If You Were Mine by Rebecca King Page B

much. The inactivity of lying
there day after day was impossible to cope with and I was only
lying there for a week before I was moved to a ship and brought
home.”
    Isobel
sat enthralled, suddenly too afraid to move and stop his
confidences. It was the first time he had opened up to her about
his injuries, which she knew he had sustained.
    “ How severe were your injuries?” Isobel’s tone softened as she
considered his lying in a foreign country, badly injured with no
easy way of returning home other than a moving and swaying
ship.
    Dominic
stared at her solemnly for several minutes clearly battling
something within. Isobel began to wonder if he would just ignore
her question until he suddenly stood up and moved toward the door,
closing it soundly with his booted heel. As he approached the bed,
he began to ease off his jacket.
    Stunned,
Isobel watched closely, her temperature rising as he slowly
unravelled his cravat before placing it carefully with his jacket
at the end of the bed. Slowly, he undid the ties of his white
shirt, pulling the edges out of his riding breeches before swiftly
pulling it over his head.
    Despite
the blush that marred her cheeks, her hungry eyes roamed the broad
expanse of flesh that greeted her. His shoulders were indeed wide
and firmly muscled. His broad chest was matted with a coarse dark
hair that tapered downwards over the rippling muscles of his
abdomen.
    “ Oh Lord,” Isobel gasped silently to herself as she shifted
uncomfortably on the bed. She itched to reach out and touch him.
Her eyes slowly traced the large length of puckered flesh that ran
from under his rib cage around and across his abdomen below his
navel.
    Pulling
the covers from her legs she eased upwards to sit on the side of
the bed, her eyes locked on the puckered flesh of his stomach. Her
eyes flickered upwards to find him watching her closely.
    “ Does it hurt?” she whispered softly, her gaze dropping back
down. Gently, her fingers touched the flesh higher upon his ribs,
pausing briefly as he sucked in a startled breath.
    “ No,” His voice sounded strangled yet another reassuring
glimpse of his face revealed a tension that had not been there
before.
    Her
touch feather-light continued downwards following the trail of the
rugged and puckered flesh as it crossed him. His breathing had
increased yet he made no move to pull away. ilence settled around
them as she boldly explored him.
    “ God Isobel, you unman me.” Dominic choked as her lips
feathered across his flesh. His treacherous body immediately
responded to her nearness. With the kisses she was bestowing upon
him, he was so hard and ready, he thought he would burst. If only
she didn’t look down at the thick bulge of his breeches, he mused
silently wondering if he had the strength to move away.
    “ You must have been in so much pain.” Isobel’s voice held only
a touch of sadness for he would have considered it condescension
should she be overly sympathetic to his endurance. Her lips reached
the end of his scar directly in line with his belly button. Unable
to withstand any more of her curiosity, Dominic slid his hands into
the thickening mass of her hair and tugged her face upwards until
she was looking at him. Her lips were pink and glistening; tempting
him to taste and savour what was on offer.
    “ We can’t do this,” Dominic offered. Everything within him
screamed at him to ease away. She had been so poorly, and was only
just getting back to full health. In a valiant attempt to capture
her attention, Dominic caught her hands on his and held them still,
waiting until her eyes met his. He could see the questions in the
beautiful blue depths, and mentally cursed as he felt the first
cracks in his self control begin to form.
    “ Isobel, we mustn’t do this, you are too poorly,” he
whispered, resting his forehead against hers for several moments in
a silent plea for understanding.
    Isobel
didn’t know whether to hit him, or kiss him. Drawing back,