Read Online Searching For Captain Wentworth by Jane Odiwe - Free Book Online

teeth. I’m sure my mouth fell
open in surprise.
    ‘I’m sorry if I
made you jump,’ he said, ‘but I just saw your glove fall to the floor a moment ago and someone
tread on it. The next thing it
had been kicked to one side, and I thought you might not notice, or find it yourself.’
    I managed to say
thank you, but I couldn’t utter another word.
    ‘Are you sure
you’re okay? You know, you look really pale.
    Would you like
to sit down?’
    I couldn’t
believe my eyes. It was Josh whatshisname. Though I hadn’t seen his face before, I knew the rest of
him so well. Standing right
next to me, he was so close, I could have put a finger up through one of those long, loose curls that
tumbled in dark, unruly waves. I
could just imagine what Lara would have said about his leather jacket, the silver chain he wore
round his neck and his snug fitting
jeans. I admit I was slightly over-awed; he had such presence. He was one of those people that command
attention, who everyone stares
at when they enter a room. His large, expressive eyes were looking at me in concern, but he smiled
again, a sort of f unny, half smile
that just hinted at a sense of humour. I was shocked, utterly dumbfounded. I just kept thinking,
he must wonder if I’m
totally stupid as I stood with my mouth open doing a very good impression of the copper fish on the
water pump behind the
counter. It was so unexpected.
    ‘Have you come
for your usual, Mr Strafford?’
    ‘Yes, line them
up, Toby,’ Josh said, thumping the counter, ‘I’m ready and willing!’
    Toby, the
pumper, poured three glasses of spa water and placed them before Josh. I watched him drink the
first, draining the glass without
flinching once. I noticed his hands, like artist’s hands I thought, with long, slender fingers. He looked at
me again with those eyes that
seemed to acknowledge the effect he was having on me and he winked playfully.
    I felt myself
blushing but, at last, I found my tongue. ‘You’re not going to drink them all, are you?’ I asked,
before I realized that I’d
actually spoken my thoughts out loud.
    He paused to turn
and grin at me. ‘Every morning without fail, I’m here to take the waters. Isn’t that right,
Toby?’
    ‘That’s correct,
Mr Strafford,’ replied the pumper, with a tone that suggested a certain pride in what he obviously
thought was a very admirable
habit in his customer.
    ‘But, do you
actually like it?’ I persisted. Drinking one glass had been quite enough as far as I was concerned.
    Josh licked his
lips and grinned, his eyes sparkling mischievously. ‘Don’t you?’
    I wanted to say
yes. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I really wanted to agree with him. I hesitated.
    Picking up the
next glass, he threw back his head in a theatrical manner and I watched his throat move as
the liquid disappeared.
‘One to go,’ he cried, dashing the glass down noisily upon the wooden counter top.
    Then he suddenly
leaned towards me, which surprised me so much that my immediate reaction was to back off,
but there was nowhere to go as
I was up against the edge of a tall column. He buried his face in my hair and I remembered thinking
how sorry I was that I
hadn’t had a bath or shampooed my hair that morning, but hot water was something in short supply and I’d
just had a quick wash.
Thank goodness I’d drenched myself in perfume, I thought.
    ‘The water is
disgusting,’ he murmured, ‘but don’t tell Toby, it would break his heart.’
    I couldn’t help
but laugh. Toby, I noticed, was on the other side dispensing more water to hopeful clientele.
Josh now turned away looking
straight ahead as if there had been no communication between us, all innocent and quite like a small boy
who has just been very
naughty.
    ‘Can I get you
another?’ he asked, with a twinkle in his eye, just as Toby passed by.
    ‘Oh, no thank
you, but it was delicious,’ I said, loud enough for Toby to hear and be rewarded with a smile.
    ‘I’m Josh,’ he
said,