KIDNAPPED, A Romantic Suspense Novel by Suzanne Ferrell Read Free Book Online Page A

her face. He leaned over. She fought to remain upright. His hand caressed her neck, then went back into her hair. His fingers massaged the firm muscles of her neck, holding her in place.
    Slowly his hand caressed her right arm. Shivers of delight ran across Sami's skin. His hand slid to hers, entwining it, pulling it outwards.
    He leaned in closer, his body’s heat flowing over hers, his chest touching her breasts with the slightest pressure.
    “I’m sorry Samantha. I really am.” He whispered, his breath warm and teasing against her ear. “I really don’t have a choice this time.”
    Suddenly her left arm was released. A click sounded. Sami looked down.
    She was cuffed to the side rail of her wrought iron bed.
    * * *
    Jake parked in the drug store lot.
    Damn, the woman could cuss!
     
    In fact, while he’d settled Nicky in the bed beside her, she called him every name he’d ever heard and a few inventive ones.
    What was a pylonidal cyst on the butt of mankind, anyway?
    He made a mental note to look that one up. Whatever it was, he was pretty sure it wasn’t flattering.
    Once he had Nicky tucked into bed beside her, Samantha calmed down enough to sooth the boy. He almost envied the kid. Being tucked in with her soft body and soothing voice, would make it almost worth getting wounded.
    Memories of her body pressed against his as he awoke this morning, more aroused than he’d been in months, flashed into Jake’s mind. He shook his head, trying to clear his brain. Despite what his body might think, he didn’t have time right now for a repeat performance.
    Inside the drug store he located both a thermometer and the children’s Tylenol without too much difficulty. Success!
    With any luck this medicine would make Nicky comfortable enough to move. His plans were to get out of Samantha Edgars’ life as quick as possible. She’d become too much of a distraction. Besides, he truly believed the longer he and Nicky stayed with her the more likely she’d become a target for the people hunting them.
    Jake carried his supplies to the counter. Trying to avoid making eye contact with the clerk, he stared at the television screen playing behind the check out stand.
    Suddenly, his picture flashed on the television, with the words WANTED by the FBI. Thankfully, the clerk had the sound so low, neither he nor Jake could hear the reporter’s commentary. Jake didn’t need to.
    The words kidnap victim and Nicky’s immigration photo popped up next.
    * * *
     
    With one hand free, Sami switched warm cloths from Nicky’s fevered body for cool ones from the alcohol bath. The boy lay snuggled against her. Through his clothes, and her own, heat radiated from his body. However, the shakes had finally stopped, and seemed less restless now. That meant the fever had stopped climbing. Now if it would only break.
    She smoothed strands of his dark hair away from his pale face. Aimee’s hair had been nearly the same deep black shade as Nicky’s before she’d lost it to the ravishing affects of her chemo.
    “ Mommy, when I’m all better will my hair grow in long enough to wear piggy tails?” Aimee asked her one day. They’d tied a fancy scarf around her little bald head and let the ends fall down like purple and pink hanks of silken hair.
     “It might.” She’d been torn between trying to give her daughter hope and not lying to her.
    “If it does, can I have pretty hair ties like Miss Lucy?” Aimee loved her evening Candy Striper, Lucy and Lucy had felt the same about Aimee.
    “We’ll have to ask Lucy where she got hers. Which ones do you like the most?” She’d held Aimee close as they snuggled in her hospital bed among the monitor lines and IV tubes.
    “I like the ones that look like glittery butterflies. They sparkle when she comes to see me, like they’re gonna fly right off her hair.”
    She gently caressed her daughter’s thin, bony shoulders and arms, marveling how such courage and hope could live in such a frail body.