Two Roped and Ready [Bewitching Desires 6] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) by Mellanie Szereto Page A

from lying in the same position for more than twelve hours.
    Heléna dabbed a bead of nose-clearing oil on the tender skin of Ilona’s inner elbow when Flora shifted from the left arm to the right and again when she switched to the legs. If nothing else, Ilona wouldn’t suffer from congestion. The smell reminded PC of menthol cough drops.
    Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Quayde gave what PC guessed was an impatient sigh. “What does that stuff do?”
    Glancing at her mother, Heléna seemed to wait for permission to answer. After a nod, she spoke as she moved to Ilona’s knees. “Eucalyptus is a healing plant. The clearer the lungs, the more oxygen the body can absorb. It also reduces stress and has a calming effect.”
    “But is it making her well? She’s lying there like she’s in a…coma.” A break in the last word revealed how worried Quayde was.
    Both women sobered, sending PC’s stomach to his knees. “She isn’t in a coma, is she?”
    Flóra sighed. “Not in the truest sense of the word, I assure you. Agnes and I have administered a homeopathic remedy to induce sleep. My family is well-versed in the treatment of many illnesses and injuries with natural ingredients we grow in our gardens and greenhouse.”
    Forget the gypsy settlement. We landed in a hippie commune.
    A choked cough came from Quayde. “You mean you grow things like marijuana and poppies?”
    Heléna glared at him. “We would never risk drawing attention to ourselves like that.”
    Noting Flóra’s quickly covered gasp, PC could only conclude they had something to hide—meaning he or Quayde needed to leave Ilona for a little while to explore the house and grounds.
    “Come, Heléna. We must help prepare lunch.” Flóra hurried from the room with her daughter on her heels. “Margita will bring your lunch at noon, gentlemen.”
    The outer door clicked closed several seconds later, leaving PC and Quayde alone with Ilona once again. A very naked Ilona. “Help me cover her so she doesn’t get chilled.”
    Quayde rounded the bed to fold the blankets up over her. As he eased the comforter up to her chin, he touched his finger to her cheek. “We need to find out more about these people. I’m going to go for a walk and do some spying.”
    Unable to resist brushing her hair from her forehead, PC rolled his eyes. “Don’t get into trouble. The last thing we need is more of that.”
    “I know. I want to look for TVs and computers, that kind of stuff. Something to show we didn’t jump from the Old West to another time or place we don’t belong in.”
    “Okay, but be careful.”
    Quayde nodded and then leaned down to kiss Ilona’s temple. “I’ll be back shortly, darlin’.”
    He traced the path Flóra and Heléna had taken out of the apartment, the outer door clicking closed as he left.
    Settling beside Ilona, PC pressed his lips to hers in hopes of some response. A flutter of her eyelids. A soft feminine moan. Her mouth opening to welcome his tongue inside. Yeah, right. He’d hardly been dropped into a fairy tale.
    The silkiness of her skin was a dream come true, though. He succumbed to the need to trail a line of kisses to the delicate shell of her ear. “I wish I could remember you, Ilona.”
    Her slow, even breaths didn’t change. She didn’t move.
     
    * * * *
     
    Every step away from Ilona’s apartment sent a tiny stab of pain through Quayde’s head, but he scuttled down the stairs she’d taken the day before. The first flight led to a second, giving him the choice of a hallway much like the one he’d left or to continue downward. Seeing no one in the wide corridor, he opted for the steps.
    At the bottom of the staircase, a high-ceilinged entryway gave him more options—what looked to be the front door, a hall to the left, and a hall to the right. He chose the right.
    Double doors stood open on the left side, leading into a spacious library with floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with thousands of books. The top