Read Online A Winter Sabbatical (Books We Love holiday romance) by Cheryl Wright - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cheryl Wright
Ads: Link
shoulders at her. If she
didn’t want to go to bed yet, then that was fine with him. He’d turn on the
television – maybe there was a good movie on.
Travis walked out of the room nonchalantly.
Was this a normal occurrence, or was he the problem?
His mind drifted back to the day of the
massage – the day Marissa fell asleep. The day he watched her tormented face,
listened to her terrified voice, watched the perspiration pour from her.
Once again, Travis knew exactly who was the problem .
Marissa stood looking down at the bed.
She could hear the noise of the television.
Travis had apparently found something decent to watch. Perhaps she should go
out and join him?
Jonah began to lick her fingers. She rubbed
her cheek against his head, and he began to purr. His white fur was soft and
silky. She loved having a cat around – that was something she missed when she
leased the little flat in the city – no pets allowed. Daniel probably wouldn’t
mind if she had one at the house. She’d ask him next time he phoned. Or maybe
she could send him an email.
She sat on the edge of the beautiful
four-poster bed. It certainly felt comfy enough; she pushed at it with one
hand, the other one still holding Jonah.
“Tell the truth,” she whispered aloud.
“It’s not the bed, it’s you.”
Marissa sighed. She had to make a decision
– climb into bed, or go out and snuggle up with Travis.
There was really no choice, was there?
Still half asleep, Travis patted the bed
beside him.
He knew the bed was empty even before he’d
confirmed it. He’d lain awake for ages while she slept, listening to her steady
breathing, wallowing in her nearness, cringing every time she moaned in
nightmarish agony.
He glanced across at the bedside clock.
Three a.m.
Marissa had fallen asleep in the middle of
the movie, snuggled up against him, and he hadn’t wanted to disturb her. It had
finally finished around midnight, and he’d carefully picked her up and carried
her into bed.
But where was she now?
Travis grabbed his toweling bathrobe, not
bothering to do it up. As he entered the lounge room, he spotted her.
Marissa stood staring out the window into
the blackness. He stood watching her silhouette as the trees gently waved in
the breeze, the sky jotted by the endless stars and the moonlight.
He took a step forward, and the floorboards
creaked, startling her.
She turned and looked at him, the curves of
her body visible under her makeshift nightie – one of his t-shirts. Of course,
it was a mile too big, and he’d probably never wear it again, now that it had
the mark of Marissa on it, in it.
They stared at each other, not saying a
word. Someone had to break the spell.
“Can’t sleep?” Stupid question Johnston,
of course she can’t sleep. Why the hell else would a person stand staring out
the window at this ungodly hour?
He saw her lips curl slightly in the
moonlight.
“Sorry – did I wake you?”
As if she knew he could see through the
shirt, Marissa wrapped her arms tightly around herself, pulling the loose folds
of the shirt with them.
Travis walked slowly toward her. “No. No
you didn’t.” He tried to smile, to make her feel more
at ease, but his mouth wouldn’t do what his brain was telling it to do. “Is
everything all right? Can I get you anything?”
She waved a hand at him. “Go back to bed,
I’ll be fine.” Marissa turned back to face the window.
Instant dismissal? Travis felt a chuckle rolling up his chest to his mouth. He
couldn’t stop himself. It really wasn’t funny. No, this was a serious matter.
Marissa turned back to look at him.
“Are you laughing at me?” The moonlight was
playing directly on her face. He could see the furrowing of her brows, her
forehead.
“Moi?” He smiled.
Marissa smiled back; a tiny smile, but a
smile nonetheless.
He took another step forward. The floor
creaked again.
Marissa stood staring at him.
“My burglar alarm.”
A smile; finally he got a
didn’t want to go to bed yet, then that was fine with him. He’d turn on the
television – maybe there was a good movie on.
Travis walked out of the room nonchalantly.
Was this a normal occurrence, or was he the problem?
His mind drifted back to the day of the
massage – the day Marissa fell asleep. The day he watched her tormented face,
listened to her terrified voice, watched the perspiration pour from her.
Once again, Travis knew exactly who was the problem .
Marissa stood looking down at the bed.
She could hear the noise of the television.
Travis had apparently found something decent to watch. Perhaps she should go
out and join him?
Jonah began to lick her fingers. She rubbed
her cheek against his head, and he began to purr. His white fur was soft and
silky. She loved having a cat around – that was something she missed when she
leased the little flat in the city – no pets allowed. Daniel probably wouldn’t
mind if she had one at the house. She’d ask him next time he phoned. Or maybe
she could send him an email.
She sat on the edge of the beautiful
four-poster bed. It certainly felt comfy enough; she pushed at it with one
hand, the other one still holding Jonah.
“Tell the truth,” she whispered aloud.
“It’s not the bed, it’s you.”
Marissa sighed. She had to make a decision
– climb into bed, or go out and snuggle up with Travis.
There was really no choice, was there?
Still half asleep, Travis patted the bed
beside him.
He knew the bed was empty even before he’d
confirmed it. He’d lain awake for ages while she slept, listening to her steady
breathing, wallowing in her nearness, cringing every time she moaned in
nightmarish agony.
He glanced across at the bedside clock.
Three a.m.
Marissa had fallen asleep in the middle of
the movie, snuggled up against him, and he hadn’t wanted to disturb her. It had
finally finished around midnight, and he’d carefully picked her up and carried
her into bed.
But where was she now?
Travis grabbed his toweling bathrobe, not
bothering to do it up. As he entered the lounge room, he spotted her.
Marissa stood staring out the window into
the blackness. He stood watching her silhouette as the trees gently waved in
the breeze, the sky jotted by the endless stars and the moonlight.
He took a step forward, and the floorboards
creaked, startling her.
She turned and looked at him, the curves of
her body visible under her makeshift nightie – one of his t-shirts. Of course,
it was a mile too big, and he’d probably never wear it again, now that it had
the mark of Marissa on it, in it.
They stared at each other, not saying a
word. Someone had to break the spell.
“Can’t sleep?” Stupid question Johnston,
of course she can’t sleep. Why the hell else would a person stand staring out
the window at this ungodly hour?
He saw her lips curl slightly in the
moonlight.
“Sorry – did I wake you?”
As if she knew he could see through the
shirt, Marissa wrapped her arms tightly around herself, pulling the loose folds
of the shirt with them.
Travis walked slowly toward her. “No. No
you didn’t.” He tried to smile, to make her feel more
at ease, but his mouth wouldn’t do what his brain was telling it to do. “Is
everything all right? Can I get you anything?”
She waved a hand at him. “Go back to bed,
I’ll be fine.” Marissa turned back to face the window.
Instant dismissal? Travis felt a chuckle rolling up his chest to his mouth. He
couldn’t stop himself. It really wasn’t funny. No, this was a serious matter.
Marissa turned back to look at him.
“Are you laughing at me?” The moonlight was
playing directly on her face. He could see the furrowing of her brows, her
forehead.
“Moi?” He smiled.
Marissa smiled back; a tiny smile, but a
smile nonetheless.
He took another step forward. The floor
creaked again.
Marissa stood staring at him.
“My burglar alarm.”
A smile; finally he got a
Similar Books
