Read Online Healer (Brotherhood of the Throne Book 2) by Jane Glatt - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jane Glatt
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complicate both their lives and jeopardize everything he believed in, but oh, it felt so right. He broke the kiss off and opened eyes he hadn’t realized he’d closed to find he was staring into hers.
“If you promise to kiss me like that again I’ll admit to just about anything.” She smiled at him and he closed his eyes briefly.
“It won’t happen again,” Kane said. “It can’t.” He rolled away from her and grabbed his clothes, pulling them on as fast as he could. He had to get out of here. Now.
“Kane.” He stopped when he felt her hand on his arm. “What’s wrong? What did I do?” He closed his eyes in pain when he heard the hurt and bewilderment in her voice.
“Nothing, it’s not you,” he said gently. “I never should have let it get so far.” He stepped over to the ladder that led down, out of the loft. He couldn’t bed Brenna, he couldn’t. He’d lose his objectivity, and when she did make a match, a political match, it would destroy him. It might anyway but if he shared her bed it was guaranteed.
Kane’s response to Laurel’s cheery good morning was a grunt as he headed outside. The crisp air braced him and he stopped and took a deep breath. He was a soldier - he lived a life of self-discipline. He could do this, he would do this. He might not be able to control his emotions, but he could control his actions. He would stay out of Brenna’s bed no matter the cost to him. He took a few more deep breaths before he went back inside.
Brenna clutched the pillow to her chest, staring at the top of the ladder. What had happened? She and Kane had kissed, finally, and then he’d bolted. Her eyes narrowed. And he’d said he shouldn’t have let it get that far, as if it was up to him to decide that for her. She threw the pillow back to her mattress and sighed, feeling deflated. She made her own decisions so it wasn’t up to him.
Brenna smoothed the blankets over both mattresses, her hand lingering on Kane’s. They would be living in very close quarters for quite some time, both here and on the road. Yesterday he’d called her a catalyst and said they had to follow her path - she had enough time to help him realize that he was part of her path.
Kane was sitting at the table when Brenna stepped off the ladder from the loft. She nodded at Laurel and picked up a mug from the table and poured herself some tea. Kane tensed as she sat down beside him and Brenna faltered, slightly, as she grabbed a piece of bread and some cheese from the platter in front of her. He couldn’t even sit beside her now? Apparently he needed a lot of convincing. She squared her shoulders - might as well start now.
“Kane, I was hoping you’d come and meet my teacher, Mistress Utley,” Brenna said with a cheerfulness she didn’t feel. “She’s very sweet, but quite elderly and there are a few things around her house that need fixing.” She fixed him with a bright smile.
“Yes, of course.” Kane kept his head lowered, not meeting her eyes. “I’d be pleased to help.”
“Thank you,” Brenna said. “We’ll leave as soon as we’ve finished eating.” She took a big bite of bread and chewed it slowly, her appetite for it gone. This might be harder than she’d thought.
All the way to Mistress Utley’s, Brenna kept up a constant chatter about her life for the past few months. She deliberately kept the conversation light and impersonal with descriptions of the unusual properties of Cloud Lake and the small town that sat beside it, the townsfolk she’d met, and her lessons with Mistress Utley. She finally gotten a smile out of Kane when she described how she’d rushed to farmer Poskitt’s in the middle of a cold February night thinking his wife was struggling in childbirth, only to find out it was his prize milker, Lorraine, who was in distress.
“It turns out Mistress Poskitt’s name is actually Agnes, which everyone shortens to Aggie,” Brenna explained.
“I can see why you’d be
“If you promise to kiss me like that again I’ll admit to just about anything.” She smiled at him and he closed his eyes briefly.
“It won’t happen again,” Kane said. “It can’t.” He rolled away from her and grabbed his clothes, pulling them on as fast as he could. He had to get out of here. Now.
“Kane.” He stopped when he felt her hand on his arm. “What’s wrong? What did I do?” He closed his eyes in pain when he heard the hurt and bewilderment in her voice.
“Nothing, it’s not you,” he said gently. “I never should have let it get so far.” He stepped over to the ladder that led down, out of the loft. He couldn’t bed Brenna, he couldn’t. He’d lose his objectivity, and when she did make a match, a political match, it would destroy him. It might anyway but if he shared her bed it was guaranteed.
Kane’s response to Laurel’s cheery good morning was a grunt as he headed outside. The crisp air braced him and he stopped and took a deep breath. He was a soldier - he lived a life of self-discipline. He could do this, he would do this. He might not be able to control his emotions, but he could control his actions. He would stay out of Brenna’s bed no matter the cost to him. He took a few more deep breaths before he went back inside.
Brenna clutched the pillow to her chest, staring at the top of the ladder. What had happened? She and Kane had kissed, finally, and then he’d bolted. Her eyes narrowed. And he’d said he shouldn’t have let it get that far, as if it was up to him to decide that for her. She threw the pillow back to her mattress and sighed, feeling deflated. She made her own decisions so it wasn’t up to him.
Brenna smoothed the blankets over both mattresses, her hand lingering on Kane’s. They would be living in very close quarters for quite some time, both here and on the road. Yesterday he’d called her a catalyst and said they had to follow her path - she had enough time to help him realize that he was part of her path.
Kane was sitting at the table when Brenna stepped off the ladder from the loft. She nodded at Laurel and picked up a mug from the table and poured herself some tea. Kane tensed as she sat down beside him and Brenna faltered, slightly, as she grabbed a piece of bread and some cheese from the platter in front of her. He couldn’t even sit beside her now? Apparently he needed a lot of convincing. She squared her shoulders - might as well start now.
“Kane, I was hoping you’d come and meet my teacher, Mistress Utley,” Brenna said with a cheerfulness she didn’t feel. “She’s very sweet, but quite elderly and there are a few things around her house that need fixing.” She fixed him with a bright smile.
“Yes, of course.” Kane kept his head lowered, not meeting her eyes. “I’d be pleased to help.”
“Thank you,” Brenna said. “We’ll leave as soon as we’ve finished eating.” She took a big bite of bread and chewed it slowly, her appetite for it gone. This might be harder than she’d thought.
All the way to Mistress Utley’s, Brenna kept up a constant chatter about her life for the past few months. She deliberately kept the conversation light and impersonal with descriptions of the unusual properties of Cloud Lake and the small town that sat beside it, the townsfolk she’d met, and her lessons with Mistress Utley. She finally gotten a smile out of Kane when she described how she’d rushed to farmer Poskitt’s in the middle of a cold February night thinking his wife was struggling in childbirth, only to find out it was his prize milker, Lorraine, who was in distress.
“It turns out Mistress Poskitt’s name is actually Agnes, which everyone shortens to Aggie,” Brenna explained.
“I can see why you’d be
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