Read Online To Love and Protect by Tammy Jo Burns - Free Book Online
Authors: Tammy Jo Burns
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Justin leaned back in the chair, shirtless, his strong feet and legs crossed at the ankle and surprisingly drifted off to sleep.
Clarissa peeked beneath her golden lashes at the man across the room from her. Her body felt achy and her breasts heavy after watching him strip off his shirt and wash his muscular chest. His fairness would not allow him to be darkly tanned, nor was he pure white either. No, his skin carried a golden glow about it, enhanced by the fire. Clarissa would have loved to be closer, so she could have touched him and known what his skin felt like beneath her fingertips. His feet were strong and capable looking. Odd, she thought, that she even gave credence to the look of a man’s feet.
She looked around the room a moment and realized that he must have moved her to the bed. Clarissa didn’t know whether to be agitated with him or upset that she missed being in his arms. Her stomach growled with hunger and she saw the tray of food sitting on the small table next to the door. She threw back the covers and discovered that she was nude beneath them. A gasp of shock escaped her lips.
She grabbed the top bath sheet and quickly wrapped it around her body. Her jaw dropped at the implications of this event. Justin must have carried her to the bed in her current state of undress. Clarissa felt a deep blush cover her entire body. He had held her naked form in his arms. How could she have slept through that? She shook her head in amazement. She pushed herself up from the bed, glad to see her legs were sturdier than they had been. Clarissa walked, albeit a bit shakily, to her bag and started rifling through the contents.
“Oh, no,” she murmured softly. She had packed so quickly and in such haste that she had forgotten to put in a night rail. She searched once more just to make certain, but came up empty handed. Clarissa did a search of the room and saw Justin’s bag sitting next to the washstand. She quickly walked over and searched the contents. There were two clean shirts. Clarissa hastily pulled one out and slipped it over her head, doing up the buttons partway. She had to roll up the sleeves and the hem came to her mid-thigh.
It was not as decent as her cotton gowns, but it would suffice better than a mere towel. She walked over to the tray and picked it up, carrying it to the bed, careful not to wake her roommate. Clarissa usually thought best when she walked, but tonight her legs were so sore she did not think they would support her weight anymore. Slowly she perched on the edge of the bed and began devouring the food in a very unladylike manner. The ale had become warm but still felt refreshing after a long day of traveling. The food tamed her growling stomach.
Feeling refreshed, she let her mind drift over their journey thus far. She continued to worry over the fact that they had found no one who remembered seeing her father. He could not have just disappeared. Clarissa absolutely refused to consider that he might no longer be with the living of the world. She pushed away the food and rolled onto her side, her back to the door.
She brought to mind a map of England that she had examined in her father’s study. After talking to his secretary, she had carefully compared the way he would most likely travel. They were definitely following the course. She tried to remind herself that they were only on their first day, but she felt dejected just the same. Although she fought it, she continually found her thoughts drifting to the unthinkable—her father’s demise.
“If all women look as you do in a man’s shirt, I suspect more ton marriages would be successful.” Justin’s words startled her so that she nearly fell off the mattress.
“I thought you were asleep.”
“Couldn’t get comfortable,” he mumbled.
Guilt suffused her. She sat up, crossing her legs and made
Clarissa peeked beneath her golden lashes at the man across the room from her. Her body felt achy and her breasts heavy after watching him strip off his shirt and wash his muscular chest. His fairness would not allow him to be darkly tanned, nor was he pure white either. No, his skin carried a golden glow about it, enhanced by the fire. Clarissa would have loved to be closer, so she could have touched him and known what his skin felt like beneath her fingertips. His feet were strong and capable looking. Odd, she thought, that she even gave credence to the look of a man’s feet.
She looked around the room a moment and realized that he must have moved her to the bed. Clarissa didn’t know whether to be agitated with him or upset that she missed being in his arms. Her stomach growled with hunger and she saw the tray of food sitting on the small table next to the door. She threw back the covers and discovered that she was nude beneath them. A gasp of shock escaped her lips.
She grabbed the top bath sheet and quickly wrapped it around her body. Her jaw dropped at the implications of this event. Justin must have carried her to the bed in her current state of undress. Clarissa felt a deep blush cover her entire body. He had held her naked form in his arms. How could she have slept through that? She shook her head in amazement. She pushed herself up from the bed, glad to see her legs were sturdier than they had been. Clarissa walked, albeit a bit shakily, to her bag and started rifling through the contents.
“Oh, no,” she murmured softly. She had packed so quickly and in such haste that she had forgotten to put in a night rail. She searched once more just to make certain, but came up empty handed. Clarissa did a search of the room and saw Justin’s bag sitting next to the washstand. She quickly walked over and searched the contents. There were two clean shirts. Clarissa hastily pulled one out and slipped it over her head, doing up the buttons partway. She had to roll up the sleeves and the hem came to her mid-thigh.
It was not as decent as her cotton gowns, but it would suffice better than a mere towel. She walked over to the tray and picked it up, carrying it to the bed, careful not to wake her roommate. Clarissa usually thought best when she walked, but tonight her legs were so sore she did not think they would support her weight anymore. Slowly she perched on the edge of the bed and began devouring the food in a very unladylike manner. The ale had become warm but still felt refreshing after a long day of traveling. The food tamed her growling stomach.
Feeling refreshed, she let her mind drift over their journey thus far. She continued to worry over the fact that they had found no one who remembered seeing her father. He could not have just disappeared. Clarissa absolutely refused to consider that he might no longer be with the living of the world. She pushed away the food and rolled onto her side, her back to the door.
She brought to mind a map of England that she had examined in her father’s study. After talking to his secretary, she had carefully compared the way he would most likely travel. They were definitely following the course. She tried to remind herself that they were only on their first day, but she felt dejected just the same. Although she fought it, she continually found her thoughts drifting to the unthinkable—her father’s demise.
“If all women look as you do in a man’s shirt, I suspect more ton marriages would be successful.” Justin’s words startled her so that she nearly fell off the mattress.
“I thought you were asleep.”
“Couldn’t get comfortable,” he mumbled.
Guilt suffused her. She sat up, crossing her legs and made
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