His voice moved closer to her ear. “I’m not going to hurt you.” His low reassurance slid out, rich and mellow.
His deep baritone wrapped around her like the hot darkness of a sultry summer night, blanketing her uneasiness in warmth. A tingling ripple spiraled up her spine, sparking a shiver.
“Are you cold?”
Her muddled thoughts focused on his question and she shook her head. Tense, jumpy and anxious, you bet. But whatever unfamiliar mixed cocktail of emotions had made her shiver, she wasn’t cold.
“Listen up. I’ve got some loose ends to deal with. I should tie and gag you….”
Her every muscle clenched. Over my dead body!
He gently squeezed her shoulders. “But I won’t. There’s no way out, and if you’ve got any brainy ideas about screaming for help, eighty-six them. Any ‘help’ you attract in this neighborhood won’t be the kind you want. I’ll be back soon. You’ll be safe if you stay put and don’t do anything stupid. Got it?”
She nodded. As he walked away, she heard the whisper of clothing. The door creaked open and then slammed shut. The bar clanked into place, leaving her alone in the gloomy silence.
Relief swirled through her. Like a dream, a sense of unreality clouded her mind. Crazy surprises didn’t happen to Tessa Beaumont. She kept her life ordered, predictable and controlled. Being kidnapped was not scheduled in her planner in neat script—blue for daily schedule, green for appointments and red for urgent matters.
What would happen when the thief returned? He’d said he wasn’t going to hurt her, and so far, he’d kept his word. But rule number one in the Deranged Kidnappers’ Handbook was probably, “Keep the victim calm and obedient.” Unfortunately, she’d been too busy with wedding plans to take that kickboxing course with Mel last month.
Though the roguish robber seemed more than capable of handling a whole class of self-defense graduates. With his looks, one of his sunny smiles was enough to disarm any female between nine and ninety. Glowing with a combination of sensuality and mischief, his infectious grin had incited a flood of response deep inside.
Tessa straightened. What was wrong with her? The shock must have unhinged her mind. No way would she meekly wait for him in this dump like an expired certificate of deposit.
As if to drive home the thought, rustling and sharp squeaks erupted from the corner. She gulped. Rats? Yelping, she scrambled onto the chair, her gaze skittering around the room.
Bundled newspapers littered the floor and three cardboard boxes leaned drunkenly in a corner. Not much to aid a jailbreak, but a small window high on the opposite wall offered some hope.
In one of Tessa’s favorite movies, Goldie Hawn thwarted kidnappers by climbing out a window to the fire escape. But even if Tessa could reach the narrow window, it promised a tight fit. She mentally compared the window to her hips, glad she’d skipped lunch.
After a hesitant glance at the now-quiet corner, she stepped down, and dragged the chair over. Even with the added height, the sill was out of reach.
As her gaze lingered on the cardboard boxes, an idea formed. Tessa grabbed newspapers and dumped them inside a box. She lifted the filled box onto the chair before fetching another carton and more papers. Papers with raggedly chewed edges. A shudder rippled through her. She lifted another stack and uncovered a pile of droppings. Ugh! Inspired to work even faster, she finished the last box and stacked it on top of the others, then stood back to assess her makeshift ladder. Not bad.
Sucking in a breath, she hiked up her long skirt to climb onto the wobbly pile. Her head now reached the bottom of the sill. A grin creased her face. She could do this! Her jacket hampered her movements, and she had to unbutton it in order to pull herself up and peer out the grimy panes.
Her fingers tightened on the sill as her hopes unraveled. No fire escape. “What now, Goldie?” she muttered.
Refusing to knuckle under to despair, her gaze swept the outside of the building. A drainpipe bolted to the bricks with metal brackets ran clear to the ground like a miniature ladder. Her palms grew slick with perspiration. The rusty pipe looked much too fragile for her peace of mind.
More squeaks and shuffles burst from the corner and a rat the size of a house cat skittered across the floor. She shrieked and tried to scrabble onto the windowsill, but her calf-length skirt and flapping jacket made gymnastics impossible.
She had no choice. Teetering on the swaying boxes, she stripped off her suit. Nothing would stop her from going out that window now. Not with a pack of giant rodents eager to tear her to shreds. She’d never be able to climb wearing her slippery half slip, thigh-high stockings and pumps, so they came off, too. She tied her clothing and shoes into a bundle.
Dressed in a purple satin bra and matching panties, she clamped the bundle between her teeth, levered her knees up onto the sill, and shoved open the filthy, peeling window frame. The alley below was empty, so she dropped her clothes to the ground before shimmying out the opening headfirst.
Her stomach jittering, she stretched out her arms, grabbed the pipe and swung over. With sweaty hands and shaking limbs, she clung to the slender pole, the only thing between her and a three-story fall. If this were a movie, she’d be at the police station drinking a cup of coffee with Chevy Chase by now. “Don’t look down,” she muttered, and began to hum to boost her courage. She arched her foot and felt for the first bracket, gingerly testing her weight. It held! Inch by terrifying inch, she climbed down.
She stepped onto the asphalt and pumped her arms in a victory salute. “Yes!” she crowed. Now, to get her clothes, find a phone, and call the police.
“Going somewhere?” a silky male voice asked.
Tessa’s heart bucked and then lurched into an unsteady gait. She whirled, her arms shielding her half-naked torso.
Her handsome captor leaned against the wall with her bundle of clothes dangling from one finger. A wide, wicked grin lit up his face. “A tad informally dressed for an escape, aren’t we?”
Clear, cool, rain-forest-green eyes sparkling with amusement studied her intently. Her breath hitched in her throat. The world stopped, frozen, as she fell into those jade depths. Realization hit. Caught. Again. Half naked. Her body went ice cold. Then heat whipped into her face.
“You could have died during that gutsy stunt,” he drawled.
“Rats.” She wrapped her arms around herself and scowled at him to disguise her apprehension. He’d told her to stay put. Would he punish her for trying to flee? “You locked me in there with giant killer rats.”
His lips twitched. “I didn’t know about the mutant rats. Sorry.” He thrust her clothes at her. “Get dressed.”
She snatched the bundle from him, and Gabe turned to give her some privacy, chuckling to himself. He wouldn’t have missed that for a million bucks. Dressed in purple skivvies, with a halo of chestnut curls rioting over her shoulders, clutching the drainpipe for dear life and humming “Be My Teddy Bear” at the top of her lungs, Kitten should have looked ridiculous.
But she hadn’t. She’d looked sexy as hell. Desire snaked through him, heating his blood. He wanted to run his fingers through her thick, shiny curls. Kiss those luscious pink lips. Cup her generous breasts in his palms—
