Bakra Bride (Tapestries, Book Two)

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An Excerpt From: BAKRA BRIDE

Copyright ? N.J. WALTERS, 2006.

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing,
Inc.

Laying her head down on the tapestry, Jane ran her
finger over the fabric, tracing the intricate stitching that created a
forest haven that seemed alive. Closing her eyes, she breathed deep. She
swore she could almost smell the heavy scent of flowers in the air and hear
the buzz of the insects as they roamed from flower to flower. Water lapped
against the shoreline and a bird sang from some nearby perch.

Frowning, she rubbed her palm over the tapestry. She
didn?t remember a lake in the picture, but a lake would be wonderful. The
fish would breach and land back in the water with a splash. A smile curved
up the corners of her mouth. That would be lovely.

She twitched her nose as something flicked it. The
smell of violets filled her nostrils. The light, haunting smell was
absolutely incredible. She brushed her hand over her cheek when something
feathered lightly over it. She really didn?t want to wake up, but when she
felt it again, she slowly opened her eyes.

The light was bright in her eyes. Funny, she couldn?t
remember leaving a light on. Blinking, she brought the world around her
into focus. Slamming her eyes shut, she scrunched them tight, counted to
ten and slowly opened them again. She definitely wasn?t in her apartment.

A shuffling to her right made her turn her head. A huge
male chest filled her line of vision. Swallowing hard, she looked up over
the tanned expanse of skin, along the strong column of his neck, until she
found herself staring at the most gorgeous man she?d ever seen. His pale
blue eyes ensnared her and she was afraid to blink, afraid he was just a
figment of her imagination and would disappear as quickly and quietly as he
appeared.

Long blond hair trailed over his shoulders and a thin
braid ran down on either side of his temples, framing his face. And what a
face. His features were strong and his nose had a slight bump, indicating
that it had been broken at some point in his life. There was a hint of
arrogance in the tilt of his jaw and a sensual curve to his thin lips.

He was too good to be real. She closed her eyes again
and counted to ten once again. The sounds of the woods still rang in her ears
but this time it was joined by a masculine chuckle. ?Where is your man??

Her eyes popped open again. ?What man??

He gently stroked a purple violet over her cheek. That
must have been what had awakened her earlier. The dainty flower being held
so carefully in his massive hand enthralled her. In fact, she was so
enthralled, she almost missed his next words. ?Surely a treasure like
yourself is not alone??

Nerves struck her suddenly. What the heck was she
doing? She was lying here next to a complete stranger. And where the heck
was she? She started to scoot away, but found herself flat on her back with
him leaning over her.

Bracing his arms on either side of her head, he threw
one muscled thigh over her legs, caging her easily. The only thing to do
was brazen it out. ?Listen mister. I don?t know who you are or what?s going
on, but you?d better get off me.? She was pleased that she sounded so tough
and decisive. That was more like her.

Except, he didn?t look impressed at all. Instead, he
looked quite amused. He wasn?t smiling, but there was a distinct twinkle in
his blue eyes. ?I am Zaren of the House of Bakra and you are on my land.?

?Well, you?ll have to excuse me. I have no idea exactly
where I am or how I got here or where exactly here is.? She knew she was
starting to babble, so she took a deep breath. Calm. It was important to
remain calm. Although that seemed an impossible task with a gorgeous giant
looming over her. The heat coming off his large body was amazing and she
had to fight her inclination to just lean into it and absorb it. The man
was a living, breathing female fantasy.

Fantasy.

?Of course, this is only a dream,? she muttered. It was
too bad he wasn?t real. But on the other hand, she didn?t need to be afraid
of a dream. ?It?s another dream. Just like last night. You?re one of the
warriors.? She didn?t know why it had taken her this long to figure it out.
Probably because it had been so dark in the other dream.

He stilled when she said the word dream. She could feel
the sudden tension in him. ?Dream??

Reaching out, she patted his chest. Really, she
couldn?t resist a quick touch. Who knew when the dream might come to an
end? ?I fell asleep with the tapestry again.?

He struck with the swiftness of a predator bringing
down prey. Her hands were captured in one of his and extended over her
head. He lowered his body over her as his head moved closed to hers. She
was trapped, unable to budge an inch. The indulgent male was gone, replaced
by the implacable warrior.

Swallowing hard, she stared up into his hard face. He
frightened her as much as he had last night. There was a barely leashed
power about him that was scary. The ease with which he?d overpowered her
made her tremble. Stiffening her spine, she gritted her teeth as she pushed
against him. ?Get off me, you big oaf.?

He
appeared to be carved out of stone. There was no give at all in his hard
body or his severe features. ?Tell me about the tapestry.?