Read Online Heart Ache (Bound by a Touch Novels #1) by Morgan Kearns - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Morgan Kearns
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caught in his throat and his entire body tensed at the sight. Oh, the things he wanted to do to that body. He began to quake, head to toe. Shaking fingers lifted the sheet to cover her exposed breasts.
“ Someday,” he whispered to himself, raking his fingers through his hair and forcing his feet to move away from her. He took a seat in the chair on the opposite side of the room and watched her sleep. “I love you, Gabrielle.”
She moved and said his name, calling to him like ice cold water to a thirsty man. With every part of him aching for her touch, he grasped the last thread of his self control and forced himself to stay where he was. If he held her tonight, like he had in the past, he would undoubtedly lose control and take the sleeping woman; which would wake her, freak her out, and ruin everything.
A low groan rumbled in his chest and he rubbed at his beating heart to stifle it. Six weeks . He had forty-two short days left to get her to see the light, to understand just how much he loved her, how much he needed her. If she went through with her wedding…
He shook his head. No, he couldn’t bear to think of that possibility. Against his better judgment, he slid from the chair to kneel by the side of her bed and stroked a finger down her cheekbone.
“ Gabrielle,” his accent ran thick.
“ Hmm?” She shifted again. The sheet fell away, exposing the most delicious pieces of her body.
His eyes slammed shut and there she was on the back of his eyelids. He cursed and stumbled back, falling into the small, white wicker chair in the corner. His hands gripped tightly around the arms, the wood creaked under his hold.
Heaven help him.
Every cell in his body screamed for him to take her. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t do so while she was unconscious. He would never take her without her permission, he had honor.
He wasn’t a selfish bastard.
He wasn’t his father.
Leaning forward, resting his forearms on the bed, he whispered, “I love you, Gabrielle.”
Saying those words to her, even though she was unconscious, lightened his heart as nothing else could. If only she would say them back. A declaration from her now would give him the courage to voice his feelings when she was actually coherent enough to understand them.
Thoughts of what to say and how to get his message across to her ran rampant in his mind. He paused, inhaled deeply then released the breath slowly through his teeth, making a soft half hiss, half whistle noise.
“ You can’t marry him … because I love you.”
“ Nikolai,” she muttered sleepily then she stirred, moved her legs, and, to his horror, sat straight up in the bed. “Ni—!”
Whether she’d seen him or not, he couldn’t be sure. He’d vaporized so quickly, he wasn’t sure exactly where he was going to end up until he landed with a thud in his bedroom.
“ Shit!”
He rammed his fingers through his hair and dropped onto his bed. He let his head fall into his hands and held it, rubbing at his temples.
Six weeks , he told himself, you only have six weeks.
Chapter Seven
Gabby leaned back in her chair, popped her feet up on her desk, and crossed her ankles. She lifted her book and sighed. She wasn’t the kind to waste time, but…
A deep bark of laughter scared the bejeezus out of her. She jumped. The momentum made the chair roll backward. It tipped back and she wobbled, flapping her arms in an attempt to keep herself off the floor. The chair slammed into the bookcase behind her with a thud and sent her forward like a pinball.
When the chair stopped rolling and she was able to breathe again, she glared at Vincent. Normally she really liked the guy. In this moment, though, she considered putting a laxative in his coffee.
“ That wasn’t very nice.”
“ It’s not very nice of you to sit and read on company time.” He bit his lip to keep from smiling, but amusement shone like a beacon in his gray eyes.
She pointedly glanced at the
“ Someday,” he whispered to himself, raking his fingers through his hair and forcing his feet to move away from her. He took a seat in the chair on the opposite side of the room and watched her sleep. “I love you, Gabrielle.”
She moved and said his name, calling to him like ice cold water to a thirsty man. With every part of him aching for her touch, he grasped the last thread of his self control and forced himself to stay where he was. If he held her tonight, like he had in the past, he would undoubtedly lose control and take the sleeping woman; which would wake her, freak her out, and ruin everything.
A low groan rumbled in his chest and he rubbed at his beating heart to stifle it. Six weeks . He had forty-two short days left to get her to see the light, to understand just how much he loved her, how much he needed her. If she went through with her wedding…
He shook his head. No, he couldn’t bear to think of that possibility. Against his better judgment, he slid from the chair to kneel by the side of her bed and stroked a finger down her cheekbone.
“ Gabrielle,” his accent ran thick.
“ Hmm?” She shifted again. The sheet fell away, exposing the most delicious pieces of her body.
His eyes slammed shut and there she was on the back of his eyelids. He cursed and stumbled back, falling into the small, white wicker chair in the corner. His hands gripped tightly around the arms, the wood creaked under his hold.
Heaven help him.
Every cell in his body screamed for him to take her. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t do so while she was unconscious. He would never take her without her permission, he had honor.
He wasn’t a selfish bastard.
He wasn’t his father.
Leaning forward, resting his forearms on the bed, he whispered, “I love you, Gabrielle.”
Saying those words to her, even though she was unconscious, lightened his heart as nothing else could. If only she would say them back. A declaration from her now would give him the courage to voice his feelings when she was actually coherent enough to understand them.
Thoughts of what to say and how to get his message across to her ran rampant in his mind. He paused, inhaled deeply then released the breath slowly through his teeth, making a soft half hiss, half whistle noise.
“ You can’t marry him … because I love you.”
“ Nikolai,” she muttered sleepily then she stirred, moved her legs, and, to his horror, sat straight up in the bed. “Ni—!”
Whether she’d seen him or not, he couldn’t be sure. He’d vaporized so quickly, he wasn’t sure exactly where he was going to end up until he landed with a thud in his bedroom.
“ Shit!”
He rammed his fingers through his hair and dropped onto his bed. He let his head fall into his hands and held it, rubbing at his temples.
Six weeks , he told himself, you only have six weeks.
Chapter Seven
Gabby leaned back in her chair, popped her feet up on her desk, and crossed her ankles. She lifted her book and sighed. She wasn’t the kind to waste time, but…
A deep bark of laughter scared the bejeezus out of her. She jumped. The momentum made the chair roll backward. It tipped back and she wobbled, flapping her arms in an attempt to keep herself off the floor. The chair slammed into the bookcase behind her with a thud and sent her forward like a pinball.
When the chair stopped rolling and she was able to breathe again, she glared at Vincent. Normally she really liked the guy. In this moment, though, she considered putting a laxative in his coffee.
“ That wasn’t very nice.”
“ It’s not very nice of you to sit and read on company time.” He bit his lip to keep from smiling, but amusement shone like a beacon in his gray eyes.
She pointedly glanced at the
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