Outsider by Craven Sara

Author:Craven, Sara [Craven, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

NATALIE woke slowly in a room filled with sunlight, aware as she uncoiled

herself of an incredible sense of well-being.

She hoped drowsily that it had nothing to do with the wildly erotic dreams

which had assailed her during the night.

God knows what part of my subconscious they were dredged up from, she

thought, half amused, half guilty, as she stretched languidly, and opened her

eyes—to find it wasn't the autumn sun flooding between her own familiar

curtains that gave that golden glow.

Not her room, she thought, dry-mouthed, her body freezing into swift

rigidity. And, oh God, not her bed either.

Slowly, hardly daring to breathe, she turned her head.

Eliot had pushed the covers away during the night, and Natalie had an

uninterrupted view of his tanned shoulders, and the long, naked length of his

back. Every atom of air in her body seemed to be compressed into one stifled

gasp of horrified disbelief.

No dream, she realised, as a burning blush of shame consumed her whole

body. It had been all too real. She'd let Eliot Lang pour champagne down her

as if it was going out of fashion, and then she—she'd...

She pressed a clenched fist against her mouth. Memory was intruding now,

reminding her remorselessly of everything that had happened the previous

night.

And all she wanted to do was crawl away somewhere and die, before Eliot

woke and saw her. Before he started remembering too...

He'd been drinking as well, she thought feverishly. If she—quietly slipped

away, and later, when they inevitably encountered each other, she was her

usual cool self, • maybe—just maybe he'd think he'd been dreaming too. At

least she could try.

She began to move with the utmost caution, edging her way gingerly to the

edge of the bed, knowing even as she did so that it was all futile. That she

should have made her escape hours before.

Because Eliot was awake. She watched him stir, stretch and turn, one arm

already seeking her, lazily scooping her back across the bed to the warm

curve of his body, as he smiled down into her outraged eyes.

'Good morning,' he said softly, and his hand lifted to cup her breast in a

gesture of total familiarity. 'I don't think I remember a day which promised

as much.'

Natalie said hoarsely, 'Let go of me. Let go of me now!'

The straight brows drew together as he studied her flushed face.

'Now why should I do any such thing?'

'Because I've got to go.' She tried to push away the caressing hand. 'I've got

to get out of here now.'

'It's Sunday,' he reminded her. 'The horses don't go out to exercise today.

We've hours before anyone starts wondering where we are.' He bent and

kissed the bare curve of her shoulder, grimacing slightly as his stubble-

roughened chin left a faint mark on her skin. 'I'll make a deal with you,

darling. I'll shave, and you make some coffee, and we'll come back to bed

and discuss our plans for the rest of the day.'

Natalie tried unavailingly to struggle free of his imprisoning arm. She said

raggedly, 'You think I'd stay here with you—you utter bastard? You took

advantage of me last night...'

He lifted himself on an elbow and stared down at her, brows lifting, the

intimately teasing smile dying out of his eyes.

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