I hesitated long enough to look squarely at her. “Never say that. I need you alive. ” I went back to work and added, “I’m nearly through the rope. Get ready to run. ”
She had one hand free by then and used it to comb her fingers through my hair, brushing the strands away from my face. Thick and brown, it had been cleaned up from the coarse chopping I had given it before I went to the pirates. Now I wished it were longer so there could be more for her fingers to get lost in. Even here, I felt drawn to her touch and had to force myself to concentrate on the rope.
“When you’re finished, let me have your knife,” she said. “I can fight too. ”
Once her other hand was free, she gave me a warm embrace. I thought about Darkovan’s comment that I had been lying to myself about Imogen. Maybe she ha
