Read Online Duty Bound: Bound and Tied, Book 2 by Myla Jackson - Free Book Online
Authors: Myla Jackson
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away by the frigid water.
“Mr. Thompson, help!” Rosalyn called out.
As KC fought the current carrying her away from the shore, Jake came crashing through the woods, flinging sticks and logs aside as he took in the scene before him.
She managed to get her feet under her on a sandbar in the middle of the stream and was just about to tell Jake she was all right when he dove into the pool, surfacing beside her. He grabbed her in his arms and swam back to shore, dragging her with him, nearly drowning her in the process.
When they emerged onto a rocky ledge, KC glared up at Rosalyn. “That was not called for,” she said, her teeth chattering.
“I’m sorry, I saw you slip and reached for you, but you fell in before I could pull you away from the edge.” She smiled, her eyes alight with mischief.
Jake hugged his arms around himself, his lips turning blue. “I don’t know what just happened, but we have to get out of these wet clothes or we’ll catch our deaths.” He hurriedly gathered the fallen logs and sticks, arranging them into a pile, placing dry tinder at its base. With matches he retrieved from his saddlebag, he had a cheerful fire blazing within minutes.
KC shivered, she felt her body growing colder by the minute. Night dropped on them like a shade, the temperatures falling with it. Still she refused to remove her clothing in Jake’s presence.
“Oh, come on. You’ll die if you don’t get out of those.” Rosalyn reached for the buttons on KC’s shirt. “We can see straight through your shirt anyway. You might as well take it off.”
KC glanced down at the thin, light blue shirt, and her face burned. The dark circles of her nipples shown through in the firelight. She crossed her arms over her breasts.
Jake stood next to the fire, stripped his shirt off and draped it over a branch near the crackling flames. “If it offends you, turn your backs. I’ll only take a moment.”
KC obliged. Rosalyn had no qualms watching Jake strip out of his trousers. “My, my. He is quite the catch,” she whispered.
“Have you no decency?” KC hissed through her clattering teeth. Too cold to give a damn, she finally moved to unbutton her shirt, only her fingers were too stiff to maneuver the buttons out of their holes.
“Let me. After all I feel responsible.”
“Damn right you are. What got into you?”
“I don’t know. Seems like you might have taken all night to get naked.” Rosalyn removed the last button and slid the shirt from KC’s shoulders. “Falling in the creek sped up the process.” Her slim fingers trailed over KC’s chilled skin, spreading warmth where they touched. “Mr. Thompson, is it right to assume sharing body warmth is one of the best ways to warm somebody quickly?”
Rosalyn unbuttoned her riding coat and dropped it to the ground. She worked the buttons loose at the waist of her riding skirt and let it slide down her legs, leaving her standing in her blouse and drawers. She planted her fists on her hips and glared. “Are you two going to stand there and freeze to death?”
“No, ma’am.” Jake shucked his trousers and long underwear, standing there in nothing but the clothes God gave him, a grin spreading across his face.
“That’s more like it.” Rosalyn removed her blouse and twisted her arms behind her to reach for the strings of her corset.
Jake came up behind her. “Let me help.”
KC stood with her mouth open as Jake let Rosalyn manipulate him like she’d manipulated KC into the water and now out of her clothing. The cool night air made her sluggish and she’d stopped shivering. If she didn’t get out of the wet trousers, they’d freeze against her skin. The nights in the mountains sometimes got down below freezing. If she didn’t do something soon, she might as well die.
With a sigh, she unbuttoned her trousers and peeled them down over her thighs, kicking them and her boots off together.
Jake whistled when she stood naked in the light from the
“Mr. Thompson, help!” Rosalyn called out.
As KC fought the current carrying her away from the shore, Jake came crashing through the woods, flinging sticks and logs aside as he took in the scene before him.
She managed to get her feet under her on a sandbar in the middle of the stream and was just about to tell Jake she was all right when he dove into the pool, surfacing beside her. He grabbed her in his arms and swam back to shore, dragging her with him, nearly drowning her in the process.
When they emerged onto a rocky ledge, KC glared up at Rosalyn. “That was not called for,” she said, her teeth chattering.
“I’m sorry, I saw you slip and reached for you, but you fell in before I could pull you away from the edge.” She smiled, her eyes alight with mischief.
Jake hugged his arms around himself, his lips turning blue. “I don’t know what just happened, but we have to get out of these wet clothes or we’ll catch our deaths.” He hurriedly gathered the fallen logs and sticks, arranging them into a pile, placing dry tinder at its base. With matches he retrieved from his saddlebag, he had a cheerful fire blazing within minutes.
KC shivered, she felt her body growing colder by the minute. Night dropped on them like a shade, the temperatures falling with it. Still she refused to remove her clothing in Jake’s presence.
“Oh, come on. You’ll die if you don’t get out of those.” Rosalyn reached for the buttons on KC’s shirt. “We can see straight through your shirt anyway. You might as well take it off.”
KC glanced down at the thin, light blue shirt, and her face burned. The dark circles of her nipples shown through in the firelight. She crossed her arms over her breasts.
Jake stood next to the fire, stripped his shirt off and draped it over a branch near the crackling flames. “If it offends you, turn your backs. I’ll only take a moment.”
KC obliged. Rosalyn had no qualms watching Jake strip out of his trousers. “My, my. He is quite the catch,” she whispered.
“Have you no decency?” KC hissed through her clattering teeth. Too cold to give a damn, she finally moved to unbutton her shirt, only her fingers were too stiff to maneuver the buttons out of their holes.
“Let me. After all I feel responsible.”
“Damn right you are. What got into you?”
“I don’t know. Seems like you might have taken all night to get naked.” Rosalyn removed the last button and slid the shirt from KC’s shoulders. “Falling in the creek sped up the process.” Her slim fingers trailed over KC’s chilled skin, spreading warmth where they touched. “Mr. Thompson, is it right to assume sharing body warmth is one of the best ways to warm somebody quickly?”
Rosalyn unbuttoned her riding coat and dropped it to the ground. She worked the buttons loose at the waist of her riding skirt and let it slide down her legs, leaving her standing in her blouse and drawers. She planted her fists on her hips and glared. “Are you two going to stand there and freeze to death?”
“No, ma’am.” Jake shucked his trousers and long underwear, standing there in nothing but the clothes God gave him, a grin spreading across his face.
“That’s more like it.” Rosalyn removed her blouse and twisted her arms behind her to reach for the strings of her corset.
Jake came up behind her. “Let me help.”
KC stood with her mouth open as Jake let Rosalyn manipulate him like she’d manipulated KC into the water and now out of her clothing. The cool night air made her sluggish and she’d stopped shivering. If she didn’t get out of the wet trousers, they’d freeze against her skin. The nights in the mountains sometimes got down below freezing. If she didn’t do something soon, she might as well die.
With a sigh, she unbuttoned her trousers and peeled them down over her thighs, kicking them and her boots off together.
Jake whistled when she stood naked in the light from the
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