Miracle Jones Read Online Free Page A

I?” He considered her carefully, and Miracle, to her consternation, could feel the color rise on her cheeks. “My first name’s Harrison,” he corrected her. “You haven’t told me yours.”
    “You don’t need to know it.”
    “I guess not.” He drew a breath and shook his head again, as if trying to clear his mind. “But if you don’t give me a name I’ll call you Sally, just to keep things straight.”
    “I’m Miracle,” she answered, goaded into answering him.
    He propped himself up on one elbow, and Miracle could feel the heat of his breath fanning her face. He smelled like whiskey and hay and a subtle, masculine odor that was peculiarly intoxicating. “Miracle? That’s your name?”
    “Er – yes,” she stammered, alarmed at the way he was moving up next to her. “I help people.”
    “Help people? How?” He put a hand to his head and sucked in a breath. “Never mind. Save it for later. We’ve got to get going, Miracle, or my hour’ll be up.”
    She narrowed her eyes. If he moved much closer he would feel the knife at her thigh. She had to get out of here and away from him. “I could help that shoulder of yours,” she said quickly, when he reached a hand toward her to do God knew what.
    His hand paused in midair. He stared at her, amused. “Maybe later.”
    “Let me try. If you could just untie my hands…”
    “You’re tied?” The muscles of his face tightened. “My God, that’s right. You would be.” With a snort of anger, he suddenly wrapped his arms around her. “Come here.”
    Shocked, she held her breath, unable to move. She lay like a slab of marble, cold and unforgiving and hard. If he felt the knife, her one chance of escape would be ended. Dimly, she realized he’d pulled out his own pocket knife and was sawing through her bindings.
    Seconds later her fingers wriggled loose!
    He stared down at her, and his expression changed to one of thoughtful appraisal, as if he’d just discovered something that surprised him. His gaze slowly moved to her lips. “One kiss for freeing you,” he said softly, then pressed his mouth against hers.
    Miracle didn’t wait. She ripped the knife from its trappings, her ears sensitive to the rasp of tearing cloth. A corner of her mind registered the sweet taste of liquor on his lips and the amazing depth of his kiss.
    She raised the knife overhead, her hand taut and shaking.
    “Then we’ll get you out of here,” he added, pulling back to smile at her through warm, seductive eyes.
    But it was too late. The knife was already arcing downward. Less than a heartbeat later, Miracle plunged it with devastating thoroughness into the smooth, hard muscles of his back.

Chapter Two

    “Oh, my God!” she cried aloud in horrified disbelief.
    The instant the knife entered his back, Harrison stiffened and bit back a rasp of pain. Miracle’s hand was sweaty on the handle. It went limp, her arm flopping to the hay. Harrison slumped against her, gasping. The lantern sent a beam of light onto the knife, driven to its hilt into his back, and glinted off it mockingly in front of Miracle’s tortured gaze.
    She may have killed him!
    “Harrison,” she whispered in a trembling voice, a catch in her throat.
    He didn’t respond, but she could feel the reassuring beat of his heart against her chest. He was still alive! She hastily thanked the Christian God she believed in – and a few of the Chinook gods for good measure – then called on every ounce of courage she possessed to grab the hilt of the knife once more. Closing her eyes, she yanked it out.
    The husky cry of pain he emitted scraped along Miracle’s already frayed nerves. She touched the wound automatically, checking it. Blood welled stickily around her fingers.
    In that instant she realized she’d worsened her own situation. She couldn’t escape and leave him here. She had to take him with her, try to save him, but how?
    Grinding her teeth together, she silently cursed herself. But was it her