Free Best Lesbian Romance 2014 by Radclyffe Page A

shopping. There were several shops that sold the usual tourist trinkets; sandal key chains, T-shirts and wide brimmed hats, but a few stood out with lovely and authentic Mexican crafts: leather bags with incredible tooled design, delicately painted Talavera pottery, hand-woven blankets with intricate detail and Alebrijes, papier-mâché sculptures in the shape of every known animal. By the time I reached the end of several blocks, and the limit of how many shopping bags I could comfortably carry, I decided to take a break. I stopped at a café for a soda, sipping it as I stretched my tired legs and rubbed my sore arms, people-watching while luxuriating in the cooling air. It was then I noticed how much darker the day was getting. Twilight was settling in and I decided it was time to head back to the hotel. Actually, if I didn’t hurry, I was going to miss my dinner date with Marga.
    The light faded even faster as I made my way down the winding streets. I kept looking at the shops around me for help in distinguishing landmarks, but I couldn’t seem to note anything familiar, and when I turned the next corner, I realized with a fluster of anxiety that I was lost. I was about to take out my cell phone when a man walked up to me out of nowhere.
    â€œ Hola, señorita. Can I interest you in some silver? I have bracelets, rings, necklaces. What would you like?” He openedup his coat and I found myself gazing at an amazing display of jewelry arranged neatly on the inside lining.
    â€œNo, gracias,” I said, moving around him. He quickly moved back in front of me. I hesitated before firmly stepping past him again but he blocked my way and stared at me without smiling.
    â€œCan’t you see she’s not interested, Gonzalo?” Another larger man came up behind me and I felt momentary relief that someone had come to offer help. That relief vanished quickly as he clamped his hand over my mouth and together they pulled me into a darkened alley. I screamed but it was muffled, and I lost my bags as I tried to pull away and kicked out, making contact with the smaller one’s knee as they increased their speed. I wasn’t sure if I tripped or was pushed, but the ground rushed up at me and I banged the side of my forehead hard. The larger man released my mouth to roll me over, and as he did so I was finally free to scream my lungs out. Although the first, smaller guy was startled into letting me go, the other pulled back his hand, quickly closing it into a fist as I closed my eyes in sick anticipation, but the blow never reached me. Instead, the resounding thud I heard was the large man being hauled against the side of the building before he crumpled at my feet. The smaller man slinked away, his jewelry coat jingling as he turned and ran. He didn’t get very far, and in a flurry of movement too quick to understand, he was soon unconscious on the ground next to his friend.
    I closed my eyes in relief but I was also stunned and confused as to what had just happened. When I finally opened them again, someone was crouching next to me. A woman with eyes that reminded me of the dark turquoise diving pools my sister was probably exploring somewhere in those caverns deep beneath us. Long, silky black hair was gathered loosely in a clip at the nape of her neck, and her bronzed skin had a burnished quality like smooth terra-cotta sculpture. Her clothes were dark andindistinguishable except for a long leather coat that for some reason reminded me of a superhero cape.
    I tried sitting up but the motion made me want to vomit, so I lay back down and blinked as she bent closer, assessing my injuries. “You’re going to be okay,” the woman said as she touched my face briefly, almost longingly. She withdrew her hand and smiled.
    â€œWho are you?” I asked.
    â€œMy name’s Caliana. And you are?”
    â€œAntonia.”
    Even though she nodded, I wasn’t sure if she’d heard me. She