Read Online Old Desires/A Stranger's Kiss (2-in-1 edition) by Liz Fielding - Free Book Online
Authors: Liz Fielding
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head. But his strong, reassuring arm at her back was oddly disturbing.
A few minutes later the ladder was propped against the loft hatch and the trouble he had opening it dispelled any doubts he might harbour that she had been there ahead of him.
She steadied it while he pushed at it with the heel of his hand, unable to take her eyes from the firm, well-muscled line of his thighs as he strained upwards. It finally shifted with a small shower of dust and she turned away with an exclamation as it covered her.
‘All right?’ He glanced down at her. ‘No spiders?’ She shuddered involuntarily. ‘Don’t!’ He laughed and disappeared into the darkness. She could see the swing of the torch he had brought with him as he crawled across the joists.
‘You could do with some insulation up here,’ his voice came hollowly back to her.
‘Tell me something I don’t know,’ she called back.
His head appeared in the hatchway, a provoking grin doing disturbing things to his mouth. ‘Where shall I begin?’
Her voice caught in her throat. Perhaps it was the dust. ‘Just get on with it,’ she urged him hoarsely.
He hung there for a moment, very still. ‘From anyone else,Holly Carpenter, I’d take that as an invitation.’
He didn’t wait to see her sudden blush, but disappeared into the darkness and for a while she heard him moving about above her. When he finally reappeared he handed a dust-covered box down to her.
‘This is the only possibility. It’s not heavy.’ Holly took the box. He was right, it wasn’t heavy, but it was sealed up with tape and had clearly not been disturbed for a long time. She had no recollection of seeing it on her admittedly infrequent trips into the roof space.
He joined her on the landing, and she dragged her eyes back from the box to him.
‘Have you any idea what’s in here?’ he asked.
She shook her head. ‘I’venever seen this before.’
‘It was right at the back,’ he said. ‘I don’t believe it was meant to be found by anyonebut the most persistent searcher.’
‘And you are certainly that,’ she said unhappily. She had been so sure. But now, looking at this battered box that had once held nothing more interesting than copy paper, she knew, deep inside, that there was something to be discovered. And all she was certain of now was that she didn’t want to know what it was.
‘I have no choice, Holly.You must see that.’
‘Haven’t you? Couldn’t you just put this back and pretend you never saw it?’
He took the box from her. ‘You know I can’t. If you are right I will have to start looking for someone else.’
‘But you don’t think I’m right.’
‘Mary would never have been that careless.’
‘Wouldn’t she? You’re quite prepared to believe she was careless enough to give away her child.’
His mouth hardened. ‘There’s no point in standing here arguing about it.’ He turned away and went quickly down the stairs. She followed him a good deal more slowly and when she reached the living room the box was already on the table and he had opened a pocket knife in order to slit the tape.
‘Wait!’ He straightened and after one glance at her white face he handed her the knife. She pushed in the point, but her look was pleading as she hesitated, hoping even now that he would change his mind.
‘It’s like pulling off a sticking-plaster, Holly,’ he urged her. ‘The quicker you do it, the less painful it is in the end.’
‘Is that a guarantee?’
‘Life doesn’t come with guarantees.’
‘No, I suppose not.’ She took a firmer grip on the knife and sliced quickly through the tape, then let the knife fall with a clatter to the floor as she dropped to her knees and pulled at the lid and revealed a thick, padded envelope.
There was nothing written on it but her name. It must have been bought especially for this purpose.
Joshua lifted it out and held it for a moment before handing it to her.
She smoothed over the envelope, turned
A few minutes later the ladder was propped against the loft hatch and the trouble he had opening it dispelled any doubts he might harbour that she had been there ahead of him.
She steadied it while he pushed at it with the heel of his hand, unable to take her eyes from the firm, well-muscled line of his thighs as he strained upwards. It finally shifted with a small shower of dust and she turned away with an exclamation as it covered her.
‘All right?’ He glanced down at her. ‘No spiders?’ She shuddered involuntarily. ‘Don’t!’ He laughed and disappeared into the darkness. She could see the swing of the torch he had brought with him as he crawled across the joists.
‘You could do with some insulation up here,’ his voice came hollowly back to her.
‘Tell me something I don’t know,’ she called back.
His head appeared in the hatchway, a provoking grin doing disturbing things to his mouth. ‘Where shall I begin?’
Her voice caught in her throat. Perhaps it was the dust. ‘Just get on with it,’ she urged him hoarsely.
He hung there for a moment, very still. ‘From anyone else,Holly Carpenter, I’d take that as an invitation.’
He didn’t wait to see her sudden blush, but disappeared into the darkness and for a while she heard him moving about above her. When he finally reappeared he handed a dust-covered box down to her.
‘This is the only possibility. It’s not heavy.’ Holly took the box. He was right, it wasn’t heavy, but it was sealed up with tape and had clearly not been disturbed for a long time. She had no recollection of seeing it on her admittedly infrequent trips into the roof space.
He joined her on the landing, and she dragged her eyes back from the box to him.
‘Have you any idea what’s in here?’ he asked.
She shook her head. ‘I’venever seen this before.’
‘It was right at the back,’ he said. ‘I don’t believe it was meant to be found by anyonebut the most persistent searcher.’
‘And you are certainly that,’ she said unhappily. She had been so sure. But now, looking at this battered box that had once held nothing more interesting than copy paper, she knew, deep inside, that there was something to be discovered. And all she was certain of now was that she didn’t want to know what it was.
‘I have no choice, Holly.You must see that.’
‘Haven’t you? Couldn’t you just put this back and pretend you never saw it?’
He took the box from her. ‘You know I can’t. If you are right I will have to start looking for someone else.’
‘But you don’t think I’m right.’
‘Mary would never have been that careless.’
‘Wouldn’t she? You’re quite prepared to believe she was careless enough to give away her child.’
His mouth hardened. ‘There’s no point in standing here arguing about it.’ He turned away and went quickly down the stairs. She followed him a good deal more slowly and when she reached the living room the box was already on the table and he had opened a pocket knife in order to slit the tape.
‘Wait!’ He straightened and after one glance at her white face he handed her the knife. She pushed in the point, but her look was pleading as she hesitated, hoping even now that he would change his mind.
‘It’s like pulling off a sticking-plaster, Holly,’ he urged her. ‘The quicker you do it, the less painful it is in the end.’
‘Is that a guarantee?’
‘Life doesn’t come with guarantees.’
‘No, I suppose not.’ She took a firmer grip on the knife and sliced quickly through the tape, then let the knife fall with a clatter to the floor as she dropped to her knees and pulled at the lid and revealed a thick, padded envelope.
There was nothing written on it but her name. It must have been bought especially for this purpose.
Joshua lifted it out and held it for a moment before handing it to her.
She smoothed over the envelope, turned
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