Her head and shoulders were clear from the car when he could feel resistance. She was caught on something. Sebastian could feel the strain of the muscles in his biceps as he tried to pull her free. “Can you hear me? Hello? Miss?” He barked. Her eyes fluttered. Black smudges and blood dirtied her face. There was an oozing, rough gash on her forehead. He tried to sit her upright in the backseat. Her head flopped against his shoulder and caught in the crook of his neck. He ran his hands down her legs, trying to find what she was caught on.
Smoke was billowing out of the car. The flames were getting closer. Sebastian could feel the intense heat on his face and the smoke choked his throat. After what seemed like hours, he found her boot was caught under the front seat. He yanked on her leg trying to free her. With a splintering crash, the flames destroyed the windshield. The bulletproof glass that ran the width of the cab was the only thing separating him and the girl from the flames. He knew he was out of time. If he had to break her ankle to free her, then he would. He had no choice.
Once more, he braced his leg against the side of the car. He got a good grip on the meaty part of her calf muscle. Then he gave a rough yank and he thought heard a crunch. The girl opened her eyes and screamed. Sebastian gritted his teeth and pulled again. She screamed again, her body jerking against him. Suddenly Sebastian was back on his ass in the dirt, but this time, the slender girl was lying atop of him. Sebastian rolled over on his side, taking the girl with him. He knew they had to get far away from the car if they had any chance. The girl was crying now, her face pressed against his chest.
“Listen to me,” he said gruffly, his throat was rough from the smoke. “I’m gonna get you out of here, but you gotta help me.” She turned her face up to his and for the first time he really saw her. Big brown eyes. Dark skin. She looked innocent and young. And she looked like she trusted him with her life. She nodded. “Okay, here we go.” Sebastian rolled over and got on one knee. “Try to sit up,” Sebastian said.
She tried to pull herself up, her fingers clutching at the dirt and leaves. Sebastian glanced back at the car. Flames had finally made their way to backseat. The seat where she had been laying seconds before was now engulfed in flames. Involuntarily, he shuddered. They had to get out of there.
“Hold on. I’m going to lift you.” Sebastian leaned forward and she put her arm around his neck. “It’s probably going to hurt,” he said. She nodded. He took a breath and hauled her up. Again she weighed next to nothing, but he could feel the muscles strain in his back. She moaned, the pain getting to her. Her head flopped back as he carried her away from the burning wreck. He was worried she had passed out from the pain. Branches from the underbrush slashed his face and arms as he moved, but he could feel the heat lessening behind him. Finally, they emerged from the underbrush. He dropped to his knees and settled her on the ground. He held her against him, chest to chest, and he grasped her chin. “Come on, Lovely. Wake up.”
***
Toni opened her eyes and the hard reality hit her. The accident was not a bad dream. It was real. Her body hurt all over. Her head throbbed. She blinked. Someone was holding her. The man. The man who saved her held her against his chest. She pushed back and leaned up to look him in the face. It was dark, and she couldn’t see him. She lifted her hand to touch his face. He had risked his life for her. How would she ever be able to thank him?
She tried to talk, but her throat muscles didn’t seem to want to work. She coughed and then gagged. She dry heaved and doubled over. The man rubbed her back. “It’ll be okay, Lovely.” He had a slight accent, maybe Irish?
She shuddered, thankful that she'd barely eaten anything that day. There was nothing for her to vomit up. She coughed again, her throat burning. “I wish I had water for you,” he said softly. “They’re coming to help. They’re coming.” He put a warm hand on the back of her neck and gave it a light squeeze. Tears welled in her eyes. She threw her arms around him and hugged him as hard as she could. Since she couldn’t say thank you, she wanted to show him how grateful she was. Without him, she didn’t want to think what would have happened to her. Without him, she would be dead.
He continued to hold her. Minutes passed like hours. The pain coursed through her body, flaring up like the heat from the car. Her eyelids drooped. Her arms slacked, dropping to the ground. The dance studio seemed so far away. All that seemed to exist was the warmth of the man beside her, the cold ground beneath her, and the pain. Toni was close to unconsciousness. Her neck gave way and her head tilted back. She blinked. She could swear she saw stars in the night sky. She hadn’t seen stars since she moved to the city. She lifted an arm to point. She wanted the man to see the stars as well. Then, a bright light blossomed in the sky. She felt the ground shake beneath her. As the black engulfed her, she caught a quick glimpse of the man’s face, lit by the unearthly light.
He was beautiful.
***
About the Author
Lavender Parker has been reading romance novels since the ripe age of 10. Having grown tired of the predictable and often white-washed mainstream romance novels available, she decided to try her hand at writing the kind of stories she wanted to read. Lavender 's hot heroes and heroines come in all shades and all ethnicities! She recently completed her first novel in the St. James Family series, Kiss of Ice.
Lavender currently lives with her long-term boyfriend and slightly neurotic dog in the colorful New York City borough of Queens. When on break from her day job in reality television, she also likes to write screenplays and produce low-budget films.
Contact Lavender Parker:
[email protected]
Kiss of Ice (St. James Family) Page 25