Read Online Kimberly Nee - The McKenzie Brothers by The Pursuit - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: The Pursuit
Ads: Link
as possible.
She offered up no resistance as Garrett’s fingers curled over the edge of her shawl to urge the cashmere aside. His fingertips barely grazed her, yet she shivered as if an icy wind whipped through the room.
He pressed his lips to the skin he’d bared. Like his touch, his kiss was the lightest of caresses. She didn’t want the moment to end, didn’t want the spell broken.
As he tightened his arms around her and bent her back, a red-hot arrow sliced through her with such sharpness that she couldn’t halt her hiss. “Oh!”
He froze. “Katherine?”
“Please,” she croaked, feeling sick. “Please, let me go.”
“What is it?”
“Please.” She pulled free and doubled over, gripping the edge of the desk.
“Katherine?”
“I’m all right.”
“You certainly don’t look all right.” He frowned, crouching down to her eye level. “You’re gray, Katherine. What’s wrong?”
“I fell this morning,” she managed to force out, her nausea growing by the moment. It was all she could do to remain standing upright.
Garrett caught her behind the knees with one arm and lifted her easily. “What the hell were you doing carrying laundry up and down the stairs?”
“How did you know about that?”
“Because I’m the one who instructed Mrs. Riley to give you that duty. It was one of the less strenuous ones I could think of.” He carried her effortlessly toward the stairs. “I shall be having a word with Mrs. Riley about this matter, for sure.”
“Please. Do not take her to task. She did not know. I told no one.” His eyes were glittering with anger.
“Why?”
There was such fury in that one word that, for a moment, Katherine felt a rush of fear. “I did not want her to think I was loafing.”
“Fool. I’ll send for a doctor in the morning. You are not to move from bed once I’ve put you there. Do you understand me?”
“Of course, Mr. McKenzie,” she murmured, averting her eyes from the fire she saw in his. She hadn’t expected him to be so angry with her. After all, she’d kept quiet so he wouldn’t grow angry.
In hindsight, a serious miscalculation.
He rolled his eyes, but did not take her to task for her formality. Instead, he spirited her back to her room, where he set her in bed. A slight pang of disappointment twinged her insides; she had — for one mad moment — entertained the notion that he was about to sweep her up to his room. A foolish thought, no doubt, but she had to admit, she had hoped for it.
His lips brushed her forehead. “Sleep now, sweetheart. In the morning, I will send Sidwell for a doctor.”
Chapter Nine
When Katherine opened her eyes the next morning, it took her a moment to remember what had happened the night before. Had she dreamed it, or did Garrett actually kiss her? She stretched and the dull burn spreading through her body reminded her of exactly what happened. No. She hadn’t dreamed it.
So, Garrett was thinking that, was he?
A delightfully wicked feeling enveloped her to push aside the discomfort for a moment. She carefully snuggled down into her bed linens to savor it, but her contentment didn’t last as there came a gentle tap on the door. Sidwell poked his head into the room. “Katherine?”
“Yes?”
The butler remained impassive, stepping into the room. “I’ve Dr. Samuels with me. Mister Garrett said to let him in to examine you?”
She nodded. “Thank you, Sidwell.”
A tall, stoop-shouldered gentleman with dark eyes behind thick spectacles stepped into the room. “Good morning, Katherine. Mr. McKenzie told me you had a bit of a fall, did you?”
“I did, sir.”
“What happened?” He closed the door behind him before crossing over to her, where he set his bulging black leather bag on the foot of the bed.
“I tripped, actually, and landed on one of my boots.”
“I see. Very well, let’s have a look then, shall we?”
Mr. Samuels circled round the bed to bend over her, and she tensed, waiting for him
She offered up no resistance as Garrett’s fingers curled over the edge of her shawl to urge the cashmere aside. His fingertips barely grazed her, yet she shivered as if an icy wind whipped through the room.
He pressed his lips to the skin he’d bared. Like his touch, his kiss was the lightest of caresses. She didn’t want the moment to end, didn’t want the spell broken.
As he tightened his arms around her and bent her back, a red-hot arrow sliced through her with such sharpness that she couldn’t halt her hiss. “Oh!”
He froze. “Katherine?”
“Please,” she croaked, feeling sick. “Please, let me go.”
“What is it?”
“Please.” She pulled free and doubled over, gripping the edge of the desk.
“Katherine?”
“I’m all right.”
“You certainly don’t look all right.” He frowned, crouching down to her eye level. “You’re gray, Katherine. What’s wrong?”
“I fell this morning,” she managed to force out, her nausea growing by the moment. It was all she could do to remain standing upright.
Garrett caught her behind the knees with one arm and lifted her easily. “What the hell were you doing carrying laundry up and down the stairs?”
“How did you know about that?”
“Because I’m the one who instructed Mrs. Riley to give you that duty. It was one of the less strenuous ones I could think of.” He carried her effortlessly toward the stairs. “I shall be having a word with Mrs. Riley about this matter, for sure.”
“Please. Do not take her to task. She did not know. I told no one.” His eyes were glittering with anger.
“Why?”
There was such fury in that one word that, for a moment, Katherine felt a rush of fear. “I did not want her to think I was loafing.”
“Fool. I’ll send for a doctor in the morning. You are not to move from bed once I’ve put you there. Do you understand me?”
“Of course, Mr. McKenzie,” she murmured, averting her eyes from the fire she saw in his. She hadn’t expected him to be so angry with her. After all, she’d kept quiet so he wouldn’t grow angry.
In hindsight, a serious miscalculation.
He rolled his eyes, but did not take her to task for her formality. Instead, he spirited her back to her room, where he set her in bed. A slight pang of disappointment twinged her insides; she had — for one mad moment — entertained the notion that he was about to sweep her up to his room. A foolish thought, no doubt, but she had to admit, she had hoped for it.
His lips brushed her forehead. “Sleep now, sweetheart. In the morning, I will send Sidwell for a doctor.”
Chapter Nine
When Katherine opened her eyes the next morning, it took her a moment to remember what had happened the night before. Had she dreamed it, or did Garrett actually kiss her? She stretched and the dull burn spreading through her body reminded her of exactly what happened. No. She hadn’t dreamed it.
So, Garrett was thinking that, was he?
A delightfully wicked feeling enveloped her to push aside the discomfort for a moment. She carefully snuggled down into her bed linens to savor it, but her contentment didn’t last as there came a gentle tap on the door. Sidwell poked his head into the room. “Katherine?”
“Yes?”
The butler remained impassive, stepping into the room. “I’ve Dr. Samuels with me. Mister Garrett said to let him in to examine you?”
She nodded. “Thank you, Sidwell.”
A tall, stoop-shouldered gentleman with dark eyes behind thick spectacles stepped into the room. “Good morning, Katherine. Mr. McKenzie told me you had a bit of a fall, did you?”
“I did, sir.”
“What happened?” He closed the door behind him before crossing over to her, where he set his bulging black leather bag on the foot of the bed.
“I tripped, actually, and landed on one of my boots.”
“I see. Very well, let’s have a look then, shall we?”
Mr. Samuels circled round the bed to bend over her, and she tensed, waiting for him
Similar Books
