Once Upon a Valentine

by Stephanie Bond

  “So far, so good.”

  She only hoped it stayed that way, that they continued to blend. For now, they drew no second glances, no questioning stares. They also saw no one who looked like the hired muscle she’d spotted from the woods last night.

  “Do you think they gave up and left?” she asked as they reached the main square.

  Raine, who’d paused to buy a few pieces of fruit, shook his head. He handed her an apple, murmuring, “Don’t be too obvious, but check out the baker’s shop. Tweedle Dumbass is leaning against the side of it. I’d guess the other two are sleeping.”

  She glanced and saw the man, almost tripping as she realized just how huge—and frightening—he looked. She edged a little closer to Raine, glad he was by her side, no matter how much he’d annoyed her by insisting on it.

  A moment later, when they stopped at another booth to purchase a wedge of cheese, she overheard a conversation that confirmed what Raine had told her.

  “No sign of ’er yet, I ’ear,” said an old woman, who was busily chopping up hunks of meat and lacing them on skewers.

  “You t’ink she’ll come tonight?” asked another. “I could use that re-ward money, that’s for sure!”

  “I ’spect so. Them Hunters seem right sure of themselves.”

  Ashlynn felt the blood drain from her face. Apparently noticing her reaction, Raine slid his arm through hers and casually led her away, as though they had just come for a leisurely market stroll with everyone else from the surrounding farms. Once they were out of earshot, he murmured, “I’d really like to get out of here, so let’s do this.”

  She edged toward the tavern. “Give me five minutes.”

  “You’re the boss.”

  Before she walked away, he put a hand on her arm. His fingers sizzled against her skin. She couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to be touched by him with no barrier between them. No dirt. No map. No danger.

  No clothes.

  All of the above would be her choice. It was madness, perhaps, but Ashlynn wanted that to happen. The attraction was undeniable. The danger and excitement of what they were doing had only built the desperate need inside her. And once this was over, once he was no longer sticking around because he’d been paid to watch her, she hoped she’d have a chance to do something about it.

  “Be careful,” he urged.

  Ashlynn nodded once, then walked toward the tavern. Squaring her shoulders, she stepped into the shadowy interior, pausing inside to allow her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. The place looked just as she remembered: same dust-covered pictures on the walls, same dirty floor, same bored-looking serving girl.

  It will be okay. As they would say on Earth, easy-peasy.

  Then she glanced toward the rear corner—her table—and felt her stomach roll. Because, not only was it occupied, the two men sitting at it were familiar. One of them was the Hunter from last night. The other, well, she’d call him Tweedle Destroyer…a bookend to the thug patrolling outside.

  Ashlynn’s feet turned into lead. She remained near the doorway, panic hitting her hard. But she shoved it away, thinking about what she must look like to them—just another farm wife come to market. Not Ashlynn Scott, premier historian and curator for the Grand Elatyria Museum.

  One of them glanced over. Her pulse raced as she wondered if her disguise would hold up. Fortunately, his piercing gaze didn’t linger. After a quick sum-up, he looked away. She took a moment to breathe deeply, then slipped back out the door.

  Raine was right outside. “What’s wrong?”

  “They’re both in there.”

  “Hell.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her around the side of the building. “Okay, that’s it, we can’t do this.”

  “You don’t understand, I have to.”

  Maybe if the thugs hadn’t been sitting right there, at a table directly over the stone where she’d hidden the map, she’d think about leaving and waiting for things to cool off. But how could she? For all she knew, they may already have found the oilskin-wrapped package. Maybe they had the two quarters in their possession and were waiting for her to come back with the third. They could know the exact spot she needed to check, might be guarding that spot like two cats hovering over a piece of cheese left to tempt a mouse.

  Still, this mouse couldn’t leave. Not without knowing if all was lost. “If we could just draw them out for a few minutes…”

  He frowned, raking a hand through his hair, which even the dirt couldn’t make less attractive. “Minutes? You’re sure?”

  She saw by his expression that he had an idea. “If you get them to leave, I could be in and out in under two minutes.”

  He muttered something under his breath, then said, “All right, you win.”

  “What are you going to…”

  “Never mind. Just stay here. After you see them come running out, you wait thirty seconds, make sure they’re totally out of sight, then hurry in.”

  He turned to leave.

  “Raine,” she said, grabbing his arm, “thank you.”

  A crooked smile appeared on his handsome, dirty face. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for a challenge. I just hope this is worth it.”

  4

  THERE WAS NO WAY IN HELL this was going to be worth it.

  In fact, as Raine entered the tavern and saw the two scarred men seated in the back corner, he questioned not only the plan, but also his own sanity. Fighting back when you had no choice was one thing. Leaping into the snake pit and saying “Bite me” was quite another.

  He swallowed down the urge to turn around. Trying not to be obvious, he studied the layout of the place, checked the escape routes—one behind him, a window on the opposite side—and gauged his chances of making it out of here without a broken limb.

  He’d give himself one in five. Not bad odds…but they would only be met if he pulled this off without a single hitch.

  Walking slowly, like a weary, timid farmer, he skirted the scarred, empty tables. He studied the men as he approached, getting a more complete picture than he had last evening.

  One of them looked terrifying, the other merely frightening. Both bore scars that told tales of previous battles. The Hunter he’d seen last night wore a knife on his hip, another one strapped to his arm. Too bad he was the merely frightening one.

  If this were a Disney movie, the two of them would start singing a showstopper about how they were really nice guys, just misunderstood. But this sure ain’t a Disney movie.

  “Hey, handsome, want a pint?” the serving girl asked.

  It took Raine a second to realize she was speaking to him. Given his costume, he’d have figured only a blind person would call him handsome. Of course, next to the only other patrons in the place, he probably looked like George Clooney. But they all probably smelled like Porky Pig.

  “Not yet,” he said.

  She simpered and flounced away, heading behind the bar. Good. Nobody close enough to get hurt if furniture started flying. Well, other than him, of course.

  Historian, this better be worth it.

  Finally, he reached the giants’ table. They didn’t notice him at first. They were too busy discussing a large sheet of parchment on the table. It was yellowed, jagged and looked like a map.

  Raine liked maps. Especially ones that led to interesting objects. So he couldn’t resist peering over the whole thing.

  “Want your nosy nose cut off?” one of the men growled.

  Trying to remember to be meek and subservient, he snatched the dirty cap off his head. “Begging your pardon,” he said. “Are you the ones offerin’ the reward?”

  The smaller of the giganatrons shot up. “You saw the bitch?”

  What Raine saw was red, but still managed to stay cool. If he punched the walking wall, he’d have to fight them both. While that might be satisfying, if he survived it, he probably wouldn’t be in much condition to protect Ashlynn from goon number three.

  “I think I saw ’er down by the livery stable.”r />
  The other man rose, too. “Alone?”

  “Aye.”

  The men exchanged a glance.

  “My reward?” he asked, trying to sound needy.

  “Wait here. If it’s her, you’ll get what’s coming to ya.”

  Raine had seen enough movies to know that was never a good line to hear. If he really were here turning in some poor woman, he’d be booking it the minute these two turned their backs.

  Oh, wait. He was going to be booking it the minute these two turned their backs.

  They turned their backs. “Don’t go anywhere,” one said.

  He watched as one man scooped up the map and shoved it into his pocket and the other unsheathed his knife. After they left, Raine counted to thirty, hoping Ashlynn would do as he’d told her—wait until they were out of sight before moving.

  She came in when he hit thirty-one. Heading for the door, he walked past her, muttering, “I’ll be outside. If I see them coming back, I’ll signal, and you get out of here.”

  “Understood.”

  He walked outside and began scanning for the enemy. His thudding heartbeat counted off every second. Each thud provided another moment for her pursuers to return. But true to her word, Ashlynn was back out in a minute.

  She flashed a smile, patting her bag as if it contained her long-lost kidney. Whatever she’d come for must now be safely tucked inside it with her other treasures. “Let’s go.”

  He grabbed her hand and headed down the street. Having sent two of the guards in the opposite direction, he only prayed they’d gotten the third one. Especially because they had to pass right by the corner where they’d last seen him.

  “How’d you get them to leave?” she asked.

  “Sold you out.”

  She chuckled. “Did they pay you?”

  “Nah. They were too busy racing after you. I thought they were going to leave without their weapons or their treasure map.”

  Ashlynn suddenly stopped in the middle of the marketplace. A man carrying a goat, who’d been walking behind her, almost ran into her, and his goat tried to nibble on Ashlynn’s dirty hair.

  “Watch it, wench!”

  Ashlynn ignored that guy calling her a wench, and stared up at Raine, whispering, “Treasure map?”

  “Yeah.” Taking her arm, he added, “Can we talk about this after we get away from the bad guys who’ve put a price on your head?”

  She nodded, but even through the dirt, he could see the color had left her cheeks. Ashlynn remained quiet as they hurried through town, then broke across the wide field toward the forest.

  Though he knew he shouldn’t let it, his curiosity got the better of him. Halfway across the field, Raine risked a look back. Seeing all three of the thugs huddled together in the middle of the town square put an extra bit of spring in his step.

  “God, please don’t let them look this way,” he muttered.

  Luckily for them, the men didn’t. A few more strides and they reached the woods. Another few and the trees swallowed them up. “Whew,” he said. “We did it.”

  She smiled a bright, happy smile that stopped his heart for a second. But they weren’t in the clear yet. They kept walking, needing to get as far away from the village as they could before the Hunters began looking for the farmer who’d given them the bad tip. Each step brought them closer to safety and, after an hour, he finally began to relax.

  Eventually, even the need to gain some distance couldn’t prevent him from tugging at the ugly, filthy clothes he was wearing. He took off the cap and swung it away like a Frisbee, then the shirt, dropping it between one stride and the next.

  “Wait,” she said, stopping. She unfastened the belt, letting his bundled clothes fall to the ground.

  Raine grabbed his own shirt out of the pile while she shimmied out of the dress. He’d held his breath until he saw she’d worn her own clothes underneath. Smart—he wished he’d done the same thing so he could have had something between his skin and that shirt.

  “I might have to burn these. The smell’s never going to come out,” she admitted, gazing down ruefully at her clothes, then at her sacred satchel. “Fortunately, I have spare clothes to wear.”

  The magical mystery bag obviously had lots of pockets.

  Saying nothing, Ashlynn kicked off the ugly clogs. Then she pulled her blouse free of her waistband and pushed the skirt down off her hips to the ground, revealing those amazing legs. Her blouse was long enough to cover her bottom…but she quickly took care of that problem, pulling it up and taking it off, too.

  Whoa. And whoa. And whoa.

  She wore what would probably be considered modest underwear—no Victoria’s Secret stuff here, more like Wal-Mart three-pack specials. But oh, God, did she wear it well. The plain, cotton boy’s-shorts-type panties were obscenely sexy, hugging her hips and making a thing of art out of her ass. And the simple white bra covered everything it was supposed to, yet still revealed the most luscious curves he’d ever seen in his life.

  She was perfect, every inch of her, from top to bottom. And even though her face and arms were dirty and her hair a tangled mess, he wanted her with a hunger that bordered on desperation. Adventure, danger, excitement—they always revved his engines. Having shared the adventure with her, a woman unlike any he’d ever known, just upped the ante. And now, the sight of her perfect, nearly naked body had slammed the pedal down and gotten his every juice flowing.

  “Raine?”

  He stared into her face, helpless to hide what he’d been thinking. And saw an answering gleam that told him he wasn’t alone in this. She felt it, too. Maybe she, too, had been feeling it for a long time.

  This wasn’t the time, or the place. But something in him refused to keep walking without giving in to it, just a little.

  Without a word, he opened the flask at his hip, poured some water onto his shirt, then approached her. She said nothing, just lifted her face to him as he used the wet fabric to wipe away the grime. Gradually, he uncovered the beautiful features below—those high cheeks, delicately curved brows, that succulent mouth.

  His touch lingered, the brush of her soft skin against his fingers as sensual as anything he’d ever felt.

  That unblinking stare as she watched him revealed what she was feeling. So did the soft stroke of her hand against his bare stomach. He didn’t even know if she was aware of it, but she’d reached out to touch him as he washed her face. Her hand glided across his abs with a lightness that drove him slightly mad.

  He slowly lowered his hand. She took the flask and the shirt. Wetting another spot, she reached up to repay the favor. Or just draw out the erotic tension. He couldn’t be sure which.

  She washed him as deliberately as he’d washed her. Each touch sent the tension up, especially when she brushed a wet fingertip across his lips. Raine couldn’t recall whether there had been any dirt there, but frankly, he didn’t care.

  He groaned, nipping lightly at her finger.

  “Raine?”

  One word. Just his name, and a question at that. But he understood.

  He bent to her and brushed his lips against hers. A breath, then their mouths came together, warm and sultry, lips parting, tongues tangling. Maybe it was because of the sense of adventure or the beautiful morning or just the incredible attraction they’d been feeling since day one—his day one being much longer ago than hers—but the kiss was perfect. Hot and hungry, new and exciting.

  He dropped his hands to Ashlynn’s hips and tugged her close, loving that soft skin. He needed to feel her nearly naked body pressed against him like he needed sunshine and adventure and the very air in his lungs. Unable to stop himself, he slid his hands down, beneath the seam of her panties, tracing a path on the perfect curves of her ass, tugging her up a little higher so she could better fit the hard angles of his body.

  She gasped against his lips, obviously feeling his rock-hard cock pressing against her thighs, and the temperature went up a hundred degrees. The slow build went into warp
drive, the intensity ratcheting up as if they’d been building up to this with an hour’s worth of kisses.

  Her arms snaked around his neck and she tugged him even closer, tilting her head, thrusting her tongue ever deeper into his mouth. As if unable to help herself, she raised a leg, wrapping it around his and angling more intimately against his groin. Raine lifted her by the waist, groaning in satisfaction as she wrapped both legs around his hips, letting him hold her.

  The kiss deepened, and the hunger mounted. He knew it was crazy, knew they weren’t far enough from the village—two days’ walk probably wouldn’t be far enough. But he couldn’t stop, and she didn’t seem inclined to make him.

  “Please,” she groaned.

  “You’re sure?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  Hearing the feminine certainty in her voice, he gave up any thoughts of resisting. All his doubts evaporated, his control snapped. He backed her up against the nearest tree, bracing her so he could free one hand.

  There was lots he wanted to do with that hand. He started by tugging one bra strap down, freeing her breast to the morning air and his covetous attention. Beautiful. He plumped it, stroked her hard little nipple, watched her shiver in delight as he played her body like an instrument.

  Knowing he’d get back to this point when they had more time, he reached down, tearing her panties away with one hard jerk. Ashlynn moaned, tangling her fingers in his hair, rubbing herself against him as if desperate for his most intimate touch. Even through his jeans he could feel the heat of her; she was so wet he could smell the intoxicating sweetness of her arousal.

  Raine wanted to do so much, so damn much. He longed to taste her breasts, suckle her until she cried, but the intensity of it was killing him. Mostly, he just wanted to give her what she most seemed to want—a wild, frenzied coupling up against a tree.

  He plunged his tongue in her mouth, even as he slid his hand between her legs and tested the wetness there.

  Drenched. Ready. Hot. Oh, God, yes.

  “Please,” she whimpered, pressing against his hand, wanting more. He didn’t hesitate, plunging a finger into her tight channel, and was rewarded with a cry of delight. He found her clit with his thumb, toying with it even as he gave her another finger and stroked hard, fast, deep.