A Gentleman's Luck Read Online Free Page A

over to the bed and pulled down the comforter.
    He walked back over to her and took one of her hands to lead her to the bed. She hesitated at first. He looked in her eyes. “I won’t hurt you. I just need to get a better look and want you to be comfortable.” He said. She went with him. At the edge of the bed he told her to lie down on the pillows but on her stomach. She did. He unwrapped the sheet and exposed her back to him. The bruises were terrible. “I am going to push a little darlin.” He told her. “Just to see if anything is broken. It may hurt a little but I will try to be gentle. OK .” She nodded her head to let him know that was OK. He pushed in some of the places where the bruises looked worse. She winced a little but held it rather well he thought.
    ***
    Na-Lisa lay on her bed on her stomach. William was pushing on the tender spots of her back. They hurt but she knew they needed to be tended. She could feel his weight as he sat on the edge of her bed. She had a man in her bed. She thought. Well, not really but he was there and he was being so gentle with her. She was mortified that he saw the pathetic excuse of clothing she was wearing. Her uncle had taken all of her other clothes. Stating that no man could bear to look at her and not have her. That had frightened her.
    William had been kind to her last night but she was nearly covered from head to foot. He has seen her now and was still being kind and as far as she could tell had no thought of forcing her into anything. But how long would that last? He was locked in here for a month. She knew that was her uncle’s plan. Lock him in until he could control himself no longer. She felt the bed sink as William leaned over her. She stiffened waiting to see what he would do. “Have you eaten?” He asked quietly in her ear.
    “ No.” She responded. ”I am not hungry.” He stayed quiet for a moment and then re wrapped the sheet around her back.
    ” Can you sit and prop up against the pillows or will it hurt too badly?” He asked finally. She gingerly rolled over and sat up. He was there helping her carefully. She only winced once as he tried to prop the pillows behind her back. “I am sorry.” He said.
    “ Not your fault.” She answered. He left her for a moment and came back carrying her tray. He sat on the edge of the bed. “I am not very hungry.” She told him again.
    “ You have been through a lot.” He told her. “You will need food to heal.” She sat patiently as he helped her eat. She felt like an idiot.
    “ I can feed myself.” She told him. He chuckled a little and handed her the tray.
    “ Sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.” He said.
    “ Oh. You didn’t.” she answered quickly. “I just felt a little stupid being fed like a baby.” He chuckled. “Aren’t you hungry?” She asked him. “Why don’t you go get your tray?” He left for another moment and then came back with his tray and took his previous spot on the edge of her bed.
    ***
    William sat on the edge of Na-Lisa's gigantic bed and ate his food as he watched her eat. She was tough. That he could tell. Many other women would have rolled over and died. When he saw that she was through he took their plates back to the table in the eating area and then went to use the facilities. This girl had everything he thought, although at the moment he was sure she didn’t care.
    He surveyed the huge room with a commode a large wash basin for bathing and a small basin on a counter top for washing hands. He finished his business and saw as he was leaving that there was water in the wash tub. He found upon sticking a finger in the water was still warm. He walked back to the bedroom to find Na-Lisa was sitting on the bed where he left her. “Did you bathe?” He asked her gently bracing one knee on the edge of her bed as he leaned in to speak to her.
    “ No.” She answered. ”I fell asleep.” She tried to get up as if she would go to bathe but winced. He was at her side in