Free Historical Romance Boxed Set by Brenda Novak Page B

covered it as the other.
    “What’s wrong?” Nathaniel’s eyes seemed to measure Alexandra carefully. “Are you going to give me a massage, or do you share our father’s distaste for my deformity?”
    Alexandra glanced away, embarrassed to have been caught gaping at him. “I was just wondering how I was going to get you off the bed should you fall asleep on it,” she lied.
    “You wouldn’t get me off. You’d run away. That’s why I won’t fall asleep.”
    Alexandra smiled in spite of herself. He thought he had guessed her plan. Perhaps she could surprise him.
    Climbing onto the bed, she positioned herself on her knees for maximum strength, then began to smooth out the corded muscles in Nathaniel’s back and neck. An occasional sigh told her she was successful in her desire to relax him, and to her surprise, she soon found herself enjoying her work. Nathaniel’s physical attributes were exceptional, from his thick black hair to his cleft chin. And there was something sensual about the way he smelled—all dust and sweat, leather and horses.
    As Alexandra’s hands glided over his warm skin, she wondered about the vendetta between Nathaniel and the Duke of Greystone. Why did Nathaniel hate his father so badly? Why would he risk a hangman’s noose to capture his sister? And what would he do when he finally learned that she was not Lady Anne?
    Alexandra dismissed the last question as irrelevant. She wouldn’t be around to find out. She’d be well on her way to London and to the safety of her aunt.
    Nathaniel’s eyes closed, and Alexandra felt the tension leave his body. She doubted he was asleep, but she only needed to dull his reaction by a fraction of a second. Keeping one hand working the muscles on each side of his spine, she reached back for the stiletto he kept in his right boot.
    Groaning softly when her fingers touched a particularly tender spot, Nathaniel shifted as if to make himself more comfortable. Alexandra almost had the knife. Gently lifting the leg of his pant, she quickly grasped the handle and pulled. The stiletto slid easily from its place, but Nathaniel’s reflexes were quicker than her own. He had her on her back, pinned beneath him, before she could threaten him in any way.
    “It would seem my massage is being cut short, so to speak.” He grinned, squeezing her hand until she dropped the knife. “Too bad. It felt good while it lasted, perhaps proving that even you have a few redeeming talents. Now I shall enjoy a good night’s rest while you languish on the floor.”
    “You had no intention of giving me the bed. You were only using it to bait me.”
    “Let’s just say that I have now learned what I needed to know. At least I won’t feel guilty while you sit on the floor, tied like a dog to the post.”
    Alexandra tried to free her hands from his punishing grip. She wanted to wipe that enraging smirk off his face. “I’ll scream if you bring that rope near me.”
    “Then I’ll gag you. For someone who hates a hood, you’re willing to risk much.”
    “You’re a cad.”
    “Which is far better than a fool, and a fool I’d be to let you get the better of me.”
    His eyes glittered like sun glinting off a blue sea, and Alexandra realized that Nathaniel might be many things, but a fool he was not. He had the senses of a cat, and the athletic prowess to match.
    “Let me up,” she said. “You’re hurting me.”
    “Certainly.” Kicking the knife far away from her reach, Nathaniel let her go. “No doubt you’re ready to retire, now that sleeping arrangements have been made.”
    Almost before Alexandra knew her own mind, her hand lashed out and slapped Nathaniel’s jeering face. They both rocked back, surprised when her palm hit its target with such force. A red welt appeared almost instantly.
    “I’m glad you’re so eager to deserve whatever treatment you receive,” he said, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her to the foot of the bed. “I was going to leave you