dream?”
His voice was deep and compelling. Before she knew what she was doing, she was spilling the details. “You saved me from my ex-husband and then took me to a castle, and then…” She could feel the heat creeping up her cheeks and knew she was blushing at the memory of what had happened, even though it had only been a dream. “This must be a dream too. Maybe I’m unconscious somewhere.” She grabbed a piece of skin on her arm and pinched. Hard. “Ouch.”
He sat back and his fingers drifted away from her face. “Why did you do that?” He seemed genuinely perplexed.
“Because I’m dreaming,” she explained. “Michael was attacking me and I fell.” She frowned. “Maybe I have a concussion or something,” she muttered. She sensed her dream man’s growing impatience and hurried on. “You saved me from him the first time, so I guess my subconscious conjured you again. I blame it on the tapestry.” She sensed the change in him immediately. His entire body tensed, every muscle coiled and ready to react. Expectation filled the air around them. “What tapestry?” She heard the urgency in his voice and responded. “The one I bought from the white-haired lady at the flea market. It was pretty dirty, but it cleaned up nice. It had a picture of two warriors standing in front of a castle so it’s no wonder I conjured you out of my imagination.”
And why she was babbling about an old tapestry when she was probably in grave danger, she had no idea. Had to be nerves. But if she was dreaming, why was she nervous? Roxanne was confused and her head was pounding. She raised her hand to her left temple and touched it gingerly, moaning when it increased the throbbing in her brain.
“You’re hurt?” He leaned forward and tilted her face toward the light.
“It’s nothing,” she lied. “It’s just where I hit my head when Michael tossed me over the side of the davenport.”
A low growl came from her dream man, yet she was no longer afraid. She sensed he was angry on her behalf. He’d protected her before in her dream, so it was natural for her to trust him. And she couldn’t keep calling him dream man. “Who are you?” His brown eyes captured her with their piercing gaze. “I am Radnor of the House of Craddock. You are at Craddock Keep.”
The name was strong and suited him. Unlike her ex who was a golden boy, this man looked dark and dangerous. Not the sort you wanted to meet in a back alley. He exuded danger.
34
He gently fingered a lock of her hair. “Who are you?” She swallowed hard, ignoring the way her heart tripped when he touched her. It wasn’t from fear, but arousal, which wasn’t at all appropriate given the circumstances.
He was waiting patiently for her to respond to his question, so she answered. “Roxanne Sykes.”
“Roxanne.” He said her name slowly, letting it roll off his tongue in a way that made her skin go hot, then cold.
She shivered and nodded.
“And you say the tapestry brought you here?” he continued.
She frowned. That wasn’t what she’d said. “No. I said you reminded me of the tapestry I bought at the flea market. I’m here because I’m unconscious.” Her frown deepened. “Or maybe I’m dead and this is heaven. But if it was heaven, would my head still hurt?” She shrugged away her question. “Anyway, I was fighting my ex-husband off and then there was a flash of light. I think the tapestry was underneath me.”
“Ex-husband?” Roxanne could hear the menacing threat in his voice.
She didn’t want to talk about Michael. “He found me after he got out of prison.
We’re divorced, but he still came after me.” She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly chilled.
Radnor’s scowl deepened. “I do not understand the word divorce. He is not your husband?”
“No. He hurt me and I left him.” She hated talking about that. It brought back all the old feelings of inadequacy. Made her feel somehow less because she’d stayed with Michael
His voice was deep and compelling. Before she knew what she was doing, she was spilling the details. “You saved me from my ex-husband and then took me to a castle, and then…” She could feel the heat creeping up her cheeks and knew she was blushing at the memory of what had happened, even though it had only been a dream. “This must be a dream too. Maybe I’m unconscious somewhere.” She grabbed a piece of skin on her arm and pinched. Hard. “Ouch.”
He sat back and his fingers drifted away from her face. “Why did you do that?” He seemed genuinely perplexed.
“Because I’m dreaming,” she explained. “Michael was attacking me and I fell.” She frowned. “Maybe I have a concussion or something,” she muttered. She sensed her dream man’s growing impatience and hurried on. “You saved me from him the first time, so I guess my subconscious conjured you again. I blame it on the tapestry.” She sensed the change in him immediately. His entire body tensed, every muscle coiled and ready to react. Expectation filled the air around them. “What tapestry?” She heard the urgency in his voice and responded. “The one I bought from the white-haired lady at the flea market. It was pretty dirty, but it cleaned up nice. It had a picture of two warriors standing in front of a castle so it’s no wonder I conjured you out of my imagination.”
And why she was babbling about an old tapestry when she was probably in grave danger, she had no idea. Had to be nerves. But if she was dreaming, why was she nervous? Roxanne was confused and her head was pounding. She raised her hand to her left temple and touched it gingerly, moaning when it increased the throbbing in her brain.
“You’re hurt?” He leaned forward and tilted her face toward the light.
“It’s nothing,” she lied. “It’s just where I hit my head when Michael tossed me over the side of the davenport.”
A low growl came from her dream man, yet she was no longer afraid. She sensed he was angry on her behalf. He’d protected her before in her dream, so it was natural for her to trust him. And she couldn’t keep calling him dream man. “Who are you?” His brown eyes captured her with their piercing gaze. “I am Radnor of the House of Craddock. You are at Craddock Keep.”
The name was strong and suited him. Unlike her ex who was a golden boy, this man looked dark and dangerous. Not the sort you wanted to meet in a back alley. He exuded danger.
34
He gently fingered a lock of her hair. “Who are you?” She swallowed hard, ignoring the way her heart tripped when he touched her. It wasn’t from fear, but arousal, which wasn’t at all appropriate given the circumstances.
He was waiting patiently for her to respond to his question, so she answered. “Roxanne Sykes.”
“Roxanne.” He said her name slowly, letting it roll off his tongue in a way that made her skin go hot, then cold.
She shivered and nodded.
“And you say the tapestry brought you here?” he continued.
She frowned. That wasn’t what she’d said. “No. I said you reminded me of the tapestry I bought at the flea market. I’m here because I’m unconscious.” Her frown deepened. “Or maybe I’m dead and this is heaven. But if it was heaven, would my head still hurt?” She shrugged away her question. “Anyway, I was fighting my ex-husband off and then there was a flash of light. I think the tapestry was underneath me.”
“Ex-husband?” Roxanne could hear the menacing threat in his voice.
She didn’t want to talk about Michael. “He found me after he got out of prison.
We’re divorced, but he still came after me.” She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly chilled.
Radnor’s scowl deepened. “I do not understand the word divorce. He is not your husband?”
“No. He hurt me and I left him.” She hated talking about that. It brought back all the old feelings of inadequacy. Made her feel somehow less because she’d stayed with Michael
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