Read Online Everything but the marriage by Dallas Schulze - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dallas Schulze
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the normal concern a woman might have been expected to feel. And he didn't believe it was because he had a particularly winning smile. She hadn't been worried about what he might do to her, because nothing could be worse than whatever she'd already experienced.
What had happened to her to drive her so low? Rape? The thought brought a slow flush of anger to his face. He'd long believed that a man who'd force a woman was something less than human. But the thought that someone might have raped Annalise brought that contempt into focus, sharpened it with a more personal rage.
He forced his tight muscles to relax. He didn't know that that was what had happened to drive all the life from her. Time enough to find the son of a bitch and castrate him if he found out that was the case.
Odd how she'd literally dropped into his life less than twenty-four hours ago, and here he was lying awake wondering about her. He frowned into the darkness. He had the feeling that he should have let Ben take her to the hospital the night before. Already he was getting involved. No matter how tenuous that involvement, it wasn't for him.
But he couldn't just walk away from her. His mouth twisted in rueful acceptance. Like it or not, he cared what happened to Annalise. She'd brought out feelings he'd thought only Kelly could stir in him. Feel-
ings of protectiveness and concern, things he didn't particularly want to feel.
Maybe it was the fact that he'd saved her life. Maybe you couldn't save someone's life without them becoming real to you. Perhaps it was the vulnerability in her eyes. He couldn't ignore that look, the fragility of her. Physically she looked as if a stiff breeze could carry her away. But it was the uncertainty in her eyes that spoke to him.
Finding the cat seemed to have cracked her shell. Beauty. He grinned into the darkness. The name was pure wishful thinking. The cat looked like a scruffy, furry gray basketball. But Annalise had looked at her and called her Beauty. There was something ineffably poignant about that.
Thirty-six hours ago, he'd had nothing more on his mind than what color to paint the window trim. Now he had a woman who needed a lot of careful handling if she wasn't to retreat back into whatever hell she'd been hiding in when he foimd her; and a cat who looked as if she were about to deliver a litter of fifty any minute and in the meantime was threatening to eat him out of house and home.
Devlin shook his head and closed his eyes. Time enough to worry about both of them in the morning.
He might have been more concerned if he could have seen the half smile that softened his mouth as he drifted off to sle^. He didn't look at all like a man who'd taken on unsolicited burdens.
Chapters
>Ar hen Annalise awoke, the first thing she was aware of was that she didn't feel as if a heavy weight were sitting on her chest, making every breath almost more of an effort than it was worth. She snuggled her head deeper into the pillow, keeping her eyes closed as she took a mental inventory.
She sensed that it was still early, probably not much past dawn. But she didn't feel like going back to sleep. She was awake and she wanted to stay awake. For the first time in months, she felt a sense of anticipation for the coming day.
A small movement alerted her to the fact that she wasn't the bed's only occupant. She opened her eyes, her mouth curving in a soft smile when she saw Beauty stretched out beside her. Annalise stroked her fingers over the little cat's head. Beauty opened her eyes, giv-
ing her an unreadable look before closing them again. The rumble of her purr made it clear that Annalise's attentions were acceptable.
Annalise's smile widened. The cat felt full of life, content with her lot. Of course, her lot was pretty darned good at the moment. She had tuna for breakfast, lunch and dinner and a comfortable bed to spend her nights in. Much the same as her own lot, Annalise thought, her smile fading.
Maybe it was time
What had happened to her to drive her so low? Rape? The thought brought a slow flush of anger to his face. He'd long believed that a man who'd force a woman was something less than human. But the thought that someone might have raped Annalise brought that contempt into focus, sharpened it with a more personal rage.
He forced his tight muscles to relax. He didn't know that that was what had happened to drive all the life from her. Time enough to find the son of a bitch and castrate him if he found out that was the case.
Odd how she'd literally dropped into his life less than twenty-four hours ago, and here he was lying awake wondering about her. He frowned into the darkness. He had the feeling that he should have let Ben take her to the hospital the night before. Already he was getting involved. No matter how tenuous that involvement, it wasn't for him.
But he couldn't just walk away from her. His mouth twisted in rueful acceptance. Like it or not, he cared what happened to Annalise. She'd brought out feelings he'd thought only Kelly could stir in him. Feel-
ings of protectiveness and concern, things he didn't particularly want to feel.
Maybe it was the fact that he'd saved her life. Maybe you couldn't save someone's life without them becoming real to you. Perhaps it was the vulnerability in her eyes. He couldn't ignore that look, the fragility of her. Physically she looked as if a stiff breeze could carry her away. But it was the uncertainty in her eyes that spoke to him.
Finding the cat seemed to have cracked her shell. Beauty. He grinned into the darkness. The name was pure wishful thinking. The cat looked like a scruffy, furry gray basketball. But Annalise had looked at her and called her Beauty. There was something ineffably poignant about that.
Thirty-six hours ago, he'd had nothing more on his mind than what color to paint the window trim. Now he had a woman who needed a lot of careful handling if she wasn't to retreat back into whatever hell she'd been hiding in when he foimd her; and a cat who looked as if she were about to deliver a litter of fifty any minute and in the meantime was threatening to eat him out of house and home.
Devlin shook his head and closed his eyes. Time enough to worry about both of them in the morning.
He might have been more concerned if he could have seen the half smile that softened his mouth as he drifted off to sle^. He didn't look at all like a man who'd taken on unsolicited burdens.
Chapters
>Ar hen Annalise awoke, the first thing she was aware of was that she didn't feel as if a heavy weight were sitting on her chest, making every breath almost more of an effort than it was worth. She snuggled her head deeper into the pillow, keeping her eyes closed as she took a mental inventory.
She sensed that it was still early, probably not much past dawn. But she didn't feel like going back to sleep. She was awake and she wanted to stay awake. For the first time in months, she felt a sense of anticipation for the coming day.
A small movement alerted her to the fact that she wasn't the bed's only occupant. She opened her eyes, her mouth curving in a soft smile when she saw Beauty stretched out beside her. Annalise stroked her fingers over the little cat's head. Beauty opened her eyes, giv-
ing her an unreadable look before closing them again. The rumble of her purr made it clear that Annalise's attentions were acceptable.
Annalise's smile widened. The cat felt full of life, content with her lot. Of course, her lot was pretty darned good at the moment. She had tuna for breakfast, lunch and dinner and a comfortable bed to spend her nights in. Much the same as her own lot, Annalise thought, her smile fading.
Maybe it was time
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