page48 (1/1)
He leaned against the other tiled wall and sighed Boxers That was all he usually wore Maybe he should just stick to that because the room outside was so cold that any part of hiht just drop off in the icy temperature But he wouldn’t be co that in the weird space between al and not quite he wouldn’t have any control of his thoughts or body reactions A suit of armour would probably help Pity the castle didn’t have any
He ru and found a black T-shirt, clean boxers and then, stuck in a zip pocket, a pair of gyth He’d obviously planned on visiting the hotel gyed it He sent a silent prayer upwards Thank goodness for being lazy
He wiped down the mirror with the towel and brushed his teeth as his brain started whirring What kind of pre-sleep conversation would he have with Grace? What if he snored? What if she snored? He couldn’t re this nervous around a woain
He ran his fingers through his da ridiculous He was tired That was all That, and being back in the house again, was reviving a whole host of natural memories
It wasn’t quite as hard as he’d thought it would be Having Grace here certainly helped Seeing the house so desolate and neglected-looking had been a shock He’d left it too long He knew that now
But noas here A thought flicked through his brain It ht by now It must be Christmas Day At the very least he’d have to wish Grace Merry Christ hi Time to realise his duties as a host
He pulled open the door and was surprised by the warm air that met him The fire had certainly taken hold He held his breath
All he could hear was the co else
The noise of deep, soft breaths Grace was sleeping Her hair had escaped the knot on top of her head and her dark curls were spread across the white pillowcase Her pink flannel pyjaap at the base of her pale throat
She looked exhausted She looked peaceful Turned out he didn’t need to worry about pre-sleep conversation at all
He walked over next to her and picked up his cup of now lukewarm tea She shifted a little as his shadow fell over her and he froze His fingers itched to reach out and brush a strand of hair away fro to disturb her Anything to make her feel uncomfortable
He walked back around to the other side of the bed, sitting down carefully, cringing as the bed creaked One quick slug of the tea was enough He shouldn’t have spent quite so long in the shower He slid his legs under the cool duvet, his skin bristling a little The pilloere soft, the mattress comfortable under his tired her as he turned on his side to face Grace
The bed was huge There was plenty of space between the side of the bed, or touch ars accidentally He leaned his head on his hand and watched the steady rise and fall of her chest for a few minutes
Even fast asleep Grace was beautiful Her lips plump and pink, her pale skin flawless In the space of a few days she’d woken hih these past five years
Part of hirateful Part of him was scared He didn’t knohat any of this meant ‘Merry Christmas, Grace,’ he whispered as he laid his head on the pillow and went to sleep
CHAPTER EIGHT
GRACE’S EYES FLICKERED OPEN It took a few seconds for her to reers and nose were a little chilled but everything else that was under the covers was cosy
Her body stiffened She’d fallen asleep last night while Finlay had been in the shower She’d tried to stay awake, but as soon as she’d finished her tea and the heat fro across the roorown so heavy that she couldn’t keep theer
Her eyes flitted around the rooht She’d need to hang theht of day was filtering through the s she could see the pale creaer than a normal bedroom, but the size didn’t hide the most important aspect
It was exquisite Exactly the type of room you’d expect in a castle The bed, tables and furniture were traditional and elegant Cornicing on the ceiling and a dado rail around thein the middle of the room The two chairs next to the bed were French-style, Louis XVI, ornate with the thick padded seats covered in pale blue patterned fabric Was it possible the rest of the castle was this beautiful? Between the diht and the clouds of dust she couldn’t re room