Free Shades of Truth (The Summerlynn Secrets) by C.L. Stockton Page B

reason to argue. Whether or not the house was his, I didn’t care. I only wanted to be fed and put to bed. My problems would keep for another day.
    It was dark inside, too dark to move around as I found when I tripped over a chair leg and went crashing into a small side table, but really, who put chairs and side tables in entryways? Thankfully neither the furniture nor my body was broken, so I carefully walked through the first doorway on the left, hoping to find some sort of lamp to light.
    I had just found the matches when a light approached from the back of the house. Brutus must be settled, then. A part of me was annoyed that Colton tended to the horse first, but that only showed he cared about his mount. He used his lamp to light one located to the right of where I’d been searching and then proceeded to light a few others so the room took shape as a study of sorts with a desk and assorted bookshelves.
    Colton claimed my attention, a hand cupping my elbow. “You might like a bath in your room. I can show you the way.” This last was offered to ensure I actually went where he wanted, and not because of any concern on his part. He trusted me about as much as I trusted him.
    “Thank you, but no.” The thought of a bath appealed so I revised my earlier thought. I wanted to be bathed, fed and put to bed.
    He gave me a quizzical look. Then those killer blue eyes narrowed. “What are you planning?”
    “Nothing. And stop asking. You’re making me paranoid.” I walked to the staircase back in the entryway, and put my hand on the smooth wooden banister. “Which room am I in?”
    “The second door on the right.” He watched me ascend the stairs.
    “Thank you,” I called over my shoulder, already half way up the stairs. Thoughts of warm water and finally getting out of these horrid clothes made me giddy.
    Much of the house was still dark and the light from my lamp was sufficient to light my feet and not much else. With my hand to the wall, I found the second door on the right and turned the knob.
    After lighting both bedside lamps, I sighed with pleasure. The walls and counterpane were a deep cornflower blue. White rugs matching the lacy curtains scattered beneath the bed. A half open door on the wall alerted me to the possibility this house had indoor plumbing.
    I couldn’t undress fast enough. First to go was the crinkled and stained green walking dress I’d worn the past two days. Next my under garments joined the pile on the floor. I would rinse those out before my bath and hang them to dry. Wanting the dirty clothes as far away as possible, I opened the door only wide enough to shove the dirty clothes into the hallway.
    Of course, Colton happened to be walking past just then. To my horror, he stopped to chat. I would have slammed the door shut, but my arm was still outside.
    “I suppose I should be thankful you no longer have any clothes in which to run away in.” His eyes focused on the bare shoulder peeking through the doorway. “What are you wearing, anyway?”
    “I should think the answer obvious.” I withdrew my arm to begin closing the door on Colton’s interested gaze.
    “Ah.” That single syllable, uttered in a tone of heated intensity was enough to arrest my progress in closing the door.
    “What business is it of yours if I’m naked behind this door?” Maybe I shouldn’t have been so explicit in my description.
    “I am intently interested in everything about you, sweetheart.” Stepping that much closer, he rested a hand beside the doorframe. “Any chance you’ll allow me inside?”
    “There’s a reason it’s called privacy.” I slammed the door shut.
    I heard his laughter muffled by the closed door, which only ignited my temper. The nerve of the man! We weren’t even friends and he expected me to just open the door and discover what more we could become?
    While I might be susceptible to tall, blonde and good looking men in general—who wasn’t—I was going to resist Colton.