Read Online Escapade (9781301744510) by Susan Carroll - Free Book Online
Authors: Susan Carroll
Tags: new york city
Ads: Link
might already
have gone filled him with an unexpected sense of disappointment.
Turning the knob, he shoved the bedchamber door open.
The room seemed deserted, only the light of
the lamp on the bureau breaking the gloom. Then something stirred
on the bed.
"Miss Kavanaugh?" Zeke tiptoed forward.
She was curled up on her side, nestled
against the pillows, apparently fast asleep. He grinned and moved
the lamp closer for a better look at her. The light gleamed upon
the silken cascade of her dark brown hair, which tumbled across the
covers. Mixed among the strands was a sheen of red he hadn't
noticed before. Thick lashes rested against her cheeks, which were
pale with. fatigue. For the first time, Zeke took note of the pert
tilt of her nose, the almost perfect bow shape of her lips.
She was a dainty-looking little thing to be
risking her neck, performing stunts in a balloon or threatening to
mill down a man of his weight and size. Her courage roused Zeke's
admiration even if he did think she must be a little insane.
His gaze traveled lower, over the silken
robe, which had become disarranged in her sleep. The blue folds
parted in a deep vee, affording him a glimpse of her small, firm
breasts, the dark crest of her nipples. She had cast out one leg,
baring the smooth contours up to a shapely thigh, the rest
tantalizingly concealed beneath the drapings of the robe. How warm
and soft her skin would be to caress, more soft than the silk she
wore. She was indeed a little temptress, albeit a most
innocent-looking one.
Zeke experienced a familiar tightening of his
loins. Damn! It appeared both Wellington and Mrs. Van H. were far
more perceptive than he regarding the charms of Miss Kavanaugh, It
was time to see about being fitted with spectacles.
He shifted the lamp back to the bureau,
half-ashamed of ogling her while she slept on, peacefully unaware.
Returning to her side, he reached down and tugged the robe into a
more decorous position, covering as best he could that alluring
expanse of limb.
Even at that slight touch, Miss Kavanaugh
stirred, but she did not awake. From the tension that knotted her
brow, Zeke thought that she was not enjoying the most restful
sleep. Perhaps she sensed him hovering and it frightened her. He
ought to retreat, just let her sleep. But when she muttered
something, then moaned, it occurred to Zeke she was caught in the
throes of a bad dream, a dream that was getting worse, judging from
the way she squirmed and thrashed about.
When a whimper escaped her, he perched on the
edge of the bed and gently shook her arm. "Miss Kavanaugh, wake
up."
"No. Please!" She mumbled and resisted,
flinging out her hand to ward something away, whether it was
himself or some monster from her dreams, Zeke couldn't tell.
He shook her more firmly. "Aurora. Wake up!
You're having a nightmare."
She sat bolt upright all at once, gasping for
breath, her eyes wide open, confusion and terror in their depths.
Her gaze roved fearfully around the chamber, then locked upon him.
She shrank back.
"What-where ?"
"It's all right," Zeke said. "It's only me.
Remember? The idiot whose lawn wrecked your balloon."
Recognition slowly returned to her eyes, but
she continued to tremble.
"There's nothing to be scared of. You were
only having a bad dream."
He couldn't resist pulling her into his arms.
She stiffened at first, then clung to him in a way that roused a
rare sense of protectiveness in him, a protectiveness he would
never have felt toward any of those society misses who shrieked at
the sight of a butterfly. But a girl like this one, brave enough to
dare the skies beneath a scrap of silk and a puff of hot
air—nothing should be allowed to frighten her. Ever.
Zeke cradled her against him. "No one's going
to hurt you. It was just a nightmare. There are no bogeymen
here."
"It wasn't a bogeyman," she whispered,
burrowing against his shoulder. "It was the fog and I thought the
banshee was coming again."
Zeke had no idea what a
have gone filled him with an unexpected sense of disappointment.
Turning the knob, he shoved the bedchamber door open.
The room seemed deserted, only the light of
the lamp on the bureau breaking the gloom. Then something stirred
on the bed.
"Miss Kavanaugh?" Zeke tiptoed forward.
She was curled up on her side, nestled
against the pillows, apparently fast asleep. He grinned and moved
the lamp closer for a better look at her. The light gleamed upon
the silken cascade of her dark brown hair, which tumbled across the
covers. Mixed among the strands was a sheen of red he hadn't
noticed before. Thick lashes rested against her cheeks, which were
pale with. fatigue. For the first time, Zeke took note of the pert
tilt of her nose, the almost perfect bow shape of her lips.
She was a dainty-looking little thing to be
risking her neck, performing stunts in a balloon or threatening to
mill down a man of his weight and size. Her courage roused Zeke's
admiration even if he did think she must be a little insane.
His gaze traveled lower, over the silken
robe, which had become disarranged in her sleep. The blue folds
parted in a deep vee, affording him a glimpse of her small, firm
breasts, the dark crest of her nipples. She had cast out one leg,
baring the smooth contours up to a shapely thigh, the rest
tantalizingly concealed beneath the drapings of the robe. How warm
and soft her skin would be to caress, more soft than the silk she
wore. She was indeed a little temptress, albeit a most
innocent-looking one.
Zeke experienced a familiar tightening of his
loins. Damn! It appeared both Wellington and Mrs. Van H. were far
more perceptive than he regarding the charms of Miss Kavanaugh, It
was time to see about being fitted with spectacles.
He shifted the lamp back to the bureau,
half-ashamed of ogling her while she slept on, peacefully unaware.
Returning to her side, he reached down and tugged the robe into a
more decorous position, covering as best he could that alluring
expanse of limb.
Even at that slight touch, Miss Kavanaugh
stirred, but she did not awake. From the tension that knotted her
brow, Zeke thought that she was not enjoying the most restful
sleep. Perhaps she sensed him hovering and it frightened her. He
ought to retreat, just let her sleep. But when she muttered
something, then moaned, it occurred to Zeke she was caught in the
throes of a bad dream, a dream that was getting worse, judging from
the way she squirmed and thrashed about.
When a whimper escaped her, he perched on the
edge of the bed and gently shook her arm. "Miss Kavanaugh, wake
up."
"No. Please!" She mumbled and resisted,
flinging out her hand to ward something away, whether it was
himself or some monster from her dreams, Zeke couldn't tell.
He shook her more firmly. "Aurora. Wake up!
You're having a nightmare."
She sat bolt upright all at once, gasping for
breath, her eyes wide open, confusion and terror in their depths.
Her gaze roved fearfully around the chamber, then locked upon him.
She shrank back.
"What-where ?"
"It's all right," Zeke said. "It's only me.
Remember? The idiot whose lawn wrecked your balloon."
Recognition slowly returned to her eyes, but
she continued to tremble.
"There's nothing to be scared of. You were
only having a bad dream."
He couldn't resist pulling her into his arms.
She stiffened at first, then clung to him in a way that roused a
rare sense of protectiveness in him, a protectiveness he would
never have felt toward any of those society misses who shrieked at
the sight of a butterfly. But a girl like this one, brave enough to
dare the skies beneath a scrap of silk and a puff of hot
air—nothing should be allowed to frighten her. Ever.
Zeke cradled her against him. "No one's going
to hurt you. It was just a nightmare. There are no bogeymen
here."
"It wasn't a bogeyman," she whispered,
burrowing against his shoulder. "It was the fog and I thought the
banshee was coming again."
Zeke had no idea what a
Similar Books
