Metsy Hingle - The Kidnapped Bride

A bead of perspiration trickled between her breasts. Her heart pumped furiously as she hurried to place first one leg and then the other through the window’s small opening. Taking another deep breath, she leapt to the ground, stumbled and landed on her bottom.

She’d made it. She was free, Lorelei thought as she scrambled to stand up.

“Going somewhere?” Jack asked as he stepped out of the shadows to stand in front of her.

Three

Lorelei swatted his hand away and pushed herself up to her feet. She glared at him while dusting off the seat of her jean shorts. “How did you know?”

“I saw the window, too. It wasn’t hard to figure out that you’d try to make a run for it.” He paused. “And since you don’t have any money or credit cards on you, just what were you planning to do? Walk down the mountain?”

“If I had to,” she said, her voice defiant. “I was hoping to hitch a ride.”

His amusement fizzled at her reply. Fury at her recklessness exploded inside him. Before he could stop himself, Jack grabbed her by the arms, wanting to shake her. “You little idiot. Don’t you know how dangerous that would have been? Do you have any idea what position you could have found yourself in? What if you’d gotten hurt or even gotten yourself lost trying to find your way down the mountain? And what’s to stop some crazy from offering you a ride and then doing God knows what to you?”

Just the thought of something happening to her made Jack ill. He pulled her stiff body into his arms. “I want you to promise me you won’t try something stupid like this again.”

At her silence, Jack set her at arm’s length. “I mean it, Lorelei. I want your promise that you won’t try to run away again.”

“I’m not promising you anything,” she told him. “Because the minute I get another chance, I’m going to take it and go back to Mesa.”

Disappointed in her response, Jack sighed as he stared into her eyes, caught that glint of steel beneath the warmth. Lord, but the woman was stubborn. Much more stubborn than she’d been ten years ago. But somehow he’d get through that stubborn streak of hers. Somehow he’d prove to her that the old Lorelei was still very much alive and that she belonged with him.

He simply had to, Jack told himself. Because without her, the life that stretched out before him seemed very empty. “Then I guess I’ll have to see that you don’t get another chance.” Putting an arm around her stiff shoulders, he led her around front to where he’d parked the Explorer.

“Where are we going?” she asked when he opened the door and motioned for her to get inside. “I thought we were going to eat dinner?”

“I assumed you weren’t hungry when you did your vanishing act back there. Or hadn’t you thought that far ahead?”

“I’m starving and you know it. I’m not going anywhere until I get something to eat.”

He almost laughed out loud at the petulant look on her face. He kissed her forehead instead and earned himself another scowl. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I intend to feed you. But you’ll have to wait about twenty minutes.”

“Why?” she demanded, narrowing her eyes.

“Because I don’t like driving on these roads at night, and we didn’t get nearly as far up in the mountains today as I’d planned. Too bad you didn’t decide on a morning wedding.”

“Believe me, if I had known about your plans, I would have scheduled a night wedding,” she replied sassily.

“I don’t doubt that for a minute. Now get in the truck, or I’ll put you in it myself. Come to think of it,” Jack said, dropping his voice as he rubbed his jaw and allowed his gaze to sweep over her, “maybe that’s not such a bad idea.”

Lorelei scrambled into her seat. “Where are we going?”

“Not far. We’ll be spending the night in a little cabin about ten miles from here. I’m hoping to make it there before full darkness sets in.”

“When did you rent a cabin?”

“I didn’t. It belongs to Isabel and Alberto. They use it as a little hideaway when they want to get away from the business and town. They’ve offered us the use of it for our wedding night.”

“This is not our wedding night. You and I are not married.”

“I’ll be happy to remedy that situation anytime you give me the word.”

“Don’t hold your breath.”

Letting her rebuff bounce off of him, Jack reached for her seat belt. “Need some help buckling up?” He started to pull it across her breasts.

Lorelei snatched the strap from his hand and did the honors herself. “What about my suitcase? And my wedding gown? I left them in the bathroom.”

“I know.” Jack shut the truck’s door and went around to the other side. He climbed into the driver’s seat and strapped on his seat belt.

“That dress was very expensive and I want it.”

“What for?”

“Because I intend to use it again—when I get back to Mesa and marry Herbert.”

Gritting his teeth, Jack turned to her. “If you wear that dress again,” he began, calmly measuring his words despite the jealousy clawing at him, “it won’t be to marry Herbert.”

“Jack, I want my dress and suitcase.”

He started the engine. “They’re already in the truck I had Isabel and Alberto’s son store them in the back, along with our dinner.” He put the Explorer into reverse and sent the tires spinning up a cloud of dust.

For a moment she remained silent, seeming to mull over his comment. “What did you tell them? Isabel and Alberto, I mean. How did you explain my not coming back into the restaurant to eat dinner?”

“I already told you that they think you’re a bit of a jokester. As far as they’re concerned, your sneaking out the window was just another one of your pranks.” Jack slanted her a glance as he shifted the truck into gear. “Besides, I told them you weren’t interested in eating. You were much more anxious to get to the wedding night.”

Lorelei’s face turned a pretty shade of pink, just as he knew it would. “How could you?”

“Easy,” he said, smiling at her horrified expression. “After helping you out of that wedding dress, I just went with the way I was feeling. They seemed to understand.”

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