sat on the floor, surrounded by mounds of gold and red silk. It was darker here, since the screen blocked the moonlight that filtered through the open window. Even so, he spotted a thick, quilted
“Maybe I should call them in to beat the tar out of you.”
“I would just teleport away.”
“Coward.”
He drew in a hissing breath. “Princess.”
“Don’t call me princess.”
“Don’t call me coward.”
“If the shoe fits.” She stomped on his foot, but he merely winced and pulled her tighter against him.
She grew still. He closed his eyes briefly, relishing this position. He’d enjoyed it last night, too. Even with the backpack she wore, her body seemed to fit perfectly against his, smaller, but snug and sheltered, as if she were a blade and he, the sheath. He lowered his head till his nose grazed her hair, and the floral scent of her shampoo filled his senses.
A shudder ran down her body.
Was he offending her by holding her like this? He knew he should release her, but it felt so damned good. Just a few more seconds. “My apologies for grabbing you. I thought you were going to slap me.”
She shook her head slightly. “I was only going to point at the rope to prove how desperate I am to escape.”
“I see,” he murmured against her soft hair.
“Why won’t you take me with you?” she whispered.
“I work alone.” And I don’t want you to get hurt .
“But I can help you.” She turned her face to try to see him, and his mouth accidentally brushed against her brow.
He lifted his head, and she looked away. He felt her rib cage expand as she took a deep breath. Would it hurt to take her to a few of Master Han’s camps? She would be an extra set of eyes.
But she would get in the way, he argued with himself. He would get distracted, and that would put them both in danger.
He eyed the silk rope she’d made to escape. She was clever, resourceful, and brave. Excellent with knives. How could he find fault with her for wanting to succeed? Especially when her goal was the same as his?
“We want the same thing,” she whispered, echoing his own thoughts. “Please take me with you.”
He swallowed hard. It was getting damned hard to refuse her. “You could get hurt.”
“So could you. I’m willing to take the risk. I won’t be a burden to you, I promise.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. You could be her hero.
A knock sounded at the door and he jumped back, releasing her.
“Jia?” Rajiv called from the front porch. “Are you asleep?”
Her eyes wide with horror, she lunged forward and grabbed Russell by his T-shirt. “They mustn’t find you here!”
“I’ll just go.”
“No! I still need to talk to you.”
Meaning she still wanted to convince him to take her with him. “I can—”
“Hide!” She ran over to the screen, pushed it back, and motioned for him to come.
As he approached, his gaze landed on the white banner with the figure of a man painted on it and a knife firmly embedded in his groin. “What the—”
She gasped. “My favorite knife! I almost left without it. How could I be so forgetful?”
He gave her an incredulous look. “I’m a little more concerned about your aim.”
She winced. “I was . . . distracted.”
“Remind me never to distract you.”
“Jia?” Rajiv knocked on the door again.
“Just a minute,” she called back. “I-I was asleep.” She dashed across the room and furiously pulled the rope back through the window. Loops of red and gold silk pooled onto the floor.
With a snort, Russell yanked her favorite knife from the wall, then levitated up to the beam and sliced the material free.
“Thank you!” she whispered, bundling up the fabric in her arms.
He dropped quietly to the ground and helped her gather up the rope and carry it to the small area behind the screen.
“Don’t leave!” she warned him. She dropped her backpack on the floor by his feet, kicked off her boots, then stretched the screen across the room.
He sat on the floor, surrounded by mounds of gold and red silk. It was darker here, since the screen blocked the moonlight that filtered through the open window. Even so, he spotted a thick, quilted
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