Private Property: a Contemporary Romance Novella Read Free Page B

portrayal of courage she didn’t actually possess.  She purposefully brushed past him then abruptly stopped.
    She heard him begin to walk towards her.  “Would you like me to show you the way?”  He barely restrained from mocking her outright, but she could see the laughter in his damnable green eyes.  Humility aside, it didn’t seem as though he was laughing at her, merely finding the humor in the situation.
    Tabitha couldn’t resist reacting to it, either.  Maybe it was the ironic hilarity of the entire evening, the pain pills, or maybe it was the only alternative to breaking down and wallowing in self-pity.  She burst out with a bark of laughter that rang off the walls of the short hall Jared guided her down.  He followed suit and chuckled a bit, shaking his head subtly in disbelief at her antics.
    He’d slipped his hand to the small of her back, bracing her jerky movements.  She could feel the heat of his hand seeping through the blanket she’d wrapped herself in and instead of shying away from the man’s touch, Tabitha felt calmed by it.
    He led her into a room on the right and eased her down on what had to have been the most comfortable bed she’d ever touched.
    It was a queen-sized bed with a simple sled-style frame that showed evidence of once being a dark wood that time and use had scarred and faded.  There were several different sized pillows plumped up along the in-ornate headboard and a white eyelet coverlet turned down.
    “Don’t move.  I’ll get you some clothes.”
    Tabitha grabbed his arm to stop his retreat.  “I’m okay in what I’ve got on.”
    Without warning, his hand shot out and slipped the blanket off one shoulder, sliding his hand down to the top of her bra cup.  His fingers softly caressed the thin material, his knuckles rubbing across the top swell of her breast.
    All mental processes stopped for Tabitha; she couldn’t breathe.  She just stared wide-eyed at him, watching a harshness creep over his face that gave his stern features an almost cruel look.
    “What you have on is still wet.  I’ll get the clothes.”  The removal of his hand left a tingling, icy sensation behind as chills replaced his warmth.  Tabitha sat in a stunned silence trying to regain control over her body’s automatic reaction to the man.  She told herself that he was doing no more than seeing to a patient.
    He came back and handed her the clothes.  “I’ve got some things to do before I go to sleep.  If you need anything, just give a shout.”
    He left the door open and a candle flickering on the bureau next to it.  It cast a golden glow that mingled with the silver blue light from the almost constant lightning flashing through the windows standing sentry on either side of the bed.
    The pain pills were running full force through her system and Tabitha’s eyelids grew heavy, burning every time she blinked.  It became harder and harder for her t o fight her growing fatigue, even though she desperately felt the need to stay awake.

Chapter 2
    A warm hand shaking her brought her up with a snort.  “Tabitha, it’s Jared.  Wake up.  You’re having a nightmare.”
    Tabitha immediately pulled herself into a sitting position, but the heavy protests from her injuries sent white hot flashes into her brain.  She moaned and collapsed forward, her forehead coming to rest on Jared’s bare chest.  His hand came up and began to massage the back of her neck.  A sound escaped her throat, the haze of sleep trying to coax her under once again.
    “You need to slow your movements down.”  Jared stated in a husky whisper that seduced her further into relaxation.  “You keep acting as though your body isn’t completely worked over.  You have been injured in more ways than just the cuts on your flesh.”  His large hand kept kneading her neck and shoulders, pressing her face into his muscular chest.  He smelled of clean soap and crisp aftershave.  He smelled good.  He felt good.  Or, at