from the central room so she could fully comprehend the false hope of escape. She shuddered to think of the real people who had perished in this place.
She was studying yet another wall divot when Aleks touched her arm. She jumped and spun around, bumping into his chest. Without thinking, she latched on like a frightened child, pulling him tight. He wrapped both arms around her.
“A bit edgy, aren’t you?” A soft laugh rumbled against her ear.
Embarrassed by her reaction, she started to pull away. He held her for moment longer and then stepped back, his face unreadable in the shadowy light.
Sara turned her face aside, heart thudding for far more reasons than fear of the dungeon.
“It is creepy down here.” Stirred by the strength and nearness of Aleks she moved away to touch a place in the wall. “What is this?”
A beat of silence passed. She could feel Aleks behind her, but she could not read his thoughts. Did he suspect her emotional turmoil? Did he realize how confused and troubled she felt because of him? Did he know what power he wielded over her? Not only the power to keep her from Nico, but the power to break her heart all over again.
After a bit, he lightly touched her elbow. “Come. I’ll show you.” His voice held a strained note that she didn’t understand.
Saying little, they journeyed out of the central chamber down a tunnel so low they had to crouch and their bodies pressed close. Sara had never been more aware of Aleks’s size and strength than she was in that tunnel.
Once, she bumped her elbow and an involuntary gasp of pain hissed out. Aleks maneuvered her to his front, spooning his body around hers.
She felt strangely, wonderfully protected as he guided her through the tunnel.
Too quickly, the moment was over. They stepped out intoa second, larger chamber and separated. Sara felt the loss clear to her cold feet.
Seemingly unaffected, Aleks shone the torch around the walls.
“Here you go,” he murmured. “These are still intact. The ones in the anteroom were removed before my time.”
Rings of iron hung in pairs at the top and bottom all around the room. Here and there, a piece of heavy chain still dangled from the rings.
“Stocks?” she asked, gruesomely fascinated.
At Aleks’s nod, Sara went to one pair and stretched her hands up to grasp the rings. “Like this?”
“If you were a prisoner, would you want to face the hard stone?”
“Probably not.” She turned to face him, leaning her back into the wall while grasping the rings above her head. “Would I get a choice?”
“Good point.” One hand on his hip, he cocked his head. “I think I like this.”
“What? Me in stocks?”
“Hmm. Definitely.” He came closer.
Sara dipped her chin, feeling saucy and tingly. “Why? So you can control my every move?”
A slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Now, that would be a wondrous ability. Nothing more to worry about.”
Certain he meant the situation with Nico, Sara was insulted. She started to step away.
Aleks blocked her. “Not so fast. I’ve been thinking…”
Her heart began to hammer, but most definitely not from fear or insult. Aleks’s dark eyes held no animosity, no hostility. What she saw there was powerful male desire.
A responding ache settled low in her belly.
Her tongue flicked out nervously. “Thinking about what? Taking me prisoner in your dungeon?”
“I should have considered it sooner.” Eyes teasing, lips curved, he moved closer, trapping her against the stone wall. She couldn’t have moved if she’d wanted to. And she certainly did not want to.
A sexy, passionate prince was irresistible. Even in a dungeon.
He slid his hands upward along the length of her bare arms. When he reached her fingers, he twined his with hers. His warrior’s body, firm and sleek, pressed into hers. Goose bumps followed in the wake of his touch. She shivered, deliciously.
He noticed. His nostrils flared.
“You are torturing me, Sara
She was studying yet another wall divot when Aleks touched her arm. She jumped and spun around, bumping into his chest. Without thinking, she latched on like a frightened child, pulling him tight. He wrapped both arms around her.
“A bit edgy, aren’t you?” A soft laugh rumbled against her ear.
Embarrassed by her reaction, she started to pull away. He held her for moment longer and then stepped back, his face unreadable in the shadowy light.
Sara turned her face aside, heart thudding for far more reasons than fear of the dungeon.
“It is creepy down here.” Stirred by the strength and nearness of Aleks she moved away to touch a place in the wall. “What is this?”
A beat of silence passed. She could feel Aleks behind her, but she could not read his thoughts. Did he suspect her emotional turmoil? Did he realize how confused and troubled she felt because of him? Did he know what power he wielded over her? Not only the power to keep her from Nico, but the power to break her heart all over again.
After a bit, he lightly touched her elbow. “Come. I’ll show you.” His voice held a strained note that she didn’t understand.
Saying little, they journeyed out of the central chamber down a tunnel so low they had to crouch and their bodies pressed close. Sara had never been more aware of Aleks’s size and strength than she was in that tunnel.
Once, she bumped her elbow and an involuntary gasp of pain hissed out. Aleks maneuvered her to his front, spooning his body around hers.
She felt strangely, wonderfully protected as he guided her through the tunnel.
Too quickly, the moment was over. They stepped out intoa second, larger chamber and separated. Sara felt the loss clear to her cold feet.
Seemingly unaffected, Aleks shone the torch around the walls.
“Here you go,” he murmured. “These are still intact. The ones in the anteroom were removed before my time.”
Rings of iron hung in pairs at the top and bottom all around the room. Here and there, a piece of heavy chain still dangled from the rings.
“Stocks?” she asked, gruesomely fascinated.
At Aleks’s nod, Sara went to one pair and stretched her hands up to grasp the rings. “Like this?”
“If you were a prisoner, would you want to face the hard stone?”
“Probably not.” She turned to face him, leaning her back into the wall while grasping the rings above her head. “Would I get a choice?”
“Good point.” One hand on his hip, he cocked his head. “I think I like this.”
“What? Me in stocks?”
“Hmm. Definitely.” He came closer.
Sara dipped her chin, feeling saucy and tingly. “Why? So you can control my every move?”
A slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Now, that would be a wondrous ability. Nothing more to worry about.”
Certain he meant the situation with Nico, Sara was insulted. She started to step away.
Aleks blocked her. “Not so fast. I’ve been thinking…”
Her heart began to hammer, but most definitely not from fear or insult. Aleks’s dark eyes held no animosity, no hostility. What she saw there was powerful male desire.
A responding ache settled low in her belly.
Her tongue flicked out nervously. “Thinking about what? Taking me prisoner in your dungeon?”
“I should have considered it sooner.” Eyes teasing, lips curved, he moved closer, trapping her against the stone wall. She couldn’t have moved if she’d wanted to. And she certainly did not want to.
A sexy, passionate prince was irresistible. Even in a dungeon.
He slid his hands upward along the length of her bare arms. When he reached her fingers, he twined his with hers. His warrior’s body, firm and sleek, pressed into hers. Goose bumps followed in the wake of his touch. She shivered, deliciously.
He noticed. His nostrils flared.
“You are torturing me, Sara
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