Read Online The Barons of Texas: Jill by Fayrene Preston - Free Book Online

get Des, it’ll all be worth it.” He paused, his eyes suddenly piercing. “Won’t it?”
    “ Leave . And don’t call me honey! ”
    He chuckled. “Sure. Anything you say.”
    As soon as he left, she banged her forehead against a cabinet door several times. If this was only the first lesson, she didn’t know if she would survive the rest. This one was definitely baptism by fire.
    Yet if she did survive, the rest would be a piece of cake. Plus, Colin had said when you get Des. Not if . That meant he felt he could teach her how to land Des. If she did, it would all be worth it. Wouldn’t it? She frowned to herself. Where had that doubt come from? Of course it would all be worth it.
    She took a deep breath, slipped on a different pair of panties and positioned herself in front of the closet mirror. Automatically she brushed her hand down the dress, straightening it, then eyed herself critically. Colin had been right again. The dress did look better without a bra. Though it wasn’t obvious that she wasn’t wearing anything beneath it, her breasts filled the bodice perfectly.
    She went still. Colin knew the shape and size of her breasts. Last night, the pain and medication had made her responses slow, and she hadn’t been able to think straight, yet she hadn’t been unconscious. He had undressed her, but he hadn’t caressed her. If he had, she would have remembered.
    Her breasts began to ache as she thought of his hands closing around her, measuring, weighing. His hands were large, his fingers long. How would they feel around her? She groaned at her wayward thoughts.
    “Everything all right?” Colin asked.
    “Oh, just peachy keen.”
    “Peachy, huh?”
    She heard the amusement in his voice. Shaking her head at herself, she turned off the closet lights and closed the door behind her.
    “You look…remarkable.” His arms were crossed over his chest, his expression objective, but she couldn’t miss the heat in his eyes.
    “Thank you… I think.”
    He chuckled. “Sorry you’re finding this so rough.”
    She mentally chastised herself. She didn’t completely understand why, but she had obviously over-reacted to Colin’s efforts to help her. “Not rough. Just…different.” After the hard, regimented way her father had brought her up, wearing a different type of dress than she was accustomed to and without a bra couldn’t even compare.
    “Then I hope you won’t mind me telling you that the color of your toenails is not right.”
    “What’s wrong with them? They’re pink.”
    “They’re too pale.”
    She jerked up the navy purse and transferred what she would need for the evening to the smaller pink purse. “Be strong, Colin. You’ll get over it.”
    “I’m sure you’re right, but there’s one more thing I need to do before you’re completely ready.”
    “I can’t imagine what it could be. You’ve seen to every single detail.”
    He stepped toward her. Instinctively she took a step backward.
    He gently smiled. “What are you afraid of, Jill?”
    Good question. Was she afraid she was going to enjoy herself? Or learn to like being around him too much? Impossible. “I’m not afraid of anything.”
    “Good, then stand still for just a minute.” He reached out and pulled the hairpins from her head, letting them drop to the cream-colored carpet.
    “What on earth are you—”
    “Your hair,” he muttered. “It’s way too severe. As usual .” When every last pin was gone, he pushed his fingers through her hair and combed until the dark tresses fell loose and full to her shoulder blades. “Much better. Let’s go.”
    “Oh, uh, wait. I need one more thing.” She darted into the closet and reappeared with an ivory, finely crocheted shawl wrapped around her. “The night air might be a little cool.” Her expression dared him to tell her differently.
    He slowly smiled. “Of course. Let’s go.”
    A sudden thought occurred to her. “Wait. You haven’t told me where we’re going