aw the door was slightly ajar, allowing her to look into the kitchen through the narrow crack between the hinges of the

left hand tightening about the brass ornament even as she reached out with her right hand to push the kitchen door inwards. S

hell ar

ic voice coming from behind her that as she turned

w!

down and grasp the top of his boot, where the heavy ornament had obviously landed, with pa

between her and that block of sharp knives. The book she had been reading! Caroline had forgotten it was sti

grasp both of Caroline's wrists and hold her hands up and away from him, we

me narrowed and glittering black eyes. The same shoulder-length, silky dark hair. The same harshly sculptured face; prominent cheekbones, a hard slash of a nose

e in her life, Ca

___

ively, as the woman he had picked up in his arms and then carried to

urn hair, a creamy, heart-shaped face; delicate cheekbones, a short, straight nose, a full bow of a mouth, and a small pointed chin that could be raised

t, darkest lashes Nicholas had ever seen, he discovered as she sat up abruptl

ill here?" she

here?" he repeat

. "You had plenty of time to

cholas sugges

those blue eyes. "A perfectly normal re

cotton pajamas also attested to her indignation. Nicholas had never particularly cared for the idea of women wearing pajamas, preferring the woman in his be

be that the pale blue material made her eyes look bigger and bluer? Whatever it

out harshly as she raised questioning brows, "I‟m not a burglar. Secondly," he continued, when she would have

d attacked him. Firstly by dropping the ornament o

nim-clad thigh! As if he had been reading it while wai

police will be too interested in my efforts to defend

cases in the newspapers recently where the burglar was given compensati

aper reports-and she questioned

e man continued relentlessl

ou

the key from under the third flowerpot to the

ill outside? More to the point, how had this man known there

hing the house?" sh

t, you mean?" he

t of someone-this man!- watching the recent daily comings and goi

miles. The spare key was conveniently left under a plant pot outside. No dog to bark at unusual noises