Promises by Jo Barrett Read Free Book Online Page A

edgy, but was it the pounding rain and booming thunder or the handsome man in her bed that had her wound so tight?  
    Lifting her gaze to study the confused frazzled woman in the mirror, she gasped.   Her eyes.   She’d forgotten about her blasted eyes.   He had her so distracted she forgot to put in her contacts.   She only wore them went she went into town, and of course the evening before when Ted came to take care of Travis.   She quickly fumbled for her contact case.
    “Jill?”  
    Had he noticed?   He would’ve said something wouldn’t he?   Or did he remember enough about her to connect her eye color with Barbara McBride?  
    “Hey, are you okay?” he called again.
    “I’m fine.   Um, there was a spider in the sink.   It’s gone now.”   Snapping open the contact case, she quickly slipped the colored lenses into her eyes.   She hated the things, but didn’t have much choice.   Surely he would have said something.   Everyone did.  
    Deciding he must not have noticed, she looked once again into the mirror.   A blonde haired, blue-eyed stranger stared back at her.   When was this horrible game of hide-and-seek going to be over?   Where was Jason?   And why was Travis here?
    “Are you sure you’re okay?”   His deep voice sent a shiver down her spine, and she wondered how her real name would sound on his lips.
    Biting back a curse, she stuck her head around the corner.   “I’m fine.   The spider was more afraid of me than I was of it.   I’ll be out in a minute.   I don’t have much.”   She quickly went back to collecting her things.
    “I’ve run you out of your bed, haven’t I?” he asked.
    As she gathered her toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, and a few other items, she called back to him.   “You weren’t exactly in any condition to climb the stairs last night.”   She piled everything she needed into her arms then stepped out of the bathroom.  
    Rocky’s growl brought her head up from the mass of paraphernalia.   Travis had set his lunch tray aside and was angling to get out of bed.
    Dropping her things in the chair, she immediately hurried to the side of the bed.   “What do you think you’re doing?”
    “I’m getting up.   It isn’t right that I’ve thrown you out of your own bed.”   He struggled to stand, holding the sheet loosely around his waist with one hand while the other firmly gripped the edge of the nightstand.   His face paled rapidly.  
    “No, you’re not.”   She grabbed him by the arms and tried to gently guide him back into bed.   “You’ll never get better if you keep using all your strength arguing with me and trying to get up.”
    He placed his hand on her shoulder and pushed feebly against her.   “I won’t — run you out — of your bed.”  
    She clearly heard the pain amid his broken words.   “I have another bed.   Now, lie down.”   She gave him one last shove.
    He let go of the sheet and grabbed her as they toppled down to the mattress together.   His strong arms wrapped tightly around her, pressing her face neatly into the curve of his neck.   She could feel his heart pounding against her breasts.   It felt wonderful, but she would not, could not get involved with Travis Reid.   No matter how much her pulse raced from the feel of his bare skin against her cheek.  
    “Are you all right?” he asked.
    Lifting her head, she nodded.   She should get off of him.   She should pull herself out of his warm embrace and help him into bed.   She should stop staring at his lips.   Close enough for a — “You have to stop trying to get out of bed,” she said, interrupting that dangerous thought.
    He grinned crookedly, still holding her firmly against his chest.   “Not if you’re going to keep helping me get back into it.”
    “You did that on purpose?”   Fuming, she shoved and wriggled off of him.
    “No, but I sure did enjoy the outcome.”   He smiled widely as he raised his arms and clasped his