dull ache beneath her breasts. She was naked in the bed, a strange occurrence in and of itself, since the human body should always be clothed.
Who’d told her that? She couldn’t remember, nor did she care. It felt delightful, and she relished it.
Drifting back to awareness, she breathed in air that smelled different , unlike the sour sterile smell of…no. She wouldn’t think about that. She had left all that behind.
When she had run away.
Wits clicking into place like a well-oiled clock being wound, Katherine realized she needed to establish an identity. Had Jessie spoken with the people who were tending her? Did they already know who she was?
So many questions.
And one more plagued her…whose hands had soothed her pain?
She should have been more concerned, but something muffled her worries, cushioned her thoughts and prevented her from panicking.
She heard a door open quietly and close again. She stilled, the beat of her heart loud in her ears through the silence of the room. Even though she’d immediately closed her eyes, she could feel a presence, a person, coming closer to the bed. A servant perhaps? The owner of the house? The lady of the house?
Katherine tensed, all her senses as alert as she could make them, for any clue as to the identity of her visitor.
The air moved against her bare shoulder and a hand caressed her cheek softly, obviously not wishing to wake her.
She stayed motionless, willing her eyelids not to flicker, forcing her breathing into a regular semblance of sleep. It was not difficult, since a strange languor still invaded her limbs.
The hand moved lower, reaching for the sheet covering her--and drawing it away from her body.
Still she did not move.
The air was cool against her chest, and when the sheet was drawn further down exposing her breasts, Katherine could feel her nipples hardening against the chill. How far would this go? Was she now to be assaulted after suffering an injury? Should she scream? Cry out?
Her ribs were bared, then her belly, in a leisurely revelation of all that she possessed. There was a light touch against a spot that felt sore…a bruise perhaps…was this a physician examining a patient? Or was it more…
Katherine couldn’t help but wonder as the sheet drooped lower, letting the air of the room slide down between her thighs.
How she kept her countenance she had no idea. Every instinct was screaming at her to leap up, to grab the bedding and cover herself while hurling insults at the barefaced intruder who was so intent upon seeing her nakedness.
She waited, heart thudding erratically, for whatever would come next.
Nothing did.
The sheet began the return trip up her body to settle even higher around her shoulders, and she couldn’t help a slight sigh of relief at the secure sensation of coverings.
“You may open your eyes now.”
She jumped and immediately her eyelids snapped apart. He was standing next to the bed, an amused grin on his face and he was quite the most astoundingly handsome man she’d ever seen.
“A genuine redhead. And with blue eyes. How attractive.” The voice was silky, smooth and deep, yet edged with something--some inflexion--that she could not quite place.
“Who are you? Where am I?” Her lips were stiff, her throat dry.
“A natural question. Before I answer, I must inquire as to how you feel. Whether I should summon the man who has cared for you thus far? Any aches? Pains?” One sculpted eyebrow rose in query, a little too casually for Katherine’s tastes.
“Yes. I feel as if I’ve been run over by a carriage. Anything else?” The urge to smack this man’s self-confident gaze off his face was overwhelming and sent strength to muscles that had lain quiescent throughout his examination. “I repeat. Where am I? Where is my…my friend? How long have we been here?”
His expression altered slightly, becoming less saturnine and more serious. He eased himself down on the bed next to Katherine and tucked her
Who’d told her that? She couldn’t remember, nor did she care. It felt delightful, and she relished it.
Drifting back to awareness, she breathed in air that smelled different , unlike the sour sterile smell of…no. She wouldn’t think about that. She had left all that behind.
When she had run away.
Wits clicking into place like a well-oiled clock being wound, Katherine realized she needed to establish an identity. Had Jessie spoken with the people who were tending her? Did they already know who she was?
So many questions.
And one more plagued her…whose hands had soothed her pain?
She should have been more concerned, but something muffled her worries, cushioned her thoughts and prevented her from panicking.
She heard a door open quietly and close again. She stilled, the beat of her heart loud in her ears through the silence of the room. Even though she’d immediately closed her eyes, she could feel a presence, a person, coming closer to the bed. A servant perhaps? The owner of the house? The lady of the house?
Katherine tensed, all her senses as alert as she could make them, for any clue as to the identity of her visitor.
The air moved against her bare shoulder and a hand caressed her cheek softly, obviously not wishing to wake her.
She stayed motionless, willing her eyelids not to flicker, forcing her breathing into a regular semblance of sleep. It was not difficult, since a strange languor still invaded her limbs.
The hand moved lower, reaching for the sheet covering her--and drawing it away from her body.
Still she did not move.
The air was cool against her chest, and when the sheet was drawn further down exposing her breasts, Katherine could feel her nipples hardening against the chill. How far would this go? Was she now to be assaulted after suffering an injury? Should she scream? Cry out?
Her ribs were bared, then her belly, in a leisurely revelation of all that she possessed. There was a light touch against a spot that felt sore…a bruise perhaps…was this a physician examining a patient? Or was it more…
Katherine couldn’t help but wonder as the sheet drooped lower, letting the air of the room slide down between her thighs.
How she kept her countenance she had no idea. Every instinct was screaming at her to leap up, to grab the bedding and cover herself while hurling insults at the barefaced intruder who was so intent upon seeing her nakedness.
She waited, heart thudding erratically, for whatever would come next.
Nothing did.
The sheet began the return trip up her body to settle even higher around her shoulders, and she couldn’t help a slight sigh of relief at the secure sensation of coverings.
“You may open your eyes now.”
She jumped and immediately her eyelids snapped apart. He was standing next to the bed, an amused grin on his face and he was quite the most astoundingly handsome man she’d ever seen.
“A genuine redhead. And with blue eyes. How attractive.” The voice was silky, smooth and deep, yet edged with something--some inflexion--that she could not quite place.
“Who are you? Where am I?” Her lips were stiff, her throat dry.
“A natural question. Before I answer, I must inquire as to how you feel. Whether I should summon the man who has cared for you thus far? Any aches? Pains?” One sculpted eyebrow rose in query, a little too casually for Katherine’s tastes.
“Yes. I feel as if I’ve been run over by a carriage. Anything else?” The urge to smack this man’s self-confident gaze off his face was overwhelming and sent strength to muscles that had lain quiescent throughout his examination. “I repeat. Where am I? Where is my…my friend? How long have we been here?”
His expression altered slightly, becoming less saturnine and more serious. He eased himself down on the bed next to Katherine and tucked her
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