Read Online Reawakened by the Surgeon's Touch by Jennifer Taylor - Free Book Online Page A

now, Claire. You need to stop.’ Jude felt a wave of alarm engulf him as he gathered Claire into his arms. She was trembling uncontrollably and his hold on her tightened a fraction more. What had caused her to behave this way was a mystery; however, he was less concerned about why it had happened than how he could stop it. She was going to make herself ill if she carried on like this.
    â€˜Come on, Claire. Take a nice deep breath.’ Holding her at arm’s length, he looked into her eyes, feeling more concerned than ever when she stared blankly back at him.
    â€˜What’s wrong with her?’ Lesley came over and crouched down beside them, her pleasant face filled with concern.
    â€˜I’ve no idea but she’d be better off upstairs.’
    Jude stood up and helped Claire out of her seat, swinging her up into his arms when her legs buckled. There was silence in the dining room as he carried her into the hall and up the stairs. Obviously what had happened had come as a shock to everyone.
    â€˜Here, put her down on the bed.’ Lesley had followed them upstairs. Scooping up the dress Claire had worn earlier, she unceremoniously tossed it onto the floor. ‘You don’t need to stay, Jude. I’ll look after her.’
    Jude reluctantly laid Claire down on the bed, unable to understand why he was so loath to surrender her to Lesley’s care. He had vowed after he had left the NHS that never again would he allow himself to become emotionally involved and he had applied that doctrine to every aspect of his life, too, not just to the patients he treated but the women he dated as well. Oh, he did everything that was expected of him and more, but he always held part of himself in reserve. It was a system that had worked well, one that he’d had no intention of changing, and yet all of a sudden all his protective urges were rushing to the fore. Relinquishing Claire to someone else’s care was the last thing he could do, not even if his life had depended on it!
    â€˜Has anything like this ever happened before?’ he said roughly, ignoring Lesley’s offer as it was easier than explaining his need to stay. Admitting that he could no more abandon Claire than he could fly to the moon was the last thing he intended to do.
    â€˜No. Never. Claire is normally so calm and controlled. Nothing ever seems to faze her.’ Lesley shook her head. ‘I really don’t understand what’s happened tonight.’
    â€˜Could it be the stress of the attack?’ he suggested, reaching out to smooth back a strand of silky blonde hair before he realised what he was doing. His hand fell to the pillow as a feeling of despondency engulfed him. He had no right to touch her, no right at all. ‘It was pretty tense,’ he continued thickly. ‘I have to confess that I didn’t think we were going to make it at one point.’
    â€˜It’s possible, I suppose, although it isn’t the first time that she’s been involved in an incident like that. A couple of times the truck ferrying her to the convent has come under attack.’ Lesley sighed. ‘Maybe it’s been building up for a while. I mean, she’s been out here for two years now and that’s a long time to be under such constant pressure. What happened today could have been the final straw.’
    â€˜It sounds likely,’ Jude agreed, darkly. Maybe it was expected of the nuns but to his mind there was only so much any human being could take. And Claire had obviously reached her limit.
    He stood up abruptly, knowing that now wasn’t the time to kick up a fuss. It didn’t mean that he intended to let the matter drop; however, he would wait until he could speak to whoever was in charge of the convent before he made his views clear. Once again the realisation that he was allowing his emotions to get the better of him was very hard to swallow and he turned away. ‘I’ve some sleeping