I tell you he’s as frustrated as you. He feels his need as strongly as you do yours.”
“Good,” she pouted. “I’m glad I’m not in this alone.”
The guardian laughed. “That’s more like it. Be strong. The time will come sooner than you think.”
She took a deep breath to steady herself. “Bradford has a private study. I’m sure there’s something in there that can help you. It stays locked.”
“Randall mentioned this study, also.”
Maybe he would know more about Edna and the syringe she’d found on the floor. “Edna, the older woman that’s staying here with him, showed me around today. When I was in her room, I found a needle. I’m not sure if she has a medical condition. She never said anything about one.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “You’re still safe, aren’t you?”
She patted his hand. “Yes. They both think I’m warming to Bradford.”
Silence. Then, “Are you?”
She looked at him with disbelief. “How can you ask that? After what I’ve found out about Bradford, every time he touches me, my skin crawls. Yet, I deal with it because Randall needs me to keep Bradford busy so he can look for the children.” She shook her head. “We’re both stuck with Bradford’s unwanted attentions until the children are safe.”
She walked away, folding her arms as she turned her back to him. “Then I just get done telling you Randall has all of my emotions on pins and needles and you ask if I have feelings for Bradford! Maybe I should kick your mystical butt.”
He chuckled at her outrage. “He’ll be glad to know about your emotional state.”
“Are you done making fun of me?” She waited for an answer. Nothing. “Thank you. May I continue?”
“Please do, dear one.”
She lowered her voice. “I asked Edna about a small, unused room in the basement of this place and she said that Cray uses it sometimes when he has work to do. I know I saw blood in there, and she just made light of it. When she took me on a tour of the house, I found the syringe in her room. Does she have some sort of medical condition? Has she done something to Randall?”
Karen sensed him pulling away as he withdrew his hand. “No,” he told her. “She didn’t do anything to him yet, and she doesn’t have any medical problems we’re aware of. Edna is Dr. Strathmore, one of the country’s leading geneticists. She’s close to Troyington. She’ll tell him everything if she knows how you feel about Randall.”
She chewed her bottom lip. “Is she spying on me?”
Leaves rustled near the trunk. “It’s possible. She’ll hurt you to protect Troyington. Keep your guard up around her. Watch what you do and say.”
Karen frowned. “Her bedroom window looks over the wood shed.” Her hands shook as nausea crawled through her stomach. “Could she have seen Randall and me together?”
“Possibly.” Warmth crept back in his voice. “I’ll tell Randall all you told me.”
“Not everything,” she insisted. “I mean it. Not one word about pins and needles.”
****
Karen’s alarm woke her as the sun began to rise. She yanked up her jeans and pulled a heavy sweater over her shirt. She hoped Randall would be at the clearing she’d seen him in yesterday. It was a long shot, but she had to try. The house was dark and silent as she slipped out the french doors, retracing her steps from the day before.
Randall stood in the clearing and her face burned as she watched him in the light of the rising sun. He was naked, the dawn bathing him in an ethereal, orange glow, turning his tanned skin deep gold. As he lifted his arms, she watched his back ripple with strength. Her eyes drifted down to the tightness in his buttocks, the power in his legs. His hair fluttered in the early morning breeze, making her want to run her hands through it, to feel his skin, to capture the very essence of who he was right now.
As he laid his head back, she glimpsed a smile of pure joy on his face as the sun rose higher. The
“Good,” she pouted. “I’m glad I’m not in this alone.”
The guardian laughed. “That’s more like it. Be strong. The time will come sooner than you think.”
She took a deep breath to steady herself. “Bradford has a private study. I’m sure there’s something in there that can help you. It stays locked.”
“Randall mentioned this study, also.”
Maybe he would know more about Edna and the syringe she’d found on the floor. “Edna, the older woman that’s staying here with him, showed me around today. When I was in her room, I found a needle. I’m not sure if she has a medical condition. She never said anything about one.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “You’re still safe, aren’t you?”
She patted his hand. “Yes. They both think I’m warming to Bradford.”
Silence. Then, “Are you?”
She looked at him with disbelief. “How can you ask that? After what I’ve found out about Bradford, every time he touches me, my skin crawls. Yet, I deal with it because Randall needs me to keep Bradford busy so he can look for the children.” She shook her head. “We’re both stuck with Bradford’s unwanted attentions until the children are safe.”
She walked away, folding her arms as she turned her back to him. “Then I just get done telling you Randall has all of my emotions on pins and needles and you ask if I have feelings for Bradford! Maybe I should kick your mystical butt.”
He chuckled at her outrage. “He’ll be glad to know about your emotional state.”
“Are you done making fun of me?” She waited for an answer. Nothing. “Thank you. May I continue?”
“Please do, dear one.”
She lowered her voice. “I asked Edna about a small, unused room in the basement of this place and she said that Cray uses it sometimes when he has work to do. I know I saw blood in there, and she just made light of it. When she took me on a tour of the house, I found the syringe in her room. Does she have some sort of medical condition? Has she done something to Randall?”
Karen sensed him pulling away as he withdrew his hand. “No,” he told her. “She didn’t do anything to him yet, and she doesn’t have any medical problems we’re aware of. Edna is Dr. Strathmore, one of the country’s leading geneticists. She’s close to Troyington. She’ll tell him everything if she knows how you feel about Randall.”
She chewed her bottom lip. “Is she spying on me?”
Leaves rustled near the trunk. “It’s possible. She’ll hurt you to protect Troyington. Keep your guard up around her. Watch what you do and say.”
Karen frowned. “Her bedroom window looks over the wood shed.” Her hands shook as nausea crawled through her stomach. “Could she have seen Randall and me together?”
“Possibly.” Warmth crept back in his voice. “I’ll tell Randall all you told me.”
“Not everything,” she insisted. “I mean it. Not one word about pins and needles.”
****
Karen’s alarm woke her as the sun began to rise. She yanked up her jeans and pulled a heavy sweater over her shirt. She hoped Randall would be at the clearing she’d seen him in yesterday. It was a long shot, but she had to try. The house was dark and silent as she slipped out the french doors, retracing her steps from the day before.
Randall stood in the clearing and her face burned as she watched him in the light of the rising sun. He was naked, the dawn bathing him in an ethereal, orange glow, turning his tanned skin deep gold. As he lifted his arms, she watched his back ripple with strength. Her eyes drifted down to the tightness in his buttocks, the power in his legs. His hair fluttered in the early morning breeze, making her want to run her hands through it, to feel his skin, to capture the very essence of who he was right now.
As he laid his head back, she glimpsed a smile of pure joy on his face as the sun rose higher. The
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