Page 28 of A Curse for True Love (Once Upon a Broken Heart)

She stomped, aiming for his foot, but all that did was rock the rickety bridge.

“I’m starting to feel as if you don’t want to escape.” He definitely nipped her ear this time, teeth sharp as they scraped her skin. She wondered if he liked to hurt everyone, or if it was just her. Something about this was starting to feel personal. Although the nip of teeth at her ear didn’t hurt so much as it unsettled her.

“Do you want me to toss you over the edge?” he taunted.

“Of course not!” she yelled.

“Then why aren’t you fighting?” He sounded angry.

“I’m trying my best.”

“And I’m not, which means you need to try harder. Kick me.”

Evangeline gritted her teeth and kicked backward. She aimed between his legs, but only managed to ruffle the back of her ridiculous skirt.

“Good job, Princess.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“Not this time. You made me adjust my stance. Any kick like that and most assailants will bring their legs closer together. This allows you to change your position. Step out with your right leg,” he commanded. “Then move your left leg so that it’s behind me.”

“What will that do?”

“Just do it. I’m not letting you go until you’ve earned it.” Archer tightened his cold arms as a raindrop fell, followed by another and another. Within seconds her thin shirt was soaked. So was his. She could feel it clinging to her back in the places that her vest didn’t cover as he continued to tighten his grip until it almost hurt.

Evangeline finally did as he had told her. She stepped to the right with one leg, then moved the other behind him. He was right. It shifted her position, but it seemed only to further entwine them.

“Now grab me,” he ordered.

“My arms are pinned!”

“But your hands are free.”

They were, but she still felt hesitant to grab him.

“Do it,” he repeated, “then use your hip to leverage my weight and flip me over.”

Archer held her tighter. He banded one arm firmly around her ribs, the other he circled just below her waist, almost on her hips, his fingers splayed in a way that felt less like he wanted to restrain her and more like he just wanted to touch her—tohold her on that bridge in the dark where it was only the two of them and the rain and the feel of too many heartbeats racing between them.

Finally she grabbed his legs. Everything was wet and slick. Her fingers slipped against his leathers as the bridge rocked.

She lost her footing. The slat that had been beneath her was gone.

“No—” Evangeline cried.

Archer moved ridiculously fast. He shielded her, turning her body as they fell. When they landed just shy of the broken slat, it was his back that hit the bridge with a loud crack.

She heard him grunt, as if the air was knocked from his lungs, but he didn’t let her go. If anything, he held her tighter.

She could feel his ragged breathing against her neck as they lay there on that broken bridge. Her shirt had ridden up in the fight, and his fingers were now on her bare stomach.

The rain pounded harder. Every single inch of her skin was soaked. But all she felt were his fingertips as they slowly traveled lower toward the band of her skirt.

“This is where you break free,” he said softly.

“I don’t want to,” she said, but the words came out wrong, breathless. And despite all the cold and the damp, she could feel herself go hot from her cheeks all the way down to the bare skin beneath Archer’s hands. “I mean, I just need to catch my breath.”

He made a scolding sound with his tongue. “You don’t get to catch your breath. If you stop fighting, you lose.” He moved oneicy hand up to her throat and she felt the sharp tip of a knife against her neck.

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