In Love by Design (The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod) by Tracy Ellen Read Free Book Online Page A

enough, but the next one was hideous. ‘Is my soul mate King Con? Does Luke think for one cotton picking minute that I am some dried-up spinster panting for a man and ripe for the plucking in some evil scam?’
    Bent over the back of my jeep, I was really banging the cookie sheets around in my agitation while trying to get them all stacked to carry. My jaw aching probably means I was grinding my teeth over Luke being gone with no word, his shacking up with Svettie, his hidden agenda to be the Land & Loan Baron of Rice County, and being a big, fat disappointing boyfriend in general.
    Exasperated, I thought we’d settled all this trust stuff on Thanksgiving.
    I muttered, “Guess there’s no riding off into the sunset to screw happily ever after for me and my man.” Flipping a hand out, I was really starting to wallow in self-pity. “Oh no, I don’t get to be a girlfriend for more than eight to ten hours before I have to deal with crap, crap, and more crap!”
    I could have called Luke these past two weeks, but it has become our custom for him to call me when he’s gone on a job. Besides, old habits die hard. I don’t call men, they call me. Granted, these were the men in my past that hadn’t declared their love to me and become my exclusive boyfriend, complete with commitment ceremony and tattoos.
    I snorted.
    Straightening up with the trays finally organized, I admitted to myself that most of all, I just miss my Dark Prince. For once, I longed to be held close and hopefully fondled while sweet everything’s were whispered in my ear. I want to be told all is well and that I was missed, too.
    ‘See, I AM one of those damn, sex-starved boneheads!’ I despaired on an internal wail.
    When the lights went out and the trays went flying from my hands, I instinctively fought and kicked out, even as my heart thumped with excitement that Luke was starting My Turn.
    Somebody was grabbing me from behind and m y pointed-toe shoe made a solid connection against flesh and I heard a shrill, “Bollocks!”
    The lights going out is a burlap bag over my head. It’s tightly enveloping me, scratchy and stinky. It smells worse than rotten potatoes. The thought that this odor will penetrate my hair and clothes made me gag. It was the last straw. I was suddenly furious that Luke would think to capture me in such an awful bag. At the same time, I realized the high-pitched voice that swore didn’t sound like Luke’s, unless he was faking a bad British accent.
    Blind ed and confused, I felt myself gripped by strong hands around my hips. I was slung off my feet and up in the air with disorienting speed. I was then flopped down against something hard with enough force across my midsection that I gasped out a painful “Oomph”, as all the breath was knocked out of me.
    Entrapped in the bag, I was bent in half and my head was hanging upside down. My air supply was cut off. Wheezing, I tried instinctually to curl up, but an iron band of an arm was tight across my upper thighs. The arm held me immobile while I was jarred violently around. This motion further prevented me from catching my breath.
    Right when I was starting to seriously panic that I’m suffocating, I was flung down on my back against another hard surface. It hurt, but at least I was able to take small breaths and get a little air. I struggled to keep calm and not hyperventilate.
    I remembered my purse then because it was sticking painfully into my back. I had landed on it when flung down. Within the tight sack surrounding my body like a straitjacket, I tried with my left hand to reach my purse. I was slowly inching behind me when the bag is jerked up and a hand reached underneath to grab my wrist.
    Half of my arm was yanked out from under the bag, my jacket sleeve was pushed up, and I immediately felt a stabbing prick. A cold, burning sensation soon followed. Still trying to breathe and feeling dizzy, I could barely make a gasping sound in terrified protest at the needle in my