Harlequin Nocturne March 2016 Box Set Read online

  Astonishment washed over Annie. He chose her instead of his men, instead of his duty. “You are? Really?”

  “Of course.”

  Tallulah jumped up from the table. “Good choice, brother. I’ll make sure that bastard pays for what he’s done.”

  She plucked a feather from her braid and held it out to Annie. “You showed great courage tonight. You insisted I run to get help, and you faced Na haksichi alone. And you had enough presence of mind to summon your animal guide and escape.”

  Annie accepted the feather and nodded, too overcome with surprise and gratitude to speak. Tallulah nodded and marched out. One by one, each of the hunters stopped before Annie and gave her a feather, until the wooden tabletop was hidden beneath a pile of feathers in every dark earth and rainbow shade. When the last one had exited, she let the tears fall. This was the closest she’d ever come to feeling like part of a family. She hadn’t even known how much she’d craved this until the sense of belonging and acceptance built to a crescendo of emotion.

  “Be right back.” Tombi withdrew and walked his guests to the door.

  Annie dropped her head on the table, and feathers tickled her nose and cheeks. She heard a chorus of birds, each feather a note in a melody, as lovely as any she had ever heard. Sweet notes of love and home and family.

  And she lost it. Totally lost all self-composure. She’d survived the ordeal with Hanan, but the acts of kindness were her undoing. If only Grandma Tia were here to see it, all would be perfect.

  Strong arms enfolded her, encouraging her to stand.

  “This has all been too much for you. Let’s get you cleaned up and into bed.”

  She struggled to her feet, quelling the sniffling. Tombi smiled tenderly. He gently removed a blue feather stuck to her cheek with salty tear paste.

  “Our tradition is to wear the feathers in our hair and not on our face.”

  “I thought y’all should start something new.”

  Annie shuffled to the back bedroom, leaning heavily on Tombi’s arm. The sight of the familiar four-poster bed with wool patterned blankets folded at the ends and the handmade, sturdy furniture felt like an oasis in a storm.

  “It feels like I’ve been away for weeks,” she said with a sigh.

  “It does. I’ve missed you.”

  The admission glowed her heart and numbed the pain in her wrists and ankles and face. It wasn’t I love you, but she’d take it. In a heartbeat. Annie put her arms around his neck and kissed him enthusiastically.

  “Ouch,” she gasped as her cut bottom lip protested the deep kiss.

  “Passion can wait.” Tombi quickly guided her to the bathroom. “I’ve already drawn the water for you.”

  The scent of chamomile and sweet orange emanated from the Jacuzzi tub. “You even added my favorite essential oils,” she marveled.

  Tombi flashed a rare grin. “I pay attention,” he boasted. “Now take off your clothes.”

  Annie mock saluted. “Yes, sir.” She slipped out of the dirty, sweaty T-shirt and jeans, bra and panties. Hanan had touched her through these clothes. The whole lot should be burned. If she ever wore them again, she’d remember him.

  Quickly she slipped into the warm, scented bath, ready to wash away the unsettling memory of Hanan’s promise of more to come later. Impulsively, Annie dunked her whole body, face included, and let the water completely submerge her—a self-baptismal ritual to symbolically wash away all thoughts of Na haksichi. The raw skin on her wrists and ankles stung like a bitch, but they needed cleaning to prevent infection.

  Tombi’s face was above her own, its harsh, dear form and features rippled and blurred through the transparent liquid wall between them. His frown meant he was concerned. Annie immediately sat up, pushing through the water. She clasped her wet hands on his forearms and tugged. “Join me.”

  Tombi peeled off his shirt, and Annie smiled at his haste. No way was passion waiting until the morning. The sound and sight of him unbuckling his belt and unzipping his jeans wiped the smile from her face. This was what she needed. Him.

  His erection popped loose from his briefs, and she swallowed hard. She squirted some body wash in her right palm, and when he sank into the tub opposite her, she massaged the wash onto his broad chest. White scars crisscrossed his golden flesh, and she lightly ran her fingers over them. “How did you get these?”

  “Ishkitini. Horned owls known as shadow birds. They will sometimes attack if we slip past the wisps and get too close to Nalusa.”

  She shuddered to think of Tombi being sliced by the birds of prey. And she pictured her hawk carving Hanan’s forehead and attaching his long talons into Hanan’s scalp. “My hawk attacked Hanan today. Do you think my spirit guide might have once been on the dark side?”

  “No. Once you’ve crossed, you can never go back. Any being, human or animal, is forever tainted.” Tombi grasped her shoulders with his calloused hands and lowered his head to her level. “Now that we’re alone, tell me...what did Hanan do? The swelling on your face and lips is proof he struck you at least once.” He reached in the soapy water and raised her right hand. “And he cruelly bound you too tight. That was overkill.”

  “He only struck me once. Let’s leave it at that.”

  Tombi placed his palm over her left breast. “You are bruised here, as well.”

  Annie hung her head. “Please. I don’t want to talk about it.”

  He tried to gently lift her chin, but Annie jerked her head to the side.

  “It will do you good to open up. We only have to talk about it this once, if you’d like.” He paused a heartbeat. “Did he force himself on you?”

  She shook her head, still refusing to meet his direct gaze. “It didn’t get that far.”

  Tombi remained silent, and she rushed to fill the void. “Once I was tied to the tree, he kissed me and...and then shoved himself against me and...pinched my breasts.”

  “You must have been so scared.” Tombi wrapped her in his arms. “I’ll never let him hurt you again,” he said with fierce tenderness.

  “I know,” she said, her voice muffled against his chest. “Just hold me a minute, okay?”

  “Always.”

  The steady drum of his heartbeat vibrated in every cell of her body, pulsing a message of love. He might not realize it, but he did love her. She knew it as certain as she knew she was the granddaughter of the most revered hoodoo practitioner in Alabama.

  She soaked in every sensation, Tombi’s heartbeat, the warm water a liquid caress against her bare skin, the sweet scent he’d so thoughtfully provided. Annie used her newly found abilities to block out the rest of the world—the distant noise of cars, the humming of electrical appliances, the birds beginning to awaken and stir, welcoming in the morning. By focusing on the here and now, the intimacy was more profound.

  For the first time, she was thankful for her special gift of hearing. This moment obliterated the childhood pain of being an outcast. She’d been born and fashioned for this man, just as he had been destined for her.

  He had to feel it, too. The stubborn man. Even if this were their last night together, her heart and soul had irrevocably linked to his.

  “Annie, are you ready for bed?”

  She opened her eyes and blinked. “Huh? Did I fall asleep?”

  “Just for a moment. Let me wash your hair and then tuck you into bed.”

  She didn’t feel like bothering, but it seemed to please him to take care of her. “If you want.”

  He climbed out of the tub and pulled the plug, turned on the faucet. “Stick your head under.”

  A splat of shampoo landed on the top of her scalp and expert fingers massaged it in, kneading her temples and working back down to the tight muscles at the base of her neck. Heaven. And to think she had wanted to pass this up. Tombi could wash her hair a