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Authors: Elizabeth Bevarly
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her blindfold down from her eyes, then lower still, over her nose and mouth, until he could bend over enough that the fabric hung loosely around her neck. She couldn’t be sure in the dark,but he seemed not to straighten right away, but lingered a bit, inhaling deeply. She felt his warm breath dampen her sensitive flesh, and if she hadn’t known better, she would have sworn he dragged his open mouth lightly along the slender column of her throat before he rose to his full height again. Surely, though, that had only been a product of her overly heated imagination. Hadn’t it?
Oh, good God, what had come over her?
“You smell good,” he said as he pulled slowly away from her, surprising her. “You smell…sweet.”
And although the exchange seemed completely inane considering their circumstances, Sara felt helpless not to respond. “It’s, ah… I suppose it’s the, um, the toiletries I use. They’re…um…” She expelled a nervous chuckle before finally managing to conclude, “It’s lavender.”
In the darkness, she could discern nothing of Shane’s expression, but somehow she thought he smiled. “It’s nice,” he whispered. And something in that whisper warmed her entire body, inside and out.
She swallowed with some difficulty, then turned her back to him. “Can you, ah—” She halted abruptly when she realized how rough her voice sounded, then took a deep breath and tried again. “Can you reach the ropes round my wrists?” she asked.
She felt him turn around, too, and lifted her hands as much as she could, to the small of her back. He stooped down some, to meet her halfway, and she felt his fingers fumbling over the heavy nylon line they had used to bind them both. It took some doing, and a good amount of time passed as he worked at the loops and knots, but finally Sara felt the bonds loosening. She, too, began to work her hands and fingers, and with one final tug from Shane, and a last jerk of her own hand, she managed to free herself.
Hastily, she shook the ropes to the floor, untied the blindfold from around her neck and tossed it aside, then went to work on the cords wrapped around Shane’s wrists. She had him freed in no time, and he immediately reached upto loosen his own blindfold. Even without the benefit of light, she knew he ripped it from his face and hurled to the floor as if it were the most despicable thing he had ever encountered.
Then he cupped his hands roughly over Sara’s shoulders and pulled her close. For one scant second, she honestly thought he was going to kiss her, and she was stunned to realize she would have liked it very much if he did. But he only curled his fingers insistently into her shoulders and demanded furiously, “What the hell is going on?”
Four
W ell, so much for more soft remarks about how good she smelled, Sara thought. Obviously he wanted to move on to more immediate—and more realistic—matters. Damn her luck.
“You know very well what’s going on,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt. “We’re being held hostage by a dissident group in exchange for their demands.”
His grip on her shoulders tightened, and he jerked her closer still, close enough that her body was flush against his. Once again she felt the heat of him mixing with her own, only this time the sensation was compounded by the frantic beating of his heart. It mimicked the wild acceleration of her own, and Sara grew almost dizzy in response.
“That’s not what I meant,” he said. “I meant who the hell are you?”
Sara hesitated only a moment before replying, “You know that, too, Mr. Cordello. I’m a friend of the queen’swho happens to be attending university near where you live. Her Majesty asked me if I might do her a favor and act as your escort on your journey to Penwyck. And as a loyal subject, I couldn’t possibly tell her no.”
For a moment, his grip on her shoulders intensified even more. Then, suddenly, he pushed her gently
Oh, good God, what had come over her?
“You smell good,” he said as he pulled slowly away from her, surprising her. “You smell…sweet.”
And although the exchange seemed completely inane considering their circumstances, Sara felt helpless not to respond. “It’s, ah… I suppose it’s the, um, the toiletries I use. They’re…um…” She expelled a nervous chuckle before finally managing to conclude, “It’s lavender.”
In the darkness, she could discern nothing of Shane’s expression, but somehow she thought he smiled. “It’s nice,” he whispered. And something in that whisper warmed her entire body, inside and out.
She swallowed with some difficulty, then turned her back to him. “Can you, ah—” She halted abruptly when she realized how rough her voice sounded, then took a deep breath and tried again. “Can you reach the ropes round my wrists?” she asked.
She felt him turn around, too, and lifted her hands as much as she could, to the small of her back. He stooped down some, to meet her halfway, and she felt his fingers fumbling over the heavy nylon line they had used to bind them both. It took some doing, and a good amount of time passed as he worked at the loops and knots, but finally Sara felt the bonds loosening. She, too, began to work her hands and fingers, and with one final tug from Shane, and a last jerk of her own hand, she managed to free herself.
Hastily, she shook the ropes to the floor, untied the blindfold from around her neck and tossed it aside, then went to work on the cords wrapped around Shane’s wrists. She had him freed in no time, and he immediately reached upto loosen his own blindfold. Even without the benefit of light, she knew he ripped it from his face and hurled to the floor as if it were the most despicable thing he had ever encountered.
Then he cupped his hands roughly over Sara’s shoulders and pulled her close. For one scant second, she honestly thought he was going to kiss her, and she was stunned to realize she would have liked it very much if he did. But he only curled his fingers insistently into her shoulders and demanded furiously, “What the hell is going on?”
Four
W ell, so much for more soft remarks about how good she smelled, Sara thought. Obviously he wanted to move on to more immediate—and more realistic—matters. Damn her luck.
“You know very well what’s going on,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt. “We’re being held hostage by a dissident group in exchange for their demands.”
His grip on her shoulders tightened, and he jerked her closer still, close enough that her body was flush against his. Once again she felt the heat of him mixing with her own, only this time the sensation was compounded by the frantic beating of his heart. It mimicked the wild acceleration of her own, and Sara grew almost dizzy in response.
“That’s not what I meant,” he said. “I meant who the hell are you?”
Sara hesitated only a moment before replying, “You know that, too, Mr. Cordello. I’m a friend of the queen’swho happens to be attending university near where you live. Her Majesty asked me if I might do her a favor and act as your escort on your journey to Penwyck. And as a loyal subject, I couldn’t possibly tell her no.”
For a moment, his grip on her shoulders intensified even more. Then, suddenly, he pushed her gently
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