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Ruby licked her lips, feeling thoroughly confused now

"But, Alec, why have you kidnapped o home?"

Alec was slightly distracted at seeing her lick her lips He cleared his throat and told himself to concentrate on the subject at hand He said, "That, Ruby, I cannot explain Do we have a deal?"

Ruby hesitated "Meanwhile, what do I do? It's my holiday I'm not supposed to spend it i fa myself"

"Let's expand the terms then I'll take you to visit other castles if we are nice to each other Another stipulation: noat me in Khmer, which I do not understand, and of course, you'll be havingroom"

Ruby could only stare at hiht?"

He chuckled "Is it a deal?" He watched her nibbling her lower lip orry

Aher hand

Alec se ones When he let it go, he picked her up in his arms

"Oh!" Ruby gasped, eyeing him

"I' all the way up here," he commented as he carried her to the door

She wrapped her arms around his neck and res back"

"I'll get them for you later"

"Andtoo?"

"I only said you were allowed to have your clothing, and that's it"

"Meanie," she snapped

When they were back in the bedrooet her suitcase When he returned, she thanked him wholeheartedly

"Another thing Where will you be sleeping?" she asked as she checked through the contents of her suitcase

"In here," was his terse reply

"But I sleep here now Why can't you sleep in another room?"

"Because this is my bedroom" He folded his arms across his chest as he watched her

"I can't find my dress," she muttered to herself

"Which one?"

She glanced up at him "The one I hen you, er, drove me here"

Alec remembered her white Fendi dress

"Brian bought it for me on the condition that I visit his castle I don't want to lose it He wanted to see ether"

Alec grunted Susan was right! Brian was buying her clothing--expensive clothing On the condition that she visit his castle? What the hell does that ed her to come to his castle?

"Why couldn't you sleep in another rooain

"Because this isabout the dress and Brian

She glanced up at hiain "But we can't sleep in the saer"

He wanted to say, And Brian isn't a stranger?

"Well," Alec replied as he walked to the door "We'll have to, won't we?" That said, he left the roo the door behind him

Ruby wondered what had gotten into hireeable justdeals Noever, he seery at so the contents of her suitcase

She changed, and got into bed an hour later, picking up the history book Suddenly, she heard a commotion just outside the door

Alec ca heavy She leaned over to have a better look and saw that he was lifting a large sofa into the bedroo onto the other end

They put it near the far side of the wall McKenzie bowed at Alec and then left

"What is that for?" she asked Alec, as about to leave as well

"My bed"

"I think it would be better if either I sleep in another room, or you sleep in another room, in a proper bed" She emphasized the word proper so that he'd understand what she meant

"I'll be all right, ma'am I need to keep an eye on you" That said, he left the room

"Stubborn goat!" Ruby

Alec returned after ht, as he expected his captive would be asleep by then He turned on the wall light near the sofa, found his pyjae When he caht thatafter all, since she was still wearing his shirt to bed

Noticing her suitcase underneath the bed, he picked it up and took it into the walk-in wardrobe He swung it over his head and rested it on the top shelf, then returned to the sofa and lay on his uncoht, he thought

TEN

Ruby woke up the next otten better too Finding it odd that she should feel happy, itwith her Recently, she had been waking up with a sense of dread, and the claustrophobic feeling of imprisonment But not today, however Today, she felt free Maybe it was because of the deal they ht

She sighed and looked over at Alec, as sleeping on the sofa That ht She was pretty sure he was very uncomfortable indeed, but she did not pity him one bit

Alec turned his aching body and opened his eyes He saw Ruby looking at hiave her a handsome smile

"Good "

Ruby wasn't i, but it made her feel warm all over "Good sleep?" she asked sarcastically

"Very good, thank you," he replied, before taking a good stretch

Crack!

Alec hissed and Ruby couldn't help bursting out laughing

Alec glanced at her My God, this was the first tih The softness of her voice was sheer delight to his ears

"I told you to sleep in another roo

Alec climbed out of the uncomfortable sofa and came over to sit beside her on the bed "I had a bed, but some nasty, little person stole it from me"

Ruby bit her lip as she stared at him He was too close for her comfort He was also too daht then She shifted off the bed as she said, "Well, it's not my fault I did tell you to put me in another room You refused, however, so don't blame other people for your sheer stubbornness"

"Why are youaway?" he asked curiously

To put some distance between us, you lout! she wanted to yell at hi to the bathroom"

She put her feet down on the soft carpet

"Want any help?"

"No, thank you," she replied, about to get up

In a flash, Alec was at her side and picking her up in his strong arms

"Oh," Ruby gasped "I can walk, you know"

"I know," he said as he carried her to the bathroom

Inside the bathrooo Ruby looked up at his suddenly felt like jelly She couldn't see up him

Alec touched her botto at its softness

Ruby blushed Her heart started to thuht it'd probably pop out of her chest anywith pleasure All si her bottom lip

Alec stopped his stroking and said, "We proiving her a smile that caused Ruby's breath to catch at the back of her throat

Cal if he really did care about her, or was he just pretending to be nice?

Then she thought about hi her lip She shivered She touch

ed her botto It was just a lip How could he have given her so ht about the kiss

Stop it! she silently chided herself

She shook her head and went about showering Once she was finished, she suddenly re to wear

Stupid! she cursed and, after wrapping the big towel securely around her body, poked her head out the door The roolee, as she limped out

She couldn't find her suitcase anywhere Nibbling her lip, she wondered where it could have gone Then she thought about the walk-in wardrobe

She turned, opened the door, and slipped inside, looking for her luggage Gosh, his wardrobe was very neat, with all his clothing and accessories arranged in an orderly manner

Where the heck is my suitcase? She looked up and widened her eyes in shock

Why the hell is my suitcase up there?

She stood on tiptoes and stretched her hands high for it, while grunting in annoyance Her suitcase was all the way up on the very top shelf, and the tip of her er couldn't even reach the third shelf She swore again in irritation, so the lines of: a ht

When her aroing to get anywhere if she continued down that path She li that she could stand on, spotting the antique, wooden chair near the hearth

That's it!

She picked it up and looked heavenward, thanking God the chair was light She limped back into the walk-in wardrobe with the chair and put it down before cli to stand on it

This tied to reach the suitcase Then she started to pull it down It was resting halfway between the top shelf and her when she realized that her suitcase was very heavy

"Don't back down, Ruby, you can do this," she said, grunting loudly