Stolen Moments 2

Yelena tossed the deer meat on the table and sighed deeply. Emily stood a few feet from her with her nose crinkled from the smell of the animal. It was the first time she’d seen her friend speechless. She grabbed a knife from the drawer and began cutting the meat into pieces.

            “I am not touching that,” Emily said.

            Yelena looked up at her. “Is that supposed to surprise me?”

            She sighed. “Look, considering the circumstances, can you just pretend I am a goody two shoes like you? I do not mix with those crowds either, just so you know.”

            “I know and I’m forgiving you this one time.”

            Emily crossed her arms and turned toward the living room where the men had brought Craig to earlier. She turned her head back to Yelena. “I’m going to talk to them.”

            Yelena stopped cutting and looked up. “I don’t suggest that. You have a sharp tongue and you may just get us all killed.”

            Laughing, she replied, “If anything, I’m sharp everywhere. I’ll get us out of this hole.”

            Before Yelena could argue, she stomped off and she shook her head as she continued cutting the meat. She sliced up a few carrots, celeries, and onions. She started a broth and poured everything in to make deer stew. It came to a broil not long after and she added some spice.

            “It sure does smell good in here,” Tom said as he walked in.

            She turned around and ignored him as she continued stirring the stew. “You’ll leave in the morning?”

            He laughed and walked to lean against the wall, crossing his arms as if it was something he did all the time; as if they were old friends. “Whether we leave or not is something you’ll just have to find out, won’t you? I sense that you don’t like me very much. I don’t like that. I don’t like it when people, especially pretty women, don’t like me.”

            “I’m not pretty. If you’re looking for pretty, you should be looking at Emily.”

            Tom laughed and uncrossed his arms, walking to stand behind her. “Emily isn’t pretty; she’s beautiful. But I’m not attracted to beautiful. I find those women to be snotty, bitchy and a pain in the heart. I prefer pretty…like you.”

            Yelena whipped around and faced him. “Under the situation we have here, how about you and I not talk?”

            “Why not? I like the sound of your voice. It’s like sugar.”

            She dipped the spoon into the broth and brought it over his hand. He was too into her to realize what she had planned. “Sugar? Really, then you must know that sugar when left too long in the heat turns to black heat.”

            With that, she poured the liquid over his hand. She watched as he yelped and jumped from the burn. Smiling she turned away as he continued to howl behind her. She laid the spoon aside and smiled when she was yanked around. She was caught by surprise when he slammed her against his muscular chest, his arms around her tiny waist.

            “You shouldn’t have done that, lassie. One thing you must learn about me is that I do not like being played.”

            “What do you plan-“UMPH!!

            Her words were cut off by the pressure of his lips against hers as he held her and gave her a kiss that made her toes curl. She pushed him, but he grabbed both of her hands in one hand and yanked them behind her back. He grabbed a handful of her hair, tilted her head to the side, and bit her lip until she opened her mouth. When she did, he entered his tongue and she let out a muffled scream. She stomped his foot and he deepened the kiss until she felt he was sucking the life out of her. He ended the kiss with a loud smack and pulled free from her. Yelena raised her hand to slap him and he caught her wrist.

            “As soon as your hand touches my face, I’ll throw you on the table and show you what else I’m capable of,” he warned.

            She jerked her hand free from him and wiped her mouth, still tasting him. She had never been kissed and the first kiss he had to steal. She had dreamed of such a romantic kiss that would make her soul lift and her heart flip. This one had made her toes curl with hatred and she wanted to hit him. Tears suddenly filled her eyes as she thought of her robbery. All of her life, she’d been planning for her first real kiss and it had to be taken with force. But to her surprise, she saw concern in his eyes as he took a few steps toward her.

            “Did I hurt you?” he asked gently.

            Lifting her head up high, she took a deep breath and ignored his question. “Your soup is ready. Eat and leave.”