Free My Desperado by Lois Greiman Page A

place. Not a breath could be heard. Travis laid quietly, one arm covering his eyes. Her voice enchanted him—no matter the words, the tone was soothing yet erotic.
    Let this be a lesson to me, he thought grimly. Better to hear the moans and sighs of pleasure behind their very walls than be tortured by a single innocent note of Katherine Amelia Simmon's church-schooled voice.
     

Chapter 8
    "Breakfast." Katherine wet her lips and pushed the bedroom door open. She supposed she should become accustomed to sharing his room. After all, they'd survived the week's end together, closeted up here, hidden from the world. Yet being near him was no easier now than it had been in the beginning. She knew that under those blankets he wore nothing more than a pair of battered trousers, conveniently cut off at the thigh to permit access to his leg wound. She kept her eyes on the heaping tray of food and tried to cover her nervousness. "Hungry?"
    Ravenous was his first thought, but not necessarily for food. Travis sat propped against multiple pillows and watched her face as she entered. Spending the past three nights alone with her had almost killed him. He'd found himself wishing more than once that she'd left him in the woods to be decently consumed by a wolf rather than lie in the darkness and listen while others found the carnal satisfaction denied him. He couldn't bear her nearness much longer without losing his mind. The simple brush of her fingers against his was enough to send his imagination soaring and his heart thumping madly. God help him, he should leave, but he knew he lacked the strength. And when he went, he'd take her along, and would need his full health to get her to some haven of safety.
    "Feeling better?"
    She was sitting near him again, watching him with those wide, otherworldly eyes. Her hair was neatly coiled atop her head, showing the slight dip in the center of her hairline, aligning perfectly with the top button nestled just below her delicate chin.
    Travis could do nothing but watch her and could think of nothing decent to say as she continued to chatter.
    "Fresh air would be good for you, I suspect. But, of course, we can't chance it. Still, you've had so little time to recover, and you already look so... hale,” she finished, her tone sounding ragged. "You look hale already."
    Despite himself Travis's nostrils flared. God help him—he looked hale, while she looked like something he could eat for breakfast. So sweet and tender that he kept his mouth firmly shut lest he be tempted to take a bite of her.
    Katherine uncovered the tray. It contained nothing less than a thick steak—cooked rare—three eggs, two slices of bread, and steaming coffee. She shrugged as he eyed the platter in surprise. "I can get you some chocolate to drink," she said enthusiastically. "It's wonderful. Just as good as in the chocolate houses."
    "I'm not one for chocolate."
    Katherine's eyes went round. "No chocolate?"
    "No."
    "Oh." She fumbled for a moment, losing herself in his eyes and clearing her throat nervously. ''Lacy says a man your size needs a good deal of food to fully recover."
    Lacy. Travis could bet the old carrot-topped crone knew exactly what he needed. Why had she chased Katherine, the innocent, into his room like a rabbit into a wolf's den?
    But, he reminded himself grimly, better his den than some other wolf's. His gaze fastened on the tray as he tried to ignore the full, gentle curve of her bosom behind it. Better himself, he repeated mentally. She was safe with him. Safe. He repeated the words like a mental chant, but when he reached to take the platter, his fingers brushed hers, burning on contact, scorching his senses.
    "Do you need help with breakfast?" she asked, her husky voice causing the hair to rise on the back of his neck. "I can't imagine how you manage at all with your left hand." She shook out the linen napkin and leaned nearer. "I'm absolutely hopeless without my right." She bit her lip and placed the