Love Captive

by Jacqueline Hope

  "Don't blame me for the fact that we're not in Palencia yet," she reminded him. "It wasn't my idea to go off for a three-day holiday, it was yours."

  "Admittedly," Carlos replied even more icily, "but now I must return as quickly as possible. Father's growing more upset by the hour and I'm also needed at my office. It was foolish of me to have taken that time off and now I must pay for it. Good night, Anne."

  "Good night, Carlos."

  They parted in the hall outside Anne's room. As Anne watched Carlos stride off toward his own room, her eyes misted over and smarted. How could Carlos dismiss the marvelous days they'd had in St. Tropez so easily? He sounded now as though he regretted them, as though he would wish them out of existence if he could. Anne felt suddenly lonely and isolated in a way she'd never felt before. After she went into her room, she lost control and burst into tears. Throwing herself across her bed, she wept, the first time she'd given in to sobs since this whole miserable mess had begun. How could Carlos push out of his mind and heart all memory of their golden days together? Obviously only she had enjoyed them; they could not have meant anything at all to him.

  In time her sobs ceased and she drifted off to sleep, physically and emotionally exhausted.

  When she woke in the morning, she steeled herself not to be hurt by Carlos again. She'd known almost from the moment they met that underneath his handsome, charming facade lived a man who was absolutely ruthless. She had foolishly allowed him to get by her defenses for a time, but not again. Never again would she forget that Carlos, for all his apparent charm, felt nothing for her. There was ample evidence to prove that the man had no heart.

  As it turned out, both she and Carlos had awakened shortly after dawn, and after a quick breakfast they were again on their way. The weather was clear, warm, and beautiful, and much of the scenery they passed was truly spectacular. Nevertheless Anne couldn't seem to relax enough to enjoy their travels. Carlos drove silently hour after hour, eyes staring straight ahead, and every time Anne allowed herself to glance around at him, she felt a fresh wave of anger and pain. She did her best to keep her eyes fixed on the landscape outside her window, and tried desperately to forget that Carlos Philip Maximilian Alvarado-Castellon even existed.

  Shortly before noon that day Carlos suddenly swerved the car off the road and stopped. For the first time in hours he addressed her.

  "Anne, look up ahead, to the left. I've taken us some distance out of our way, but I couldn't bear to come this close and not let you see Carcassonne, which to me is one of the most fascinating sights not only in France but in all of Europe. Do you not think so?"

  With her pulse now racing, Anne squinted her eyes to stare at the walled and towered city ahead, which rose against a background of snowcapped mountain peaks.

  "Carcassonne is probably the finest example of a medieval walled city in the world," Carlos told her. "The city itself is said to date back some twenty centuries—can you imagine that, back to the time of Christ?—though the fortifications were built much later, between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. As pressed as we are for time, I'd like to stop here just long enough for you to have a closer look. Maybe we can take a quick tour around the ramparts of the outer wall and catch a bite to eat in the walled town, 'La Cite.' We've made such very good time we can afford to waste an hour or two, don't you think?"

  Pulse pounding even harder, Anne glanced around to look directly at Carlos, the first time she had faced him all morning. "It's hard for me to agree or disagree," she said, as calmly as possible, "when I haven't the least idea where we are."

  "Then I will have to rectify that situation," Carlos said and smiled. "Carcassonne is in the southernmost area of France, nestling, as you can see, at the base of the Pyrenees. My idea was this, if it's agreeable to you. We'll explore the town for an hour or so, we'll stop for something to eat, then we'll be on our way again. There are several very passable roads over the mountains, and we can head south to pick one up as soon as we leave Carcassonne."

  "If we do that, how soon will we arrive in Palencia?"

  Carlos smiled. "Whether or not we throw away an hour or two now, we should reach my home by late afternoon tomorrow."

  Anne's eyes held his a moment longer, then she lowered her gaze and shrugged slightly. "All right, then. Why not?"

  "Good enough." Carlos started the car motor up again and swung the little car back onto the road.

  They took the tour of the outer ramparts that Carlos had suggested, strolled through the "lists"— the space between the outer and inner walk— walked through the museum in the Counts' Castle, built in the twelfth century, and spent a brief time going through the Basilica St. Nazaire, gazing with awe at the lovely stained-glass windows built in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. After enjoying lunch at a small cafe in the Lower Town near the Musée des Beaux Arts, they agreed it was time to be once again on their way.

  They had talked very little during their sightseeing through Carcassonne, but Anne had sensed that Carlos felt friendlier toward her again. This not only confused her, it also made her angry, and as Carlos sped them on their way she resolved with even greater determination not to let down her guard.

  The little car sped smoothly forward. Carlos drove without speaking, his eyes fixed steadily on the road ahead, and again Anne grew drowsy, closed her eyes, and in time fell asleep.

  She was awakened suddenly when the car jolted to a stop and Carlos cried out something in Spanish, words that sounded both startled and angry. She jerked upright, saw that it was dark outside, and glanced quickly around at Carlos.

  "Carlos, what is it? Why have we stopped?"

  "I don't know. I'll have to check." Carlos reached around to the back, grabbed up a flashlight and jacket, and pulled the jacket on before climbing out. He threw up the car hood and his head disappeared under it. Anne sat huddled forward, staring out, aware suddenly that she felt chilled. She rolled down her car window and peered out. The air slapping against her face was clear and cold, and she could see there was snow on the ground just beyond the paved road they were on. She hastily rolled her car window back up, then on impulse climbed out and walked around to stand alongside Carlos.

  "Carlos, can I help? Do you know yet what the problem is?"

  "Not yet." Carlos glanced around at her, and in the light of the flashlight he held, Anne could see the sudden sparks that flashed in his angry, dark eyes. "But, for heaven's sake, get back in the car. Do you want to freeze? You're not even wearing a coat!"

  Yes, master! Anne thought hotly, cheeks flushing with humiliation, but she quickly did as he'd ordered and had to admit to herself that of course he was right.

  Headlights came up on the highway behind them and Anne swiveled around on the seat to watch. As the car approached, traveling at a high speed, she suddenly knew it would crash into them. A much larger car, it would squash them flat or smack them out of the way as a man would a bug. Tensing in fright, Anne watched in growing panic as the headlights got larger and larger, all but blinding her. But instead of running into them, at the very last minute the car swerved to the side and went roaring past. Though Carlos stood alongside their car waving for the driver to stop, his signal was ignored and the car sped by.

  Carlos walked to the driver's door and yanked it open. "Anne, move over behind the wheel," he directed her. "Steer the car while I push it off the road. We're not safe here."

  Anne did as he'd asked, hands nervously clasping the wheel. Fortunately the vehicle was small and light enough for one man to move, and soon the little car dipped down into a narrow gully to the side of the road and lurched forward onto some icy ground. Carlos came running up alongside, opened the door and said, breathing fast, "Very good, Anne. The motor has thrown a rod, I'm almost sure, which I have no way to fix, but I'm going to try to stop a car and get us a ride. Bundle up as best you can. Hopefully I won't be long."

  A few minutes later another car came speeding by, and about a half hour after that a second. Then the
re was a long wait before they saw the lights of another car approach and disappear. Although Carlos stood in the middle of the road and waved his flashlight, none of the drivers stopped to help them. Twice he had to make a quick leap aside or he would have been struck. In fear that he would be injured if he didn't give up, Anne rolled down the car window and yelled at him, trying to catch his attention.

  When Carlos didn't respond, she climbed out at last in annoyance. Slipping over the icy ground, she made her way over the gully and onto the paved road. Gleaming headlights flashed into view just as she stepped up to Carlos. Waving her arms back and forth, she tried desperately to attract the driver's attention.

  "Anne, what the devil—?" Carlos exclaimed, obviously annoyed to see her there.

  Ignoring him, Anne continued to signal frantically to the oncoming car. The car swerved to the side, and passed Carlos and herself without even slowing down.

  "Anne, go back to the car," Carlos ordered imperiously. "This is no place for a woman to be."

  "And no place for a man either!" Anne snapped irritably. "Can't you see you're just wasting your time? No one's going to stop for you. Now come on back to the car before you freeze to death!"

  "Here's another car coming now," Carlos responded. "This one will stop for us, I feel it in my heart."

  The car raced toward them, swung to the side to avoid them, and roared powerfully on. In spite of herself, Anne burst out laughing.

  "In your heart, you said?" she mocked Carlos. "You knew in your heart that car would stop?"

  Another car raced past them while they stood in the center of the road ordering each other back to the car. Finally Anne gave up, muttering that if Carlos insisted upon killing himself, all right, so be it. She trudged back to the car alone, and huddled on the front seat trying to warm herself up. Still Carlos stubbornly stayed on the road, frantically flashing his light at the pitifully infrequent cars that passed. Another hour had gone by before he at last gave up and stalked back to the car.

  Throwing himself onto the seat, he sighed. "The worst part is I can't even blame those people," he muttered to Anne. "There have been so many cases of robbery, car theft, even murder up on these mountain roads that no driver in his right mind would stop to help anyone. Being a Good Samaritan may be good for the soul but it's highly dangerous to the body, up on these isolated roads, at least. The fact is," he admitted, swinging to face Anne, his black eyes shadowed, "as often as I've traveled this road, I've never once stopped myself for anyone signaling me. I always figure it's a setup, someone out to rob me and take my car. So how can I hold it against anyone else for thinking the same thing and not risking life and limb?"

  "I guess we'll have to forget about rescue and just adjust to the idea of spending the night here," she suggested. "Surely we'll be all right. Then in the morning—well, maybe in the morning someone will stop."

  "Let's hope so." Carlos reached over to touch Anne's shoulder, smiling. "And thanks for being such a good sport, Anne. I really appreciate it. Be right back."

  Again Carlos climbed out of the car. He walked to the rear, opened the trunk, and hauled out their two cases. He tossed them into the back of the car, then climbed in once again behind the wheel.

  "It's going to get cold—really cold—so I suggest we put on all the clothes we can, then use what's left to cover ourselves. That way, maybe we'll keep from freezing to death."

  "Good idea."

  In a friendly, companionable silence they opened their cases and began pulling on additional clothing. Anne grinned as they both began to gain more and more bulk. Carlos grinned in response, and before long, for no particular reason, they both burst out laughing. As their laughter died away, Carlos drew Anne to him and kissed her, his sensuous mouth pressing warmly on hers.

  "Anne, you're a truly wonderful girl," he whispered into her ear, then he kissed her ear, her forehead, her cheek, and again her mouth. Never before had he kissed her so gently, with so much tenderness, and in spite of herself Anne felt her body responding, wanting his kiss, the warmth of his arms around her, the fast, hard beating of his heart that she could feel even through all the layers of clothing they wore.

  "Oh, Anne, my beautiful, beautiful Anne," Carlos whispered, his breath coming fast, "I want you, Anne. Ever since the first night we met, I've wanted you. And I know you want me too. Don't try to deny it."

  Before Anne could answer, could even decide how she wanted to answer, Carlos's mouth again claimed hers. He lifted her awkwardly and slid across the seat under her, so that she sat on his lap away from the steering wheel. As he continued to kiss her, one of his hands went to her throat, then slipped in under the sweater and jacket she wore. Anne felt instantly startled by the warm touch of his fingers. He forced his hand farther down inside her clothing, warm and seeking against her flesh, and Anne felt her own breath coming hard, coming fast. Carlos's arm around her shifted a bit, then again his mouth hungrily sought hers. His exploring hand pushed on, on, and then reached its goal, cupping tightly over her breast.

  "Anne, you're so lovely, so warm and lovely," Carlos whispered hoarsely into her ear. "I've tried to ignore the attraction between us, but it is impossible. Oh, Anne, I want you, I want you so much!"

  His mouth once again sought hers, passionately pressing it into softness, into openness. His hand drew away from her breast, eased out, pulled her clothing carefully together again, then lowered onto her thigh. His fingers pressed against her outer thigh, through the layers of clothing, molding her slight feminine form to his hard masculine one. His touch seemed to light a fire in her, bringing great warmth, generating an inner, tumultuous warmth that soon had Anne breathing as hard as Carlos, responding to his drugging kisses with all the passion in her, all the mindless passion never before awakened.

  "Oh, Carlos," Anne moaned between kisses, and her mind screamed, along with her body, Oh, darling, don't stop, kiss me, kiss me, love me, and don't ever stop!

  How long they kissed and caressed each other, pressing frantically together in their passion, feeling each other's loving response even through all the bulky clothing they wore, Anne could never afterward estimate. An hour perhaps, or a longer time or a briefer time, who could know? There are moments when time stops, other moments when it stretches out into eternity. All Anne knew for certain later was that they kissed, and Carlos tenderly but passionately caressed her, until time stood still and the universe exploded and the only reality was love. And at last, at last, secure in the arms of love, warmed by the memory of love, the reality of love, she fell asleep, safely cradled in Carlos's arms.

  Chapter Nine

  Anne woke in the morning feeling stiff and a bit sore but not overly cold. As she glanced around, straightening up, she saw that she was alone in the car. She climbed out, yawning and stretching, and spotted Carlos already up on the highway, signaling frantically to an oncoming car. The car swerved to the side to avoid hitting Carlos, but then about a hundred yards farther on the driver slowed up and stopped.

  He rolled down his window and yelled something at Carlos, in Spanish. Carlos called back, and the two engaged in an animated exchange, not a word of which Anne could understand. But Carlos's voice sounded pleased and relieved as he shouted, "Muchas gracias, seňor," and he smiled broadly as he waved good-bye to the man.

  He ran off the highway and went slipping and sliding down the little gully, his handsome face glowing with light in the clear, cold, early morning air. He came to a stop on the other side of their little car, grinning across at Anne, black eyes flashing with a million stars.

  "Buenos dias, mi amiga. I do hope you slept passably well. Certainly you are looking exceedingly pretty this morning, if I may say so."

  Anne felt a wave of tension, of annoyance, run through her as she narrowed her eyes and stared across at Carlos. His thick, gleaming black hair had a somewhat tousled look and there was a pleased, knowing smile on his well-formed lips. She had never seen him look more handsome, nor had she ever seen him in what appear
ed to be such high spirits. Somehow, seeing him like this caused her pain and she instinctively steeled herself against it.

  "I slept well enough, thank you," she murmured, her cheeks flushing warmly at the memory of the passionate kisses and tender embraces they had indulged in before falling asleep. "You too, I hope. But what were you and that man saying to each other just now?"

  "Oh, that," Carlos responded lightly and laughed. "He agreed to send a tow truck back for us, so we shouldn't be stuck up here for more than an hour or two longer, I hope. With luck we may still make it to my home by tonight, and if not, by tomorrow morning."

  Carlos paused for a moment, glancing across at her with dancing black eyes.

  "But happily enough, dear Anne, I no longer feel as much pressure as I did before. If we don't make it home until tomorrow or even the day after, so be it. Que sera sera. I had a wonderful dream last night and somehow it still seems so real I no longer worry. Shall I tell you about my dream, or are you Americans far too practical to care about such things?" He grinned teasingly at her, standing on the far side of the little car.

  Anne tensed even more painfully. It was almost more than she could endure to continue looking straight across into Carlos's supremely handsome face. I had a dream last night too, she thought, the words coming unbidden to her mind; I dreamed you held me close and kissed me and—

  But his dream wouldn't be the same. She knew it wouldn't. She knew hearing it would hurt. She quickly erected as much defense as she could muster and responded casually, "Of course I'd like to hear about your dream if you care to tell me. If not, no matter." She glanced away as casually as possible, with an offhand little shrug.

  Carlos burst out laughing. He walked around to her, grabbing hold of her by the arms. His eyes gazed insistently, piercingly down into hers.