Clockwork Captive by Leod Anh

Author:Leod, Anh [Leod, Anh]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Coffee on Sundays Press
Published: 2012-02-28T13:00:00+00:00

“An inventor friend helped me come up with a plan,” Brace said.

Celeste was glad his mouth was so close to her ear. Anyone could be in the corridor listening. Her nipples slid against his coat, barely protected by her thin gown, distracting her. “But how?”

“We’re going to stop that clock of yours, then escape over the roof.” His fingers played with the undersides of her breasts. “I’ve spent the day wandering this street. I used money I borrowed to rent a room in the house next door.”

She touched the medallion at her throat, her constant companion for nearly three years. How she longed to say goodbye to the ticking and the alarms forever, but the sounds would probably haunt her dreams for the rest of her life.

“There’s a trapdoor,” he continued. “I’ll climb out, and since the buildings are linked, it’s easy to get onto the roof here. I’ll set the device my friend gave me, which should stop the clocks in the house, and then you can climb out the trapdoor here .We’ll be in my rented room in under five minutes.”

“Are you sure you can stop the clockwork?” She didn’t care about the climbing since she’d never feared heights.

“Not everyone has an inventor for a friend. First Mrs. Teagarden and now me. It took an inventor to create this mess, and now an inventor has found a way out.”

His breath tickled her ear. “I can’t stay on the street. They’ll find me and bring me back.”

“We have to get you to Camden Town immediately so my friend can cut the medallion off you. I haven’t quite figured that part out yet. I think we’ll have to rent a carriage and leave the magnet, otherwise your alarm will go off.”

“Is that a problem?”

“The magnet smells terrible, for one thing. Someone might find it. But we’ll manage somehow.” He stroked his hand down to her waist. “Yes, I’ll have the carriage waiting tomorrow night. Mrs. Teagarden promised me your first appointment of the night so you should be free of this monstrosity by midnight tomorrow.”

And then she’d only have to figure out the rest of her life. How much would Brace do to help her? Would he be reminded of what she was? She blinked and willed away all these thoughts. Decisions could come tomorrow. Tomorrow would be overwhelming enough.

She smiled in her practiced way at Brace. “I cannot thank you enough.” Slowly, she slid to her knees in front of him.

He watched her fingers slide up his legs. She set her cheek at the hem of his coat and nosed the fabric away at his waist.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said, unclasping her hands from his thighs and warming them in his own large palms. “I didn’t come here for that reason.”

“But I want to,” she said, knowing this was true, now that she knew he really meant to help her.

“I want it too, but I have something else in mind.”

“You do?” Wondering what he meant, she allowed him to pull her to her feet and walk her to the bed.

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