There were fine suits of armor, exceedingly well crafted, which would attest to the wealthier knights, but also crude suits made for the commoners. Another way to have such fine suits of armor was from the battles they won, if not from their families’ wealth. To the victors go the spoils… Obviously, most of these particular suits of armor were for wealthier men. The artisanship was unequivocal.
It was fascinating really, who knew? If it had not been for her extensive research for the Double Bs, she, herself, would not have known either.
Tomorrow she would need to get her Nikon DSLR camera out and start cataloguing. She hoped they had a landline for high speed Internet in this place somewhere, because she couldn’t find a Wi-Fi signal. Earlier, when she tried to check her email she couldn’t. Oh well, she guessed she’d have to go back to the dark ages and do everything manually. She passed several closed doors and wondered what was behind them—probably bedrooms, but one never knew, especially in a place this size. She would investigate in the morning. She could hardly wait to see what little surprises she may unearth. Speaking of surprises, she wondered if the HD was going to be floating around, and who was he anyway? No one told her anyone else was going to be here. Oh well, she guessed she would find out soon enough.
As it turned out, soon enough was sooner than she would have expected. Once she made it to the top of the stairs, she had a bird’s eye view to the foyer below and old HD was standing off to the side of the stairs. He was talking to the door guy from earlier… Milford. What was he saying? Damn, she couldn’t hear. He was dressed in an expensive suit… was that Armani? She looked down at her own outfit feeling suddenly very underdressed. She knew she should do something, but she just couldn’t stop staring at him. She felt like a bug drawn to a flame; he was seriously hot. Grabbing hold of the banister, she leaned forward, trying to get a better look.
He ran his hand through his dark hair and it fell effortlessly back into place. He shook his head at Milford and rubbed his face. His broad shoulders slumped. He walked over to a table by the door, grabbing something off the top. Were those keys? Crap. Was he leaving? The banister made a horrible creaking noise when she leaned forward.
Oh shit! Was this damn thing going to break under her weight? Gripping the smooth wooden rail, she yanked her body backward; barely escaping a drop, she may not have lived through….
She was trying so hard not to fall to her death that she forgot she was spying…
“That was too damn close.” Her raging heart rate calmed a bit and she peeked back over the railing, which turned out to be a big fat mistake. HD and Milford were both staring up at her with horrified expressions on their faces.
Crap! Crap! Crap! She was busted! Raven adjusted her skirt and pulled her blouse back into place, brushing a piece of hair off her face. She tried to look nonchalantly around the hall, not wanting look like a sneaky snoop—, which she was. Every instinct in her body was telling her to run back to her room but HD was coming up the stairs fast. Shit! Her belly convulsed nervously... oh no…
She was going to pass out… she envisioned herself rolling down the stairs like a ball taking HD out in the process, like a lone pin in a bowling lane. No, that was not going to work… Shit! She swayed anyway, attempting to pull a Scarlet in Gone with the Wind.
Reed reached her just in time. She nearly fell at his feet. Grabbing her arm he jerked her upright, holding her securely in his embrace. “My God… are you all right?” he asked, his deep voice coming out harsher than he intended. She almost gave him heart failure.
Raven batted her lashes a few times for effect. His voice was like warm buttered rum: rich and strong. “Oh my… what happened?” God, she was pitiful.
“You almost fell. Had the banister not creaked so loudly, alerting us, I may not have gotten to you in time.” He squeezed her closer.
She was melting on the spot. He was divine. “Oh, I am so sorry. My sugar must have dropped. I had no idea,” she said weakly, lying through her teeth. He smelled good. She swayed once more to get another whiff of his cologne. He smelled better than chocolate.
Reed wrapped his arm more firmly around her, to steady her better. “Do you think you can make it downstairs?” He stared down at the top of her head. “Or… would you like me to take you back to your room to rest? I can send a tray up if you like?”
The pattern on the rug began to blur she was staring at it so hard. She was about to ask to be taken downstairs, but remembered it was a near miss with her belly convulsing. On second thought, perhaps it would be better to eat in her room. Besides, it looked like HD was leaving anyway. “Oh, I think it may be better if I go back to my room.” She leaned into him more, enjoying his strong arms around her. She could feel his muscles under his shirt. He was tall too. Leaning back she glanced up at his face, but could only make out the firm line of his jaw.
“Can you walk?” he asked, still holding her closely.
She wondered if he could carry her but then thought it would be even more humiliating if he couldn’t lift her. “No, I mean yes, I can walk.”
“I’ll keep hold of you in case.”
“Thank you.”
Holding her closely he walked her back towards her room, neither saying anything. Once in front of the door her kept one arm around her and reached out with his other hand, and twisted the knob. The door swung open, creaking slightly. What he saw inside made his eyes widen in shock. The room was a mess. All over the floor and bed her clothing was in piles or strewn across the floor. The smell of freshly sprayed perfume lingered in the air.
It took a moment, but after his initial shock receded a bit he decided the mess actually gave the room a nice lived-in look, for once. “I will have a tray brought up to you,” he said, releasing her arm.
Raven staggered forward, trying to divert his attention from her messy room—it looked like a bomb had gone off.
In one swift movement, he had her back in his arms, holding her securely. Damn, he was strong. That move would have brought a lesser man to the ground. He settled her gingerly on the bed, leaning in front of her.
“Thank you…” She would have said more but his gorgeous face was mere inches from her own. She held her breath. He was beautiful. It would be perfect if he tried to kiss her now…
She closed her eyes for a moment… her mind wandered… and then the prince leaned forward and kissed his princess… envisioning the moment a bit too clearly she puckered her lips slightly for the best kiss she would ever have… and they lived happily….
Reed watched her in amazement, puckering her full lips … a laugh slipped from his throat. He turned and tried to cover it with a cough.
But instead of a magical kiss sending her to happily ever after…horror struck every nerve in her body as she heard him distinctly laugh-cough. It was a covert cover-up for laughing in your face—she knew she had used it a few times herself. Her eyes flew open and her face flamed red as the seconds passed. Oh good Lord she had to stop. She was making a fool of herself. He gave her an incredulous look like she was afflicted—she was doomed. Having no other choices readily available, Raven Tremaine did the only thing a sensible woman would do to avoid any further humiliation. She fell back onto the pillows and proceeded to pull a full-blown Scarlet and faint… well… fake faint.
Reed turned when Milford rushed into the room with a glass of juice in hand. He pulled up short and looked around the room with widening eyes, shaking his head back and forth.
Lifting his hands in a helpless gesture Reed looked to Milford for assistance but Milford was having none of it. Instead, he shook his head back and forth and thrust the glass out.
“Thanks a lot,” he mouthed silently taking the glass from his outstretched hand and then he began backing out of the room.
Reed rolled his eyes and walked back to the bed. Lifting the girls head gently, he leaned forward. “Ms. Tremaine, can you hear me? You need to try to drink this. It will make you feel better,” he coaxed.
Raven listened to
that rich warm buttery voice. It sent shivers of delight down her spine. She was pathetic. She finally opened her eyes just a hint and leaned forward, taking a small drink of the juice. It was delicious. She wondered if it was freshly squeezed.
“There now, drink it all. You will feel better in just a bit,” he said, handing out the glass to her.
Raven’s fingers touched his for a moment and a jolt coursed through her, making her almost faint for real this time. What in the hell was that? He looked as surprised as she did.
Reed felt like he had just been shocked. A flash of recognition hit him with such force he stumbled backward.
Raven jumped up from the bed, nearly spilling her juice. “Are you all right,” she asked, reaching out to him.
“I’m fine,” he said, lifting his hand to stop her from coming any closer. He shook his head, and rubbed his brow with his fingers, trying to get the image of her face from his mind. “That was really strange,” he mumbled more to himself than to her.
“I know, right,” Raven gushed. “That was really crazy… you felt it too, then?”
“Yeah… Crazy….” Reed trailed off, staring at the floral carpet. He was trying to understand what just happened. A moment ago he wanted nothing more than to leave this room, and leave this house to get away from this crazy girl. He was actually planning his departure earlier. He had a date planned with Suzette, a French model he met at a charity event last month. She was a delectable platinum blonde with an incredible pair of legs that went on forever. He was looking forward to how they might serve him best, in bed… wrapped around his waist, or perhaps she was more pliable… but his fantasy was short-lived. Milford made a point he couldn’t argue with. Reed needed to at least stay for dinner with Ms. Tremaine since it was already arranged. So, reluctantly, he decided to stay, and then she almost fell to her death, which actually scared the shit out of him. And now what? He was having a hard time keeping his eyes from her face. He was seeing her with another pair of eyes now, ones that saw flashes of her in a different time. Her hair had come undone, falling in heavy waves around her shoulders. He didn’t realize she had so much pretty hair or how full her deep red lips were. Those attributes weren’t what captivated him though. It was her eyes. He could not tell if they were blue or violet. He leaned toward her, not knowing what he would do, but feeling the pull just the same. She lifted her eyes back to his, an unanswered question in them. It was too much. Shaking his head, he ran his hand through his hair, and then scrubbed them over his face. What in the hell was wrong with him?
“What is taking the maid so long?” he asked no one in particular, looking around for a diversion, feeling antsy. He wanted out of the room and away from these strange feelings that were now coursing through him.
Running his hand over the back of a chair, he let his gaze slide back to the girl. She had sat back down on the bed and still he felt an overwhelming pull towards her. Back and forth her began to pace. He didn’t know what to say or what to do but his pacing took him directly to the door. He stopped on the threshold.
“I will have your meal sent up on a tray,” he forced out finally and stepped into the hall. Once he was out of the room her felt much better. He paused and glanced back at her. “I hope you feel better,” he mumbled awkwardly and turned to leave once more.
As an afterthought, he added, “If you need something, just ask Milford or a maid.” When she did not answer, he wondered if she heard him or if she had passed out again. He turned back around and his stomach clenched. He felt like he had just been suckered punched in his belly, making him feel weak-kneed and tingly all over.
Shit! Maybe his own sugar was dropping. Without a backward glance, he turned on his heel and walked quickly away from the room and the girl inside.
Mixed Signals
AGE OF CHIVALRY * THE GLEN
THE full moon gave off a warm, yellowish glow as it began to illuminate the surrounding area. Hunger won out and Marguerite finally made her move. Standing, she brushed off her skirts and slowly walked over to where he was crouched down, near the fire. It felt like lead weights were strapped to her feet. She stopped a short distance from the fire. The firelight flickered over his face as he pulled the rabbit from the spit, his long hair falling forward like a curtain.
“Here, take some,” he said, lifting his face up and handing her half of the rabbit.
“Thanks,” she mumbled and took the rabbit from his outstretched hand. The rabbit was hot and the juice from it ran down the length of her arm. Not wanting to get it on her clean gown she kept flipping it back and forth between her hands but finally gave up and dumped it into the folds to stop it from burning her fingers off.
Darias glanced up at her, his black eyes widening as she walked back and forth with her gown in both hands, the rabbit bouncing in the folds. Maybe she was daft after all.
Marguerite lowered herself to the ground by the base of a tree and ate in silence. He did not give her much choice since he was on the other side of the clearing beside his stupid horse. It didn’t take her long to demolish the scant bit of rabbit he had given her. She noticed he kept the lion’s share for himself. Standing once again, the carcass rolled to the ground. She kicked it over to the side of the tree and huffed out an irritated sigh. The crystal waters rushed from above while she leaned down and rinsed her hands. Glancing in his direction once more she was not sure what she should do. Did he really forget the moment they shared with one another? Or, did he only need to have his memory jostled? She tried to reason that his lack of memory could be from her hitting him with the stick. She did hit him pretty- hard. Maybe, just maybe, he would remember her if she kissed him once more.
Oh, she knew she was reaching, but she didn’t know what else to do. Reaching up she fluffed out her hair and then ran her fingers through it. Once all the tangles were gone, she pulled it over one shoulder. She was told once that it looked nice that way. Gathering her courage, she pressed her thin shoulders back and deliberately walked towards him before she lost her nerve. Now he was leaning against the tree, her step faltered as he watched her every move. Every fiber in her body wanted her to retreat but she forced herself forward. Once she was in front of him, she took a bracing breath, waiting to see if he would say anything, but he didn’t say a word. Finally, she reached up and tried to pull his head down to hers, but he wasn’t budging. If she were not mistaken, he actually pulled back a bit. She was determined though. Not willing to give up just yet, she jumped slightly to reach his face and her head smacked right into his chin. She staggered backward, rubbing her head.
“What are you doing?” he asked finally.
“I was trying to kiss you!” she cried out, aggravated.
“Why?”
“Forget it. It doesn’t matter anymore,” she answered, annoyed, glaring at him.
He smiled. He couldn’t help it. He felt like this unpredictable girl was dragging him into a strange game. One moment, she was all over him; the next, she was treating him like a wastrel. He liked kissing her before and now she wanted more of the same, but at what cost? Crossing his arms over his chest he watched her shake her hair and pull on her bodice again. Perhaps, on closer perusal she did not seem as right in the head as she should. Maybe she did not have all her faculties in place.
His jaw worked as he contemplated her for a moment more. He opted to throw caution to the wind and pushed off the tree. What better things did he have to do at the moment? Slowly, he walked toward her, and lifted her hand from her hair. Then he placed his other hand on her waist, pulling her body against his own. He smiled lazily down at her, noticing her breath quickening from his nearness. The light of the moon illuminated her lovely face as she closed her eyes. Lifting his free hand he pushed her hair away and leaned down to kiss the sweet, soft spot on her neck, just below her ear. She moaned in response, her head falling backward, letting him have full access. He gripped her tighter and lowered his mouth to the curve of her soft breasts that were peeking out of the top of her gown.
They were soft and firm, no more than a handful… a perfect handful. He ran his hands freely down her body, letting his them roam over her every curve as she threaded her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer. Reaching down he gathered her gown in his hand, lifting it higher as his mouth found hers again. Her lips were soft, responsive, kissing him back with enthusiasm.
It was his turn to moan. She tasted sweet. The tips of his fingers slid up her bare leg to the gentle curve of her buttocks. He squeezed her, kneading the flesh with his hands. Her muffled moan vibrated against his shoulder. Suddenly, he couldn’t get enough. Reaching up he pulled her gown down, exposing one of her breasts, her nipple hardening immediately. He toyed with it, tweaking it between his fingers and then seized her mouth with his own once more, his tongue delving deeper.
“Ow!” she cried. That hurt. In retaliation, she bit down on his lip—hard.
He shoved her away. “What in the bloody hell did you do that for?” he yelled, touching his sore lip, tasting blood. That was twice now that she made him bleed, no, three times; the ache in his head a reminder of what she did to his person earlier. He glared at her as she jerked her bodice back into place and wiped her mouth off as though she had just been kissed by some gruesome beast.
“Oh, take it.”
“Take what?” he asked as he ran a hand through his hair in aggravation.
“You… you… oh never mind,” she complained. “You’ll never understand,” she said, trying to come to terms with the emotions jumbling inside of her. Anger finally won out. “How dare you!”
“How dare I what?” he questioned, having no notion what she was talking about.
“Oh, you know, don’t play the fool. You were trying to take advantage of me!” she accused. She knew he really wasn’t, but she was so mad he did not remember her that she started making stuff up as she went.
TIME TO REMEMBER: A NEW ADULT TIME TRAVELING ROMANCE (RAVENHURST SERIES) Page 6
