KIDNAPPED, A Romantic Suspense Novel (19 page)

“Actually, I think this part came many centuries later. This is the knight of the realm being offered the fair maiden theory.”

“I’m not sure I’ve heard this one either.”

He wiggled his brow, then bent forward to kiss one hard nipple. He smiled as she shivered. “You see the knight came home after vanquishing the enemy in battle. The young maiden tended his wounds, bathed him, then offered him her wares in recompense for his chivalrous deeds.

“A gift for the victorious hero returned home?” She gasped as he drew the other nipple into his mouth and sucked. His tongue flicking over the sensitive peak. 

“A soft comfort to ease the aching need of his bruised and battered body.” Slowly he slipped his hands down her sides and over her hips, his fingers hooking in the scrap of silk. With one sure tug he drew her panties off her body.

From the tips of her toes to the top of her head, she’d turned to kindling for the fire. Each touch of his hand, each lick of his tongue, ignited the flames of her need higher, until she thought she would die from its intensity.

Her legs no longer able to hold her, she fell full force into his body. She dropped her hands to his head, dragged her fingers through the thick blonde hair and lowered her lips to his. With all the passion he’d unleashed in her, she kissed him, her tongue sweeping in to taste him. Cinnamon. Spicy. She wanted to devour him.

A deep moan rumbled from Jake’s chest and he pulled her tighter against him, one hand cupping her luscious ass, the other holding her by her thick mass of dark hair. He took control. Forced her to tip her head, his tongue pushing past hers. He flipped her around, then onto her back against the bed covers. He followed her down, his weight forcing her to relinquish to his power.

He’d wanted to go slow. To make her beg. To imprint this moment in his mind forever. Now he’d settle for nothing less than total surrender. Like it or not, she belonged to him.

The need to bury himself deep inside her nearly possessed him. He released her lips to lick down the sultry length of her neck. His hips pressing down between her spread thighs. Her moans filled the room and she arched her back as he feasted on her breasts, sucking, licking, and biting each tight nipple.

Still lower he moved, letting his tongue trace the path over her soft stomach, down over the feathery hairs covering the apex of her sex. His hands spread her thighs wide, opening her soft folds. He latched onto her clit and began to suck.

“Oh, my God.” Her hands gripped his head, her hips thrusting up to offer him more.

He slipped his tongue out to take what she offered. She tasted like sweet honey.

She spasmed around his tongue, and he drew more of the nectar from her body until she collapsed back onto the mattress still quivering from her orgasm. Anxious not to be away from her, he lifted his body away from hers to stand by the bed. He unfastened his jeans, and stripped for her pleasure as she watched him with sex-laden eyes. He reached into the drawer for the second condom he’d had with him, then covered his straining cock with it.

Once more he lowered his body onto hers. Her arms wrapped around him as he sank deep into her swollen warm flesh. Home.

It was his last coherent thought as he moved in and out, deeper and faster with each thrust. The need to claim her driving him. She wrapped her legs around his hips. His arms strained as he drove them forward. Pounding against her flesh. Working deeper.

Beneath him, he felt her clench. Her body spasmed once more around him.

He thrust again and again. His body tightened.

He lost the ability to hold himself above her. Collapsing onto her as the last thrust had his own release shoot through him, his mouth covered hers in a kiss, smothering both their moans of completion.

They lay exhausted, a pile of tangled limbs. Their ragged breathing the only sounds breaking the room’s silence. Sami released her grip on his shoulders and slid her hands down the depression between his back muscles along his spine.

“Mmm. Don’t stop,” he murmured against her neck, his beard scratching her skin.

“That was incredible.” She wanted to stay this way forever. Even his weight on top of her felt like heaven. Too bad the reality of t heir situation would intrude all too quickly. If they didn’t guarantee Nicky’s safety all their lives would be forfeit. “Oh my God! Do you think Nicky heard us?”

Jake chuckled, then pushed his weight onto his elbows. “It’s a little late to think about that, don’t you think?”

“Maybe I should go check on him.” She peeked around Jake to see the bedroom door was closed tight. When had he done that? When he’d followed her into the room? Why hadn’t she noticed? Because the man had a way of distracting her beyond reason.

Jake’s face softened. He lifted one strand of her hair, sniffed it, then tucked it behind her ear. “I’ll go check on Nicky. We’ll leave the door open for the rest of the night.”

“Maybe I should sleep out there. In case he needs me.” She struggled to sit up.

“Stay.” He pushed her back on the bed. “He’s used to being alone, Samantha. He’ll get us if he needs us.” He kissed her with a gentleness that surprised her. “Besides, I want to hold you tonight.”

When she hesitated, he kissed her again. “Please?”

The mother in her wanted to be available to Nicky. The woman in her desperately wanted to stay cuddled close to Jake. The time they had together was so fleeting.

Her decision made, she cupped his face between her hands and returned his kiss. “I’ll stay here.”

He grinned like a kid at Christmas and pulled away from her. Grabbing his jeans he pulled them on, then swaggered to the door.

Just like a man to feel so cocky after making love
.

She reached over and pulled on the shirt he’d discarded.

“What are you doing?” He stood in the doorway his lips pressed in a thin line, looking none too pleased that she was dressing as if she meant to leave his bed for the night.

Knowing the idea displeased him sent a little thrill through her. She hated to think this attraction between them was only affecting her.

“I thought I’d put something on just in case he calls out during the night.” Finished buttoning it up, she scooted back under the covers, leaving room for Jake beside her. “Is he okay?”

“Sleeping like a log.” He climbed into bed and drew her flush against his side, his arm curled around her shoulders. “Samantha, we need to talk.”

Dammit. Coming from a man, that statement was never a good sign. She reached up and placed a finger to his lip. “It can wait ‘til morning, can’t it? Can’t we just put the world out of our minds and stay like this?”

“This isn’t reality.”

“I know. I just want one night. Please?”

He studied her in the dim moonlight filtering through the curtains. He leaned in to kiss her again, then pushed her head down on his uninjured shoulder. “Go to sleep, Sami. I’ll keep you safe.”

* * *

The next morning, Sami stood out on the cabin’s front porch breathing in the cool autumn air. Next week was Thanksgiving, and in a month Christmas would be here. She hoped they’d all be around to celebrate the holiday.

A flash of bright orange passing through the trees on the road leading to the house caught her eye. She leaned to the side of the deck for a closer look.

Her pulse quickened.

The orange formed into the shape of an insulated hunter’s flack jacket as it drew near. She watched for a few more seconds. A large rotund man wearing camouflage pants and shirt beneath the jacket, along with a matching camouflage baseball hat, stepped onto the gravel drive leading to the cabin.

She sucked in her breath.

In his hands he carried a rifle.

She opened the door and called inside as calmly as possible. “Jake, could you come here?”

“What’s up, sweetheart?” Chewing a piece of gum, he stuck his head out the door, his cinnamon flavored breath tickled her skin and teased her nose.

She pointed to the path. “We have company.”

He stepped out in front of her on the porch. “It looks like a lone hunter. It’s deer season, isn’t it?”

Sami gripped his arm. “I’m a city girl, Jake. And no one in my family goes hunting. I haven’t a clue when any hunting season starts or ends.”

“Would there be any other reason this guy would come up here?” He reached for his holster hanging on the chair just inside the door. He casually slipped the handgun from it, then laid his jacket over the holster to conceal it from anyone standing on the porch.

Oh, my God. Sami glanced at the approaching man once more, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. “I don’t think anyone lives up this way, but Uncle Victor told me that there is a caretaker who looks after the security of the cabins during the off season.”

“Go inside with Nicky and stay away from the door.” Jake handed her the car keys, deadly seriousness in his eyes. “If anything happens, you get Nicky out of here and to your brothers, okay?”

Her heart jumped into her throat, and she nodded.

“Just act like we’re a family on a vacation, sweetheart,” Jake whispered, then kissed her. He winked when he released her, then looked at Nicky. “Nicky, try to be quiet, okay?”

The boy nodded, his eyes as big as Sami’s felt.

Jake stuck the gun in the back waistband of his jeans. One hand on the hilt, he stepped up to the first step as the stranger stopped just below the bottom one. “Hello?”

“Hey there. I’m Ralph Jones, the caretaker for the Bent Tree Cabin Resort.” Ralph held out his hand, his rifle, in the other hand, pointed to the ground. “I didn’t know anyone was up here this week.”

Jake released the handle of his gun behind his back and shook the older man’s hand. “We got in a few days ago.”

“Really? I was up here on Thursday. Didn’t see anyone.” Ralph studied Jake a minute, then tried to peek into the cabin from the doorway. “The residents are supposed to contact me ahead of time when they’re coming during the off season. In case there’s a problem or an accident.”

Sami stepped out onto the porch beside Jake and slipped her arm through his. “That would be my fault, Mr. Jones. My uncle warned me I was supposed to let you know we were coming, but my husband surprised me with this anniversary trip for our family…” She trailed the words off, then smiled at the caretaker trying to look slightly embarrassed by her breech of etiquette.

Ralph chuckled. “Well, I can understand that little lady. My wife gets that way when I surprise her, too.” He stepped back. “Y’all just give me a holler if you need anything. I’m just a mile down the road.”

“Thanks, Ralph, we will.” Jake stepped back a step toward the door. He continued to watch the other man lumber down the road and disappear into the woods.

“I thought he knew who you were.” Sami’s voice trembled.

His arms came around her and he held her tight as he leaned back against the door. “I know. I did, too. But he seems harmless enough. Just a man doing his job.”

“Should we leave now?” The reality of their situation sank in once more and her fear for his and Nicky’s safety grew by the moment.

“I don’t think so, but to be on the safe side, I think we’d better gather up our stuff and pack the truck for a quick escape, just in case he or someone else returns. Otherwise, we’ll stick to the plan to leave tonight. Your brothers aren’t expecting us until later.”

She nodded and started to step away from him.

He tightened his grip and stared into her questioning eyes. “Thanks for coming to my rescue.” Then he lowered his lips to hers in the softest of tender, yet seductive kisses. Then he released her. “Now, does your uncle have any nails around this place?”

“Why?”

“I need to do a little repair work.”

“Probably out in the shed by the generator.” She let her fingers caress his stubble covered cheeks, then moved away to gather their things. When she lifted up the files Luke had brought them, a loose piece of paper floated out to land on the floor at her feet.

“What’s this?” She picked it up and stared at a pencil sketch of Jake on a wanted poster.

He peeked at the picture over her shoulder. “Your brothers found that on the internet. That’s the same picture they flashed on the TV two days ago.”

“What if that hunter sees this on the television when he goes home?”

“Then I suspect we’ll have company.” He turned away from her to resume gathering up the rest of his files.

“Jake?” Sami reached around him and touched his face. “We could change your appearance a bit, with a shave and hair cut.”

He laughed a harsh sound. “Sorry, sweetheart. We don’t have time to stop at the local barber’s.”

“I could do it for you.” Before he could protest she hurried off to the bathroom and returned a few minutes later with a man’s shaving kit in one hand, a towel over her arm and a pair of scissors in her other hand. “Uncle Victor left these here.”

“I can do the shaving myself, Samantha.” Jake reached for the shaving kit.

She held it out of his reach. “I know, but you need to rest that shoulder. You shouldn’t be lifting your arm above your head for a while. Besides, I’ve shaved my share of patients, you know. Now, sit.”

With those words, last night’s conversation about nurses and male patients, and where they had ultimately ended up, ran through his mind, and he was instantly aroused. Since he couldn’t argue with her logic, he sat anyway. Changing his appearance might buy them some time later on. Who knew how long it would take to get the Kreshnins?

Samantha lathered cool shave cream on his face. Her fingers felt like soft feathers on his skin. With efficient movements and skill she worked the razor over his cheeks, chin, neck and upper lip, carefully scraping the beard from his skin. Every stroke sweet torture for Jake, who couldn’t ease his need to touch her more intimately while Nicky sat on a chair beside him watching her every move.

When she finished the shave, she settled a warm wet towel on his face, soothing the tender skin.

“Now time for a hair cut,” she announced, combing her fingers, then a comb through his hair. As she clipped his hair with the scissors, Jake fought the urge to moan. While she worked she wrapped sweet domesticity and gentle sensuality around him. A man could get very used to this.