moment or two before he realized she was starting to weave. Without thinking, he went to her, slipped his arm around her waist, felt her sag against him.
She smelled of soap and sunlight and fresh air. Her hair was as soft as down. Holding her, he felt weightless, as if moving through a dream. A glance at her face, suddenly so near, and he saw her thick sable lashes flutter.
He held her as they walked back into the cabin, kept his arm tight around her waist. They stepped around the wash-tub. Near it there were still small puddles of water on the floor. He imagined her standing naked in the barrel, splashing water over herself, kneeling with water beaded on her skin as she washed her long hair. There was a tightness in his loins, a very loud pounding in his ears. He did not release her until she was lying on the bed again. He drew away from her slowly and stood back. His arms felt empty. Quickly he turned away and went back outside to get her some water; he came back in with a mugful.
He waited until she had taken a few sips and then asked, “Are you all right?”
Olivia nodded, frowning with concern. “I got a little dizzy all of a sudden.”
“You’re still weak on your feet, is all.”
“Surely I should be feeling better by now.”
“You’re moving about more every day.”
She laced her fingers together, looking at them, then back up at him. “Why are you being so kind to me? I can’t possibly repay you.”
“
Why
?” He was confused by her question.
She sighed. “You have been nothing but kind and I … well, I don’t—” Huge tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She quickly brushed them away, but not before one plopped on the bodice of the doeskin.
Noah watched the droplet widen into a small circle as it soaked into the soft leather.
“Don’t cry.” He didn’t mean for the words to come out as harsh as they sounded.
Immediately she looked over at him and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” That, too, came out as a harsh command. At a complete loss, he paced over to the table and sat down on a stool and watched her, wishing he knew something, anything of dealing with women.
• • •
Olivia tried to stop her tears. She was unused to such kindness. Noah LeCroix was quickly proving to be more honorable than any man she had ever known.
She put her hand to her temple and rubbed it slowly. Her head no longer ached as badly as before, and she really had felt stronger until the light and woozy feeling had come upon her so suddenly, surprising her as much as Noah’s rush to her side.
She had expected him to grab the stool she had carried out to the porch and shove it under her, but he had slipped his arm around her. Instead of recoiling in fear of his touch, she had experienced a breathtaking sense of security, a quiet sense of peace, almost as if she no longer had to battle alone to protect herself. The comfort of such a feeling had reduced her to tears.
And more, she had known the flush of desire, the need to be held by Noah LeCroix, which had come as more than a shock. After what she had been through, physical attraction to a man was something she had been sure she would never, ever feel.
Confused, frightened by her feelings, she knew she had to get away from here, from him, from what being alone with him was beginning to do to her.
“I shouldn’t be here. I have to go—”
“You’re safe here,” he assured her.
Her throat closed. She choked back a sob. Being safe was a dream that had evaded her for so very, very long.
“Don’t do that!” For the first time, he raised his voice and spoke to her sharply. Noah stood up and began to pace, tracking through the water she had splashed on the floor.
She tried to stop crying, to wipe away tears as fast as they could fall.
She licked a tear off the corner of her mouth and watched him grow more and more uncomfortable until finally he turned to her again.
“Look, I’m sorry. I’m no
She smelled of soap and sunlight and fresh air. Her hair was as soft as down. Holding her, he felt weightless, as if moving through a dream. A glance at her face, suddenly so near, and he saw her thick sable lashes flutter.
He held her as they walked back into the cabin, kept his arm tight around her waist. They stepped around the wash-tub. Near it there were still small puddles of water on the floor. He imagined her standing naked in the barrel, splashing water over herself, kneeling with water beaded on her skin as she washed her long hair. There was a tightness in his loins, a very loud pounding in his ears. He did not release her until she was lying on the bed again. He drew away from her slowly and stood back. His arms felt empty. Quickly he turned away and went back outside to get her some water; he came back in with a mugful.
He waited until she had taken a few sips and then asked, “Are you all right?”
Olivia nodded, frowning with concern. “I got a little dizzy all of a sudden.”
“You’re still weak on your feet, is all.”
“Surely I should be feeling better by now.”
“You’re moving about more every day.”
She laced her fingers together, looking at them, then back up at him. “Why are you being so kind to me? I can’t possibly repay you.”
“
Why
?” He was confused by her question.
She sighed. “You have been nothing but kind and I … well, I don’t—” Huge tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She quickly brushed them away, but not before one plopped on the bodice of the doeskin.
Noah watched the droplet widen into a small circle as it soaked into the soft leather.
“Don’t cry.” He didn’t mean for the words to come out as harsh as they sounded.
Immediately she looked over at him and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” That, too, came out as a harsh command. At a complete loss, he paced over to the table and sat down on a stool and watched her, wishing he knew something, anything of dealing with women.
• • •
Olivia tried to stop her tears. She was unused to such kindness. Noah LeCroix was quickly proving to be more honorable than any man she had ever known.
She put her hand to her temple and rubbed it slowly. Her head no longer ached as badly as before, and she really had felt stronger until the light and woozy feeling had come upon her so suddenly, surprising her as much as Noah’s rush to her side.
She had expected him to grab the stool she had carried out to the porch and shove it under her, but he had slipped his arm around her. Instead of recoiling in fear of his touch, she had experienced a breathtaking sense of security, a quiet sense of peace, almost as if she no longer had to battle alone to protect herself. The comfort of such a feeling had reduced her to tears.
And more, she had known the flush of desire, the need to be held by Noah LeCroix, which had come as more than a shock. After what she had been through, physical attraction to a man was something she had been sure she would never, ever feel.
Confused, frightened by her feelings, she knew she had to get away from here, from him, from what being alone with him was beginning to do to her.
“I shouldn’t be here. I have to go—”
“You’re safe here,” he assured her.
Her throat closed. She choked back a sob. Being safe was a dream that had evaded her for so very, very long.
“Don’t do that!” For the first time, he raised his voice and spoke to her sharply. Noah stood up and began to pace, tracking through the water she had splashed on the floor.
She tried to stop crying, to wipe away tears as fast as they could fall.
She licked a tear off the corner of her mouth and watched him grow more and more uncomfortable until finally he turned to her again.
“Look, I’m sorry. I’m no
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