Read Online Fall Into Darkness by Valerie Twombly - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Valerie Twombly
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seen it. Remember?”
She let out a sigh. “I can stand on my own.”
He took a step back with a smug look on his face. “Suit yourself.”
She shifted her hips and threw both legs over the side of the bed. Her chest burned and her leg throbbed, but she pursed her lips. Pulling the covers with her, she placed her right foot on the floor. Next the left one, and she stood with all her weight on her good leg.
The room swayed and a drum beat in her head. She swallowed down the bile that threatened to exit her stomach and took a slow deep breath. Focusing on the bathroom door, she took a small step. You can do it. Another step forward and her injured leg gave out. She swayed and started toward the floor, braced herself for the painful landing she knew would come, but instead, found herself in a pair of strong arms pressed to a hard chest. A pair of steel-blue eyes stared at her.
“I told you.”
She wanted to wipe the smug look off his face, but she couldn’t stop looking into his eyes. Never had she been able to study the flecks of color in the iris. Instead, death always resided there. It ripped her heart out to see how a person’s life would come to an end. For once in her life, she wanted to look at a person and not know how they would meet their demise.
Why was this man different? Had her wounds changed things or had God finally given her reprieve?
“Did I grow another head?”
“W-what?”
He eased her back onto the bed. “You’re looking at me like I’ve grown another head.”
“Oh. No, it’s just you have beautiful eyes.” She sighed. “You were right. I need help in getting up, but it’s rude to point it out.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “I see. I’ll try to refrain next time. However, I might suggest you not be so stubborn and listen to my advice.”
She pushed her bottom lip out a bit. “I just want to feel clean again. I need to wash the smell of that thing off me.”
His features softened and he let out a breath. “I can only see one solution to this problem.” He pulled off the T-shirt, unbuttoned his jeans, and lowered the zipper.
“What are you doing?” She fidgeted with the edge of the blanket. Her nerves stretched tight, but a part of her wanted to see what hid beneath his clothing.
He shoved his pants to the floor to reveal a pair of tight-fitting black boxers.
She swallowed a gasp.
He closed in on her and gently scooped her up in his arms. “Giving you your shower.”
“Wait! What?”
He didn’t reply. Instead, he strode through the bathroom and flipped on the water in the shower then stepped in. He carefully set her on her feet, but kept her back pressed against him before sliding the glass door closed.
“Um, this isn’t what I had in mind.” She tried to push away, but he was too strong. Fear gripped her, what would he do to her now?
“Seems to me this is your only alternative. Stand still,” he commanded and spun her to face him. “I’m not going to hurt you. If I intended you harm, I would have done so already.”
She stopped fighting him and looked at his face. For the first time, she observed more than blue-grey eyes. She noticed his short, black hair and the little piece that fell across his forehead. Dark stubble covered his jaw and his lips were…
Dear god, he was magnificent and she stood in a shower with him in only her bra and panties.
A total stranger had saved her but now held her in a vulnerable position. Her injuries made it even more impossible to fight him if he wanted to assault her.
"I swear I have no intention of hurting you. I give you my word—that's all I've got."
She stared at him for a long moment. "Okay." For some odd reason, she believed him; as if some greater force told her he spoke the truth.
8
H e’d taken leave of his senses. It was the only excuse Eli could come up with for why he currently stood in a shower with Ashley. He tried not to notice how her wet bra clung to the shape of her breasts. Or how each
She let out a sigh. “I can stand on my own.”
He took a step back with a smug look on his face. “Suit yourself.”
She shifted her hips and threw both legs over the side of the bed. Her chest burned and her leg throbbed, but she pursed her lips. Pulling the covers with her, she placed her right foot on the floor. Next the left one, and she stood with all her weight on her good leg.
The room swayed and a drum beat in her head. She swallowed down the bile that threatened to exit her stomach and took a slow deep breath. Focusing on the bathroom door, she took a small step. You can do it. Another step forward and her injured leg gave out. She swayed and started toward the floor, braced herself for the painful landing she knew would come, but instead, found herself in a pair of strong arms pressed to a hard chest. A pair of steel-blue eyes stared at her.
“I told you.”
She wanted to wipe the smug look off his face, but she couldn’t stop looking into his eyes. Never had she been able to study the flecks of color in the iris. Instead, death always resided there. It ripped her heart out to see how a person’s life would come to an end. For once in her life, she wanted to look at a person and not know how they would meet their demise.
Why was this man different? Had her wounds changed things or had God finally given her reprieve?
“Did I grow another head?”
“W-what?”
He eased her back onto the bed. “You’re looking at me like I’ve grown another head.”
“Oh. No, it’s just you have beautiful eyes.” She sighed. “You were right. I need help in getting up, but it’s rude to point it out.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “I see. I’ll try to refrain next time. However, I might suggest you not be so stubborn and listen to my advice.”
She pushed her bottom lip out a bit. “I just want to feel clean again. I need to wash the smell of that thing off me.”
His features softened and he let out a breath. “I can only see one solution to this problem.” He pulled off the T-shirt, unbuttoned his jeans, and lowered the zipper.
“What are you doing?” She fidgeted with the edge of the blanket. Her nerves stretched tight, but a part of her wanted to see what hid beneath his clothing.
He shoved his pants to the floor to reveal a pair of tight-fitting black boxers.
She swallowed a gasp.
He closed in on her and gently scooped her up in his arms. “Giving you your shower.”
“Wait! What?”
He didn’t reply. Instead, he strode through the bathroom and flipped on the water in the shower then stepped in. He carefully set her on her feet, but kept her back pressed against him before sliding the glass door closed.
“Um, this isn’t what I had in mind.” She tried to push away, but he was too strong. Fear gripped her, what would he do to her now?
“Seems to me this is your only alternative. Stand still,” he commanded and spun her to face him. “I’m not going to hurt you. If I intended you harm, I would have done so already.”
She stopped fighting him and looked at his face. For the first time, she observed more than blue-grey eyes. She noticed his short, black hair and the little piece that fell across his forehead. Dark stubble covered his jaw and his lips were…
Dear god, he was magnificent and she stood in a shower with him in only her bra and panties.
A total stranger had saved her but now held her in a vulnerable position. Her injuries made it even more impossible to fight him if he wanted to assault her.
"I swear I have no intention of hurting you. I give you my word—that's all I've got."
She stared at him for a long moment. "Okay." For some odd reason, she believed him; as if some greater force told her he spoke the truth.
8
H e’d taken leave of his senses. It was the only excuse Eli could come up with for why he currently stood in a shower with Ashley. He tried not to notice how her wet bra clung to the shape of her breasts. Or how each
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