“Hy-hypoth-thermic,” she stammered, recognizing the symptoms and fighting her lethargy.
Beneath her heavy eyelids, she watched him struggle out of his jacket. In the next instant, he slung it over her, and heat enveloped her like sunshine. “We’ve got to get you out of here.”
She tried to cooperate, but she couldn ’t seem to move.
That was no deterrent to Tobias. Planting a foot under his hunkered body, he wedged an arm behind her back, another under her bent knees, and scooped her out of the corner and through the narrow door. In the next instant, he swung her high above the ground, lifting her against the wall of his chest. With her head lolling on his shoulder, she saw that the sky was shot with silver. The rooster on the neighboring farm crowed.
“I should w-walk,” she protested, her speech as slurred as a drunkard’s. He started for the back of the farmhouse, where all of the lights were on. She couldn’t let the others see her like this! “I have to walk,” she repeated.
But Tobias ignored her, heading doggedly for the screened-in porch. “You’re the doctor, ma’am. You know the best thing you can do is stay curled up. Let my heat warm you.”
It was impossible not to. His thermal energy burned through the cotton of his T-shirt like flames from a bonfire. With a compulsive need to huddle closer, she looped both arms around his neck and hugged him hard. “I can’t be seen,” she said through clenched teeth.
The edges of his eyes crinkled as he sent her a smile. “Don’t worry, ma’am. The XO’s the only one who knows you’re missing. We’ll sneak you in past the others. Do you know if the back door’s locked?”
He made her feel like a naughty teen, sneaking into the house after curfew. “There’s a k-k-key hidden behind a loose brick.”
“ Show me,” he said, shouldering his way onto the back porch.
Her hand shook like a leaf as she pointed to the brick in question.
“I gotta put you down,” he said regretfully. “Think you can stand?”
“ Yes.” Except that she couldn’t even feel her legs.
He released her carefully, letting her slide down the front of his thighs. The journey over his hard contours revived every nerve in her body. All too soon, her feet touched the concrete floor. Her legs now burned with a numb fire, but her knees buckled, leaving her no choice but to hang on tight.
He anchored her against him with a powerful arm. “You good?”
His resonant voice seemed to resonate inside her. How long had it been since a man had pressed her to him like this? It felt so wonderful. Desire, as unexpected as it was unwanted, had her clinging to him shamelessly. “Yes.”
Her attention slid to his chiseled lips, then to the cleft on his square chin, and then the message on his broad chest.
“Contrary to popular belief,” she read aloud, drawing back and pulling it taut over his pecs, so she could read it better in the dim light, “no one owes you anything.”
“ That’s right.” He tugged the loose brick from the wall, transferred it to his left hand, and retrieved the key hidden in the space behind it. All without letting her go.
Dylan felt like she ’d been hit over the head. How true. Her thoughts expanded. No one owed her a damn thing. She would have to right this wrong herself.
The lock gave a click, snapping her out of her trance. “Think you can walk?”
She shivered convulsively. “I think so.”
“ Wait.” He caught her arm as she started to push the door open. “I hear men on the stairs. Wait until they go out front.”
Inside the house, at least two pairs of shoes tramped down the stairs. The front door thumped shut.
“Now.” Tobias opened the door for her.
She tried to walk but her legs felt like Jell-O. “Guess not,” she admitted with a helpless grimace.
He roped her to him with an eager smile and half-carried, half-escorted her through the command room toward the lit foyer, and to the stairs. Terrence Ashby ’s
Beneath her heavy eyelids, she watched him struggle out of his jacket. In the next instant, he slung it over her, and heat enveloped her like sunshine. “We’ve got to get you out of here.”
She tried to cooperate, but she couldn ’t seem to move.
That was no deterrent to Tobias. Planting a foot under his hunkered body, he wedged an arm behind her back, another under her bent knees, and scooped her out of the corner and through the narrow door. In the next instant, he swung her high above the ground, lifting her against the wall of his chest. With her head lolling on his shoulder, she saw that the sky was shot with silver. The rooster on the neighboring farm crowed.
“I should w-walk,” she protested, her speech as slurred as a drunkard’s. He started for the back of the farmhouse, where all of the lights were on. She couldn’t let the others see her like this! “I have to walk,” she repeated.
But Tobias ignored her, heading doggedly for the screened-in porch. “You’re the doctor, ma’am. You know the best thing you can do is stay curled up. Let my heat warm you.”
It was impossible not to. His thermal energy burned through the cotton of his T-shirt like flames from a bonfire. With a compulsive need to huddle closer, she looped both arms around his neck and hugged him hard. “I can’t be seen,” she said through clenched teeth.
The edges of his eyes crinkled as he sent her a smile. “Don’t worry, ma’am. The XO’s the only one who knows you’re missing. We’ll sneak you in past the others. Do you know if the back door’s locked?”
He made her feel like a naughty teen, sneaking into the house after curfew. “There’s a k-k-key hidden behind a loose brick.”
“ Show me,” he said, shouldering his way onto the back porch.
Her hand shook like a leaf as she pointed to the brick in question.
“I gotta put you down,” he said regretfully. “Think you can stand?”
“ Yes.” Except that she couldn’t even feel her legs.
He released her carefully, letting her slide down the front of his thighs. The journey over his hard contours revived every nerve in her body. All too soon, her feet touched the concrete floor. Her legs now burned with a numb fire, but her knees buckled, leaving her no choice but to hang on tight.
He anchored her against him with a powerful arm. “You good?”
His resonant voice seemed to resonate inside her. How long had it been since a man had pressed her to him like this? It felt so wonderful. Desire, as unexpected as it was unwanted, had her clinging to him shamelessly. “Yes.”
Her attention slid to his chiseled lips, then to the cleft on his square chin, and then the message on his broad chest.
“Contrary to popular belief,” she read aloud, drawing back and pulling it taut over his pecs, so she could read it better in the dim light, “no one owes you anything.”
“ That’s right.” He tugged the loose brick from the wall, transferred it to his left hand, and retrieved the key hidden in the space behind it. All without letting her go.
Dylan felt like she ’d been hit over the head. How true. Her thoughts expanded. No one owed her a damn thing. She would have to right this wrong herself.
The lock gave a click, snapping her out of her trance. “Think you can walk?”
She shivered convulsively. “I think so.”
“ Wait.” He caught her arm as she started to push the door open. “I hear men on the stairs. Wait until they go out front.”
Inside the house, at least two pairs of shoes tramped down the stairs. The front door thumped shut.
“Now.” Tobias opened the door for her.
She tried to walk but her legs felt like Jell-O. “Guess not,” she admitted with a helpless grimace.
He roped her to him with an eager smile and half-carried, half-escorted her through the command room toward the lit foyer, and to the stairs. Terrence Ashby ’s
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