just right. Voluptuous and soft in all the right places.”
Fern blushed, of course he would know. “Let’s sit down, Rowen, and I’ll tell you about Rose.”
“ I believe you when you say she’s alright, but I want to know where she is, Fern.” He watched her turn away and frown. Somehow he knew there was no way in hell he would ever be told where Rose was. Her words confirmed it.
“ I can’t tell you where I took her, Rowen, the sisters made me promise. You’ll just have to trust me that she is safe. Safer than she could ever be, here with us.”
“ When Elizabeth realized you’d gone to get Rose, she spoke to me. She told me to take Rose from you and bring her back to her. She said if I failed, she would kill Jonathan and Sarah.” He watched her eyes widen. “Do you know what this means, Fern?”
She didn’t know what or how to feel. She had to obey what the sisters said; in addition, if Elizabeth had taken Rose and killed her, she herself would have died. “So it looks like we are both fighting for our existence. Rowen, if Elizabeth kills Rose, then I die too.”
They sat staring into each other’s eyes, both understanding what the other was feeling and thinking. Gently he cupped her chin then let his thumb run back and forth over the little dimple in the middle, then up and over her bottom lip where he lingered as he remembered the taste of her. “We’ll beat this, Fern, I know it. Don’t ask me how we will, but we will.” He let his hand trail down her neck to the top of her dress. “I’m going to go to Jonathan and tell him who I am. I am going to warn him about Elizabeth. I’m also going to convince him Mary isn’t a witch.”
Reaching up she grabbed his hand, stopping it before it could slide down further. “No Rowen, you know you can’t do that. Jonathan is the magistrate. He’ll have you hung, I won’t allow it.”
“ It’s the only choice I have, don’t you see that?” He smiled when her small fingers dug into his hand, stopping his progress. “He’s of my blood, Fern. He won’t let me die.”
She let her eyes drop to where their hands were clasped together over her breast. She watched his fingers dip under the collar where they gently rubbed back and forth, in a slow methodical way, bringing chills to her flesh. “I hope you’re right, Rowen, I really hope you’re right.”
Rowen watched the little gold flecks expand around her pupils when she brought her eyes back up to his. He wanted to kiss her so badly. Even without a spell forcing him, he could easily make love to her. The thought of her naked writhing body underneath his brought an immediate reaction from his groin. He smiled when she pulled his hand away. The contact seemed to make her feel uncomfortable, but for him it added fuel to the growing fire in his loin. “I’ll go tomorrow at first light. I’m going to have to think of a way to get him away from Sarah, any suggestions?”
“ Well, I can think of one way that might work.”
“ How?”
“ I’ll go before you, when I see him alone I’ll uncover my face for him to see me. He’ll think I’m Mary and follow me. I’ll coax him all the way back here. You can talk to him here.” Proud of her suggestion, she smiled.
“ No way, Fern, it’s too dangerous. What if he catches you? It’s too risky.”
“ It’s a great suggestion and you know it, Rowen. He won’t catch me, I promise. Besides, you can come save me if he does.”
He watched her smile from ear to ear. She was right; it would work perfectly. Jonathan would be shocked, thinking Mary had escaped; he’d follow her anywhere. “All right, we’ll do it. But only if you promise me you’ll not take any chances. If it looks like it won’t work, you abandon the plan, got it?”
“ I’ve got it!” she giggled at the look on his face. “Seriously, I won’t take any chances. Cross my heart, hope to die. Stick a million needles in my eye.”
He watched her cross her fingers over
Fern blushed, of course he would know. “Let’s sit down, Rowen, and I’ll tell you about Rose.”
“ I believe you when you say she’s alright, but I want to know where she is, Fern.” He watched her turn away and frown. Somehow he knew there was no way in hell he would ever be told where Rose was. Her words confirmed it.
“ I can’t tell you where I took her, Rowen, the sisters made me promise. You’ll just have to trust me that she is safe. Safer than she could ever be, here with us.”
“ When Elizabeth realized you’d gone to get Rose, she spoke to me. She told me to take Rose from you and bring her back to her. She said if I failed, she would kill Jonathan and Sarah.” He watched her eyes widen. “Do you know what this means, Fern?”
She didn’t know what or how to feel. She had to obey what the sisters said; in addition, if Elizabeth had taken Rose and killed her, she herself would have died. “So it looks like we are both fighting for our existence. Rowen, if Elizabeth kills Rose, then I die too.”
They sat staring into each other’s eyes, both understanding what the other was feeling and thinking. Gently he cupped her chin then let his thumb run back and forth over the little dimple in the middle, then up and over her bottom lip where he lingered as he remembered the taste of her. “We’ll beat this, Fern, I know it. Don’t ask me how we will, but we will.” He let his hand trail down her neck to the top of her dress. “I’m going to go to Jonathan and tell him who I am. I am going to warn him about Elizabeth. I’m also going to convince him Mary isn’t a witch.”
Reaching up she grabbed his hand, stopping it before it could slide down further. “No Rowen, you know you can’t do that. Jonathan is the magistrate. He’ll have you hung, I won’t allow it.”
“ It’s the only choice I have, don’t you see that?” He smiled when her small fingers dug into his hand, stopping his progress. “He’s of my blood, Fern. He won’t let me die.”
She let her eyes drop to where their hands were clasped together over her breast. She watched his fingers dip under the collar where they gently rubbed back and forth, in a slow methodical way, bringing chills to her flesh. “I hope you’re right, Rowen, I really hope you’re right.”
Rowen watched the little gold flecks expand around her pupils when she brought her eyes back up to his. He wanted to kiss her so badly. Even without a spell forcing him, he could easily make love to her. The thought of her naked writhing body underneath his brought an immediate reaction from his groin. He smiled when she pulled his hand away. The contact seemed to make her feel uncomfortable, but for him it added fuel to the growing fire in his loin. “I’ll go tomorrow at first light. I’m going to have to think of a way to get him away from Sarah, any suggestions?”
“ Well, I can think of one way that might work.”
“ How?”
“ I’ll go before you, when I see him alone I’ll uncover my face for him to see me. He’ll think I’m Mary and follow me. I’ll coax him all the way back here. You can talk to him here.” Proud of her suggestion, she smiled.
“ No way, Fern, it’s too dangerous. What if he catches you? It’s too risky.”
“ It’s a great suggestion and you know it, Rowen. He won’t catch me, I promise. Besides, you can come save me if he does.”
He watched her smile from ear to ear. She was right; it would work perfectly. Jonathan would be shocked, thinking Mary had escaped; he’d follow her anywhere. “All right, we’ll do it. But only if you promise me you’ll not take any chances. If it looks like it won’t work, you abandon the plan, got it?”
“ I’ve got it!” she giggled at the look on his face. “Seriously, I won’t take any chances. Cross my heart, hope to die. Stick a million needles in my eye.”
He watched her cross her fingers over
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