Rory Read Online Free Page B

eyes and she frowned. “You’re crushing me.” She gave him one final shove.
    Something that resembled disappointment flashed in his eyes before he rolled off of her and onto his back. Thank God the sheet was still draped about his waist, but it did little to hide his enormous erection.
    She slid off the bed, straightened her skirts, and cleared her throat. “I-I shall return shortly.”

4

    R ory sat forward in the bath as Shannon washed his broad back. She had spoon-fed him broth, insisting he finish the entire bowlful before he stepped foot in the water, and he had done so, if only to pacify her. He had absolutely no appetite, but he enjoyed her care and attention too much to deny her. And she took her duty quite seriously.
    “Where are you from, Shannon?” he asked, and he felt her stiffen.
    “Scotland.”
    Little liar. He had heard the Irish brogue slip through more than once in their conversations. “Where in Scotland?”
    “A small village near Inverness,” she said, sounding uncomfortable with the discussion.
    “Why did you leave?”
    “There was more opportunity in London.”
    He could hardly argue with that. “What of your family?”
    “Dead.”
    Perhaps that’s where her hesitation came from. Suddenly, he felt guilty for pushing her.
    “I’m sorry.”
    She began soaping his hair vigorously, her nails scraping his scalp. Honestly, he enjoyed the feel of her touching him, even if she was being a bit rough. He smiled inwardly and remembered the feel of her body beneath him when they’d fallen onto the bed, the soft mounds of her breasts pressed against his chest, the way his cock had nestled between the juncture of her thighs. If he hadn’t been mistaken, she’d lifted her hips just the slightest bit too.
    He wondered if she could read minds, because she abruptly dumped a pitcher of water over his head without warning him.
    Wiping his hands down his face, he looked at her with brow furrowed. “You could have forewarned me, you know?”
    He glanced down at the now wet dressing.
    “I’m so sorry. I thought I did,” she said sweetly.
    Too sweetly.
    He shook his head. “No, you didn’t.”
    Her gaze shifted to the top of his head. “Ye still have suds in your hair, my lord.”
    Ah, she’d slipped again with the brogue. He watched her closely, gauging her reaction to see if she realized that she’d done as much, and her cheeks turned pink. But was the blush because of the slipup or because he was staring at her? She had such fragile features, perfectly sculpted, and he loved the way her top lip curved upward. Lord, but how he wanted to taste those lips.
    She looked away and abruptly moved directly behind him. Dipping the pitcher in the tub, her hand came very close to his buttocks. He glanced over his shoulder and saw her gaze fasten on his lower back.
    He grinned. She might pretend indifference, but he could sense interest. He wondered if she had any experience at all.The majority of the women he’d been with knew their way around the bedchamber, but he had a feeling Shannon was as innocent as she looked.
    Letting his head fall back on his shoulders, he closed his eyes. “All right, I’m ready.”
    This time she didn’t dump, but rather poured the water slowly, the fingers of her free hand sliding through his hair.
    Shannon wondered how many women would envy her position right now. To have Lord Ambrose naked in a tub, weak and defenseless, was a novelty, and one she was enjoying far too much for her own good.
    And now at least all traces of his liaison with Candice had been washed away. The servant had been talking with her husband when Shannon had walked into the kitchen and ordered the soup and a bath. Frank had even inquired about his lordship’s health.
    Candice, wearing a fresh new uniform, was doing everything to change the subject.
    Frank had kissed her affectionately on the cheek, and Shannon had to walk away. She hated deceit in every way. Her mother had been a loyal wife to her