Read Ruby - Book 1 (Daughters of the Dagger Series) for Free Online

pulling
herself upward, then climbing yet one branch higher. Looking down,
she frantically pulled up her long train after her. She cursed the
fact she wore this binding gown, making it impossible to climb the
way she used to as a child. She tried to move her gown from under
her foot and slipped, causing her to have to grab onto the branch,
her feet now dangling dangerously beneath her.
    She hung from her hands, lifting her feet
higher, trying to wrap her knees around the branch. But the skirt
tangled and kept her from succeeding. She looked down once more and
saw the wolf getting closer. If she dropped now, she’d end up right
in its jaws.
    “No!” she screamed. “Leave me alone.”
    Then the sound of hoofbeats led her to
believe her horse had returned to her rescue. But when she saw Lord
Sheffield heading toward her, she knew her odds had worsened. She’d
much rather be thrown to the wolves than thrown into the arms of
the Lord of Death.
    He sprang from his horse, dagger in hand,
tying his steed to a tree, though the animal tried to run from the
wolf.
    “Kill it!” she screamed, her legs kicking
wildly, her fingers slipping on the branch with every move she
made.
    He walked toward the wolf, dagger at the
ready, but made no motion to lunge for it.
    “Kill it!” she screamed once more.
    Instead, he waved his hands and scared the
wolf away. He stood beneath her now, looking up her skirt, as she
had managed to lift her legs around the branch. An embarrassing
position to be sure, and she despised him even more.
    “Come down from there at once,” he
commanded.
    She wanted to deny him, but couldn’t. Her
fingers were raw, her palms sweaty. Her grip slipped and she fell,
landing atop him. In a tangle of satin and limbs, she lie prone
atop his body on the cold hard ground.
    She pushed upward, realizing she was now in
the position of coupling. Her bodice was low cut and the tops of
her breasts were just under his nose. His frown deepened and his
eyes glanced at her cleavage so close to his face he could have
reached out and bit her. She felt more fearful of him now than she
did of the wolf.
    In one motion he had her on her back, his
hands holding hers above her head, but pinned to the ground. His
short blade lay at her side.
    “Woman, you try my patience!” he spat. “You
will get off the ground immediately and abide by my word from now
on. And don’t ever try such a stunt again. I’ve wasted most the day
hunting you down, and I’ll not waste another minute with this
nonsense.”
    She struggled for breath, eyeing the dagger,
wondering if she could get to it before he used it on her.
    “I beg your pardon, Lord Sheffield, but I
cannot remove myself from the ground when you are resting atop
me.”
    He moved then, and she rolled over quickly
in one motion and reached for the dagger. His hand shot out and
clamped around her wrist. The heat of his palm warmed her and the
mere strength of his fingers wrapped around her, let her know she
had no hope of escaping him now.
    “Don’t even think of it,” he warned her.
    She released the dagger and in return he
released her wrist slowly, his fingers brushing her skin lightly as
he did so. Whether he meant to do it purposely or not, she felt an
odd tingle dance across her skin. She jerked away from him, eyeing
the back of her palm, scooting across the ground.
    “I’m surprised you haven’t used that dagger
yet,” she said, rubbing her wrist and watching him closer.
    “On you or the wolf?”
    She didn’t answer. The thought of either was
frightening indeed.
    He picked up the blade and her eyes widened.
Then he replaced it in his belt and in one swift motion, yanked her
to her feet.
    “My lord!” she gasped, crashing into his
strong, hard chest. “That is no way to treat a lady.”
    “You are no lady, Ruby, so I needn’t worry,
now shall I?”
    She pushed away from him, meaning to run,
but a wolf howled from somewhere in the distance, and she froze her
actions.
    “Are