The Kidnapped Bride

“Want me to do it for you?” he asked, a smile sneaking across his mouth. “At the rate you’re going, you’ll be lucky to get changed before breakfast.”

Too irritated to speak, she whipped her hair around to fall across her shoulder and offered him her back.

The breath stilled in her chest as Jack moved closer and began to unfasten the buttons. One. Two. Three. Four. She could feel his fingers moving down her back, slipping the buttons free from the satin loops. His fingers brushed along her bare skin and sent sensation skipping down her spine. Lorelei closed her eyes and bit down on her bottom lip to keep silent.

“You always had the most beautiful skin. The color of cream.”

“I have freckles,” she somehow managed to reply.

“Only a few.” He slipped open another two buttons and skimmed the backs of his fingers against her bare flesh. “So soft. Like silk. Sometimes when I’d be out at sea, I’d lie awake nights and look up at the sky and remember how soft and beautiful your skin was.”

Lorelei caught the note of longing in his voice. Glancing up, she discovered him watching her in the mirror. The last of the buttons were freed, and her dress fell from her shoulders to her waist, leaving her breasts hidden only by the thin strapless bra.

Jack lifted his gaze to meet hers.

Her breath hitched. She couldn’t move as she watched desire flare in his eyes.

“Lorelei,” he whispered before lowering his mouth to her shoulder.

Lorelei gasped as first Jack’s lips and then his tongue touched her shoulder. The feeling was so erotic, yet so familiar. A surge of longing raced through her.

“Come on, Sarah, let Mommy wash your—” The door to the bathroom burst open, and the mother of the five children stood there staring at them. She started to back out of the room. “Oh, my. I’m so sorry. I thought this was the ladies’ room.”

“It is,” Jack said, spinning around to stand in front of Lorelei like a shield. “I was just helping my wife with her dress. We’ll be out of your way in a moment. I’ll wait for you at the table, sweetheart.”

Once he was gone, Lorelei avoided the other woman’s knowing eyes and scurried into one of the stalls to change. Dear God, what had she been thinking of? Lorelei asked herself as she stepped out of the gown and threw it across the bathroom door. She pulled off the silk nylons and tossed them over the gown. Hurrying, she shrugged into her shorts and pulled on the T-shirt. She had to get away, Lorelei told herself as she sat on the toilet seat and slipped on her socks and hiking boots. And she had to do it now.

Lorelei remained in the stall until she heard the woman and the little girl leave. When she was alone again, she pushed her suitcase aside and hopped up on top of the counter. Using the heel of her hand, she shoved against the worn window lock. Finally it opened. She pulled up once, twice, cursing when she broke a nail. Determined, she tried again and the window finally came free. The sky was already growing dark, and Lorelei could feel the slap of heat as she shoved the window up to the top.

A bead of perspiration trickled between her breasts. Her heart pumped furiously as she hurried to place first one leg and then the other through the window’s small opening. Taking another deep breath, she leapt to the ground, stumbled and landed on her bottom.

She’d made it. She was free, Lorelei thought as she scrambled to stand up.

“Going somewhere?” Jack asked as he stepped out of the shadows to stand in front of her.

Three

Lorelei swatted his hand away and pushed herself up to her feet. She glared at him while dusting off the seat of her jean shorts. “How did you know?”

“I saw the window, too. It wasn’t hard to figure out that you’d try to make a run for it.” He paused. “And since you don’t have any money or credit cards on you, just what were you planning to do? Walk down the mountain?”

“If I had to,” she said, her voice defiant. “I was hoping to hitch a ride.”

His amusement fizzled at her reply. Fury at her recklessness exploded inside him. Before he could stop himself, Jack grabbed her by the arms, wanting to shake her. “You little idiot. Don’t you know how dangerous that would have been? Do you have any idea what position you could have found yourself in? What if you’d gotten hurt or even gotten yourself lost trying to find your way down the mountain? And what’s to stop some crazy from offering you a ride and then doing God knows what to you?”

Just the thought of something happening to her made Jack ill. He pulled her stiff body into his arms. “I want you to promise me you won’t try something stupid like this again.”

At her silence, Jack set her at arm’s length. “I mean it, Lorelei. I want your promise that you won’t try to run away again.”

“I’m not promising you anything,” she told him. “Because the minute I get another chance, I’m going to take it and go back to Mesa.”

Disappointed in her response, Jack sighed as he stared into her eyes, caught that glint of steel beneath the warmth. Lord, but the woman was stubborn. Much more stubborn than she’d been ten years ago. But somehow he’d get through that stubborn streak of hers. Somehow he’d prove to her that the old Lorelei was still very much alive and that she belonged with him.

He simply had to, Jack told himself. Because without her, the life that stretched out before him seemed very empty. “Then I guess I’ll have to see that you don’t get another chance.” Putting an arm around her stiff shoulders, he led her around front to where he’d parked the Explorer.

“Where are we going?” she asked when he opened the door and motioned for her to get inside. “I thought we were going to eat dinner?”

“I assumed you weren’t hungry when you did your vanishing act back there. Or hadn’t you thought that far ahead?”

“I’m starving and you know it. I’m not going anywhere until I get something to eat.”

He almost laughed out loud at the petulant look on her face. He kissed her forehead instead and earned himself another scowl. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I intend to feed you. But you’ll have to wait about twenty minutes.”

“Why?” she demanded, narrowing her eyes.

“Because I don’t like driving on these roads at night, and we didn’t get nearly as far up in the mountains today as I’d planned. Too bad you didn’t decide on a morning wedding.”

“Believe me, if I had known about your plans, I would have scheduled a night wedding,” she replied sassily.

“I don’t doubt that for a minute. Now get in the truck, or I’ll put you in it myself. Come to think of it,” Jack said, dropping his voice as he rubbed his jaw and allowed his gaze to sweep over her, “maybe that’s not such a bad idea.”

Lorelei scrambled into her seat. “Where are we going?”

“Not far. We’ll be spending the night in a little cabin about ten miles from here. I’m hoping to make it there before full darkness sets in.”

“When did you rent a cabin?”

“I didn’t. It belongs to Isabel and Alberto. They use it as a little hideaway when they want to get away from the business and town. They’ve offered us the use of it for our wedding night.”

“This is not our wedding night. You and I are not married.”

“I’ll be happy to remedy that situation anytime you give me the word.”

“Don’t hold your breath.”

Letting her rebuff bounce off of him, Jack reached for her seat belt. “Need some help buckling up?” He started to pull it across her breasts.

Lorelei snatched the strap from his hand and did the honors herself. “What about my suitcase? And my wedding gown? I left them in the bathroom.”

“I know.” Jack shut the truck’s door and went around to the other side. He climbed into the driver’s seat and strapped on his seat belt.

“That dress was very expensive and I want it.”

“What for?”

“Because I intend to use it again—when I get back to Mesa and marry Herbert.”

Gritting his teeth, Jack turned to her. “If you wear that dress again,” he began, calmly measuring his words despite the jealousy clawing at him, “it won’t be to marry Herbert.”