Hiding Rose (Saved By Desire 5)

“Shut up,” Barnaby grunted.

A rather spirited side she never realised she possessed began to surface. This man was like a veritable tide, and she suspected he would suck her under if she didn’t stand her ground. But being upside down, tossed casually over his shoulder like a side of beef, didn’t actually give her any platform from which to mount a defence.

What chance do you have? A small voice demanded. How can you stand your ground when your feet aren’t even on the floor?

“I demand you put me down this instant,” she demanded loudly.

Barnaby ignored her and crossed the street. When he glanced behind them he spotted Albert Chadwick not far away. Until now, they had done nothing to make the man suspect they were doing anything more than having a lover’s tiff. However, the more the woman over his shoulder chattered away the more likely she was to say something that would get them both shot. He couldn’t take the risk she would be loose-lipped with Chadwick in ear shot and began to search their surroundings for a way to get them out of sight so he could warn her.

One thing was definite now, Albert Chadwick had seen them both, and was now able to identify not just the woman but him as well.

“Damn it all to Hell,” Barnaby snarled. “Will you just shut up? I can’t think with you caterwauling all the damned time.”

“I will scream if you don’t put me down,” she threatened. It was difficult to think of anything else to threaten him with when she had her nose inches from his bottom; his tightly muscled and very masculine bottom. Coughing uncomfortably at the direction of her thoughts, she tried to turn her attention to something less suggestive. Only to find herself staring at the thickly muscled legs that disappeared into the riding boots encasing his extremely attractive calves.

Wait! How on earth can a man have attractive calves?

Wondering if she had a little too much blood in her head, Rose began to beat on his bottom with her clenched fists.

“Ow,” Barnaby protested when she thumped his posterior. “Pack it in you crone.”

“I demand to be put down this instant,” she declared in her most pompous tone.

She mentally winced when she realised she sounded like old Mrs Lawrence, but quelled the thought. Mrs Lawrence sounded arrogant and pompous whatever the situation. Rose, on the other hand, was being carted off into the night like a sack of flour by a rather handsome man she had only known for a few minutes.

When she placed her hands firmly on the man’s hips again, and pushed herself upright so she could take a look at the street behind them, the cold reality of her predicament hit her with horrifying speed. She knew she would never forget the narrow eyed glare on the face of the wiry man stalking behind them. It was nothing short of evil. As evil as the wicked looking gun he held.

“Er – hello,” Rose called to the man carrying her when her arms didn’t have the strength to hold her upright any longer. “He is following us,” she whispered.

“Jesus, will you shut up?” Barnaby growled. He shook his head in disbelief and wondered why she didn’t just lift her head and have a bloody conversation with Chadwick and be done with it.

“Did you hear me?” Rose demanded. “He is behind us.”

“Yes, I know,” Barnaby swore. “Now shut up.”

Typical woman, he cursed with masculine arrogance. Doesn’t know when to shut up and let a man even think.

“I am just saying,” Rose replied in a voice that was far too casual to bring him any comfort. “I just thought you might be interested seeing as he is holding a gun.”

When her captor didn’t reply, Rose stubbornly she crossed her arms only to realise how awkward a posture it was while upside down. Heaving a sigh, she relaxed her arms again but then watched them hang uselessly against his legs. It was difficult to stop her hands touching him when he walked but she couldn’t hold her hands aloft to keep from having any form of contact with him.

“We might be able to move a bit faster if you put me down,” she sighed. “I mean, this caveman behaviour might be acceptable where you come from but in my world a woman deserves a few manners, even from someone as uncouth as yourself.”

Barnaby forced himself not to rise to her bait.

What a damned time to goad someone, he grumbled silently. He wondered if he should just dump her on her feet and leave her to face Chadwick. The only thing that stopped him simply abandoning her was his position within the Star Elite. He just couldn’t be that coldly ruthless with any member of the public, no matter how irritating or damned attractive they were. He quickly blanked out all thoughts of having any ulterior motive for doing what he was and began to run through the layout of the town.

Thankfully, for several brief minutes at least, silence lapsed between them. It didn’t last long though.

“I say, whatever your name is, do you care that he is getting closer and closer?” Rose called, uncaring if this Chadwick was able to hear her. She wanted the killer to know that she wasn’t there willingly. She bit out the last word in a way that made it sound like a swear word but it didn’t seem to register on the oaf carrying her.

Barnaby felt the tension in her and knew she was in a snit. If he put her down now he had no doubt she would do something foolish, like go up to Chadwick and demand to know what the thought he was doing with that awfully wicked looking weapon.

“Probably challenge the damned man to a duel,” he grunted.

“What was that?” Rose cried. “Did you just call me a damned fool?”

She was outraged. He was the one caring her down the street, creating a spectacle.