Page 20 of Dark Embrace

Sarah closed her eyes, torn between the desire to stand here forever and the fact that anyone could comeuponthem.

As though he divined her thoughts, he said, “My apologies, Miss Lowell. Truly. I take liberties that are not mine to claim.” And before she could form a response, he said, “Tell me what you saw this morning by Mr.Scully’sbed.”

“I am not certain.” She was grateful for the change in topic and the tiny bit of space he allowed her. Her heart yet raced; her nerves tingled with excitement. He made her lose her common sense, and she did not like that. “Whatever I saw, it was not beside his bed, but rather on the far side of the ward. Perhaps I saw a shadow cast through the windows. Perhaps nothing.” She paused and lifted her gaze, but found only her own reflection in the dark glass of his spectacles. “Perhaps Isawyou.”

“If you think that, then why did you defend me?” There was something in his tone that both pleased her and raised her hackles…affection? Amusement? He confounded her, made her wary, and yet, hefascinatedher.

“I never said I thought it. You asked what I saw, and as I truly do not know, I offered a variety of options. I cannot say why I leaped to your defense.” She only knew that she could not find it in herself to believe that he had ripped open the wrists of four patients at King’s College and drained their bodies ofblood.

Even standing here in the gloomy little closet with the height and breadth of him—thethreatof him—blocking her path, the possibility that he had done murder seemed absurd. She had seen him work far too hard to save patients’ lives to believe that he would choose to rob themofit.

He reached up and slid his spectacles down his nose, then dragged them off entirely, leaving his gaze open to her scrutiny. The shadows only served to accent the handsome lines and planes of his features. The slash of high cheekbones, the straight line ofhisnose.

For a long moment, he studied her, saying nothing, the only sound the escalated cadence of her own breathing. He was so focused, sointent.

Again, she wondered if he was a mesmerist, for she found she could not look away. Had no wish tolookaway.

Her limbs felt heavy, languid, and her blood was thick and hot in herveins.

He moved aside and swept his hand before him, offering her the opportunity to exit the closet. She hesitated then shook her head and stayed whereshewas.

“No?” he asked andwaited.

Again, she shook her head, knowing it was folly, yet unwilling to simply walk away from this moment. She held his gaze as he stepped inside the closet once more, held it as he moved closer and then closer still, held it as he raised his hand and laid his fingers along the side of her throat where her pulse pounded hardandwild.

“Sarah.” Just her name, spoken in his low, deep voice. The sound thrummed through her body, leaving her limbs trembling and her thoughts befuddled. “Such a wise and brave treasureyouare.”

Wise. Brave.Was she? Or was she a fool, making choices that were ill advised, evendangerous?

Treasure.

He rested the back of his hand against her cheek and she fought the urge to lean into his touch. How long since she had been touched with affection? Months and months. And even then, not like this. Neverlikethis.

“I believe that in a different time, you would make a fine physician and surgeon,” he said, his voice rougher than she had ever heard it. “Dr. Sarah Lowell has apleasantring.”

She cut him a glance through her lashes. “Your words are fantastical. No medical school would offer a place to awoman.”

“And iftheydid?”

He laid bare a secret dream, one she had shared with no one, not even her father. Shewouldmake a fine surgeon. She knew she would. But such was nottobe.

“If wishes were fishes…” She made a softlaugh.

“…we’d all swim in riches.” Killian smiled at her. “I like the sound of your laughter,”hesaid.

Her skin tingled, her nerves danced, and she was aware of his every breath, of the sweep of his dark gold lashes, the line of his brow, the shape ofhislips.

A sound escaped her, a breath, a sigh. He leaned closer until their breath mingled. She wanted to rest her nose against the strong column of his throat and simply breathe him in, but she held her place, paralyzed by incertitude andinexperience.

He would kiss her now. She wanted him to kisshernow.

Her lipsparted.

Voices carried to them from the main corridor, laughter and the murmur of conversation. The moment dropped and shattered, fractured into a thousand bits. Sarah felt the loss like aphysicalblow.

With a rueful smile, Killian drew his knuckles along the curve of her cheek, making her shiver. Then he dropped his hand and stepped away, leaving her body aching in the strangest way, as though her breasts and belly were pained bydisappointment.

She closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, and when she opened them once more, he was gone and she was alone. Alone with the shadows and the dark and the memory of the way he had looked at her, his features hard and lean with…hunger.