Read Online The Thorn in His Side by Kim Lawrence - Free Book Online
Authors: Kim Lawrence
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place, he selected an appropriate bandage from the first-aid box Gretchen had brought.
Gretchen herself returned a moment later carrying a tray. ‘Tea is … too late.’ She nodded towards the sleeping girl. ‘Out flat. A friend of yours?’
‘More an acquaintance,’ Rafael said shortly.
‘Any idea how she got like this?’
Rafael considered her pale sleeping face, refusing to identify the emotion he felt break free as tenderness. ‘Some …’
Gretchen produced a printed slip from her pocket. ‘Does this offer any clues?’
It was a boarding pass for a transatlantic flight. Rafael studied the time and date.
‘So she was getting off a flight from New York at …’ His eyes widened as he bit out a curse. His mental calculations suggested that his vengeful redhead had been on her feet for a hell of a long time.
The surprise was not that she was out for the count, it was that she’d stayed upright as long as she had! Refusing to acknowledge the emotion he felt tighten in his chest, Rafael turned abruptly away.
He had made it a point never to place himself in a position where he felt responsible for someone else; to this end he had successfully avoided emotional ties.
This woman might need a keeper, but it wasn’t him.
CHAPTER SIX
L IBBY shook herself free of a deep sleep, stretching like a kitten as she tried to work out where she was and how she got here.
Rafael saw the moment her memory returned.
‘Oh, God!’ she whispered, sitting bolt upright.
Libby turned in the direction of the drawled, ‘Hello there.’
‘What have you done to me?’
‘Other than drugged you and had my wicked way with you, you mean?’ Rafael, who was slouched elegantly in a leather-backed swivel chair, closed the lid of the laptop open on the desk in front of him and got to his feet.
Libby felt the embarrassed colour rush to her cheeks; to say she felt at a disadvantage would have been putting it mildly. She watched under the screen of her lashes as the tall figure shrugged on the jacket slung across the back of his chair and approached exuding an aura of energy. Feeling utterly drained and flat, she felt exhausted just watching him.
If exhaustion was the only thing he made her feel she would have felt a lot happier.
Had he been sitting there watching her? The possibility made her feel vulnerable.
She covered her mouth, unable to repress the drowsy yawn. ‘What happened?’ It was frustrating not to be able to remember.
‘Nothing dramatic. You fell asleep.’
Libby shook her head. ‘Why would I fall asleep?’
He raised a brow. ‘A tough one that, but let’s think, shall we? Could it possibly have anything to do with jet lag, no sleep, no food? Or even all three.’ He watched her flush and added as an afterthought, ‘And then a large dose of emotional pyrotechnics.’
‘Oh!’
He arched an ebony brow. ‘Coming back, is it?’
Libby gave a tight-lipped nod and flung a murderous glare his way for good measure.
‘I’m very sorry to have inconvenienced you,’ she began, swinging her legs to the ground. She broke off, catching sight of the bandage on her ankle.
‘Before you ask, I put it there. I think I did a good job but I’d get it checked over with your doctor if I were you.’
‘You!’
His stern classical features relaxed into a smile. ‘It was my good deed for the day.’
Libby reminded herself that under the smile—it made him look years younger—he was still the same ruthless, cold-blooded predator.
‘Am I meant to say thank you?’ she enquired, adopting an air of studied disinterest.
‘I’d prefer it if you took a deep breath!’ He accompanied the command with a cutting motion of his hand. ‘And tell me slowly and clearly this time why you are here without the histrionics.’
‘I’ve already told you and I might just as well have talked to that wall.’ She nodded towards the white walllined with a row of artistic monochrome photographs that portrayed wild and rugged
Gretchen herself returned a moment later carrying a tray. ‘Tea is … too late.’ She nodded towards the sleeping girl. ‘Out flat. A friend of yours?’
‘More an acquaintance,’ Rafael said shortly.
‘Any idea how she got like this?’
Rafael considered her pale sleeping face, refusing to identify the emotion he felt break free as tenderness. ‘Some …’
Gretchen produced a printed slip from her pocket. ‘Does this offer any clues?’
It was a boarding pass for a transatlantic flight. Rafael studied the time and date.
‘So she was getting off a flight from New York at …’ His eyes widened as he bit out a curse. His mental calculations suggested that his vengeful redhead had been on her feet for a hell of a long time.
The surprise was not that she was out for the count, it was that she’d stayed upright as long as she had! Refusing to acknowledge the emotion he felt tighten in his chest, Rafael turned abruptly away.
He had made it a point never to place himself in a position where he felt responsible for someone else; to this end he had successfully avoided emotional ties.
This woman might need a keeper, but it wasn’t him.
CHAPTER SIX
L IBBY shook herself free of a deep sleep, stretching like a kitten as she tried to work out where she was and how she got here.
Rafael saw the moment her memory returned.
‘Oh, God!’ she whispered, sitting bolt upright.
Libby turned in the direction of the drawled, ‘Hello there.’
‘What have you done to me?’
‘Other than drugged you and had my wicked way with you, you mean?’ Rafael, who was slouched elegantly in a leather-backed swivel chair, closed the lid of the laptop open on the desk in front of him and got to his feet.
Libby felt the embarrassed colour rush to her cheeks; to say she felt at a disadvantage would have been putting it mildly. She watched under the screen of her lashes as the tall figure shrugged on the jacket slung across the back of his chair and approached exuding an aura of energy. Feeling utterly drained and flat, she felt exhausted just watching him.
If exhaustion was the only thing he made her feel she would have felt a lot happier.
Had he been sitting there watching her? The possibility made her feel vulnerable.
She covered her mouth, unable to repress the drowsy yawn. ‘What happened?’ It was frustrating not to be able to remember.
‘Nothing dramatic. You fell asleep.’
Libby shook her head. ‘Why would I fall asleep?’
He raised a brow. ‘A tough one that, but let’s think, shall we? Could it possibly have anything to do with jet lag, no sleep, no food? Or even all three.’ He watched her flush and added as an afterthought, ‘And then a large dose of emotional pyrotechnics.’
‘Oh!’
He arched an ebony brow. ‘Coming back, is it?’
Libby gave a tight-lipped nod and flung a murderous glare his way for good measure.
‘I’m very sorry to have inconvenienced you,’ she began, swinging her legs to the ground. She broke off, catching sight of the bandage on her ankle.
‘Before you ask, I put it there. I think I did a good job but I’d get it checked over with your doctor if I were you.’
‘You!’
His stern classical features relaxed into a smile. ‘It was my good deed for the day.’
Libby reminded herself that under the smile—it made him look years younger—he was still the same ruthless, cold-blooded predator.
‘Am I meant to say thank you?’ she enquired, adopting an air of studied disinterest.
‘I’d prefer it if you took a deep breath!’ He accompanied the command with a cutting motion of his hand. ‘And tell me slowly and clearly this time why you are here without the histrionics.’
‘I’ve already told you and I might just as well have talked to that wall.’ She nodded towards the white walllined with a row of artistic monochrome photographs that portrayed wild and rugged
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