LeClerc 01 - Autumn Ecstasy by Pamela K Forrest Page A

wing, without the slightest hint of a curl. His face was hidden by the murky shadows, unveiled in the flickering light. Distorted by slopes and ridges where none should have been. A demonic specter created from the fires of hell.
    Her scream splintered the silence. It echoed through the tiny cabin, reverberating off the walls. She screamed like one who had been touched by the burning hand of the devil.
    “Easy, little one.” His deeply husky voice was quietly soothing. “Do not struggle so hard. You will harm yourself.”
    There were many questions that needed an answer, but he knew that first he must reassure the girl, for he was well aware of the effect of his appearance on most people the first time they saw him.
    “Shhh.” He smoothed the silky mass of tangled hair from her face as Linsey struggled to free herself from his hold. Fearing she would injure herself while thrashing around, Luc held her firmly and talked quietly until she began to show signs of tiring.
    “You grow weary of this struggle, eh, petite ange ?” He cupped her cheek within his massive hand, rubbing her soft skin with his work-roughened thumb. He gritted his teeth when her breasts heaved against his chest, their pointed tips seeming to burn into his flesh. His stomach rested in the hollow of hers, and the throbbing hardness of his loins ground against her thigh, needlessly reminding him how long it had been since he’d shared his bed with a woman. He knew most men would take her in spite of her terror, perhaps deriving greater pleasure because of it. But it was not his way. He would find no satisfaction in rape.
    Beneath him Linsey strained for each breath. Her eyes were tightly closed. She did not need to open them to remember the horror of the face above her. It was a nightmare visage, the thing mothers spoke of to threaten misbehaving children.
    When her struggles stilled, Luc eased his hold, supporting himself on his elbow. “I am going to let you go, but I’m not moving far away, only to the other side of the bed.”
    Prepared for any sudden movement from her, he lifted up and rolled off her smooth body. He regretted the necessity of covering her obvious charms even as he pulled one of the furs over her.
    Linsey grabbed the fur as if it would provide her the protection of a suit of armor. She wondered if her fear had heightened her imagination. Maybe he wasn’t as horrible as she thought. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself staring into eyes as black as night.
    “Hello,” Luc said quietly, aware of the fear clouding her face.
    “Hello,” Linsey replied inanely, wanting to look at his face but too frightened to move her gaze from his.
    “I’m going to get up and add more wood to the fire.” Earlier he had prepared it for the night, but it was the only excuse he could find to leave the bed. And leave it he must before his lust overpowered his good intentions.
    At Linsey’s nod, he swiftly rolled over and stood. Dragging a fur with him, he wrapped it around his nude body as he walked across the room.
    Linsey carefully kept him in view. She studied his profile as he knelt at the fire. The light from the golden flame danced over a classically sculptured, symmetrically beautiful face. She shook her head slightly, wondering at her imagination. There was no hint of the grotesque countenance she had thought she had seen earlier. In fact, his features were perfect, almost too perfect to be real. The fur draped over his shoulders seemed to accentuate their size, and she realized he was one of the largest men she had ever seen.
    Deciding to use his distraction to her advantage, Linsey carefully wrapped a blanket around herself and stood. She knew he would return to the bed once he was satisfied with the fire, and she did not want their next confrontation to occur there. Keeping the table between herself and him, she slowly sat down in a chair. It was laughable to think that the sturdy table would provide any defense should he