She gazed up into his eyes—eyes so dark a blue they were very nearly black. Fear mingled with uncertainty as he continued to hold her close, his hand sliding lazily up and down her spine. And then he lowered his head and covered her mouth with his.
This man’s kiss was nothing like her uncle’s. A delicious warmth spread through every inch of her, draining the strength from her legs, filling her with a sweet lethargy, and an unexpected yearning to sink into his embrace and never leave. She inhaled and his scent filled her nostrils. For a moment, she tried to place it, but it was an earthy, musky scent like nothing she had experienced before. Like everything else about him, it was compelling.
His lips moved over hers, slowly exploring their taste and texture, nibbling at the corners.
Feeling suddenly light-headed, Elena grasped his shoulders. A soft moan rose in her throat as she swayed against him. And then his tongue was sliding over her lips, probing gently. It sent a shaft of heat straight to the core of her being and she moaned again. She had intended it to be a cry of protest so he would release her. Instead, he drew her closer, his hand delving into her hair to cup the back of her head as he kissed her again, harder, deeper, until she wasn’t aware of anything but his mouth on hers, the rapid beating of her heart, the heat spreading through her, pooling low in the depths of her being.
What was he doing to her? She had never felt like this before, never dreamed a man’s kisses could be so intoxicating.
If he hadn’t been holding her so tightly, she was certain she would have collapsed at his feet when he took his mouth from hers. Breathless, she could only stare up at him.
“Like I said, there is no need for you to go.”
She blinked at him.
“You will be safe here.”
Elena nodded. “Safe.” She lifted her fingers to her lips as she watched him stride out the door, and wondered if she would ever feel safe again.
The next day, Elena awoke fully intending to leave the castle, but somehow she couldn’t summon the will to do so. Sitting up, she noticed three dresses spread across the foot of the bed, along with four pairs of jeans, several T-shirts and sweaters in a rainbow of colors, a small pile of modest underwear, and six pairs of socks.
Leaning forward, she ran her hands over the dresses. She rarely wore anything but jeans, shorts, and T-shirts. She certainly didn’t wear dresses made of silk, fancy or plain.
Rising, she picked one up and held it in front of her. It was sky blue and as soft as . . . silk. It could only have come from Drake, but why would he buy her clothes? And shoes, she thought, noting a pair of sandals and a pair of running shoes on the floor beside her sneakers.
Suddenly curious to try on the blue silk, she took off the clothes she had slept in, pulled the dress over her head, and smoothed it over her hips. It fit as though it had been made for her, which begged the question, how had he known her size?
She pondered that for several minutes; then, eager to see how she looked in the blue silk, she glanced around the room, only then noticing there wasn’t a mirror in sight.
She was wondering if she might find one elsewhere in the castle when the big gray cat padded into the room. It leaped effortlessly onto the bed, then sat there, head cocked to one side, watching her.
She had the oddest feeling that it was admiring her.
With a shake of her head, Elena changed into a pair of jeans and a purple T-shirt and went downstairs in search of something to eat. Another feast awaited her in the main hall—fresh fruit and a square of cheese, a loaf of bread still warm from the oven, a pot of honey butter and another of jelly, a flagon of wine. She poured herself a glass, wishing for coffee instead.
It had been in Elena’s mind to leave the castle before nightfall, but it occurred to her that leaving would be foolish. In spite of his fearsome appearance, Drake didn’t seem to mean her any harm. He had provided her with food, gifted her with a wardrobe . . . She frowned. Was she being naïve, thinking he didn’t expect anything in return for his generosity? Would it be rude to ask what his motives were? Better rude than foolish, she decided. She could only think of one thing he would want from her, and she wasn’t about to part with that, not for all the silk dresses in the county.
She gasped, startled, when the cat jumped up on the table. “Here, now,” Elena said, making a shooing motion with her hand. “Get down.”
The cat made no move to leave. Instead, it began washing its face.
“Impudent beast,” she muttered. “Why aren’t you out catching mice and rats or something?”
The cat didn’t answer, of course, but stared at her through unblinking yellow eyes. And then, with a flick of its tail, it jumped lightly to the floor and left the room.
Elena was still sitting at the table, goblet in hand, trying to marshal her thoughts, when she heard a noise behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, thinking perhaps Drake had entered the room. Seeing no one in the doorway, she glanced down, and let out a shriek. A dead rat lay on the floor. Behind it, the cat sat watching her.
Startled, Elena dropped the goblet. It hit the floor with a loud crash.
Tail twitching, the cat stared up at her, a feline grin on its face.
“Get out of here!” Elena exclaimed. “And take that disgusting thing with you.”
The cat looked at her for a moment, then snatched the rat up by its tail and padded out of the hall.
With a huff of annoyance, Elena picked the goblet up off the floor and set it on the table. There was something definitely strange about that cat.
She sat there a moment; then, driven by boredom and a growing sense of curiosity, she decided to explore the rest of the castle.
The kitchen was one flight down. Glancing around, she noted floor-to-ceiling cupboards along the back wall. A fireplace with a spit and an old-fashioned oven took up most of another wall. A large square table hewn of oak stood in the middle of the room. An open door led to a storeroom that held a number of bins and baskets, all of which were empty.
Leaving the kitchen, she climbed the stairs to the second floor. Walking down the corridor, she saw that there were other, smaller bedrooms besides the chamber she had slept in. For the lord of the keep’s children, she supposed. There was no furniture in any of these rooms, no rugs on the floors, no pictures or tapestries on the walls. A window in the last room on the left provided an excellent view of the forest that stretched away behind the castle. A thin ribbon of blue was visible between a copse of trees. A river, perhaps ? Or a lake.
Moving down the hall to the room she had slept in, Elena peered out one of the tall, leaded windows. From here, she could see the whole town spread far below. And there, on the narrow path leading up to the castle, she saw two men in uniform, men who worked for her uncle. A sudden shiver ran down her spine and she knew, knew without doubt, that they were coming here to look for her.