Free Mackenzie's Pleasure by Linda Howard

fashioned a butterfly bandage to close the wound.
    He worked with a swift, sure dexterity, and it was only a moment before the bandaging was
    complete. Gently he lifted her foot off his leg. "There. You should be able to walk with no
    problem, but as soon as we get you to the ship, get the doc to put in a couple of stitches and give
    you an injection for tetanus."
    "Yes, sir," she said softly.
    He looked up with a swift, faint smile. "I'm Navy. That's, 'Aye, aye, sir.'"
    The smile nearly took her breath. If he ever truly smiled, she thought, she might have
    heart failure. To hide her reaction, she held out her hand to him. "Barrie Lovejoy. I'm pleased
    to make your acquaintance."
    He folded his fingers around hers and solemnly shook hands. "Lieutenant-Commander
    Zane Mackenzie, United States Navy SEALs."
    A SEAL. Her heart jumped in her chest. That explained it, then. SEALs were known
    as the most dangerous men alive, men so skilled in the arts of warfare that they were in a class by
    themselves. He didn't just look lethal; he was lethal.
    "Thank you," she whispered.
    "My pleasure, ma'am."
    Hot color flooded her face as she looked at her blanket-covered lap. "Please, call me
    Barrie. After all, your shirt is the only thing I..." Her voice trailed off, and she bit her lip. "I
    mean, formality at this point is—"
    "I understand," he said gently, breaking into her stumbling explanation. "I don't want
    you to be embarrassed, so the circumstances are strictly between us, if you prefer. But I advise you
    to tell the ship's surgeon, or your own doctor, for the sake of your health."
    Barrie blinked at him in confusion, wondering what on earth her health had to do with the
    fact that he'd seen her naked. Then comprehension dawned; if she hadn't been so tired, she
    would have realized immediately what conclusion he had drawn from the situation.
    "They didn't rape me," she whispered. Her face flushed even hotter. "They—they
    touched me, they hurt me and did some... other things, but they didn't actually rape me. They
    were saving that for today. Some important guy in their organization was supposed to arrive,
    and I suppose they were planning a sort of p-party."
    Zane's expression remained calm and grave, and she knew he didn't believe her. Why
    should he? He'd found her tied up and naked, and she'd already been in the kidnappers'
    hands for most of a day. Chivalry wasn't part of their code; they had refrained from rape only
    on orders from their leader, because he wanted to be there to enjoy her himself before the others had
    their turn on her.
    He didn't say anything, and Barrie busied herself with the used antiseptic pads, which
    were still damp enough to clean the rest of the disgusting muck from her feet. She longed for
    a bath, but that was so far out of the question that she didn't even voice the wish.
    While she busied herself with tidying up, he explored the small room, which didn't take
    long, because there was nothing in it. He closed the broken shutters over the window; the
    wooden slats were rotted away at the top, allowing some light through but preventing any
    passersby from seeing inside.
    With the room mostly dark once more, it was like being in a snug, private cave. Barrie
    smothered a yawn, fighting the fatigue that dragged on her like lead weights. The only sleep she'd
    had was that brief nap while Zane had been finding a way out of the building, and she was so
    tired that even her hunger paled in comparison.
    He noticed, of course; he didn't miss anything. "Why don't you go to sleep?" he suggested.
    "In a couple of hours, when more people are moving around and I won't be as noticeable,
    I'll go scrounge up something for us to eat and liberate some clothes for you."
    Barrie eyed the paint streaking his face. "With makeup like that, I don't believe you're
    going to go unnoticed no matter how crowded the streets are."
    That faint smile touched his lips again, then was gone. "I'll take it off first."
    The smile almost