Secrets of Seduction by Nicole Jordan Read Free Book Online Page B

truth, he’d deliberately remained awake each night for as long as possible, making himself utterly exhausted so that he could eventually close his eyes without haunting images preying on him, relying on copious amounts of fine liquor to help keep the ghosts at bay.
    Lady Skye was right. Too much brandy with too little food was not good for his temper. But drinking was better than prowling the halls of his empty house and remembering the love and laughter that had once filled it.
    He was bone-tired now, Hawk realized. Even so, he had no desire to risk temptation by retiring to his bedchamber just down the hall from his unwanted guest.
    Hardening his jaw, Hawk turned toward the back staircase. He had every intention of resisting Lady Skye,no matter how irresistible she was. He would send her on her way first thing in the morning, before his effort to remain impersonal and aloof failed spectacularly.
    Meanwhile, he would return to his study and continue making heavy inroads into his store of expensive vintage brandy.
    By the time he made his way upstairs again four hours later, the storm had died down and an uneasy quiet had descended over the house. Wearily Hawk entered his bedchamber and shed his clothing. He was about to don a nightshirt when he heard a muffled cry from outside his room.
    Wondering if he was imagining ghosts, he opened his door and let his gaze sweep the dark corridor as he listened intently. When the cry of distress echoed more loudly this time, he realized it had to be coming from Lady Skye’s room. A vague sense of apprehension filling him, he quickly pulled on a dressing gown and went to investigate.
    Her chamber was dimly lit by the hearth fire’s burning embers, but he could see her lying in bed, whimpering, evidently in the throes of a nightmare. In her thrashing, she had flung off the covers, and her nightdress had ridden up to midthigh, exposing pale, slender limbs.
    Hawk hesitated on the threshold, reluctant to be drawn in. Then she cried out again and he felt an unwanted softening inside him.
    He shut the door quietly behind him and moved closer, his protective instincts stronger than his need to guard himself. He understood the terror of nightmares, having dealt with his own for many years.
    The dampness on her cheeks told him she’d been crying in her sleep. Tears still welled beneath her closed eyelids as he gazed down at her.
    Wanting to console her, Hawk gingerly sat beside her on the bed and touched her shoulder gently. She came awake with a violent start, her entire body shaking. Spying him, she gasped, then pushed herself up and lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on for dear life.
    Reflexively, Hawk slid his arms about her, even before a wrenching sob escaped her.
    “Please … hold me …” she pleaded hoarsely.
    Hawk eased onto the bed more fully and held her as she’d asked, murmuring soothing sounds the way he had once done for his young son. Lady Skye clung tightly, shivering. Pressing her face into the curve of his neck, she tried to get even closer, as if she might burrow into him. Hawk responded by gently stroking her hair, her arm, her slender back.…
    Her body continued trembling, though. Seeking his warmth, she pushed aside the lapels of his dressing gown and rested her cheek against his bare chest. “Please … don’t leave me.…”
    At the fear engulfing her, Hawk felt a sharp ache near his heart. Determined to keep her warm and safe, to hold the terrors at bay, he brushed her cheek with his fingers, wiping away the tears. All the while he murmured to her in a quiet, crooning tone, gentling her as he would a terrified young mare, sprinkling kisses upon her temple, her hair.… Before he realized it, he was breathing deeply of her fragrance, taking it inside him.
    Her delectable scent penetrated his brandied haze,awakening his other senses to full primal life. Suddenly sexual awareness hit Hawk like a blow. Very little separated their