Page 3 of Cruel Ice

“Get. The. Hell. Back.”

She scrambled back and fell on her ass.

He sawed at the ropes. Might have nicked his legs a few times. Screw it. He barely felt the pain. Barely felt anything but rage. In moments, the ropes dropped from his legs, and he was free.

She rose and stood uncertainly near him. “You’re a very ungrateful rescue.”

Rescue?What the hell was he? Some kind of abandoned dog? Declan shot to his feet and took a surging step forward.

The world immediately tilted and swirled, and he started to slam straight down toward the floor. But she was there. The woman lunged for him. Her arms wrapped around him, and she braced him against her much smaller body. “Got you,” she promised.

Jasmine and amber filled his nose again. The warmth of her body seeped into him. Her hair brushed against the side of his face when he found himself angling even closer to her. And why in the hell was he doing that?

“Did you almost fall because you don’t have feeling in your legs due to the ropes or is it because of the drugs?” Her head tilted back as she asked the low question.

When her head tilted back, her mouth moved incredibly close to his. As in, kissably close. He stared at her mouth. Even in the dim lighting, he could see it was a nice mouth. Lush. Sensual. Right there. And…

His lips brushed over hers. A soft, light kiss.

She shivered. “Why did you do that?”

Hell if he knew. Kissing a captor seemed like a piss-poor idea. But he’d just wanted…her.Yeah, that was screwed.

What is wrong with me?

“It’s the drugs,” she said, as if she’d heard his mental question. “They’re making you loopy, aren’t they? Okay, here’s the deal. Wehaveto get you out. If that was the sound of their car leaving, then this is our chance. I’ll help you walk as much as possible, and, um, do you mind moving the knife away from my throat?”

He blinked. Yep, he’d put the knife at her throat again. Even as he kissed her.

Slowly, he eased the knife away.

Her breath rushed out. “Thank you. Now, any chance you’ll givemethe knife?”

No chance in hell.

She waited, as if hoping he’d just hand over the blade. He did not.

“Okay.” She nodded. “You keep it. You were the one kidnapped, after all. I get where you might have some trust issues, but, see, here’s the thing.” She angled her body so that she could pull his left arm over her slender shoulders.Like she’s bracing me so I can walk better.“I’m not the bad guy.”

He was. He was the bad guy. Should he tell her that important fact?

“I’m rescuing you. Trying to, anyway. And would it kill the cops to hurry up and arrive?” She tugged him forward. “You aren’t fitting through the window I used. We’ll have to go up the stairs and hope that we can sneak out without catching the attention of your abductors.”

Sneak out? Screw that. He was planning to slice his abductors into little pieces. Thus, the knife. What else did she think he was gonna do with it? Whittle some wood?

And if she’s lying to me…if she turns out to be part of this nightmare…

Would he slice her silken skin?

Maybe he already had. That definitely looked like blood dripping down her neck. “Sorry.” The word just rumbled from him.

“For what? The kiss? Don’t worry. I’m sure it was just the drugs.”

No, it had not been. He looked back over his shoulder. Made out a small window. Way too small for his massive form. Partially open.She’d crawled inside to reach me?

“I’ve got an idea,” she exclaimed. She kept whispering, and he wondered what she’d sound like when she spoke normally. “You stay here, and I’ll slip up the stairs. I’ll peek and see how many enemies we’re facing.”

Enemies?

---