Cinders and Ashes by Rebecca King Page B

hearth.
    “ Come on.” He took hold of her cold fingers in his hand and
tugged, refusing to let go when she would have pulled free. She had
no choice but to follow in his wake, as he staggered back towards
the bed.
    Inwardly, she was relieved he had turned his back at last. He
might not mind his half-naked state, but she was more than a little
perturbed at the sight of his manly chest so blatantly displayed.
It had taken all of her willpower not to blatantly stare at the
ripples of smooth muscle running down his chest, to
the….
    Abruptly
shaking her head, Amelia snapped out of her wayward thoughts when
she found herself being drawn down to sit on the bed.
    “ I am not sleeping here,” she announced, confused by the
conflicting need to run out of the door, and curl up beside him
without question.
    She
might be impoverished. She might not have a protector or guardian,
but she wasn’t a harlot who would sleep with any man who dropped on
her doorstep.
    She was
about to inform Sebastian of that, only for him to sigh deeply and
announce,
    “ You most certainly are. It is only just dawn, and there is at
least another hour before you are usually up and about. Even if the
weather does abate enough for you to go out and go out again and
gather more wood, which by the sounds of the howling winds it
won’t, there is more than enough time for you to get some sleep. In
bed, where you will be nice and warm.” He could sense her argument,
and mentally cursed her for her stubbornness. Sighing deeply, he
tugged her down onto the bed, wincing as her bony elbow struck
inadvertently his aching ribs.
    “ You get up, and I will damned well tie you down,” he
threatened, lying back as far against the wall as
possible.
    “ I need to go out and check on Sir Hubert today,” Amelia
replied reluctantly, listening to the ferocious winds rattling the
windows.
    Sebastian froze. “Sir Hubert?” A dark scowl settled over his
face as he waited.
    “ My boss.”
    Sebastian looked down at her, not liking the strength of
emotion that swept through him.
    Amelia
tipped her head backwards to peer up at him. “I’m his
housekeeper.”
    “ Can’t he take care of himself for a while?” Sebastian asked
with disgust.
    Amelia
shook her head. “He’s elderly and isn’t able to get around much.
Although he has food, he will be struggling to manage by
himself.”
    Sebastian sighed deeply, wondering if he should go and see
this Sir Hubert for himself, and assess just how old he
was.
    “ Does he live far away?”
    “ Just through the trees,” Amelia replied, smothering a
yawn.
    “ Go to sleep,” he ordered softly, trying hard to resist the
urge to kiss the top of her head.
    After
several moments of silence, she began to squirm.
    “ For God’s sake, woman!” Sebastian half-shouted, holding
Amelia’s hands still with a curse. “What the hell do you think I am
going to do to you? I don’t even have the strength to walk across
this tiny room in a straight line. Besides which, I don’t force
reluctant virgins!”
    His bold
statement made her freeze with embarrassment. Relieved that she had
at least subsided for now, he found himself a comfortable spot and
tried to leave as much of the remainder of the tiny bed for Amelia
to settle in. Which, if he was honest, wasn’t much.
    Although
she now lay still, he could sense her hesitation. “Get out of this
bed before the hour is up, and I swear to God I will tie you to
it.” His dire threat made her stare at him indecisively.
    Did he mean it?
    Amelia
was wracked with indecision. She knew he posed no threat to her,
yet still was loathe to allow him so close. If she did lie on the
bed with him - just lie and nothing else, how could she sleep on
the bed when he was gone?
    Her eyes
met and held his briefly, and she was struck by the warning glint
in his eye. She had no doubt he would indeed tie her to the
bed.
    “ I am perfectly fine on the floor,” she muttered, reluctantly
settling down beside him. If