He came nearer now, and nearer.Lucy had to hold her breath or risk giving away the game by the rapid rise and fall of her chest.
When his handsome baritone died away, she slit her eyes open the merest fraction, just in time to see him rein Dante to a sharp halt.
Limned in moonlight, The Gentle Rogue cut a figure straight from an illustrated broadsheet about highwaymen.
He sat his horse as though he’d been born in the saddle, long legs encased in tight leather breeches clasping the stallion’s sides with casually athletic grace.He wore stark, unrelieved black, from his boots to the leather mask that covered the top half of his face and the piratical scarf that tied behind his head, concealing his hair.
Up close, Lucy knew, the clothing would be frayed and worn, the plain garments of a man who cared nothing for frivolities like fashion and appearances.
Dante stamped one restless hoof, and The Gentle Rogue controlled the movement as easily as breathing.
If Lucy hadn’t been lying down already, she would have swooned.
His hooded gaze scanned the broken-down wagon and came to rest on Lucy, who hurriedly shut her eyes all the way.
The very air against her skin seemed to pulse with tingling currents as he swung down from the horse and came closer.She could track his progress without sight, she fancied, simply by how sensitized her prickling flesh became.
“Damn it, Lively,” he said gruffly.“Not again.”
Lucy bit the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning.She lay ostentatiously still and unresponsive, even when he sighed and went to one knee at her side.
“I’m here, you can ‘wake up’ now.”His voice was wry, but Lucy thought she detected a slender thread of concern.
Nearly vibrating, she forced herself to wait.Time spun out between them, the silence of the deserted road enveloping them in a strange intimacy that made Lucy’s blood race.Anticipation curled hotly through her.
Finally, he broke.
“You had better not be actually injured this time,” he growled, sliding big, strong hands under her shoulders and raising her up with excruciating, thrilling gentleness.
Now came the moment where Lucy almost always faltered.She didn’t want to go so far as to make him truly fear for her well-being.That would seem unkind.But if she could hold out just one moment longer…
He cursed beneath his breath, hotly enough to make Lucy slit her eyes open once more.And she was terribly glad she did, or she would have missed the sight of him biting the tip of his right middle finger to peel the leather glove from his hand before placing his bare palm against the side of her throat.
Entirely unable to hide the shudder of need that went through her at the brush of his callused fingers, Lucy allowed her eyelashes to flutter open.
“Hmmm?What’s happened?”she asked breathily.“Where am I?”
Tension seemed to flow out of his broad shoulders.His well-shaped lips pressed together in a look of annoyance that was not wholly convincing.“I can tell you where you’re about to be.In serious trouble.”
Lucy blinked up at him as innocently as she could manage.“Oh, hello!What fortuitous luck, you being here to rescue me.”
“Yet again.”
“Yes.What does this make it?Four heroic rescues?”
“Five.If you count the first one.The only time you actually needed rescuing,” he said with heavy emphasis.
He hadn’t let go of her though, Lucy noted smugly.
Nestling herself against his chest, she tilted her head to his shoulder and gazed up at him.“I like being rescued by you.”
“So I have gathered.How the devil do you always seem to know where I’ll be?”
“Simple good fortune, I suppose,” she said vaguely, then changed the subject.If she explained how she did it, it might stop working.“Since you are here, and I’m feeling much better, can I interest you in a little light repast?Being a gentleman highwayman works up a hearty appetite, I’m sure.”
To her disappointment he pulled away, leaving her sitting on the ground by herself.“Not tonight.I have places to be.”
Lucy didn’t let her dismay show in her expression.“No place as enchanting as this, I’ll warrant.”
