drugged somehow while she’d been touring the sideshows? “Did you drug me?” she blurted out.
His face darkened, his features tightening until he looked as if they’d been carved from stone. “No.”
She didn’t know how to respond to that. He didn’t try to convince her what he said was true. He’d just said no and left it at that. She found herself believing him and relaxed slightly. Okay, she believed that Roric hadn’t drugged her. That didn’t mean someone else hadn’t. At this point, the most important thing to figure out was what the heck had happened to her.
The carnival was very real. She and Sandra had left here last night together. She’d seen the rides and the townspeople and the carousel. The question remained, what had happened? How had she gotten from there to here? And why was Roric with her?
As if sensing her unsettled thoughts, Roric turned and stroked his fingers down the side of her face again. The pads of his fingertips were rough, but his touch was gentle. “What is your name?”
Embarrassment flooded her, and she felt her face growing warmer under his continued appraisal. God, she’d slept with a man who didn’t even know her name. Not that she could point her finger just at him. She hadn’t known his name until he’d told her. “Aimee. Aimee Horner.”
“And where are we, Aimee Horner?”
The way he said her name made her womb clench. She crossed her arms over her chest to hide the fact that her nipples were standing at attention. “We’re in my home.”
He shook his head, making his hair sway. Her gaze followed its path as it brushed his shoulders. She curled her fingers into her palm to keep from reaching out to touch the thick strands. She suddenly had a vivid memory of that hair brushing erotically against her breasts.
“No. What place are we?”
Her mouth dropped open, and all thoughts of his sexy hair were forgotten. “You don’t know where you are?”
His eyes narrowed and his face grew grim, but he didn’t respond.
Aimee realized that he truly had no idea. This was getting weirder by the second. “You’re in Salvation. North Carolina,” she added just in case he didn’t know what state he was currently in. “Are you with the carnival?”
“Salvation.” He said the name slowly and his entire body seemed to relax slightly. It was hard to tell for certain because his muscles were still rock hard. It was more an impression she had than any physical change in him.
“The carnival?” she questioned, wanting him back on track. She needed to figure out what was going on.
He came to his feet in one swift movement and slashed his arm out in front of him. She flinched away, scared by the sudden violence she sensed in him. He slowly lowered his arm back to his side. Aimee wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. There was too much sadness, too much desperation mirrored in his eyes.
Roric went to one knee beside the bed and laid his right hand over his heart. “Everything that happened at the carnival was real.” He paused, seeming to gather his thoughts. “I would never hurt you, Aimee. I am one of seven warriors of an ancient goddess. It is my sworn duty to break the curse that has held me captive for more than five thousand years. You have set me free, and I must protect you from the demons that are coming for us both. Then I must find a way to free the remaining warriors and find my Lady.”
“Demons? Curse? Five thousand years?” Her head was spinning. Roric was obviously confused. She didn’t want to say crazy, but the word was there in the back of her mind, taunting her. Just her luck to bring home a guy who thought he’d been cursed for several thousand years and she’d set him free. He might be gorgeous, but he obviously needed help.
Not that she was in any position to criticize. There were a lot of folks in town who thought she needed help too considering the type of artwork she’d produced over the years for the comic company. No flowers
His face darkened, his features tightening until he looked as if they’d been carved from stone. “No.”
She didn’t know how to respond to that. He didn’t try to convince her what he said was true. He’d just said no and left it at that. She found herself believing him and relaxed slightly. Okay, she believed that Roric hadn’t drugged her. That didn’t mean someone else hadn’t. At this point, the most important thing to figure out was what the heck had happened to her.
The carnival was very real. She and Sandra had left here last night together. She’d seen the rides and the townspeople and the carousel. The question remained, what had happened? How had she gotten from there to here? And why was Roric with her?
As if sensing her unsettled thoughts, Roric turned and stroked his fingers down the side of her face again. The pads of his fingertips were rough, but his touch was gentle. “What is your name?”
Embarrassment flooded her, and she felt her face growing warmer under his continued appraisal. God, she’d slept with a man who didn’t even know her name. Not that she could point her finger just at him. She hadn’t known his name until he’d told her. “Aimee. Aimee Horner.”
“And where are we, Aimee Horner?”
The way he said her name made her womb clench. She crossed her arms over her chest to hide the fact that her nipples were standing at attention. “We’re in my home.”
He shook his head, making his hair sway. Her gaze followed its path as it brushed his shoulders. She curled her fingers into her palm to keep from reaching out to touch the thick strands. She suddenly had a vivid memory of that hair brushing erotically against her breasts.
“No. What place are we?”
Her mouth dropped open, and all thoughts of his sexy hair were forgotten. “You don’t know where you are?”
His eyes narrowed and his face grew grim, but he didn’t respond.
Aimee realized that he truly had no idea. This was getting weirder by the second. “You’re in Salvation. North Carolina,” she added just in case he didn’t know what state he was currently in. “Are you with the carnival?”
“Salvation.” He said the name slowly and his entire body seemed to relax slightly. It was hard to tell for certain because his muscles were still rock hard. It was more an impression she had than any physical change in him.
“The carnival?” she questioned, wanting him back on track. She needed to figure out what was going on.
He came to his feet in one swift movement and slashed his arm out in front of him. She flinched away, scared by the sudden violence she sensed in him. He slowly lowered his arm back to his side. Aimee wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. There was too much sadness, too much desperation mirrored in his eyes.
Roric went to one knee beside the bed and laid his right hand over his heart. “Everything that happened at the carnival was real.” He paused, seeming to gather his thoughts. “I would never hurt you, Aimee. I am one of seven warriors of an ancient goddess. It is my sworn duty to break the curse that has held me captive for more than five thousand years. You have set me free, and I must protect you from the demons that are coming for us both. Then I must find a way to free the remaining warriors and find my Lady.”
“Demons? Curse? Five thousand years?” Her head was spinning. Roric was obviously confused. She didn’t want to say crazy, but the word was there in the back of her mind, taunting her. Just her luck to bring home a guy who thought he’d been cursed for several thousand years and she’d set him free. He might be gorgeous, but he obviously needed help.
Not that she was in any position to criticize. There were a lot of folks in town who thought she needed help too considering the type of artwork she’d produced over the years for the comic company. No flowers
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