A Sister's Quest by Jo Ann Ferguson Read Free Book Online Page B

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    Feeling his gaze on her, she froze. She wanted to tense and pull the covers to her chin. With every bit of her strength, she kept from moving as he came to stand by the bed. While he drew the covers over her shoulder, his fingers brushed her cheek lightly, but he walked away as she fought to submerge the fiery river flowing through her.
    She dared to breathe again only when she heard him arrange his makeshift bed. Even when the soft rhythm of his breathing filled the room, every inch of her ached for him. She must learn to control this longing for his touch, or she feared that, by the time they reached Vienna, there would be no need to pretend to be his mistress.

Chapter Four
    The second day of their journey proved even more difficult than the first. Exhausted from not sleeping, Michelle fought the sway of the carriage, which reminded her of a roughly rocking cradle. More than once her head drooped against Alexei’s shoulder. He said nothing when she was routed awake.
    If her relationship with Alexei had improved even slightly, she could not say the same about Rusak, who tried to ignore her. When it was impossible, he made it obvious with gestures that he found her company disgusting. She did not mention to Alexei how much Rusak’s coldness bothered her. She was sure he would tell her to learn to live with Rusak.
    The schedule of their journey did not change. They paused only to rest the horses or stop at an inn at night. Slowly Michelle became accustomed to sharing her bedchamber, but she made certain every night that a pillow and a blanket were set aside for Alexei. She did not care if he slept on a chair or on the floor. Just as long as he kept his promise not to sleep with her.
    She wanted to believe she was worried about nothing, because, after the first night, Alexei treated her with the kind indifference of a big brother for a vexing younger sister. Yet, when she finally convinced herself of that, she would catch a glance from him that she was not supposed to have seen. The barely quiescent sparks in his eyes cut through her defenses, suggesting ideas that should not be in her head. He was an impossible man, and she hoped he would change when they reached Vienna.
    On Sunday morning, Michelle woke as the sun peeked into the window of the Gasthaus where they had taken a room high under the eaves. She heard the soft chime of church bells. After the past week’s confusion, hearing something so familiar was like unearthing a treasure.
    She drew on her dress under the covers and slipped her nightgown over her feet. Hooking her dress, she slid out from beneath the blanket. She wrapped her braids around her head and pinned them in place. It was not neat, but with her bonnet, no one would notice.
    Her eyes widened when she saw Alexei sleeping on the floor not far from the door. If he had chosen such an uncomfortable bed each night, she had seen no sign of it. The hard floor of a Swiss Gasthaus must seem heavenly in comparison to nights of camping with the Russian army.
    Michelle tiptoed across the floor. As light as her footsteps were, she was not overly astounded when Alexei’s hand gripped her ankle.
    Half-asleep, he grumbled, “Where are you sneaking off to at this godforsaken hour?”
    â€œTo church.”
    â€œChurch?” He muttered something.
    â€œGo back to sleep.” She tried to pull away.
    Alexei released her ankle and stood. He stretched, revealing his bare chest. Her gaze moved along that firmly muscled expanse. She had never seen so much raw masculinity. Heat as strong as a fever oozed up her cheeks as she realized he was amused with her stare. She thought of snarling at him for being so vain, but such an admonishment would be a waste of her breath.
    â€œSomething wrong?” He laughed. “Your face is the color of the rising sun.”
    Again she was tempted to retort. She said nothing as she reached for the door latch.
    He laughed once more and pulled her away