see the long scratches there, but then realized he wouldn’t be able to see them in the dark, so I pulled the jacket back over them and pulled my arm close to my body.
“ I’ll see you safely home first.”
Did he think I was worried about my own safety? Before I had a chance to correct him, he was pulling the door open wider.
“ Come on,” he called gruffly.
“ How long are you going to stay in such a bad mood?” I called out to him even as I followed behind him.
“ I’m not in a bad mood.”
“ You could have fooled me.”
The shadows were darker inside the old barn, even less inviting than the entryway had suggested. I couldn’t even think of what Aunt Dora would say. I swallowed loudly, the sound seeming to echo in the vast emptiness.
“ Are you…?”
“ Yes, Claudia, I’m sure,” Marcus called. He was further away than I expected him to be.
“ Where are you?”
“ I’m right here,” he was suddenly directly in front of my face.
“ Ah,” I jumped back, nearly tripping over some unseen object.
“ Careful,” he warned. He was starting to sound more like himself, I noted with relief.
“ Don’t try to scare me,” I hissed.
“ I’m not.” He was far away again.
“ Are you having a good time?” I snapped.
“ Sort of.” I could almost see his small shrug and cute grin.
“ This is no time to be playing around.”
“ You are quite right,” he spoke so close to my ear that I felt his warm breath tickle the small curls there.
I reached my hand out and felt his hard chest. “We should…”
“ Sleep?”
“ Exactly.” My heart hammered painfully in my chest.
“ Would you like to sleep beside me, or should I find you a safe place to sleep alone?”
“ I don’t want you to leave me alone,” I whispered.
I felt the lightest pressure on my face as he trailed his fingertips along my cheek and down to my jaw.
“ Then I won’t,” he said huskily.
My tongue darted out to run nervously across my bottom lip. Was he going to kiss me? Did I want him to?
I had never felt like this before. I longed to reach out and touch his face or run my fingers through his hair, but I only stood there, listening to the sounds of our hearts echoing off each other.
“ There’s a dry stall this way,” he said softly. I felt his hand clasp mine and tug gently so I would follow, but I couldn’t seem to make my feet move. “Come on,” he urged, “you’ll be safe. I promise.”
I wasn’t worried about being safe, though. I knew that Marcus would protect me against Ryan or anyone else that may try to hurt me.
I was only worried that if I moved from that spot, then Marcus wouldn’t kiss me. We would both come to our senses if I moved.
“ Claudia,” he squeezed my hand, “you need to sleep.”
“ Of…of course,” I stammered. “We both need some sleep.”
I nodded to myself in the darkness of the barn and let Marcus lead me to the dry stall. It wasn’t exactly my bed at home, but it was comfortable enough for the night. Marcus situated me in the surprisingly comfortable straw and then sat down himself a small distance away.
He was too far away to touch, but he was close enough that I could see his face. I closed my eyes with a smile on my lips.
Chapter Nine
When I awoke the next morning, Marcus was gone. I groaned as I tried to stretch the muscles in my neck and leg. I was going to have to tell Marcus that the barn had been a terrible idea.
In the light of the morning, I could better take stock of my appearance. My nightdress was beyond recognition. It was so dirty and torn, Aunt Dora would go into a fainting spell if she saw it. My leg throbbed painfully.
I pulled the hem of my clothes up to examine the wound. The blood had dried to form an ugly brown covering over the gash. “Eww,” I complained. I touched the place gingerly with one finger. It was still pretty sore, but after I got it cleaned up and bandaged, I was sure I would be fine.
“ Everything okay?”
“ I’ll see you safely home first.”
Did he think I was worried about my own safety? Before I had a chance to correct him, he was pulling the door open wider.
“ Come on,” he called gruffly.
“ How long are you going to stay in such a bad mood?” I called out to him even as I followed behind him.
“ I’m not in a bad mood.”
“ You could have fooled me.”
The shadows were darker inside the old barn, even less inviting than the entryway had suggested. I couldn’t even think of what Aunt Dora would say. I swallowed loudly, the sound seeming to echo in the vast emptiness.
“ Are you…?”
“ Yes, Claudia, I’m sure,” Marcus called. He was further away than I expected him to be.
“ Where are you?”
“ I’m right here,” he was suddenly directly in front of my face.
“ Ah,” I jumped back, nearly tripping over some unseen object.
“ Careful,” he warned. He was starting to sound more like himself, I noted with relief.
“ Don’t try to scare me,” I hissed.
“ I’m not.” He was far away again.
“ Are you having a good time?” I snapped.
“ Sort of.” I could almost see his small shrug and cute grin.
“ This is no time to be playing around.”
“ You are quite right,” he spoke so close to my ear that I felt his warm breath tickle the small curls there.
I reached my hand out and felt his hard chest. “We should…”
“ Sleep?”
“ Exactly.” My heart hammered painfully in my chest.
“ Would you like to sleep beside me, or should I find you a safe place to sleep alone?”
“ I don’t want you to leave me alone,” I whispered.
I felt the lightest pressure on my face as he trailed his fingertips along my cheek and down to my jaw.
“ Then I won’t,” he said huskily.
My tongue darted out to run nervously across my bottom lip. Was he going to kiss me? Did I want him to?
I had never felt like this before. I longed to reach out and touch his face or run my fingers through his hair, but I only stood there, listening to the sounds of our hearts echoing off each other.
“ There’s a dry stall this way,” he said softly. I felt his hand clasp mine and tug gently so I would follow, but I couldn’t seem to make my feet move. “Come on,” he urged, “you’ll be safe. I promise.”
I wasn’t worried about being safe, though. I knew that Marcus would protect me against Ryan or anyone else that may try to hurt me.
I was only worried that if I moved from that spot, then Marcus wouldn’t kiss me. We would both come to our senses if I moved.
“ Claudia,” he squeezed my hand, “you need to sleep.”
“ Of…of course,” I stammered. “We both need some sleep.”
I nodded to myself in the darkness of the barn and let Marcus lead me to the dry stall. It wasn’t exactly my bed at home, but it was comfortable enough for the night. Marcus situated me in the surprisingly comfortable straw and then sat down himself a small distance away.
He was too far away to touch, but he was close enough that I could see his face. I closed my eyes with a smile on my lips.
Chapter Nine
When I awoke the next morning, Marcus was gone. I groaned as I tried to stretch the muscles in my neck and leg. I was going to have to tell Marcus that the barn had been a terrible idea.
In the light of the morning, I could better take stock of my appearance. My nightdress was beyond recognition. It was so dirty and torn, Aunt Dora would go into a fainting spell if she saw it. My leg throbbed painfully.
I pulled the hem of my clothes up to examine the wound. The blood had dried to form an ugly brown covering over the gash. “Eww,” I complained. I touched the place gingerly with one finger. It was still pretty sore, but after I got it cleaned up and bandaged, I was sure I would be fine.
“ Everything okay?”
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