If you like this online read you'll enjoy Marie Ferrarella's books!

Diamond in the Rough
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Marla felt sharp pain stabbing her scalp. Whoever had grabbed her, had twisted her hair around their hand and was close to yanking it out by the roots, half pushing, half dragging her out through the a back door in the restaurant.

The pain made her heart race. Terror encompassed her.

Releasing her hair, a man twisted her right arm behind her back, almost snapping it in half. "Well, at least we have her," he snarled to his companion.

Her captor was so average looking, she could have tripped over him and not noticed him at all. Except for his eyes. A cold, almost-clear blue, they seemed to slice into her, carving her into little brittle pieces.

There were two of them. Only two. Were there others around? She couldn't focus. The pain was making her eyes well up.

"What good does that do us?" the second man asked.

"We still don't have him and he's the one with the microchip."

"We'll have him soon enough." The captor twisted Marla around, studying her. "I don't know how you figure into this, Ms. O'Connor, but you obviously mean a lot to our fair-haired boy. I could be wrong, but I think he might even be willing to agree to a little trade just to get you back ? in one piece." He laughed quietly, the sound sending salvos of panic through her. "Give us back what's ours for what's his."

His hand still covering her mouth, he began to shove her into a car that was parked in the alley. She knew her chances of getting out alive would evaporate. One look at the man's eyes told her he had no intentions of trading her. She was just bait.

And Erik was the fish.

Marla bit down on the fleshy part of the man's hand, simultaneously driving her high heel into his shin.

Squealing in surprise and pain, he stumbled back, pulling his hand away. Marla spun around on her heel and shoved him into the other man. They toppled like well dressed dominos and she ran back into the restaurant.

When she flew past Erik, it took him less than a beat to fall in behind her. "Sorry," he called to the owner who was emerging with their order.

In another beat, Erik was abreast, grabbing her hand. He didn't have to ask what was wrong, he knew. He silently cursed himself for not standing guard at the lady's room door. What if something had happened to her because of him? What if they'd hurt her?

The image of Marla ? hurt or dead ? was like a physical blow.

It shocked him. He was always able to detach himself, to emotionlessly see things from all angle. That was what made him a good operative.

"This way," he pointed.

His target was the long, colorful dragon, comprised of fabric, human participants and imagination making its way down the street beneath a canopy of fireworks. Pulling Marla in before him, Erik ducked under the sparkling green and yellow material that was the dragon's side.

They found themselves between two confused looking Asian men in their late thirties. A barrage of words flew at them from all directions. Marla understood nothing. Erik responded and the raised voices lowered, and stopped. The men nodded, smiled and returned to the task, moving the dragon forward.

"What did you tell them?" she asked.

"I asked for their help. That I'd stolen you from your husband and that he was chasing us." Catching the eye of the man in front, he nodded his head. "They're nice guys."

The man in front of Marla smiled, repeating the words "nice guys."

They were safe. For the moment. As far as she knew, the dragon was weaving its way down streets filled with revelers, but all Marla could see were feet.

She felt the press of Erik's body behind her as they moved. Heat became her companion as well. "So how long do we hide under here?"

He was acquainted with the route. "The parade winds all the way from the financial district to the end of Chinatown. We think we'd better stay in the dragon's belly for about half an hour or so."

It sounded like a plan to her.

***

Marla tried to make out the numbers on her watch. They'd dropped out of the parade after what seemed like miles. "I'm so tired, I'm going to drop where I'm standing."

They hurried through the streets. The crowds were beginning to thin out. They needed to find shelter and soon. It wouldn't be safe to be out. His shoulder was beginning to ache again. "Please don't. I'm not in any condition to carry you."

"We could get a room someplace." She realized her words could be interpreted as a proposition, but she was too tired to care.

His sentiments exactly. "No charge cards. That's how they found us the last time."

"A hotel isn't going to let us stay out of the goodness of their hearts," she pointed out.

"Do you have any money?"

Aside from a few dollars, her pockets were empty. "No."

He saw a bank on the corner. Even at this hour, there was someone making a withdrawal at the ATM window. That was the answer. "Give me your ATM card."

Confused, she looked at him. "What ATM card? I don't have one."

"That's un-American." He blew out a breath. For the moment, he was out of ideas.

Opening her purse, she rummaged through the various items Erik had tossed in until she found her wallet. "But I've got a Huntly's card."

The name was vaguely familiar. And then he remembered. "A supermarket card?" He laughed shortly. "I don't think you'd find those shelves all that comfortable to sleep on. Too narrow."

Excited now, her fatigue temporarily vanished. She began pulling him in the direction of the supermarket. "No, but I can get money that way."

It proved easier to show him than to explain it. Once in the supermarket, she bought a six pack of cola and a bag of donuts. Running her card through the scanner, she punched in her codev number and then requested change. A hundred dollars.

Satisfied, she held the money up to him as they walked out. "Now we can get a room somewhere."

He kissed her, taking the money and pocketing it. "That's my girl."

It took a while for her heart to stop racing.

They got a room in the Chandler Hotel. Marla noted that they had made it full circle, back to a four star hotel. It was after two in the morning. They had less than twelve hours to go before Erik made his delivery.

Entering, Marla made a beeline for the bed, sinking into it. After a moment, he joined her. They exhaled together, then laughed.

"I'm exhausted. I've never packed so much into one evening in my life." Turning her head to look at him, she realized suddenly how close he was. It took a second to locate her tongue. "Do you think they'll find us here?"

He was thinking, for a woman who was tired, she looked incredibly alluring. He was aware how close they were to each other. "Not with luck." They'd covered their trail pretty well and it was time they earned a small respite. "They haven't shown up in the last hour."

She wasn't nearly as optimistic as she normally was. Still, there was nothing they could do right now except get some sleep. Marla propped herself up on her elbow. "I guess you should get the bed. You're wounded."

"Why can't we both get the bed?"

She caught her lower lip between her teeth. "Because ? -"

His smile was slow, sexy and lethal as hell. She was almost on fire. "Don't trust yourself with me?"

She tried for dignity but settled for coherence. "I wasn't thinking of me."

He reached over and touched her cheek, sliding his finger down slowly. "I make it a practice never to do anything the lady doesn't want to do." Suddenly, he desperately wanted to spend the night with her in the very fullest sense of the word.

She pressed her lips together. "Shouldn't one of us stand guard?"

He laughed. "This isn't Fort Apache. Besides," he pointed. "I rigged the doorknob."

Squinting, she looked intently at it. It looked untouched. "Where? I don't see anything."

"That's the point." He exclaimed, almost touching her uneasiness. This wasn't the way he wanted it to be. Erik sat up. "If it makes you feel better, I'll take the sofa."

Sitting up, Marla looked at it and then at him. It was smaller than a love seat. "The only way you could sleep on that is if you were a Smurf." She debated her options. By tomorrow, he would be gone from her life. And with him the one opportunity she had to live the way the heroines in all the books she loved lived. "It's all right," she said softly. "You can share the bed with me."

"I thought you'd never ask." Because he couldn't resist, Erik took her into his arms, pressing a kiss softly to her neck. Her sigh nearly drove him over the edge. But he held himself in check.

They had until dawn together.

To be continued...



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