Page 139 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 3
Of course I'm not trying to get myself killed!Especially for a crime she didn't commit. Arwin must have sent this man to save her. She took a step toward him. He winked and took off in the opposite direction, as if he'd known she'd follow him all along.
The nerve of him.But she didn't have time to overthink her decision. She needed to get away from the fabric merchant. She quickened her pace as she caught up to the only man offering her any help.
"This way." The stranger grabbed her hand again as the two of them ducked beneath a weathered canopy. He may have had the face of a prince, but she knew he was not one. His hands were rough and calloused from years of labor. And his clothes were torn and dirty. She shook away the thought, not knowing why she was analyzing him when she should be focused solely on escaping.
"Stop them!" yelled the fabric merchant from somewhere far behind them.
The stranger pulled Oriana down a side street, away from the market. He kicked open a door and she followed him in just as the merchant tore around the corner.
"That way!" yelled the merchant. He had amassed an angry mob.
Oriana struggled to keep pace as the stranger dashed up a flight of stairs two at a time. They burst through another door onto the roof of the building. He dropped her hand and jumped across a gap to another roof.
Her feet skidded to a stop.
"You have to jump!" he called to her.
She heard the merchant's voice again. He seemed even closer. Oh bother. She grabbed the hem of her skirt and lifted it to her knees. With a deep breath, she took a step back and then ran as fast as she could. She leapt across the small divide. Her momentum made her stumble to her knees as she landed.
The stranger pulled her to her feet before she had a chance to recover. They burst through another door and ran down the stairs. The thick sheets over the windows rendered the room almost completely dark.
"This'll do." He caught her arm and pulled her into the corner of the room.
Oriana started to protest, but the stranger pressed his finger against her lips. "Shh," he whispered into her ear.
She swallowed hard as she looked up at him. Her heart seemed to skip a beat. Yes, a face worthy of a prince indeed. Although, no prince she had ever imagined would dare find himself in such a situation.
His finger fell from her lips but his body stayed pressed against hers.
"I should probably..." she tried to duck away from his arms.
"Just one moment," he whispered. The warmth of his breath against her ear sent a shiver down her spine.
Suddenly it sounded like a herd of rhinos was stampeding across the roof. She threw her arms around his neck and didn't protest at all when he held her firmly against his chest. She didn't want to imagine what the fabric merchant would do if he caught her. What had she gotten herself into?
"Shh," he whispered again. The words and warmth comforted her slightly.
As the silence settled around them once again, the stranger took a step back from her. "Are you alright, m'lady?"
"Yes. I'm fine." A little bruised and scraped, but nothing lasting. "And you?"
He laughed. "I've been through worse."
Her eyes slowly began to focus in the dark. She couldn't seem to stop staring at his disarming features.
A smile spread across his face as he watched her.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Bastian." He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He placed a gentle kiss on her hand.
The gesture sent a chill down her spine.
A squeaking noise made them both turn their heads. The same squirrel from the market scampered down the stairs toward them. Oriana squealed and took a step back, slipping on an uneven patch of floor.
Bastian easily caught her with one arm.
She momentarily lost her breath as her hands wrapped around his biceps.
