Mary McBride – Bandera's Bride (страница 10)

“Oh, you poor dear,” she exclaimed. “I’ve never seen such bruises. Especially here.”

Her light touch on the site of his injured rib was as exquisite as it was painful. John sucked in his breath.

“I can manage,” he said, reaching for one end of the long knotted strip.

Emily jerked it out of his hand. “I’m sure you can, but I suspect I’ll manage better. Just tell me whether it’s too tight. It should be tight, shouldn’t it, if it’s to do you any good?”

She was already beginning to wind the petticoat strips around his chest, her hair brushing his skin, her breath warm and sweet on his cheek, his neck, his shoulders. For a moment John felt almost guilty, as if he had deliberately conjured up the violent storm and its aftermath for the sole sake of this moment of intimacy. He closed his eyes the better to savor it. He’d dreamed of this—her!—so very long.

“There.” She wove the ragged end of the bandage through the strips already in place. “That ought to do it. For now at least.”

John drew in a tentative breath, deeper than the shallow ones he’d been practicing for the last few hours. It was better. He let the breath out as a rough sigh of relief.

“Much better,” he said. “Muchas gracias, Emily. I’m in your debt.”

She sat back now and laughed. “De nada, John. Did I say that right?”

He nodded, trying to suppress a smile.

“Anyway,” she continued, “I don’t think Price would ever forgive me if I didn’t do all I could for his partner when he was in trouble, do you?”

He could feel his expression alter and hoped she wouldn’t be able to read the disappointment that seemed to wash over his face at the mention of Price’s name. Their moment of intimacy, so precious to John, had just blown away like smoke.

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