Page 29 of Trapped By Clocks and Hearts

Someone was coming out.

Backing up, Allie bumped into me. With another glance around, she pushed me into the gap between a cabin and the closed hatch before I could offer a dispute.

Slurs and giggling passed us by. Footsteps clomped up the stairs before becoming faint.

Allie craned her neck over her shoulder to check if the coast was clear before letting out a sigh. “That was close.”

I glared down at her in displeasure. Her hand was clutched at my shirt as she pressed me back against the wall. “Get off of me.”

She met my gaze in ridicule. “Calm down. Or maybe you want to get pawed by those women again?”

I gritted my teeth, ready with my rant. “Those women—”

Another shuffling came from down the hall and Allie jumped to cover my mouth with her hand.

This time, low, deep voices were murmuring from across the way. If those were some of The Dodo’s men and they found me on this boat, this river crossing was definitely going to get a lot more exciting.

Allie seemed to be of the same mind. “They shouldn’t see your face,” she whispered, grabbing the back of my neck to pull my head down.

My forehead nearly pressed against hers, I shot her an incredulous look. “How is this better?”

“They’re coming,” she hissed. “Just shut up.”

With Allie’s warmth pressed against me, her breath on my cheek, the pit of my stomach stirred.

I wanted to get away. But at the same time…

I had to blink away drowsiness. I couldn’t help but breathe in Allie’s scent. Mostly engine grease and polished metal, but there was a faint flowery hint from—somewhere I couldn’t pin down. I had to tamp down the urge to pull her even closer to ascertain exactly where.

The need to know was annoying me like the dickens. “Let me the hell go.” My warning came out like a low rumble, tugged from a place deep inside. “Or else.”

Her response was airy, self-assured. “Threaten me all you like. I know you can’t hurt me right now.” She cast a discreet backward glance again. “Shoot, they’re not leaving. They’re congregating in the bloody corridor.”

I grumbled as I tried to push away but Allie yanked on my ear. “Mmff—” I almost couldn’t stifle my groan of complaint but I happened to glance up the corridor, and spotting a lanky man with a beak-like mouth in a swanky red-striped coat, I jerked back against the wall hissing a curse under my breath. “That’s him, The Dodo.”

“Shoot.” She dropped her gaze to think. “Maybe we should split up. You walk away. I’ll try to distract them.”

My dark gaze bore into her. “Nice try. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

“Oh, come on. I already know it’s pointless to try to run away from you,” she reminded me, trying to keep her voice as hushed as she could. Still frowning, she fidgeted in her stance. “They’re going to see. Your face is too obvious at this angle.”

Rolling my eyes in resignation, I braced my hands on her shoulders to spin us around so my back was to the corridor.

Allie gasped as she pressed up against the wall.

Propping up my arms to cage her face between them, I bent my head low to murmur close to her neck, beneath her ear. “Is this better then?”

Perhaps she noticed the relative ease with which I loomed over her; her one eyebrow quirked up in amusement. “I see this is not your first time tumbling along in dark corners. Is this why those women were chasing you? Did you seduce them all?” Her tone was still full of wonder as she studied my face.

Shifting slightly, I gave her the most deadpan look in my arsenal. “Girl, I have not even begun to do anything.”

“So you just happen to be naturally irresistible to them?” she mused before stopping short. “Oh, I almost forgot. You used to be a bunny. The urge to copulate must be too strong to bear.” Her shoulders began to shake in mirth.

Indignation rose in my chest again. “I am not an animal,” I stated crisply.

Was she inferring that I was unable to control my own urges? And damn Chez for letting slip that very incriminating piece of information around Allie.

“Please,” she chided in mocking. “I’ve been living underneath your loft for three weeks. You know all I’ve heard from your visiting lady friends? It always goes something like this—” Just then, Allie let out a low, pleasurable moan.