throat again, feeling relieved when she found a strong, steady one. His
heart was good, his breathing was fine but he hadn’t woken up the way he was supposed
to. Her father had said ten minutes but it had been closer to fifteen and Steel still wasn’t
coming out of it.
“Steel? Wake up, please.”
She hesitated and then straddled his waist as her hands flattened on his chest. His
skin was warm and she noticed again how damn big he was. Her knees barely touched
the mattress with her sitting astride him. She knew her weight wouldn’t hurt him. She
rubbed him, letting her hands glide over his ribs, feeling his muscles even though he was
relaxed under her palms and fingertips. They were easy to feel since he had so many of
them.
“Steel? Damn it, wake up! Please?”
She gasped when the man under her suddenly jerked violently, his eyes flying wide
open as he tried to sit up with her on him. He couldn’t move much, the restraints holding
him spread-eagle the way she’d put him but it still made her feel terror. Was he strong
enough to break the bed or the thin chains that were attached to it? His startled gaze met
hers and in the next second she saw pure rage in his eyes as he jerked against the leather
restraints around his wrists and ankles.
He started to fight, bucking his hips, twisting trying to break free. Rena had to
squeeze her thighs tight against his hips to remain seated on him. She was hoping her
weight would help keep him down.
“Stop it!” She rubbed his chest again. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
He roared in rage, the sound loud in her ears. He didn’t calm. If anything he fought
harder but luckily the restraints held. She heard the wood creak as though it might snap.
She could see his muscles bulging and straining as he tried to pull the bedposts from the
frame. He glared at her, his mouth snapping closed as the angry sound died.
“Just calm down.”
“Calm down?” He snarled the words. “What did you do to me?”
He wasn’t twisting or trying to buck her off anymore. She relaxed, staring into his
fierce eyes. “I don’t want to be given to someone else.”
“So you knocked me out somehow and restrained me to the bed?” He growled at her
just as an animal would, surprising her. “If you think you can ransom me to get off the
ship, they will kill you the second you leave this room or they will come in here to take
you out. Your plan of escape won’t work.”
“I know that plan won’t work,” she admitted. “I’m also not stupid. I’m sure the
Vontage has escape pods but I also know that this ship is first class so it could easily
overtake a pod so leaving in one wouldn’t assure my freedom. I’m too damn far from
21
Kissing Steel – Laurann Dohner
Earth to make it anyway, even if you didn’t chase me down. We’re weeks out and while I
know a pod would eventually get me there I’d be a sitting duck for any pirate who
spotted me in one of those slow-moving things.”
He glared at her.
She took a deep breath trying to calm her frayed nerves. “Maybe this wasn’t such a
good idea but I’m desperate.”
“Release me now and I won’t kill you.” He pulled on the arm restraints but they
held.
“No way in hell am I letting you up until we work some things out.”
He growled at her again, glaring. “When I break free you are going to be sorry.”
“Probably.”
“If you kill me, they will kill you.”
“I’m not going to kill you. If I wanted you dead I wouldn’t have tried to wake you
up. I would have taken you out when you slept. I’m not a killer, damn it.”
“What did you do to me?”
She hesitated. “I’m not telling you that. Listen, Steel. I don’t want to be given to
your engineer. I want to stay with you.”
His eyes narrowed. He was totally irate and it showed. “This is your plan? You think
you can make me promise you under duress?” He paused. “Fine. Let me up and I swear I
will keep
Lynsay Sands, Hannah Howell