Mary Wine (7 page)

Relief flooded her body. Something else followed on the heels of that emotion. The discomforts of her body were interfering with an exact identification of just what she was feeling.

Lifting her head, Roshelle moved her eyes slowly about the dark.
He
was here. She had not been left alone. Instead she was being carefully observed.

Her tolerance ended abruptly. She was sick of being the prey. Pushing herself to her feet, she forced her mind to tell her where
he
was. She had found him before. As it appeared that she was stuck with these feelings, she might as well exercise them.

“You can stop hiding in the dark, because you’re not scaring me.”

Maybe tossing out a challenge wasn’t the wisest thing she could do in her current situation but the waiting was simply unbearable.

It was fortunate that she had found his direction because his feet didn’t make a sound as he melted from the darkness. His body bled from the night almost like a ghost. Light washed over the hard cut of his face. Solid muscle covered a frame that dwarfed her own. Her feet shifted as he came closer to loom over her.

“I think I am scaring you. Tomorrow I promise you I will.”

Jared ground his teeth together as he raked his eyes over her innocent-looking face. That need to protect her fragile-looking body crept up and he clenched his fingers into fists.

No woman was worth dying for…not even this one. But damn it all to hell. Why? Roshelle was a local and Jared found his stomach turning as he considered the best method of breaking her.

“Who are you?” Her voice was whisper-soft as she stared at him. Jared pressed his lips into a tight line before wrapping his hand around her arm.

“I’m your worst nightmare.”

And she was his. His body throbbed with unsatisfied desire as he concocted the best way to interrogate her. Jared ground his teeth together as he resigned himself to disappointment. His body didn’t care. His staff was hard with need as he hauled her into his house. Passing up the master bedroom took every last scrap of self-discipline he had because all he wanted to do was comfort her bruised skin. Her delicate body was made for a man to worship. Instead she’d used it for treason.

God damn it to hell and back!

Chapter Five

“You’re still not scaring me!”

A solid door slammed in her face. The wood paneling stared back at her completely unimpressed with her brave words.

Dropping herself onto the bed, Roshelle let her face reflect her true feelings. She was so tired! Fear might still be coursing through her veins but her body was collapsing as she took in the fact that she seemed to be alone for the present.

Sunlight streamed in the window when she lifted her eyes again. Roshelle lifted her face and noticed a doorway that she’d missed the night before. It led to a small bathroom that she gratefully entered. She rushed through a shower as
his
promise lingered in her memory. Her body was already far too aware of the man. She didn’t need him finding her naked.

Green eyes were uncommon, the emerald intensity of his had to be the rarest kind. Set with his black hair, it was a startling combination. His body was amazing. He had to be over six feet and his chest was coated with thick muscles that continued down his arms.

He was one of the most terrifying men that she had ever seen.

It was almost funny to recall their first meeting. He had threatened her even then. But she had stood up to him with the innocent faith of a child. It had not even crossed her mind that another human being would do her harm. Abba was responsible for that.

A smile flirted across her face. Dear sweet Abba. How Roshelle missed her grandmother.

That smile was the first thing Jared saw when he opened the door. The fact that she was clearly pleased with herself caused his temper to raise its head.

“Enjoying yourself?”

Her breath was stuck in her throat. Roshelle forced it down. She refused to be his next kill.

“I see you’ve decided to stop hiding.”

“You missed me?”

“Like a toothache.”

Jared caught his amusement before she heard it. She had a backbone of solid steel; he’d give her that. Her fingers were curled into the comforter that she sat on betraying her fear.

Shane’s methods were not yielding the information he needed. The blonde insisted that they’d been kidnapped. Jared was finished waiting. Roshelle would tell him why he’d found her in the mist of a rebel force, or he would rip it out of her mind.

“I suggest you tell me exactly what your friends were up to on my mountain.”

She knew one thing about him now. He was a man that kept his promises. Fear was rising along her back in response to the aggression in his voice. Roshelle forced herself to lock stares with him.

“They weren’t my friends. They were my captors.”

A harsh grunt was his response. He crossed his huge arms over his chest as his eyes cut into hers. He continued right into her mind. Roshelle struggled against the invasion but refused to cower. She could feel his anger, as he seemed to shift among her emotions.

But her senses registered more than his anger. She felt him. It was a strength that seemed to be forged from solid steel. There was an undeniable attraction to that strength. All the details about how they’d ended up facing each other down didn’t matter as Roshelle felt the impact of this man’s true nature.

He had honor. Maybe the edges were rough but there wasn’t the stench of dishonestly rising from his soul. Something inside her deepest core was touched by his presence.

Roshelle suddenly gasped. His eyes had closed to mere slits as he listened to her thoughts. It wasn’t like a conversation that you followed in words but they were linked together so that every emotion was shared. He liked her approval of him. It ran through his brain as arousal followed right on its heels.

“Don’t touch me.”

Jared wasn’t even sure just when he’d decided to do exactly that. But he wanted to close the gap between them ‘til he could bury his face in the soft curve of her neck again. His body didn’t give a damn about anything but the need to get closer to her. It confounded the hell out of him but that didn’t change the fact that his staff was rising to attention as he considered the bed she sat on.

Just what he was expecting she wasn’t sure of, but he pushed his body away from the wall that he was leaning against. The two steps he took brought him within touching range of her body.

“Don’t touch me!”

She rolled over the bed in her search for escape. Her eyes were wide as she struggled against the needs of her own body. She wanted him. Jared could taste it.

“You like the way I touch you.”

He moved like a predator. Two huge hands landed in the middle of the bed as he leaped across it. His mind sliced through her protests like a razor to find out what she hid behind the shield. His lips lifted at the corners as he let his own arousal drift across the link.

“Hmm… So, you’re afraid of yourself. I might have to help you face your phobia.”

But Jared wasn’t interested in chasing her across the bed. He held their link open as her eyes widened with the intensity of their reaction to each other. It poured from both of their bodies to mix together into something that threatened to consume both their ideas about right and wrong.

It scared her to death. Jared clamped his jaw together and pushed away from the bed. Her fear twisted his gut, souring his desire to claim her. He pushed the door open with too much force and slammed it back behind him with even more.

* * * * *

Cupping her hands under the faucet, Roshelle used them to splash the water onto her face. The cooling liquid hit her eyes, soothing the burning.

The door opened behind her causing her heart to leap in panic. She couldn’t face another trial just yet.

The door closed again almost before it had completely opened. Her eyes surveyed the plate of food that was left behind on the nightstand. Reaching for the bottle of water she enjoyed the cooling slide of the beverage but the rest of the food didn’t interest her in the least.

The sun was setting. The only window her prison offered was lit with the crimson glow of sunset. Nothing but the simplest of blinds covered the opening in the wall. Moving towards it, she reached for the plastic rod that would allow her to open the slats.

Her eyes drank in the beauty of the forest. This house stood surrounded by it. Roshelle couldn’t have ever imagined a more perfect home.

Reaching for the latch, she pushed the sliding glass pane aside. The evening breeze sailed into her, surrounding her with the scent of the mountains. Pulling in a deeper breath, she held it. There was nothing so sweet as the fir trees. Goose bumps ran down the length of her arms making her frown.

Her body was too sensitive. It defied her attempts to understand. How exactly did she develop such an attraction to a man she didn’t know? Her temper stirred but it changed nothing. Her breasts actually rose as the memory of his touch played in crystal clear perfection across her brain. Her nipples ached as she recalled exactly how hot his mouth was when he applied it to the little sensitive nub.

Roshelle shook her head as the ache traveled straight into her belly. She’d never been so acutely aware of her sexual needs before. Her body pulsed in a warm wave of desire that made her shudder.

Roshelle tossed her head in disgust with her body. She had to get out of here before her overactive hormones got her into trouble. Dark images of
him
moving across her body drifted across her mind. He wanted her and the ideas were drifting from his mind into hers.

Spinning on her heel, Roshelle glared at the door. Fear had a funny way of heightening a person’s senses. Every sound came through with amazing volume. Each time that door shut she remembered. Not once had she noticed a lock clicking into place.

Well, it was time to find out! Her hand grasped the doorknob, while her wrist gave it a twist. The door pulled inward granting her the freedom she sought. The only light that burned in the house was in her room. It seeped out into the darkened hallway. Nothing moved, no order to return to her cell was issued.

Setting her shoulders, Roshelle took the first few steps into freedom. Nothing but the house greeted her allowing her hope to burn brighter. Her captors were relying on her own fear to keep her imprisoned. It was embarrassing to discover just how correct they were.

Well, she was out of that damn room and Roshelle fully intended to walk right out the front door of the house. The structure itself was very small. The hallway she was in connected with a living room. Just beyond that her eyes spied a glimpse of a kitchen. As she came closer to the front door, she stood by the fireplace that sat facing the door. Nothing but a sofa sat in the room.

A double door sat just in back of that sofa. Roshelle stood and stared at it. Despite the fact that it was closed she knew exactly what lay behind it. She could smell him on the air in the room. That was the master bedroom.
His
room.

Just now it was empty. She could almost taste the man on her tongue but her feelings told her she was alone for the moment.

Not for long! Roshelle had spent too many hours worrying over her friend. Now that she had discovered her freedom she intended to find Christina. Her memory of the night they arrived reminded her of the second house. Moving towards the front door, it came into view.

It was the only other structure in sight. Christina had to be there.

Rubbing her hands over her arms, Roshelle forced herself out into the night. She wore nothing but a thin pair of jeans and cotton top. Once the sun set in the Washington mountains, the temperature dropped dramatically.

Longing for her fleece-lined jacket, she pushed herself out into the night. The second house was only a few hundred yards away.

* * * * *

“Life seems to have become rather complicated.”

Shane’s words were far too close to the truth for Jared’s comfort.

“That blonde send you packing from your own house again?”

Dropping down beside his friend, Shane considered the comment.

“Looks like an angel, but I suggest you wear gloves to prevent frostbite when handling her.”

Casting his eyes over the man next to him, Jared gave him a grin. Ms. Christina Faulkner was most vocal in her negative opinion of the current situation. Just like a matched pair of shoes, Roshelle’s continued defiance was preventing Jared from bringing this case to a conclusion.

He grunted with frustration. The main problem was he wasn’t getting any closer to solving anything. Roshelle was telling him the truth. There wasn’t any way for her to lie to him. That just complicated the situation further.

If they turned the women loose, they were as good as dead.

Moving his eyes back to the source of his displeasure, Jared blinked a few times to clear them.
She
was calmly walking right across his front drive.

Shane just couldn’t keep his amusement silent. He had wondered just how long the little doctor was going to stay put. Jared leapt from his spot and was rapidly closing the distance between them.

That amusement died abruptly as the woman jerked to attention. Jared was still a good forty yards from her. Jared had the cover of night to aid him; with the yard lights illuminating her there was little possibility that the woman could see her adversary. Yet she turned her body to face her approaching company.

Shane shook his head. He’d worked with psychics his entire life. Roshelle had more than her fair share of gut instinct. She trained her eyes on Jared even though she couldn’t possibly see him.

She could feel him and it explained a little too much about Jared’s mood.

Complicated? Bloody mess sounded a whole lot better.