"Aren't you going to get my glasses?" she asked, confusion clearly evident on her face. "You've got five minutes."
"Nay, I'm not going to," he replied.
Ruby stared in astonishment. "What about the urn?"
"You can smash it if you want."
She opened her mouth to say something, but promptly closed it again. He looked bored out of his tree. He looked as though he didn't care whether the urn were smashed by her, or anyone else, for that matter.
She glanced at the beautiful urn in her hands. That brute doesn't even care if I smash you or not. He just doesn't care!
She sighed and gently returned the urn to the table. It was simply too beautiful and expensive for her to smash. Even if she had nothing to lose at the moment, she still didn't have the heart to destroy such an invaluable item.
"It's only my glasses. It's not like I'm asking you to take me back to New Zealand," she muttered.
He approached her and said, "Why do you want your glasses so badly?"
Now was her chance, Ruby thought. Ha! Two could play at this game. She needed to use her woman's wit to deal with a man who had a heart of steel like Alec. Thus, she looked up at him, her large eyes glistening with fake tears. "I can't see properly," she said pitifully, proceeding to sniff as well, to add more effect.
"Yes, I know that," he commented.
"And I can't read properly either. My eyes are getting worse. What's the point of having all those books if I can't read them?" She glanced at the piles of books he brought for her only that morning. Then she looked really sad.
Alec had to smile at her expression. He thought she could have asked for anything: her clothing, her passport, or her wallet, things that would have been more useful to her, especially if she had plans for another escape. Instead, she was asking for her glasses simply because she wanted to read.
"What can I do to get them?" she queried him lightly.
Alec knew exactly what she could do. Damn, but it was very tempting.
"A trade?" she suggested. "I'm not sure what I can give. But please, I hate getting a headache when I concentrate too hard to see the words."
Alec had to swallow hard as he saw her large eyes, pleading for his consent. He lowered his lips to her ear and whispered, "A trade sounds good to me.
Ruby couldn't hide her smile, as she thought, Mr. Alec Cook, you're just like every other man. She gazed up at him through her thick, dark lashes and licked her lips slowly and suggestively.
Alec's eyes were riveted on her lovely face, especially those luscious lips of hers.
"Okay, my glasses for, er--" She paused. "For what?"
Alec couldn't help himself. It was just too tempting. He touched her bottom lip, his thumb feeling the soft flesh.
Oh shit! Ruby thought, sensing her plan had just backfired. She was in a trance. His touch was soft and tender, sending wonderful sensations throughout her body. She wanted him to go on stroking her forever. Is this what heaven feels like?
"A kiss," he said.
"A kiss?" she whispered, her heart thundering against her chest.
"Aye, a kiss. Only a kiss for your glasses," he said as he stopped stroking her.
Only a kiss for my glasses? Surely, there is nothing more and nothing less? There was nothing to it, this kissing business. It wouldn't mean anything. She wouldn't feel anything. In exchange for her glasses, and yes, so much more. Only Alec didn't know that. To her mind, this was a great bargain indeed.
"Okay," she said brightly. "I'm not sure how to go about it though." Of course, she had never really kissed any guy before, although she saw how it was done up close on several occasions in movies. She stood on tiptoes and moved her head toward him.
Once their faces were very close, she kissed him by simply pressing her lips against his. Then she moved back, smiling with glee.
There, it's done--and just as she thought earlier--there's nothing to it at all.
She was still smiling as she looked up at him. When he simply stood there and gazed at her, she said, "I've kissed you. Can I have my glasses now?"
Alec didn't say anything.
Feeling rather awkward and embarrassed all of a sudden, Ruby walked back to the bed and sat down. Then she said, "I'll have my lunch while you go fetch my glasses."
Alec left the room, hiding a smile. As he walked up the stairs toward the attic, he thought, so she thinks that was a kiss? We'll see about that.
He found her glasses in her bag, and suddenly wondered what she'd look like with them on. Try as he might, he just couldn't visualize it, although her pretty face beaming up at him, all smiles, kept appearing in his mind's eye.
He shook his head and turned to the door, but quickly narrowed his eyes. He thought he glimpsed a flash of something white disappearing around the corner of the hallway. He went to have a look, scanning left and right. Nothing was there, however. He frowned, shook his head, and went down the stairs.
Ruby came out of the tiny closet and sighed with relief. So that was where he kept her things.
Oh God, how could she explain the reason why she was not in the room?
She limped as fast as she could down the stairs. Trying to keep silent, however, was truly impossible with her blasted injured ankle.
Across the hall, she saw him entering the bedroom. Ruby gritted her teeth as she tried to think of what to do. A moment later, she saw him coming out again. She sprang back against the wall, hiding anxiously. Her heart was pumping out of control as she waited for him to leave.
From the corner of her eye, she saw him walking down the hall toward the stairs, and she ran into the bedroom and then, into the bathroom. Luckily, the bathroom door was closed, otherwise she couldn't think of what else to do.
She hastily turned the shower on. Once it was warm enough, she took her clothes off and got under it.
The warm water soothed her. Her breathing slowed, and a few moments later, her furiously beating heart gradually resumed its normal rhythm. She sighed and smiled at her smart tactics.
She mentally made a note to go up into the attic later and look for the rest of her things. Of course, once she had her wallet, which contained all her necessary items: her visa, credit card, and passport, she'd be able to really escape. And her cell phone, of course, so she could ring Brian and her mum. The very thought of her imminent freedom excited her so much that she giggled.
"Shoot!" she swore when she noticed that the bandages around her foot were getting rather wet. She stuck her right foot out, away from the spraying water, and started cleaning herself quickly.
She wanted to stay in the shower longer, just to annoy that handsome captor of hers and increase his water bill. Standing with one foot sticking out in the air as she showered, however, was rather uncomfortable so she didn't linger there. When she returned to the bedroom, he was already there, sitting on the bed rather too comfortably and watching her.
Ruby licked her dry lips and said, "I felt stuffy so I had a shower." That was, of course, a perfect excuse for why he found her in the bathroom earlier.
Alec nodded. He liked watching her and especially now that she just had a shower. She smelled fresh and wonderful. She hadn't brushed her long, dark hair yet, which made her look wild. His manly blood started to ignite knowingly.
Ruby glanced at the bedside table and saw her glasses case. She couldn't resist saying, "Thank you."
He still hadn't stopped staring at her. His gaze was unabashedly roaming up and down her person.
Ruby started to feel very uncomfortable. Even though she really couldn't see him clearly, she knew he was scrutinizing her.
"You can stop looking at me now."
Another command. He wondered if she knew how often she did that.
"Can I now?" he jested, smiling.
"People usually don't stare at me the way you do," she commented, folding her arms across her chest.
"Don't they?" he asked. She was very pretty, and he wondered why she thought nobody ever stared at her so. "Y
our bandage is wet."
"I know. It'll dry. You may leave now. I want to start reading my books."
There. Another command. Of course, he was not going to obey. However, if she ordered him to kiss her, he would obey immediately and without arguments or questions.
He sat up straighter and said, "Come here. I'll redo them for you."
"Do what?" Oh, you mean the bandages? Er, thanks." She limped toward the bed.
As he undid her bandages, cleaned her wound, and rewrapped new bandages for her, she thought about how she didn't want the moment to end. She loved the way he gently touched her, as though he were afraid of hurting her. Is every captor so considerate to his captive?
Once he was finished, she thanked him again. As he began cleaning up the mess on the bed, she helped him. When he went into the bathroom to put everything away, she thought about her glasses and the books. Now she'd be able to read properly, and not have to open her eyes so wide, and concentrate so hard just to identify the letters.
She leaned back and reached for her glasses case. Alec got to it before her. He opened the case and took the glasses out. Sitting in front of her, he held the glasses in his large hand, inspecting them.
"Nice color," he said, seeing the swirl of floral design on the arms of the frame.
"Thanks," she replied, smiling at him as she held out her hand to receive the item.
He opened the arms of the frame, but instead of giving them to her, he put them on her face. Once he thought they looked comfortable, he drew back and observed her properly.
She looked very different. The glasses adorned her face nicely, enhancing her cheekbones and straight nose. She was very pretty behind them.
As for Ruby, she finally got to see him clearly for the first time. She couldn't help but stare in disbelief. The word gorgeous didn't even come close to describing him. He was like a Greek god with brown hair and smoky grey eyes. His nose was high and straight, his lips firm, and his jaw smoothly square and strong. She couldn't breathe normally just looking at him.
Alec raised his eyebrows at her as she sat there gazing up at him, her eyes as large as a kitten's. She was simply adorable.
"'Allo," he greeted her, but before Ruby knew what was going on, both his hands landed on the nape of her neck, gently drawing her face closer to his. A flash of a second later, his firm lips embraced her soft ones.
Ruby nearly fainted as his tongue stroked across her bottom lip. She quivered at the unexpected, yet gentle attack. Then his tongue plunged forcibly between her lips and started exploring her innocent mouth.
His kiss became deep and passionate. Ruby was lost in his uninhibited embrace as her fingers dug deeper into his hair and his tongue moved wildly in her mouth, stroking and lashing out at hers.
Just when she thought she was about to go crazy, he stopped kissing and drew back.
Ruby's sense of being was still floating high in the air as she stared up at him blankly, her eyes half questioning why he stopped.
He gave her a devilish grin, his eyes twinkling.
"That, Ruby, is a kiss," he said as got up and left the room.
Ruby sat there, staring at the closed door, her heart pounding like she just finished running a marathon. She was stunned.
That, Ruby, is a kiss. The words kept echoing in her head. And my little peck wasn't a kiss? She touched her sore lips, still staring at the closed door, utterly dazed.
After Alec left, Ruby's intention to read totally vanished. She just lay there thinking about the kiss while touching her lips. She didn't know how to describe her feeling when Alec's lips met hers, and when his tongue--
Her whole body shivered.
Stop it! she snapped at herself silently. Stop it this instant, Ruby!
She sighed and closed her eyes.
In her mind's eye, she saw Alec's face. She could imagine him sitting right there next to her, his face very close to hers, with his nose touching her cheek. She remembered his warm breath on her skin.
Are you innocent, Ruby? Are you so innocent that you don't know what I'm going to do to you?
Ah! She grunted loudly and sat up. She touched her lips again, her heart pumping loudly in her chest. Now she remembered about last night when he kissed her.
Oh no! And there she was, trading a kiss for her glasses. He must have thought her very stupid.
Ruby threw her head on the pillow and groaned. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
Lizzie came into the room at that moment. The woman took one look at her and asked if she needed anything. Ruby shook her head, and the maid went about cleaning the room.
Ruby picked up the book and started reading.
Just as Lizzie was about to leave, she asked, "Lizzie, is this Alec's room?"
"Aye. Sure ya donna want anythin'?"
Ruby nodded. Once the maid was gone, Ruby groaned again and threw her head on the pillow. Her feeling of mortification had just climbed up another notch.
That's it! She had to stop this stupid nonsense. She was, after all, feeling very tired from yesterday's ordeal. She had to stop thinking about Alec and his kiss!
She snatched the book, opened the first page and started reading. At first, it was very difficult, but after a few paragraphs, she was hooked and completely forgot about Alec. About two hours later, when her tired eyes couldn't handle the concentration any longer, she fell asleep.
Alec came into the room and saw her sleeping, still wearing her glasses with the book held in her hand. He shook his head.
He took the book from her and laid it on the bedside table. Then he took her glasses off, gently so that he wouldn't wake her, and put those on the bedside table as well. He touched her forehead with the back of his hand to make sure the fever had not recurred. It was warm. But not hot like last night. Relieved that there was no sign of a fever, he left the room again.
Ruby woke up just before dinner, feeling a lot less tired. Again, Alec refused to let her out of the bedroom. She cursed him loudly in Khmer so he couldn't understand.
Once she finished her dinner, Alec took the tray. Before he left the room, he said, "Don't try to run away again, will you?"
Ruby looked up at him innocently, her eyes large and questioning. "What makes you think I'd run away again? I told you that I wouldn't. If I were to leave this place, Master Alec, I'd be leaving with Brian exclusively."
That's right, once she had her hands on her cell phone, she'd ring Brian and tell him everything. She'd tell him this brute of a man kidnapped her--for whatever stupid reason, she still didn't know. She'd insist that Brian report the criminal to the police.
That's right, she'd bring him to justice. She smiled secretly with that cozy thought.
Alec frowned darkly. Brian, damn it, all she ever thought about was Brian. He said coldly, "I'll be in the library."
Ruby knew she was getting under his skin. She smiled sweetly and said, "Good night," before he closed the door. She listened carefully to make sure she didn't hear the clicking sound of the door locking. There was none.
She picked up the book again and continued reading for fifteen minutes. When she guessed it was safe, she rushed off the bed and limped to the door. There, she opened it and poked her head out. Searching left and right, she saw no one, so she slipped out and limped toward the second floor. Climbing up the stairs was, once again, rather difficult with her injured foot, but she managed in the end.
On the landing, she saw there was another flight of stairs. She sighed and encouraged herself not to give up. Determinedly, she limped up the narrow stairs and, finally, reached the attic.
The place was very dark. She wondered if there was a light switch somewhere. Moving to her right, she tried the wall, and found the switch, which she flipped on.
The light didn't help much, barely illuminating the huge place. She narrowed her eyes to see her surroundings properly. To her left was total darkness, but to her right, she could see dimly. Then her heart soared with happiness when she spotted her suitcase sitting among ot
her unused items. She limped over to it and carefully came down on her knees so that her foot didn't hurt as much.
She unzipped the suitcase and raided through her things. Good, all her clothes were still intact. Then she searched for her bag, which contained her more important items. She couldn't find it anywhere. After more vigorous searching, she frowned when she still couldn't find it.
"'Allo?" came a male voice.
She jerked up and fell on her backside, swearing under her breath as she groped about in the darkness, wondering where that voice came from.
She shot up and swirled around, forgetting about her injured foot, and winced as the pain fired through her leg.
Peering into the darkness, a second later, Alec appeared.
Ruby gasped. Her face reddened as she stared at him studying her.
"Looking for something?"
Ruby bit her lip. She wondered if he had just arrived and found her snooping around, or was there all along, patiently waiting for her.
"I didn't wait long at all, if you want to know."
Ruby wanted to die. Oh God almighty! He knows! He knew she followed him this morning. He knew she'd be coming up here tonight looking for her things.
Well, there was no point in hiding now, was there? She squared her shoulders and said, "Yes, I am looking for my belongings."
He came toward her. "Ruby, I haven't been honest with you since the beginning."
Ruby narrowed her eyes as she studied him. This was new, all right. She agreed by nodding her head.
"I know you want your things back."
"Yes?" Ruby replied. She found it very odd that a captive and her captor would be standing in the dimness of the attic talking like they had been friends forever.
"And I will give you your belongings back."
Ruby couldn't believe that. "You really mean it?" she asked doubtfully.
"Aye, lassie," Alec said. "I mean it."
Ruby blinked at his honest answer. Suddenly, she felt bad indeed for planning to report him to the police.
He came to stand right in front of her, looking down at her from his great height. Ruby tilted her head to look up at him, her eyes questioning his intention.
"Let's make a deal, shall we?" he started.
"A deal?" she asked curiously.
"Yes, a deal," Alec said, looking deeply into her eyes. "I will give you your belongings back, and I will let you go in time to catch your flight back to New Zealand. What I mean is, you will stay here with me until it is time for you to return home in three weeks."