Read Online The Seduction (Unexpected Circumstances #2) by Shay Savage - Free Book Online
Authors: Shay Savage
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and then slowly relaxed. I felt the constricted muscles of his arms and chest as they loosened, and his breath and pounding heart gradually returned to a more normal sleeping rate. He turned his head into my hand, and he let out one last, heavy sigh as his arms tightened around me briefly.
I took my own deep breath and settled back against him but kept my hand resting against his cheek. I wondered what dream he may have had to cause such a reaction in him or if he would remember it when he woke in the morning. I hoped he would not because even now that he had relaxed, his face was still tight, and he did not appear the least bit peaceful. I let my eyes flutter shut and listened to the sounds of my husband’s deep breathing as I drifted back to sleep.
The next time I opened my eyes, I could see the dim light from the windows and feel Branford’s hand as it traveled over the top of my head and down my hair, slowly stroking the strands from top to bottom. As I had before, I for fear of his touch to engulf me, but lying here in our bed, there was none. I blinked my eyes a few times to get used to the light and then looked up into Branford’s gaze.
The expression in his eyes was difficult to determine—a strange cross between concern, hope, and trepidation. He flicked his tongue out over his bottom lip, and his hand paused in its movements on my hair.
“Good morning, Alexandra,” he finally said.
“Good morning, Branford,” I replied. “Did you sleep well?”
“No,” he answered immediately, “but waking up was still a very pleasant experience.”
I felt the heat rise to my face.
“Are you uncomfortable?” Branford asked. “It wasn’t my intent to sleep this way. You rolled over and…well, here we are.”
“It’s all right,” I said, feeling the heat in my face increasing.
“Are you afraid of me?” he asked.
“Not right now,” I answered as truthfully as I could.
“Even after what I have done?”
I didn’t answer because I had no words for it. Yes, I was still afraid of him. I was afraid of that part of him that seemed so quick to anger without reason. However, lying here with his arms around me, I could feel how the strength of him was also for my benefit.
“I feel…safe here…in your arms.”
“I want you to feel safe,” Branford said. “Protecting you is very important to me.”
Of all the other things he had said, this was the one remark that rang the truest to my ears.
“I didn’t protect you yesterday”—Branford’s arms tightened a little—“not from Kimberly or Nelle and not from myself either. It’s the one part of being a husband I thought I knew how to do.”
Again, he brought his fingers to my chin and tilted my head to look at him.
“I will do better,” he said in earnest. “You will never be without trusted protection again.”
I could only nod in response, which shifted my head away from his touch. He stroked his hand back down my arm and eventually to my fingers. He brought them to his lips and kissed my knuckles.
“I promise,” he said, and I tried to make myself believe him.
I excused myself to dress and saw the offending garment was no longer on the floor behind the screen. I wondered what Branford had done with it, but mostly I was glad it was no longer within my sight. Perhaps he had burned the horrible thing. I would not have minded.
As I removed my nightdress and pulled on my clothing for the day, I winced a little as the fabric brushed over my shoulder. I remembered scraping my skin on the stone wall and had to swallow hard before I could draw proper breath again. I chanced a look at my right arm where Branford’s fingers had gripped me so hard. There were distinct bruises on my skin though they weren’t bad and wouldn’t last but a few days. I had certainly had worse at Princess Whitney’s hand, and that had been just for being in the way and not for suspected treachery.
Breakfast was
I took my own deep breath and settled back against him but kept my hand resting against his cheek. I wondered what dream he may have had to cause such a reaction in him or if he would remember it when he woke in the morning. I hoped he would not because even now that he had relaxed, his face was still tight, and he did not appear the least bit peaceful. I let my eyes flutter shut and listened to the sounds of my husband’s deep breathing as I drifted back to sleep.
The next time I opened my eyes, I could see the dim light from the windows and feel Branford’s hand as it traveled over the top of my head and down my hair, slowly stroking the strands from top to bottom. As I had before, I for fear of his touch to engulf me, but lying here in our bed, there was none. I blinked my eyes a few times to get used to the light and then looked up into Branford’s gaze.
The expression in his eyes was difficult to determine—a strange cross between concern, hope, and trepidation. He flicked his tongue out over his bottom lip, and his hand paused in its movements on my hair.
“Good morning, Alexandra,” he finally said.
“Good morning, Branford,” I replied. “Did you sleep well?”
“No,” he answered immediately, “but waking up was still a very pleasant experience.”
I felt the heat rise to my face.
“Are you uncomfortable?” Branford asked. “It wasn’t my intent to sleep this way. You rolled over and…well, here we are.”
“It’s all right,” I said, feeling the heat in my face increasing.
“Are you afraid of me?” he asked.
“Not right now,” I answered as truthfully as I could.
“Even after what I have done?”
I didn’t answer because I had no words for it. Yes, I was still afraid of him. I was afraid of that part of him that seemed so quick to anger without reason. However, lying here with his arms around me, I could feel how the strength of him was also for my benefit.
“I feel…safe here…in your arms.”
“I want you to feel safe,” Branford said. “Protecting you is very important to me.”
Of all the other things he had said, this was the one remark that rang the truest to my ears.
“I didn’t protect you yesterday”—Branford’s arms tightened a little—“not from Kimberly or Nelle and not from myself either. It’s the one part of being a husband I thought I knew how to do.”
Again, he brought his fingers to my chin and tilted my head to look at him.
“I will do better,” he said in earnest. “You will never be without trusted protection again.”
I could only nod in response, which shifted my head away from his touch. He stroked his hand back down my arm and eventually to my fingers. He brought them to his lips and kissed my knuckles.
“I promise,” he said, and I tried to make myself believe him.
I excused myself to dress and saw the offending garment was no longer on the floor behind the screen. I wondered what Branford had done with it, but mostly I was glad it was no longer within my sight. Perhaps he had burned the horrible thing. I would not have minded.
As I removed my nightdress and pulled on my clothing for the day, I winced a little as the fabric brushed over my shoulder. I remembered scraping my skin on the stone wall and had to swallow hard before I could draw proper breath again. I chanced a look at my right arm where Branford’s fingers had gripped me so hard. There were distinct bruises on my skin though they weren’t bad and wouldn’t last but a few days. I had certainly had worse at Princess Whitney’s hand, and that had been just for being in the way and not for suspected treachery.
Breakfast was
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