Read Online Holiday with a Stranger by Christy McKellen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christy McKellen
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to do all this?’ she asked, her voice wobbly with humility.
He looked up in surprise. ‘I’ve had first aid training. It’s important to know what to do in an emergency when the nearest hospital is a hundred miles away.’
‘Yes, of course, that makes sense.’ Perhaps she’d underestimated him when it came to his travelling. This cool efficiency was a whole side to him she hadn’t even glimpsed before.
‘Okay, time for your bath. Want me to carry you? Or can you walk?’
He was looking at her so intently a small shiver ran down her spine.
He’s only looking at you like that because he’s worried he’s in the company of a lunatic. Pull yourself together.
‘I can walk,’ she said, desperate now to appear more confident than she felt, even though she wasn’t sure she had the strength even to get up. Willing her body to function, she sat up unsteadily, then managed to roll off the bed and onto her feet. There was no way she’d ask him to carry her again. She still had some vestige of pride.
Her legs were like jelly. Moving slowly to the bathroom, she imagined she could feel Connor’s gaze burning into her back and she willed him to leave her to lick her wounds in mortified isolation. It was so undignified, shuffling across the floor in just her underwear, but she kept her head high and didn’t look back.
She didn’t realise he’d followed her until she turned to close the bathroom door.
‘I said I’m okay.’ This came out more harshly than she’d intended, and she gripped the door handle hard in frustration, feeling the metal bite into her hand. Taking a steadying breath, she smiled, trying to soften the effect of her response, but Connor just shrugged.
‘I wanted to make sure you didn’t get dizzy and bash your head,’ he said, obviously battling to keep the wry expression off his face and failing spectacularly.
She would never live this down. Never. She knew it. He was going to remind her of her stupidity at every opportunity he could find before he moved on. ‘Well, as you can see, I made it okay,’ she said, her tone snappy and defensive.
‘Why are you so cross with me?’ He seemed genuinely surprised by her anger.
She wasn’t being fair, punishing him for things he hadn’t even done yet. Sighing, she rubbed a hand over her eyes and sat on the edge of the bath before her legs gave way. ‘I’m angry with myself for being such an idiot. I can’t believe you had to come out and rescue me. It’s pathetic.’ She looked at him directly and frowned at his reaction. ‘Why are you smiling?’
‘Because I knew you’d act like this. You don’t strike me as the sort of person who’d tolerate being a damsel in distress.’
Her shoulders slumped. ‘Let’s put it down to a lapse in judgement. I don’t know what’s got into me lately.’
‘Those mistakes just keep happening, huh?’
‘Yeah.’ She took a deep breath, blinking back tears that had come out of nowhere.
He frowned and took a step backwards. ‘Right, well, I’ll go and make up a salt solution for you to drink while you’re in there. You need to replace your fluids.’
Turning briskly, he marched out, leaving her staring after him.
* * *
Connor took the stairs two at a time in an effort to get away from Josie as fast as he could.
His hands shook as he measured out the salt and water for her rehydration drink—half a teaspoon to one litre of water, and a dash of orange to disguise the taste.
The vision of her in just her underwear was still emblazoned on his eyes and no matter where he looked there the image was.
The sight of her breasts practically spilling out of that see-through bra had nearly sent him over the edge. He’d wanted to touch her. To release her from the restricting cups, slide down that scrap of lace that passed for her knickers and leave her totally exposed to his hungry gaze.
Under the circumstances, he knew how inappropriate his reaction had been, but he hadn’t been able to help
He looked up in surprise. ‘I’ve had first aid training. It’s important to know what to do in an emergency when the nearest hospital is a hundred miles away.’
‘Yes, of course, that makes sense.’ Perhaps she’d underestimated him when it came to his travelling. This cool efficiency was a whole side to him she hadn’t even glimpsed before.
‘Okay, time for your bath. Want me to carry you? Or can you walk?’
He was looking at her so intently a small shiver ran down her spine.
He’s only looking at you like that because he’s worried he’s in the company of a lunatic. Pull yourself together.
‘I can walk,’ she said, desperate now to appear more confident than she felt, even though she wasn’t sure she had the strength even to get up. Willing her body to function, she sat up unsteadily, then managed to roll off the bed and onto her feet. There was no way she’d ask him to carry her again. She still had some vestige of pride.
Her legs were like jelly. Moving slowly to the bathroom, she imagined she could feel Connor’s gaze burning into her back and she willed him to leave her to lick her wounds in mortified isolation. It was so undignified, shuffling across the floor in just her underwear, but she kept her head high and didn’t look back.
She didn’t realise he’d followed her until she turned to close the bathroom door.
‘I said I’m okay.’ This came out more harshly than she’d intended, and she gripped the door handle hard in frustration, feeling the metal bite into her hand. Taking a steadying breath, she smiled, trying to soften the effect of her response, but Connor just shrugged.
‘I wanted to make sure you didn’t get dizzy and bash your head,’ he said, obviously battling to keep the wry expression off his face and failing spectacularly.
She would never live this down. Never. She knew it. He was going to remind her of her stupidity at every opportunity he could find before he moved on. ‘Well, as you can see, I made it okay,’ she said, her tone snappy and defensive.
‘Why are you so cross with me?’ He seemed genuinely surprised by her anger.
She wasn’t being fair, punishing him for things he hadn’t even done yet. Sighing, she rubbed a hand over her eyes and sat on the edge of the bath before her legs gave way. ‘I’m angry with myself for being such an idiot. I can’t believe you had to come out and rescue me. It’s pathetic.’ She looked at him directly and frowned at his reaction. ‘Why are you smiling?’
‘Because I knew you’d act like this. You don’t strike me as the sort of person who’d tolerate being a damsel in distress.’
Her shoulders slumped. ‘Let’s put it down to a lapse in judgement. I don’t know what’s got into me lately.’
‘Those mistakes just keep happening, huh?’
‘Yeah.’ She took a deep breath, blinking back tears that had come out of nowhere.
He frowned and took a step backwards. ‘Right, well, I’ll go and make up a salt solution for you to drink while you’re in there. You need to replace your fluids.’
Turning briskly, he marched out, leaving her staring after him.
* * *
Connor took the stairs two at a time in an effort to get away from Josie as fast as he could.
His hands shook as he measured out the salt and water for her rehydration drink—half a teaspoon to one litre of water, and a dash of orange to disguise the taste.
The vision of her in just her underwear was still emblazoned on his eyes and no matter where he looked there the image was.
The sight of her breasts practically spilling out of that see-through bra had nearly sent him over the edge. He’d wanted to touch her. To release her from the restricting cups, slide down that scrap of lace that passed for her knickers and leave her totally exposed to his hungry gaze.
Under the circumstances, he knew how inappropriate his reaction had been, but he hadn’t been able to help
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