Captive of Fate by Lindsay McKenna

cheeks as she heard her mother cooing softly to her, pressing her tightly against her body. The sudden screech of brakes, of tires biting into the pavement, roared through her consciousness. Alanna heard her father shout a warning, and then blackness swiftly grappled at her, tearing her away from her mother. Everything began to tremble and shake beneath her feet. A roar surrounded her, and it sounded like a freight train was passing through the tight confines of the small tent. As the roaring reached a peak, Alanna screamed, fingers pressed against her mouth.
    The blackness was terrifying. The earth shuddered convulsively beneath Alanna, and she inhaled sharply, realizing it wasn’t all a nightmare. Matt had already sat up, reaching outward to pull her into his arms. With a small cry, Alanna groped blindly, falling against his warm, hard body. Burying her head against his shoulder, she let the sobs escape.
    “It’s all right,” Matt soothed, his voice still husky with sleep. He stroked her hair, holding her tightly against him. “Just aftershocks, Babe. Shh, you’re safe.”
    Alanna shut her eyes tightly, more tears escaping, to fall soundlessly against his naked shoulder. The roaring sound died away, and suddenly, the ground stilled beneath them. But the terror of the nightmare and the earthquake had totally shattered her fragile composure. She lay against Matt, arms entwined around his waist, frozen with fear.
    “Expect a few more shocks after this one,” he murmured, placing a kiss on her hair. “We’ll be safe out here. There are no buildings to collapse around us. Come on,” he urged gently, “lie back down with me, there’s nothing we can do.”
    Alanna remained within the asylum of his embrace, thankful for the protection it afforded her. His roughened fingers grazed her cheek.
    “Tears?” he questioned. He forced himself up on one elbow, leaning over her in the darkness. “You woke up screaming, Babe. Bad dreams?”
    Shakily, she brushed the wetness from her cheeks. “Yes,” she answered thickly. “Oh, God. My life’s such a mess….”
    He smiled tentatively, caressing her temple, pushing a strand of hair away and tucking it behind her ear. “No, it isn’t. You’re just starting another cycle of growing, that’s all,” he explained gently.
    She made a wry face. She lay on her side, her body fitting snugly beside him. His quiet maleness seemed almost a palpable thing. How did he know she needed to be touched? To be caressed and calmed? Each grazing touch of his fingers against her face and neck sent little tingles of pleasure throughout her tense body. And each stroke relaxed her a bit more until, finally, she felt the fear slipping away. The tent was comfortable despite the damp coldness outside. Heat radiated from his body, his male scent a heady fragrance to her sensitive nostrils. Finally, as if sensing she was better, Matt lay back down, pulling the blanket over them.
    It was good to be with a man again. There was a natural instinct to turn on her side, pressing against him, her head resting in the crook of his shoulder. Her arm slid across his chest in an unconscious gesture. Alanna felt him shift slightly, his hand gently caressing her back. “Go to sleep,” he whispered huskily, his breath warm against her face.
    Her thick lashes fell softly against her cheeks, and she sighed. With his arms about her, Alanna quickly fell back to sleep. For the first time in her life, she felt completely safe.
    She awoke slowly. Beneath her ear, she could hear the steady, rock-solid beat of Matt’s heart. It sounded like a strong drum beating within his chest, and she languished on the edge of slumber, content. The silken hair covering his broad chest tickled her nose. Reluctantly, Alanna pulled her hand from its resting place across his flat stomach, rubbing her nose. Opening her eyes, she realized with a shock that sometime during the night she had placed her slender leg over his. Violent emotions