Read Online One Reckless Night by Sara Craven - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sara Craven
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vulnerable, to show pain like other children. A child who was allowed to fail, who had the right to be comforted.
A child who was a stranger. And Zanna wept for that strangeness.
Yet slowly, gradually, the tempest of tears began to ebb. Her body might still be shaken by long, quivering sobs, but control was returning. And full awareness.
She was on the sofa, held closely in Jake's arms, cradled across his thighs. Her wet face was pressed against the curve of his throat and his hand was stroking her hair.
'Oh, God.' Confused, she tried to sit up-to disentangle herself. 'I-I'm sorry...'
'Relax.' He made no attempt to release her, his hand gently urging her head back to its former resting place. 'You don't have to apologize.'
'But I don't understand.' There was a catch in her voice. 'I've never behaved like this before.'
'I guessed that already.' His tone was wry. 'You don't have to explain either. Or be afraid. You're safe.'
Safe? She thought. Safe? With a man who called himself X, the unknown factor? There was no safety here. Especially when the warmth of his body seemed to be invading every fiber of her being, tempting her to stay where she was, enticing her to turn her head and press her mouth to his skin. To feel the strong pulse in his throat beating against her lips, finding its echo in the surge of her own blood.
But that was sheer insanity, and she knew it. And prudence insisted that she distance herself from him without delay.
Only, detaching yourself and sitting up with dignity on a man's lap had its own inherent problems, she discovered. Especially when you were trembling so much inside you felt as if you might shatter into a million tiny pieces at any moment.
'Will you let me go, please?' She'd intended that to sound positive and self-possessed. Instead it had sounded more like a dying wish, she realized, vexed.
He said, slowly, 'Any form of intimacy really bothers you, doesn't it?'
'No, of course not.' She tried to laugh. 'I'm just- seriously embarrassed by all this. I don't know what can have come over me.'
'You came into contact with real life.' He shrugged, and the slight movement of his body against hers sent a disturbing tremor through her senses. 'And your protective shell wasn't as strong as you thought.'
'You really think you have me all worked out,' she said bitterly.
Jake shook his head. 'No, Susie. I suspect that would take a lifetime.'
'Well, my life is all worked out, thanks.' She drew a deep breath. 'And now I really do have to go.'
'We still,' he said, 'have to discuss my fee for the work on your car.'
¦v 'Yes, of course.' She tried swiftly to reckon how much cash there was in her wallet. Under normal circumstances she'd have paid by cheque or credit card, but they had her real name emblazoned on them. And she was determined not to reveal that. Nor must she forget that there'd be a bill from Trudy Sharman to settle too, she reminded herself with faint dismay. She rallied herself.
'How much do I owe you?' she asked, aiming for her old briskness.
'One kiss,' he said softly. 'And we'll consider the matter settled.'
"What?" she almost shrieked. Outrage provided the impetus she needed and she leapt to her feet, glaring at him. "That is a disgusting suggestion.'
Jake shrugged again. He looked totally relaxed, completely unabashed by her reaction.
'OK,' he said equably. 'Two hundred pounds.'
Zanna froze. 'That is a joke, I hope.'
'It was a fiddly, time-consuming job,' he said. 'Labour is costly, especially when it includes call-out fees, overtime-and a percentage for aggravation,' he added gently. 'Maybe you should have asked for an estimate before I began.'
'You can't possibly justify such an amount,' she protested angrily.
'I don't have to. It was an emergency job, according to you, and that's the price I'm charging for it. Unless, of course, you want to reconsider the alternative,' he added
A child who was a stranger. And Zanna wept for that strangeness.
Yet slowly, gradually, the tempest of tears began to ebb. Her body might still be shaken by long, quivering sobs, but control was returning. And full awareness.
She was on the sofa, held closely in Jake's arms, cradled across his thighs. Her wet face was pressed against the curve of his throat and his hand was stroking her hair.
'Oh, God.' Confused, she tried to sit up-to disentangle herself. 'I-I'm sorry...'
'Relax.' He made no attempt to release her, his hand gently urging her head back to its former resting place. 'You don't have to apologize.'
'But I don't understand.' There was a catch in her voice. 'I've never behaved like this before.'
'I guessed that already.' His tone was wry. 'You don't have to explain either. Or be afraid. You're safe.'
Safe? She thought. Safe? With a man who called himself X, the unknown factor? There was no safety here. Especially when the warmth of his body seemed to be invading every fiber of her being, tempting her to stay where she was, enticing her to turn her head and press her mouth to his skin. To feel the strong pulse in his throat beating against her lips, finding its echo in the surge of her own blood.
But that was sheer insanity, and she knew it. And prudence insisted that she distance herself from him without delay.
Only, detaching yourself and sitting up with dignity on a man's lap had its own inherent problems, she discovered. Especially when you were trembling so much inside you felt as if you might shatter into a million tiny pieces at any moment.
'Will you let me go, please?' She'd intended that to sound positive and self-possessed. Instead it had sounded more like a dying wish, she realized, vexed.
He said, slowly, 'Any form of intimacy really bothers you, doesn't it?'
'No, of course not.' She tried to laugh. 'I'm just- seriously embarrassed by all this. I don't know what can have come over me.'
'You came into contact with real life.' He shrugged, and the slight movement of his body against hers sent a disturbing tremor through her senses. 'And your protective shell wasn't as strong as you thought.'
'You really think you have me all worked out,' she said bitterly.
Jake shook his head. 'No, Susie. I suspect that would take a lifetime.'
'Well, my life is all worked out, thanks.' She drew a deep breath. 'And now I really do have to go.'
'We still,' he said, 'have to discuss my fee for the work on your car.'
¦v 'Yes, of course.' She tried swiftly to reckon how much cash there was in her wallet. Under normal circumstances she'd have paid by cheque or credit card, but they had her real name emblazoned on them. And she was determined not to reveal that. Nor must she forget that there'd be a bill from Trudy Sharman to settle too, she reminded herself with faint dismay. She rallied herself.
'How much do I owe you?' she asked, aiming for her old briskness.
'One kiss,' he said softly. 'And we'll consider the matter settled.'
"What?" she almost shrieked. Outrage provided the impetus she needed and she leapt to her feet, glaring at him. "That is a disgusting suggestion.'
Jake shrugged again. He looked totally relaxed, completely unabashed by her reaction.
'OK,' he said equably. 'Two hundred pounds.'
Zanna froze. 'That is a joke, I hope.'
'It was a fiddly, time-consuming job,' he said. 'Labour is costly, especially when it includes call-out fees, overtime-and a percentage for aggravation,' he added gently. 'Maybe you should have asked for an estimate before I began.'
'You can't possibly justify such an amount,' she protested angrily.
'I don't have to. It was an emergency job, according to you, and that's the price I'm charging for it. Unless, of course, you want to reconsider the alternative,' he added
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