Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 98745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
He stood and pulled a piece of bread from the sack on the bench.
Leora shook her head, having no appetite, and cringed when a dull pain throbbed in her head. It brought with it a wave of lightheadedness and she reached out to her husband. “Noble.”
He was at her side in an instant, crouching down beside her, and his arm going around her waist. “The ride was too much for you.”
“But necessary,” she said, “or we would be caught in this chilling downpour.”
Noble glanced around, better able to see the inside of the cottage now with the fire burning brightly. The bed was broken in pieces, some probably now burning in the hearth. There was no place comfortable enough for his wife to sleep, let alone rest. The earthen floor would hold a chill and they had only one blanket between them.
“I think sleep would be best for me,” Leora said and looked around, then laughed softly. “How foolish of me to expect a bed, but, oh, how I wish there was one. I would love to just melt into a soft mattress right now.”
“I cannot give you soft, but I can give you something to melt against,” Noble said and carried the other surviving bench to set it against the wall near the hearth.
He then helped his wife to her feet and with his arm around her waist, guided her to sit on the bench. He took the bench she had been sitting on and placed it beside her. Making sure the lone blanket was snug around her, he sat and gently eased her into the crook of his arm so she could relax comfortably against him.
She thought of telling him that she could sleep braced against the wall, that she did not need him, but the steady beat of his heart was a soothing melody in her ear and the warmth and strength of his body were far too comfortable to relinquish, and she was far too tired to argue. So, she held her tongue and accepted the comfort her husband offered her.
Noble was surprised his wife did not protest and refuse his offer of what comfort he could provide, but then her fatigue gave her little choice. She was soon asleep, her breathing steady, her body limp against his. She needed rest and he could use some himself. He hoped the rain would end before morning so they could continue on their way, though he planned on stopping at the abbey to give Leora a chance to rest in an actual bed before they reached their destination.
He rested his head against the wall, a vine poking at him, but he ignored it. He had slept in far worse conditions and various positions. This was bearable. Besides, he enjoyed the feel of his wife in his arms, her body tucked against his. He had not expected to feel that way and it was a nice surprise to learn he enjoyed holding his wife.
A yawn escaped him, and he let himself drift off to sleep, knowing morning would come soon enough.
A shiver woke him that wasn’t his and for a moment he thought he was in a field of spring flowers on an unusually warm day, the familiar scent invading his senses and feeling a comforting warmth wrapped around him while a slight weight lingered between his legs that had aroused his shaft. He opened his eyes to find his head resting on the top of his wife’s head. She was snug in the crook of his arm, her head on his shoulder, her body tight against his and her hand was the weight he felt resting on his shaft. Her intimate yet innocent touch aroused him even more and he gently raised his head to take a needed breath and calm his rising arousal.
She raised her head as he did and her eyes drifted open to meet his and their lips were so close that they nearly touched. He thought of kissing her, wanted to kiss her, and he thought he saw the same desire in her eyes. He was about to do just that when she turned her head away, and suddenly realizing where her hand lay, she yanked it away as if rescuing it from a burning hearth and moved away from him.
“I’m cold,” she said, once again doing what started the awkward moment, shivering.
Noble said nothing. He stood and went to the hearth, only embers left, and added more of the broken pieces of furniture, concerned there would not be enough to keep the fire going until morning. He stood when he finished and listened. The wind continued to whip at the cottage and rain continued to pound it, and he saw that in the far corner of the room the rain was dripping in through the worn thatching.