He turned her into the darkness and kissed her again. She ran her hands down his arms, well-muscled under his perfectly cut suit. Sage nibbled kisses along his strong, square-cut jaw, enjoying his clean and masculine scent.
William drew her hand down so there could be no question in her mind he wanted her. His cock pressed against the front of his trousers, trying to get out. Sage enjoyed fondling him, feeling his size and strength, wondering what it would be like to have him lie between her legs before he surged forward, driving into her, stroking her to ecstasy. She could feel desire pooling between her legs and realized she was looking forward to being pleasured with something far better than any vibrator.
“Why is it women like to wear leggings?” William whispered seductively, cupping her bottom before running his hand inside her waistband and beneath her panties to caress her bare flesh.
Sage moaned and might have protested, but William’s mouth captured hers in a searing kiss, overwhelming her already frayed senses. How long had it been since she’d been kissed like this? Had she ever? She melted against him, her body molding to his as she groaned in need. His lips rubbed against hers, and hers parted, inviting his tongue to taste her more deeply, entreating and emboldening him. Sage knew it was madness, but didn’t care when he pushed her leggings and panties down past her buttocks, exposing her mons and lower body to the cool London night.
He gripped the nape of her neck with one hand, holding her in place, while he leaned her back against the stone pillar of the bridge support. He used his other hand to find the soft curls at the apex of her thighs, gently trailing his fingers between them until he discovered her clit, circling and tugging before pressing it firmly as if it were some kind of ignition button, which it seemed to be. Sage felt dizzy with need, clinging to William while he explored her most feminine place.
“Wanton little wench, aren’t you?” he whispered.
“Not usually,” she said with a muffled laugh. “I think all that ale has gone to my head.”
William spun her away from him so she was facing the wall, her hands splayed on the damp stone. He stroked the cleft between her butt cheeks, circling her dark rosebud before slipping his hand between her legs and penetrating her wet heat with two fingers, plunging them in and out.
“William,” she breathed.
“Shh, Sage,” he crooned, fingering her while stroking her hair before drifting his hand to her breast and squeezing it briefly before dipping into the pocket of his jacket. “If I’d known you’d be this ready for a good romp, I might have set this up differently.”
The seductive tone was gone—in its place was one as cold as ice.
Sage felt the thin, cloth-covered wire slip around her neck as he removed his fingers from her pussy and grasped the other end of the garrote. William used his hard thighs to force her against the stone as she brought her hands up to try to keep him from strangling her.
“Why?” she barely managed to stammer.
“Why not?” he hissed.
The loop tightened and her breath was cut off as darkness began to cloud her mind. She tried to struggle, to no avail. She felt cheated when her life didn’t flash before her eyes. She wondered why she had been able to provide her readers with a storybook hero… yet failed to find her own. All she felt was the peace of acceptance as the noose cut off her air. Time and space shimmered and seemed to shift, darkness descending upon her.
Just before she lost consciousness, she thought she heard a spitting sound… then the blackness became complete.
The room was dark, lit only by the ambient light through the windows. All he could see was what was directly opposite the veil. Where the hell was she? Hadn’t she heard both Gabe and Holmes tell her to take care with her safety? It was late, and she had yet to return. He pressed against the barrier that separated them and felt it give way—more than the usual permeable feeling, more even than the spongy texture that had been gaining in the last few days.
Without warning, he could feel a loop tightening around Sage’s lovely neck. Her airway was being closed, and she couldn’t breathe. Her hands clawed at her throat, but the noose was too tight. Someone was trying to kill her, and if he couldn’t break through, the assassin would succeed.
That was not happening.
He leaned his shoulder into the barrier and shoved with all his might. The veil gave way, and he felt himself falling forwards, tumbling through time and space as everything around him shimmered. When he landed, instinct took over, and he rolled to his feet. Looking around, he realized he wasn’t in her hotel room. It took only a moment to recognize he was outside the Savoy, not far away, but down by one of the many bridges that crossed the Thames. He knew she was ahead in the shadow of the bridge, out of the sight of prying eyes.
Running toward her, he prayed to whatever power had allowed him through the veil that he could reach her in time. He could feel unconsciousness descending on her. He was running out of time. He strained his eyes to pierce the darkness and finally located them. Sage was shoved up against a wall, her killer’s
