Her One Desire by Kimberly Killion Read Free Book Online

Maxwell’s answer with tightly stretched nerves. His eyes closed slowly. He inhaled, then exhaled. “Aye.” She didn’t know how desperately she wanted that answer until he provided it. Her heart rapped against her breastbone at a quickening speed. She never intended to make such a journey alone, but she hadn’t planned for Father’s untimely incapacitation either. She smiled at Lord Maxwell and released the breath she’d been holding.
    “I’m going with ye,” John said. “After I fetch up the blind woman, we will head for home.”
    “Home?” she asked, puzzled. “Yorkshire is your home?”
    “Nay. Scotland is.” John puffed up his chest.
    “You are a Scot, too?”
    “Aye, and ‘tis high time my wife knew it.”
    “Knew what?” Celeste asked as she and the boy entered the room. She carried a tray heaped with bread, cheese, drink, and two bowls of steaming broth, which she set on the table. The boy dropped Lizzy’s belongings on the bench, including Beatrice in her little cage, then spun out of the room, no doubt escaping further instruction. Smitt ducked beneath the door frame carrying a pail of water in each hand. After carelessly dropping the containers by the fire, he reached for a chunk of cheese from the tray. Celeste slapped his hand and pointed toward the door.
    “Out!”
    Smitt offered the woman a pout that would have gained him favor with Lizzy, but Celeste merely drummed her fingers on her crossed arms and waited for the man to comply. Lizzy held on to her humor until Celeste winked at her. A giggle escaped Lizzy’s lips. She covered her mouth in an attempt to hide her inappropriate behavior and moved to pour water into the kettle suspended over the fire. “Come, Celeste. We need to talk. Let Julian and his new wife have some privy time.” John took his wife by the elbow. Celeste jerked her arm from her husband’s grip. “But I’ve yet to converse with her or ask her name.”
    Lizzy rounded the foot of the bed and took Celeste’s hand in hers. “Tis Lizbeth, but you may call me Lizzy if you like.” Celeste smiled and her cheeks nearly pushed her dark eyes closed.
    “Very well, Lizzy. We will see you and Sir Julian in the morn to break your fast.”
    “Thank you for your generosity.” Lizzy’s gratitude was lost on their backs as John ushered his wife out of the chamber.
    John turned in the doorway. “Can ye manage, lass?” “Aye,” she responded quickly, but was skeptical of her own confidence. She closed the door and turned toward Lord Maxwell. He was easily the biggest man she’d ever cared for. Though his size intimidated her, she assured herself he was no different from the other men she’d tended. Of course, those men didn’t make her toes tingle.
    She stared at him—long, lean, and sprawled out on the bed like an awaiting lover. The tingle in her toes shot up her body and went straight into her nipples. She felt her eyes widen and crossed her arms over her breasts to hide them.
    Mercy Mary! Control yourself! she scolded herself. He is just another man. She repeated this lie in her head as she walked toward the bed, her heart setting a pace too fast to count.

    Chapter 4

    Lizzy positioned a second pillow behind Lord Maxwell’s head to set him forward enough to eat. “Are you hungry, m’lord?”
    “Aye.” His eyes blinked opened.
    She had never seen a more beautiful shade of blue than the color of Lord Maxwell’s eyes. Not quite as blue as the sky, but paler with flecks of silver, reminding her of the beads on Mother’s rosary.
    She retrieved the kettle from the fire and set it on a bedside table, then wrung out a cloth in the water and lowered herself onto the bed’s edge. Starting with his neck, she washed the filth of the dungeon from him. With every ounce of skin revealed, he became increasingly more handsome. Only the slightest hint of gaunt darkened the skin beneath his eyes, but food would remedy that problem soon enough. She pushed a shock of black hair