Scarred Beginnings by Jackie Williams Read Free Book Online Page B

that’s most kind of you but we can mostly manage by ourselv es.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her; she had to be the most gorgeous woman he had ever beheld. Her creamy complexion contrasted with her glossy dark hair as it rippled over one shoulder where she had tied it to the side. Her lips were the colour of a full bodied red wine and just for a moment he wondered if they tasted as delicious as they looked. He glanced further downwards and nearly groaned aloud at the perfection of her body. Slim in all the right places, fuller and more succulent in all the others. She was completely stunning.
    Something must have shown in his expression because her eyes suddenly sparkled at him again but then her gaze faltered and a rosy blush tinted her apple cheeks. She dipped her head and turned as though leaving without saying anything else but he took a step towards her. He couldn’t help himself. She made him feel good just by looking at her. He couldn’t let her go without saying something.
    His wicked sense of humour got the better of him. He cleared his throat then sighed deeply and looked down at himself.
    “Mind, I do sometimes have awful trouble with my legs. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to them. I may need help removing them later” He raised what was left of an eyebrow and gave a small cough as he prayed she wouldn’t take his words the wrong way.
    She didn’t. She suddenly lifted her chin and grinned widely at him.
    “Ha! I think you may need ‘elp removing that loose tongue of yours too. Ellen was right. You are a very naughty man. I think I will ‘ave to keep my eye on you.” She fluttered her thick, black eyelashes as she gave him another swift appraisal that left his blood burning through his veins. Then she waved her slender fingers in farewell as she walked back out of the room, her hips swaying gently, temptingly, leaving the floral scent of her perfume stirring the air behind her.
    He gulped audibly as his heart thundered in his chest. Had she really just been flirting with him after he had dared be so outrageously cheeky? He wasn’t quite sure where his courage had come from but it felt good to lighten the atmosphere. It had been far too long since he’d let his tongue run away with him but it had been irresistible with Geraldine. Her name slipped over his tongue like ripe mango and he grinned at his own audacity. 
    Lost in his own thoughts it was several moments before he heard a commotion going on in the hallway outside his room. He walked over to the door and stuck his head out only to have it nearly knocked off by a stampeding Gemma and Joe. James hobbled along behind them on his crutches yelling for the others to wait while Paul counted loudly, fingertips touching the wall as he paced the distance from his door to the top of the stairs. David joined them and laughed furiously as Adam punched the lift button repeatedly while they all pounded down the stairs.
    He protested at the unfairness of it immediately.
    “Well, that’s the first thing Ellen is going to have to fix. It’s hardly a fair challenge if I can’t get downstairs because the lift is faulty!” he exclaimed loudly as the others all raced down the staircase, clearly wanting to avoid the washing up at all costs. “I hope Ellen has an industrial sized dishwasher already installed or I’m going to make sure I can’t reach the flipping sink.” His final protests faded as the lift eventually arrived and swallowed him inside.
    David waited for Adam and then followed his nose to the kitchen where he was delighted to see Ellen standing at the enormous range serving up a full English breakfast. Her eyes were still puffy from her earlier tears but she was smiling as she dished out the meal. She tipped two fried eggs, a sausage and three rashers of bacon on a plate for him as she nodded for him to help himself to fried potatoes.
    “Thanks goodness for th at,” he sounded relieved. “When you said that you hadn’t a chef