When Danger Follows: An Effortless Seduction
After a minute or two of riding in silence, Kiel’s gaze returned to her face. Even with a smudge or two of dirt, it was angelic. Long eyelashes shaded high cheekbones. Her skin was pale, too pale. Almost ghostly, her complexion hadn’t been that white when he’d first turned her over. Kiel’s eyes moved to her chest. He noticed the slight rise and fall, and just a hint of cleavage above the square neckline of her dress.
Feeling like a letch for noticing, he turned his gaze back to her face. Her red lips stood out against her pallor. Slightly parted, they looked soft to the touch. As he thought about brushing her lower lip with his thumb, he could feel himself physically reacting. One thought after another flooded his mind until he forced himself to look away. He needed to find a place for them to rest for the night, so he could get Alayna off of his lap and out of his head. He needed to put some distance between them.
Alayna’s sharply inhaled breath got Kiel’s attention again. She hadn’t opened her eyes, but she definitely wasn’t sleeping. Her sweet face twisted in pain. Kiel didn’t like it.
“Stop that!” He realized how ridiculous his harsh command was, but he didn’t like seeing her in pain. He excused his sympathy for the sweet-faced liar as being due to his guilt for feeling partially to blame for her current aches.
Alayna’s eyes flew open, but she wasn’t upset by Kiel’s outburst. On the contrary, after the initial shock of being yelled at, she gave him a dazzling smile. He could feel the corners of his mouth responding in kind. She really was striking.
“I am acting like a proper girl, aren’t I?” She laughed softly, amused at being called out.
“Aye,” Kiel said, wishing he could stop smiling. “You are a girl,” he pointed out.
“Nay.” She sounded breathless. “I am a woman.”
Kiel was holding his breath, though he didn’t notice. He wasn’t noticing anything other than the deep shade of green Alayna’s eyes had turned. She wasn’t turning her gaze either. Kiel wondered if she might be trying to seduce him. It could be part of the plan as well, but knowing that didn’t help him tear his gaze away, or stop the seduction from working.
