Raven's Prey

as she climbed obediently out of the jeep and was led toward the front door. In the moonlight the adobe structure stood alone and aloof, rather like its owner.
    “I haven’t been here in a couple of weeks so there’s probably not much to eat except whatever I left in the freezer. I can get you a drink though,” Judd began as he opened the door and urged Honor into the tiled hall.
    She ignored the offer of a drink, glancing around quizzically. The house was a cool blend of colonial Mexican and local Indian colors and textures. The woven wall hangings were genuine, she saw at a glance, and Honor rather suspected that much of the heavy, carved furniture was, too. Large windows in the living room looked out into a private courtyard. A very self-contained sort of house, she thought. More refined and graceful than she would have expected, knowing what she did about the owner. Perhaps Judd had put into his house some of the things he couldn’t put into his emotional life.
    “Do you like it?” he asked from behind her and she spun around to find him watching intently as she surveyed his home.
    “As prisons go, I suppose it’s not bad. Did you bring me all this way to rape me in the comfort and convenience of your own home?” she mocked deliberately. Honor didn’t like the way she had reacted to the question in his eyes. Damn it, she was not going to let herself be misled again by this man. He’d fooled her once by making her think he could be reached on a human level. He wouldn’t fool her twice.
    “Your room is down mat hall,” he told her, dark eyes hardening at the sharpness of her tongue.
    “Fine. Then if you’ll just hand me my suitcase I’ll go to bed. It’s been a very trying evening.” Perhaps she could bluff her way through this, Honor decided on a small note of optimism.
    He looked a little confused, as if things weren’t going quite according to plan. “A drink, first,” he stated, heading toward the kitchen. “I’ll fix us both a drink. We could use it.”
    As soon as he stepped around the corner and flipped on the kitchen light switch, Honor grabbed her suitcase and dashed down the hall to the room he had indicated would be hers. Once inside she whirled and slammed the door, locking it firmly behind her. Then, leaning back against it, she surveyed her quarters.
    Not bad, actually, she decided wryly. Mexico had been a lot worse in terms of creature comforts. The windows looked out into the courtyard. There was a wide double bed with heavily carved posts at the far end of the room, and the rugs on the floor were beautiful examples of Indian weaving. Best of all there was a private bath, which she could see through a door that stood ajar. Straightening, she stalked across the room and checked to be sure the sliding glass doors were also locked.
    It was a very masculine sort of room, she decided, experimentally opening a closet door. But that stood to reason. It was obvious Judd Raven didn’t have much in the way of feminine influence in his life. She was just taking in the meaning of the shirts hanging in the closet when Judd’s voice sounded grimly from the other side of the door.
    “Honor! Stop acting like a child. Open the door. I’ve got a brandy for you.”
    “No, thanks.” She peered more closely at the boots on the floor. Damn!
    “Honor,” he said again, sounding as if he were striving for patience, “you’re in my room. Yours is the one across the hall.”
    Honor, having reached the same conclusion, swore softly again and shut the closet door. “I’m not coming out, Judd. I’m sure you can understand why. Sorry about the mix up in the rooms but I imagine you can make do. Good night!”
    “Honor, I want to talk to you!”
    “I’m not feeling chatty. Go hold one of your delightful single-word conversations with yourself!” She opened her suitcase and began fishing around for her nightgown and toothbrush. She was exhausted.
    There was a long silence from the other side of the door and for an instant Honor almost felt guilty at having spoken so harshly. Immediately she scolded herself for the stupid reaction. What was the matter with her? The man had just kidnapped her, for God’s sake!
    She didn’t actually hear him walk back down the hall. He moved too silently for that, but Honor’s instincts told her when he was no longer standing on the other side of the door. Heaving a shaky sigh of relief, she made her way into the bathroom and began getting ready for bed. In