Strangers at Dawn by Elizabeth Thornton Read Free Book Online Page A

against the windowpanes that wrapped them in this warm cocoon of intimacy. It couldn’t last. It wouldn’t stand the cold light of day.
    She gazed up at him, straining to see him in that dim light. His hair was blond and his mouth was full and sensual-that much she knew, but the rest was left to her imagination. His eyes would be kind, she decided, and crinkling at the corners; kind eyes and a kind smile to match his voice.
    “Do you want me to stay?” His lips brushed her cheek. “Tell me!”
    This was madness. She mustn’t say yes, but she couldn’t seem to say no.
    When she didn’t respond, he took her lips again. She wasn’t afraid. Now that she’d taken his measure, she knew that she could stop him any time she wanted to. She sank back on the pillows and he followed her down, covering her with the upper part of his body. Even that didn’t frighten her. His mouth on hers was warm and gentle; she felt safe and sheltered in his arms.
    He raised his lips an inch from hers. “Don’t be frightened,” he whispered. “I won’t hurt you. I won’t let it go too far. I just want to touch you. Just a little.”
    One hand went up and brushed his face. “I’m not afraid of you,” she said.
    “I know.” He gave a throaty chuckle. “I think I’m the one who should be afraid.”
    She was puzzling over his words when his lips settled on hers once more. This time his kiss was hot and tasted of passion. Her lips parted at the gentle urging of his. The hands that brushed over her from breast to waist to thigh were sweetly erotic. She felt as though she’d stepped into a gentle current that was taking her she knew not where.
    He was going to make love to her.
    It flashed into her mind that she wanted him to. She, Sara Carstairs, wanted this stranger to make love to her. She’d never felt this way before in her life, and doubted that she ever would again. But it would be a mistake to give into her feelings. She wasn’t herself. She was overwrought, weighed down by all her worries. And he was kind. That’s all it was. She would savor the strength of those sheltering arms for one moment more, then she would push him away.
    Abruptly, the current she was floating in wasn’t so gentle. His kisses grew hotter, deeper, wetter. He was no longer coaxing her; he was devouring her. Heat spread along herskin, making it unbearably sensitive to every brush of his hands. And those hands! There was magic in them. He knew just where to touch her to make her ache with wanting. She took one quick breath, then another, and suddenly she was fighting for every breath.
    And she was drowning in pleasure.
    She clutched at his shoulders to push him away and found herself clinging to him. As though she’d given him a signal, he covered her body with his, then adjusted his position so that she could feel the intimate press of his arousal through the fabric of his trousers. Her whole body contracted in shock.
    His voice was hoarse and oddly bemused. “I must be out of my mind to put myself through this torture. But you have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”
    She was dimly aware of his words, but the feel of that powerfully aroused body grinding into hers was unbearably erotic. She tried to fight off the sensations that were beginning to overwhelm her, but she’d left it too late. A frantic little cry tore from her throat, then she convulsed against him as her body exploded with pleasure.
    When it was over and she was floating back to a more rational frame of mind, he kissed her throat, her eyes, her lips, her breasts. Still fully aroused, he pulled himself off her and rose from the bed.
    The amusement had returned to his voice. “I think,” he said, “it’s about time we introduced ourselves. But first, let’s get a candle lit.”
    His words instantly dispelled the pleasant languor that had settled over her. “No!” She hauled herself up. “Let’s not spoil things. This was … an enchantment. Yes, that’s what it was.