Once Upon a Valentine by Stephanie Bond

Author:Stephanie Bond [Bond, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Anthology, Blazing Bedtime Stories
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

IT WAS WORKING.

To Ashlynn’s surprise, she and Raine weren’t immediately chased out of the village for being so filthy. In fact, compared to some of the people they saw—not to mention the pungent odors of their clothes—they looked pretty good. Even she had a hard time reconciling Raine’s ragged, dingy appearance with the golden-skinned god she’d glimpsed while he’d changed.

She hadn’t meant to stare. When he’d caught her, she’d wanted to sink into the ground. But not much could have made her look away from those incredibly broad shoulders, the thick arms flexing with muscle, all that warm, supple skin. She wasn’t used to seeing such brawny, muscular men on Earth, which seemed filled with guys in suits who rode buses and trains to office jobs and never worked outside a day in their life. Raine was different. Apparently, his job finding, protecting and taking things kept him very active, indeed.

“You okay?” he asked as they moved through the crowd.

“So far, so good.”

She only hoped it stayed that way, that they continued to blend. For now, they drew no second glances, no questioning stares. They also saw no one who looked like the hired muscle she’d spotted from the woods last night.

“Do you think they gave up and left?” she asked as they reached the main square.

Raine, who’d paused to buy a few pieces of fruit, shook his head. He handed her an apple, murmuring, “Don’t be too obvious, but check out the baker’s shop. Tweedle Dumbass is leaning against the side of it. I’d guess the other two are sleeping.”

She glanced and saw the man, almost tripping as she realized just how huge—and frightening—he looked. She edged a little closer to Raine, glad he was by her side, no matter how much he’d annoyed her by insisting on it.

A moment later, when they stopped at another booth to purchase a wedge of cheese, she overheard a conversation that confirmed what Raine had told her.

“No sign of ’er yet, I ’ear,” said an old woman, who was busily chopping up hunks of meat and lacing them on skewers.

“You t’ink she’ll come tonight?” asked another. “I could use that re-ward money, that’s for sure!”

“I ’spect so. Them Hunters seem right sure of themselves.”

Ashlynn felt the blood drain from her face. Apparently noticing her reaction, Raine slid his arm through hers and casually led her away, as though they had just come for a leisurely market stroll with everyone else from the surrounding farms. Once they were out of earshot, he murmured, “I’d really like to get out of here, so let’s do this.”

She edged toward the tavern. “Give me five minutes.”

“You’re the boss.”

Before she walked away, he put a hand on her arm. His fingers sizzled against her skin. She couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to be touched by him with no barrier between them. No dirt. No map. No danger.

No clothes.

All of the above would be her choice. It was madness, perhaps, but Ashlynn wanted that to happen.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.