Protecting the Pregnant Princess. Lisa Childs

until they’d seen the hotel suite.

      But Aaron had believed Charlotte too honest for subterfuge. Had he been wrong about her?

      It wouldn’t be the first time he had let his attraction to a woman cloud his judgment. The last time his lapse had cost that woman her life.

      He had to be more careful—had to make certain that nobody died this time. Because, given all the bullets that had already been fired at him, it just might be him who wound up dead this time.

      JANE HELD HER breath as she waited for him to swipe the badge he’d stolen through the lock. But he hesitated, his gaze fixated on her. Even though she wasn’t looking at him, she knew those pale blue eyes were staring at her. He wasn’t touching her, but yet she felt him. Her skin heated and tingled as it had from just the brush of his fingertips as he’d untied her gown.

      She closed her eyes and drew in a steadying breath. But that was a mistake because that fleeting image she’d had earlier of him returned—even more vividly. She not only felt him. She saw him. Naked.

      Her face heated with embarrassment over that being the only thing she remembered about her life before she had woken up in this place. That was why she’d lied to him. How could she admit to knowing what he looked like naked—magnificent—but not what his name was?

      She’d only heard that voice from the hall refer to him as Timmer. But she didn’t even know if that was really his name or a cover he’d used to gain access to this creepy place.

      Hell, she didn’t even know what her name was.

      But none of that mattered right now.

      “We have to get out of here,” she urged him. “Mr. Centerenian, that armed guard, called someone—I don’t know who—earlier, and they made plans to take me to some airfield—to get me out of the country.” She had no idea what country they were in, but that didn’t matter, either. What mattered was not getting on that private plane to a new prison.

      He nodded, either in understanding of the guard’s plan or in agreement with the need to get out of here because he swiped the badge through the card reader.

      She held her breath until the lock buzzed and a green light flashed on the card reader. She reached for the door, but his hand was already on the handle. Her fingers connected with the back of his hand, with his hard knuckles and warm skin. And she tingled again from his touch, just as she had when he’d undressed her. Attraction had chased chills up and down her spine then. Now apprehension did as he opened the door to the hall.

      Would the guard catch them as he’d caught this man last time?

      Now that Timmer had unlocked the door, he was done hesitating. His hand wrapped tight around her arm. Maybe just to steady her. Or maybe to make sure that she didn’t get away from him.

      He pulled her down the hall behind him, as if keeping himself between her and whatever threat they might encounter. As she followed him, she noticed the bulge beneath the scrubs at the small of his back. He wasn’t unarmed this time. Since she’d seen him last, Timmer had acquired a gun. Was it his or had he taken it off the burly guard?

      Was that where Mr. Centerenian had gone? Disarmed? Or dead?

      Maybe this man, whom she’d once known intimately, was just resourceful. Or maybe he was dangerous.

      The threat actually came from behind them as someone yelled, “Stop!”

      The man increased his speed, nearly dragging her as Jane obeyed the command and tried to stop. It wasn’t a male voice yelling but a familiar female voice. Nurse Sandy caught up to them and clutched at Jane’s free arm.

      “Stop!” But the older woman spoke to the man. “You can’t take her.”

      “I can’t stay,” Jane told her. “That guard—the one who hurt me—he’s going to take me out of here. Out of the country. I can’t leave with him.”

      “You can’t leave with this man, either,” the nurse said. “Unless…” Sandy stared intently into Jane’s eyes. “Do you know him?”

      “I—I—”

      “Of course you don’t,” the woman answered her own question. “You don’t even know who you are.”