A Night With Consequences by Margaret Mayo Read Free Book Online Page A

heartbeat against her body.
    And when he touched his fingers to her chin andturned her face up to his she saw not her employer, not Blake Benedict tough businessman, but warm, human Blake. A Blake whose grey eyes were soft with concern. Without even realising what she was doing she snuggled up closer.
    Never in her life had she felt as safe as she did now. No man had ever held her like this, made her feel secure, as though her whole world had turned around and no one would ever mistreat her again. She had not believed it possible. And for it to be her employer, of all people! Her father had always drummed it into her that she was a worthless creature whom no man would ever look at twice. He had said it so often that she had believed it.
    Kara knew that she ought to move now that she had recovered, but pulling away from Blake was the last thing she wanted. And Blake seemed in no hurry to let her go either.
    ‘Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?’ he enquired softly. ‘It might help.’
    ‘No, I’m sorry. I couldn’t.’ It was too humiliating by far. Even though her father was dead she still did not want to talk about him. ‘I never will. And I’m sorry I—’
    ‘Do not keep apologising, Kara. I’m glad that you’ve told me. It helps me to understand you.’ He trailed a gentle finger down the side of her face, pausing a moment before tracing the outline of her lips. Then he touched her fingers to his mouth and kissed them before placing them against her lips again. ‘You’re a beautiful lady, both inside and out, and you do not deserve to have gone through what you have. I reiterate my promise that I will never do anything to hurt you.’
    Kara let out her breath slowly, feeling her body relax. She liked him holding her, she liked him touching her, she liked what he was saying to her. It was almost as though she had been transported into a different world—a world where everything was beautiful and sensual and no one ever hurt anyone. A world she had never known before.
    ‘Maybe you should drink your coffee,’ he said, ‘before it gets cold.’
    ‘I’d rather you held me a little longer.’ The words slipped out before she could stop them and she was horrified. ‘I’m sorry. I’m being silly. I shouldn’t have said that.’
    ‘My beautiful Kara, I’m glad that you did. It proves that you trust me.’ His eyes had darkened but they still held the softness, the tenderness, and Kara guessed that he had never held a woman like this before and not kissed her.
    She was grateful to him. And she actually experienced a sense of relief that she had told him about her father. It felt cathartic—as though a whole weight had been lifted from her shoulders, finally giving her permission to move on.
    He continued to stroke the side of her face, gently sweeping back tendrils of hair that got in his way, and Kara enjoyed the touch of his fingers so much that when he again traced the outline of her lips they parted of their own volition, the tip of her tongue coming out to touch and taste him.
    She heard the faint groan in the back of his throat and had no idea what it meant. Was he saying
please don’t do that?
Or,
if you do I won’t be responsible formy actions?
It was embarrassing to be totally innocent in the ways of men.
    And the trouble was that the longer she remained in his arms the more intense her emotions became. She reached out and touched his cheek, feeling the faint rasp where his strong black hair was already growing again. He put his hand over hers, holding it there for a few seconds before moving it slowly so that he could press his lips to her palm.
    Then he folded her fingers over the kiss and gave her her hand back. ‘Especially for you, my troubled one.’
    Kara did not want her hand back; she wanted to continue to touch him. She wanted to trace the outline of his face, his beautifully sculpted lips. She wanted—When she suddenly realised exactly what it was that she wanted it took