Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
An ache in his back had him stretching his chest out, then leaning back in the chair, closing his eyes for a moment. Dru would be done soon then he would hurry and bathe and seek the comfort of the bed.
He woke with a start and hurried a glance at the tub. He didn’t see Dru and a quick glance at the bed showed she wasn’t there. He rushed to the tub to find her sound asleep. She had slipped down, the water resting just below her lips. He silently chided himself for not keeping an eye on her and hurried to move the garments off the bed and pulled the blankets down.
With that done, he repositioned the chair in front of the hearth, then grabbed a cloth from the stack on a stool and threw it over his shoulder. He prepared himself for a tongue-lashing from her when he reached to lift her out of the tub, but her limp body told him she was in a sound sleep and wouldn’t fully wake anytime soon.
He lifted her into his arms with ease to cradle her against him and went to sit in the chair before the hearth. He settled her in his lap and used the cloth to dry her. He didn’t expect his body, and mind, to react as they did.
Coupling with a larger woman always brought him pleasure, but there was something about Dru’s slimness, the tender curve of her hip, her small breasts, the firmness of her body, and the thatch of red and blonde hair between her legs that tempted him beyond belief and aroused him far too much.
He quickly covered her for his own sanity and for hearing her boldly, in his head, order him to look away. He finished drying her the best he could and squeezed what water he could from her hair. Then he grabbed another cloth from the pile as he carried her to the bed. He placed her gently on it and quickly pulled the blanket over her. He wrapped the fresh cloth around her hair to soak up whatever water was left. He told himself to hurry and wash, but he felt rooted to the floor, not taking his eyes off her.
Never had he expected to feel such an attraction to a wee bit of a woman, and yet his swollen manhood told him otherwise.
He shook his head and began ridding himself of his plaid as he walked to the tub. A dunk, by now, of the cold water would do him good. The tub wasn’t large enough for him, but it served the purpose. By the time he got done washing and dried himself off, his desire was gone and his own exhaustion caught up with him.
Sleep called and he slipped into bed, keeping to his side, though not for long. His wife rolled toward him and curled herself around him.
“Cold,” Dru whispered in her sleep.
Knox instinctively wrapped his arm around her and tucked her close as he did the few nights they had spent together on the cold ground. She must have gotten used to him keeping her warm and memory had her seeking him out.
He had to admit that while the bed felt good when he first got in it, something was missing… until Dru settled against him. Like her, he had grown accustomed to her being in his arms.
Of course, his manhood responded far too quickly, and he realized the night ahead might prove difficult.
Dru felt herself drifting awake, but she wasn’t ready to wake fully, to let go of the warmth and strength that wrapped around her. She wanted to linger in it, never let it go. She felt safe, shielded from harm. But her eyes began to flutter, urging her to wake and as they fluttered open, she spied a face, his eyes opening slowly as well.
Knox.
A smile surfaced without any effort from her and the next thing she felt was his lips brushing over hers. A warm, faint brush that tingled her lips like a gentle kiss.
Kiss?
She pushed at his hard chest, shoving herself away from him and jumping out of bed.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, though didn’t give him a chance to respond. “You don’t find me appealing. Why in heaven’s name would you kiss me?”
Knox sat up, shaking his head, then running his fingers through his hair. “Only the good Lord knows why, since it makes no sense to me.”
A chill shivered Dru and she realized she was naked. “Bloody hell,” she cried out and yanked the blanket only to expose Knox’s arousal. She shook her head, thinking he was larger than she recalled and threw the blanket at him and hurried to find the garments Lady Agatha had left for her.
“Why am I naked?” she demanded, grateful to the woman for including an undergarment with the shirt and plaid. She hurried it over her head, relieved it fell to her knees. “Why?” she repeated, her hands on her hips as she turned to Knox and turned her head away when she saw him standing naked beside the bed.