Stripped Bare by Lacey Thorn
An Excerpt From: STRIPPED BARE
Copyright © LACEY THORN, 2010
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.
Chapter One
Chloe walked off the dance floor laughing. She loved to dance and really wished that she could find
more time to get out and do just that. She looked at her watch and shook her head. She’d been here
too long as it was. She had plans tomorrow with her best friend and they had been looking forward to it
all week.
“In a hurry?” the deep voice sounded in her ear and though she knew he was only leaning close to be
heard over the music she pulled away.
“Yeah, I’ve got to get going,” she replied.
“Well, here, at least take a few minutes to drink the Coke I ordered you,” he said as he handed it to
her. She really was thirsty so she downed it in three gulps.
“Thanks,” she smiled at him. He wasn’t that bad-looking. He just gave off a weird vibe almost as if she
had seen him someplace before and couldn’t place him. He had sort of stalked her across the floor
until a slow song came on and before she knew what he was doing he had maneuvered them into the
dance with the other couples.
“Here,” he said and reached for her arm. “I’ll walk you out to your car. There are a lot of crazies out
there.”
She laughed. There sure were but still she didn’t want to walk out to the parking lot with a stranger. “I’
ll just head to the restroom real quick and then go.”
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll meet you here and walk you out.”
“Thanks,” she said though she had no intention of walking back to meet him. Her car was parked
closer to the back door anyway.
She walked toward the bathroom and the back hall and kept right on walking out the back door. She
made it quickly to her car and clicked the key fob to unlock her door, getting in immediately and hitting
the lock button on her door before starting the car. Laughing at herself she tossed her cell on the
passenger seat beside her and pulled out of the lot.
She had spent too much time dancing and now would be late getting home. Of course who would be
there to care? Not her sister who was gone on another rescue mission that Chloe wasn’t supposed to
know about. Stace was her hero, she just wished that her sister trusted her more to be open about
what her job really was. But for some reason Stace seemed to think Chloe needed protection from that
side of her sister’s life. If only Stace realized just how much Chloe had discovered on her own.
She shook her head. She couldn’t believe how blurry the road was getting. She was tired but not
enough to be falling asleep and unable to focus on the road in front of her. Her hands couldn’t seem to
keep a grip on the wheel. Her heart was racing and yet she felt sick. Something was wrong. It took her
brain too long to engage. The Coke. There must have been something in the Coke that guy had given
her at the bar. Shit! Her sister had warned her about taking drinks from anyone but the bartender or
waitress.
She pulled the car over to the edge of the road suddenly terrified that she had taken the back roads
home. She fumbled for her phone and on the third try managed to hit 9-1-1.
“Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?” a voice said over the phone.
“Something in my drink,” she slurred out. “Can’t drive home. Can’t stay awake.” She could hear how
slow and drawn-out her speech was and wanted to scream.
“Ma’am where are you?” the voice came again. “Are you driving in your car?”
“On side road,” she managed. “Three hundred west. Ta-ta-Tark’s Tavern.”
“Have you been drinking ma’am?” the voice asked, all business.
“Coke,” she managed. “He me Coke.”
“Ma’am stay with me,” the voice sounded far away, so far away.
“Lights,” Chloe said as she began to pass out. “Here.”
“What kind of lights?” the voice said but Chloe couldn’t get her lips to work anymore. “Is there
someone there with you? Ma’am are you there? Ma’am?”
There was a sound, a popping noise and then the door was opened. Chloe let the phone slip from her
hand. Two voices, definitely masculine but speaking in whispers so it was hard to discern what was
being said. She felt hands gripping her, pulling, lifting and then she was in someone’s arms being
carried away from her car, away from her phone and help. She tried to say something but could manage
no more than a moan. Lips pressed softly against the top of her head and then she felt nothing at all.
Copyright © LACEY THORN, 2010
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.
Chapter One
Chloe walked off the dance floor laughing. She loved to dance and really wished that she could find
more time to get out and do just that. She looked at her watch and shook her head. She’d been here
too long as it was. She had plans tomorrow with her best friend and they had been looking forward to it
all week.
“In a hurry?” the deep voice sounded in her ear and though she knew he was only leaning close to be
heard over the music she pulled away.
“Yeah, I’ve got to get going,” she replied.
“Well, here, at least take a few minutes to drink the Coke I ordered you,” he said as he handed it to
her. She really was thirsty so she downed it in three gulps.
“Thanks,” she smiled at him. He wasn’t that bad-looking. He just gave off a weird vibe almost as if she
had seen him someplace before and couldn’t place him. He had sort of stalked her across the floor
until a slow song came on and before she knew what he was doing he had maneuvered them into the
dance with the other couples.
“Here,” he said and reached for her arm. “I’ll walk you out to your car. There are a lot of crazies out
there.”
She laughed. There sure were but still she didn’t want to walk out to the parking lot with a stranger. “I’
ll just head to the restroom real quick and then go.”
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll meet you here and walk you out.”
“Thanks,” she said though she had no intention of walking back to meet him. Her car was parked
closer to the back door anyway.
She walked toward the bathroom and the back hall and kept right on walking out the back door. She
made it quickly to her car and clicked the key fob to unlock her door, getting in immediately and hitting
the lock button on her door before starting the car. Laughing at herself she tossed her cell on the
passenger seat beside her and pulled out of the lot.
She had spent too much time dancing and now would be late getting home. Of course who would be
there to care? Not her sister who was gone on another rescue mission that Chloe wasn’t supposed to
know about. Stace was her hero, she just wished that her sister trusted her more to be open about
what her job really was. But for some reason Stace seemed to think Chloe needed protection from that
side of her sister’s life. If only Stace realized just how much Chloe had discovered on her own.
She shook her head. She couldn’t believe how blurry the road was getting. She was tired but not
enough to be falling asleep and unable to focus on the road in front of her. Her hands couldn’t seem to
keep a grip on the wheel. Her heart was racing and yet she felt sick. Something was wrong. It took her
brain too long to engage. The Coke. There must have been something in the Coke that guy had given
her at the bar. Shit! Her sister had warned her about taking drinks from anyone but the bartender or
waitress.
She pulled the car over to the edge of the road suddenly terrified that she had taken the back roads
home. She fumbled for her phone and on the third try managed to hit 9-1-1.
“Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?” a voice said over the phone.
“Something in my drink,” she slurred out. “Can’t drive home. Can’t stay awake.” She could hear how
slow and drawn-out her speech was and wanted to scream.
“Ma’am where are you?” the voice came again. “Are you driving in your car?”
“On side road,” she managed. “Three hundred west. Ta-ta-Tark’s Tavern.”
“Have you been drinking ma’am?” the voice asked, all business.
“Coke,” she managed. “He me Coke.”
“Ma’am stay with me,” the voice sounded far away, so far away.
“Lights,” Chloe said as she began to pass out. “Here.”
“What kind of lights?” the voice said but Chloe couldn’t get her lips to work anymore. “Is there
someone there with you? Ma’am are you there? Ma’am?”
There was a sound, a popping noise and then the door was opened. Chloe let the phone slip from her
hand. Two voices, definitely masculine but speaking in whispers so it was hard to discern what was
being said. She felt hands gripping her, pulling, lifting and then she was in someone’s arms being
carried away from her car, away from her phone and help. She tried to say something but could manage
no more than a moan. Lips pressed softly against the top of her head and then she felt nothing at all.
Lacey Thorn
It's your world...unlaced
It's your world...unlaced