To Trap A Temptress (Southern Sanctuary - Book 2) by Jane Cousins Page A

first.  As
her senses returned she tried to push him away, worried she might be dragging
him under.  He ignored her weak efforts hugging her in even closer,
resting her head on his shoulder as he trod water. 
    “Ssshh
Doc, steady, I’ve got you.”  He kept repeating those last three words -
I’ve got you - as if to reassure himself as much as her.
    *                     
*         
            *
    Drum’s
heart was pounding so hard he thought it would burst.  Even now that she
was safe in his arms he couldn’t seem to convince himself that the threat
against her wasn’t still circling.  Every instinct he had screamed for him
to hunt.  He wanted justice, thirsted to crush, kill and destroy anyone
who had dared harm what was his.  Yet as Nell’s gasps turned into quiet
sobs his insides froze, cooling the mindless rage. 
    Maat
the sound of her tears was heart rending.  He hated that she’d been hurt,
almost drowned and now was in pain and shock.  As she began to calm down
so did he.  Finally he pulled back to look at her.  “You okay
Doc?” 
    “Yes…
fine.  I’m dragging you down, you should let me go.”  Once more she
tried to push him away.
    “You’re
not going anywhere.” 
    He
snuggled her in under his arm, his expression thunderous daring her to mention
moving away from him once more.  With his spare hand he began untangling
the vine, damning himself thrice over for leaving his knife back at the
cottage.  A job that should have taken mere seconds seemed to take
forever, Nell gasping with pain and relief as he unwound the last strands
clinging to her arm. 
    With
care and ease he kicked his legs, powering them into shore, noting with an
alert eye just who else had been in the water during the time of the
attack.  Wannabe boyfriend Case, Devon and her two hangers on, whose names
he couldn’t remember and several others whose faces he committed to
memory.  Nearing the shallows he lifted her into his arms, cradling her
gently, noting her wince as pain settled into her suddenly gravity heavy limbs.
    “I
have a first aid kit in my bag if you could fetch it for me.”
    “Course
you do Doc.”    He laid her
gently on the hard packed sand at the shore line, giving several approaching
people a sharp threatening glance before venturing up the beach.
    “Who
knew you could play the damsel in distress so effectively?”  Devon loomed
over Nell, her black hair slicked back with water, her barely there bikini
clinging provocatively.
    “Does
this look like play-acting to you?”  Nell held up her bruised and bloodied
ankle for inspection.
    “Nell
are you okay?”  Case dropped to his knees at her side.
    “Honestly.” 
Devon’s voice dripped with exasperation.  “She got tangled in some seaweed
and gave herself a little scare.” 
    “It’s
a bit more than that Devon, look at her arm and her ankle for pity sake.” 
Case eased her injured foot up onto his lap, his fingers gentle but still Nell
hissed with pain, glancing down to find five perfect puncture wounds bleeding
freely, slashes of purple and black bruises streaking across the skin over her
ankle bone.
    “Move.” 
Drum was back scowling black murderous looks at everyone surrounding Nell but
especially at Case bent over her damaged ankle assessing the damage. “I’ve got
it.”
    “I’ll...”
Whatever Case was about to reply froze in his throat as he looked up, blanching
at the sight of Drum staring down at him with obsidian black eyes filled with
the promise of pain and death.
    “Move.” 
Drum rumbled the word once more. 
    Case
eased Nell’s foot down to the sand, rising quickly to follow the others who
were backing away quickly. 
    Devon’s
husky voice drifting back on the warm soft breeze.  “Who knew little Nell
had it in her to have so many men buzzing around her like bees to a honey pot.
Personally I just don’t see the attraction.”
    Drum
dropped to his knees next