Free Bound By Desire (The Acadian Curse) by Rebecca Lyndon Page A

life.
    “And a new outfit too,” she said, shooting a
pointed look at the pile of torn clothes next to her.
    She gathered the blanket around her and
followed him from the room. She paused at the top of the
stairs.
    “Do you mind if I use your shower again?” she
asked.
    “Of course not.”
    She lifted herself up on tiptoes and kissed
the corner where his lips met his cheek. It was a sweet gesture.
Playful. And Grant had no idea how to react to it.
    A part of him wanted to pull her close and
force her to meet his lips full on. Another part wanted to push her
off and scare her away. Still another part, a calm, contented part
that he was almost wholly unfamiliar with, whispered that he should
just relax and enjoy the attention she showed him. In the end, he
stood there, still and stiff, and waited for it to end.
    Grant stared after her as she turned and
disappeared down the hall. He didn’t have to show her where the
shower was. Of course not. She already knew the way. At this rate,
she’d know his house better than he did by the end of the week. For
some reason, the idea wasn’t as upsetting as he was hoping it would
be.
    He thought for a moment about joining her.
He’d never seen her naked after all. He knew the feel of her skin,
her mouth, her sex, but he had yet to have the pleasure of watching
her undress. Just the thought of the sight of her lithe body
surrounded by steam, water cascading over every curve and hollow,
made him harden.
    Damn. No, he wouldn’t do it. It was better to
leave that one last intimacy undone. He would do one unselfish
thing today and let the poor woman bathe in peace.
    He went to his own bathroom and turned on the
shower. He turned the knob all the way to cold. His blood was hot
enough already.
     
     

 
     
    Sarah tried not to linger in the water this
time, but it was no use. Her muscles were sore in places that she
didn’t even know existed. The hot water just felt too good. She had
some marks on her shoulders and hips, a few of them looked like
they were turning into full-on bruises. Nothing serious. They were
all superficial. If it had been any other situation she would have
been upset to find herself in such a state, but right now all she
felt was pride. She could take it. She could take him.
    She kept stealing glances at the door, hoping
it would open, hoping Grant would walk in, slide the shower door
open and offer to wash her back. But eventually the hot water had
started to run out, and Sarah had to admit that it wasn’t going to
happen.
    She tried not to guess at the reason why as
she dried herself with one of his oversized fluffy towels. He
hadn’t looked happy this morning, but at least he hadn’t tried
pushing her back to her truck first thing like he had yesterday.
He’d been the one to offer her breakfast this time. That was
something.
    She had no right to expect sudden change from
him. She had shown up out of nowhere and challenged the whole way
he’d lived his life. She could hardly expect him to jump up and
down in gratitude. At least she had proven herself right about the
curse. He was no monster. She had spent the whole night locked up
with him and survived without a scratch. Well, maybe a few
scratches, but nothing serious.
    Sarah wrapped the towel around her and went
out to find Grant. He was in the kitchen again, pouring coffee. His
hair was damp and clung to the back of his neck. He’d had time to
fully dress for the day. He was even wearing shoes, like he was
going out, and the stovetop looked cold. Sarah pushed down her
disappointment.
    “No home cooked meal this time?” she teased
from the doorway.
    He turned around with a mug in his hand. His
eyes swept up her body, lingering on the place where her legs
disappeared under the towel. One look and the heat came surging
back inside her.
    It had been a long time since Sarah had felt
this way, like a woman fully present in her body. Not that she was
unhappy with her life, far from it. She was proud of all