Read Online A Tempestuous Temptation by Cathy Williams - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cathy Williams
Ads: Link
the snow and probably going to sleep. As a teacher, you should know that that is the most dangerous thing that could happen, passing out in the snow. While under the influence of alcohol. Tut, tut, tut. You’d be struck off the responsible-teacher register if they ever found out about that. Definitely not a good example to set for impressionable little children, seeing their teacher the worse for wear …’
‘Shut up,’ Aggie muttered fiercely.
‘Now, let’s see. Forgotten which room is yours … Oh, it’s coming back to me—the only one left with the
en suite
! Fortuitous, because you might be needing that …’
‘Oh be quiet,’ Aggie moaned. ‘And hurry up! I think I’m going to be sick.’
CHAPTER FOUR
S HE made it to the bathroom in the nick of time and was horribly, shamefully, humiliatingly, wretchedly sick. She hadn’t bothered to shut the door and she was too weak to protest when she heard Luiz enter the bathroom behind her.
‘Sorry,’ she whispered, hearing the flush of the toilet and finding a toothbrush pressed into her hand. While she was busy being sick, he had obviously rummaged through her case and located just the thing she needed.
She shakily cleaned her teeth but lacked the energy to tell him to leave.
Nor could she look at him. She flopped down onto the bed and closed her eyes as he drew the curtains shut, turned off the overhead light and began easing her boots off.
Luiz had never done anything like this before. In fact, he had never been in the presence of a woman quite so violently sick after a bout of excessive drinking and, if someone had told him that one day he would be taking care of such a woman, he would have laughed out loud. Women who were out of control disgusted him. An out-of-control Chloe, shouting hysterically down the phone, sobbing and shrieking and cursing him, had left him cold. He looked at Aggie, who now had her arm covering her face, and wondered why he wasn’t disgusted.
He had wet a face cloth; he mopped her forehead and heard her sigh.
‘So I guess I should be thanking you,’ she said, without moving the hand that lay across her face.
‘You could try that,’ Luiz agreed.
‘How did you know where to find me?’
‘I watched you from the dining room. I wasn’t going to let you stay out there for longer than five minutes.’
‘Because, of course, you know best.’
‘Staggering in the dark in driving snow when you’ve had too much to drink isn’t a good idea in anyone’s eyes,’ Luiz said drily.
‘And I don’t suppose you’ll believe me when I tell you that this is the first time I’ve ever … ever … done this?’
‘I believe you.’
Aggie lowered her protective arm and looked at him. Her eyes felt sore, along with everything else, and she was relieved that the room was only lit by the small lamp on the bedside table.
‘You do?’
‘It’s my fault. I should have said no to that second bottle of wine. In fact, I was barely aware of it being brought.’ He shrugged. ‘These things happen.’
‘But I don’t suppose they ever happen to you,’ Aggie said with a weak smile. ‘I bet you don’t drink too much and stagger all over the place and then end up having to be helped up to bed like a baby.’
Luiz laughed. ‘No, can’t say I remember the last time that happened.’
‘And I bet you’ve never been in the company of a woman who’s done that.’
No one would dare behave like that in my presence
, was what he could have said, except he was disturbed to find that that would have made him sound like a monster.
‘No,’ he said flatly. ‘And now I’m going to go and get you some painkillers. You’re going to need them.’
Aggie yawned and looked at him drowsily. She had a sudden, sharp memory of how it had felt being carried by him. He had lifted her up as though she weighed nothing and his chest against her slight frame had been as hard as steel. He had smelled clean, masculine and woody.
‘Yes. Thank you,’
‘Shut up,’ Aggie muttered fiercely.
‘Now, let’s see. Forgotten which room is yours … Oh, it’s coming back to me—the only one left with the
en suite
! Fortuitous, because you might be needing that …’
‘Oh be quiet,’ Aggie moaned. ‘And hurry up! I think I’m going to be sick.’
CHAPTER FOUR
S HE made it to the bathroom in the nick of time and was horribly, shamefully, humiliatingly, wretchedly sick. She hadn’t bothered to shut the door and she was too weak to protest when she heard Luiz enter the bathroom behind her.
‘Sorry,’ she whispered, hearing the flush of the toilet and finding a toothbrush pressed into her hand. While she was busy being sick, he had obviously rummaged through her case and located just the thing she needed.
She shakily cleaned her teeth but lacked the energy to tell him to leave.
Nor could she look at him. She flopped down onto the bed and closed her eyes as he drew the curtains shut, turned off the overhead light and began easing her boots off.
Luiz had never done anything like this before. In fact, he had never been in the presence of a woman quite so violently sick after a bout of excessive drinking and, if someone had told him that one day he would be taking care of such a woman, he would have laughed out loud. Women who were out of control disgusted him. An out-of-control Chloe, shouting hysterically down the phone, sobbing and shrieking and cursing him, had left him cold. He looked at Aggie, who now had her arm covering her face, and wondered why he wasn’t disgusted.
He had wet a face cloth; he mopped her forehead and heard her sigh.
‘So I guess I should be thanking you,’ she said, without moving the hand that lay across her face.
‘You could try that,’ Luiz agreed.
‘How did you know where to find me?’
‘I watched you from the dining room. I wasn’t going to let you stay out there for longer than five minutes.’
‘Because, of course, you know best.’
‘Staggering in the dark in driving snow when you’ve had too much to drink isn’t a good idea in anyone’s eyes,’ Luiz said drily.
‘And I don’t suppose you’ll believe me when I tell you that this is the first time I’ve ever … ever … done this?’
‘I believe you.’
Aggie lowered her protective arm and looked at him. Her eyes felt sore, along with everything else, and she was relieved that the room was only lit by the small lamp on the bedside table.
‘You do?’
‘It’s my fault. I should have said no to that second bottle of wine. In fact, I was barely aware of it being brought.’ He shrugged. ‘These things happen.’
‘But I don’t suppose they ever happen to you,’ Aggie said with a weak smile. ‘I bet you don’t drink too much and stagger all over the place and then end up having to be helped up to bed like a baby.’
Luiz laughed. ‘No, can’t say I remember the last time that happened.’
‘And I bet you’ve never been in the company of a woman who’s done that.’
No one would dare behave like that in my presence
, was what he could have said, except he was disturbed to find that that would have made him sound like a monster.
‘No,’ he said flatly. ‘And now I’m going to go and get you some painkillers. You’re going to need them.’
Aggie yawned and looked at him drowsily. She had a sudden, sharp memory of how it had felt being carried by him. He had lifted her up as though she weighed nothing and his chest against her slight frame had been as hard as steel. He had smelled clean, masculine and woody.
‘Yes. Thank you,’
Similar Books
