Page 21 of Saved By the Cruel Highlander
Someone knocked on the door, startling them both. Panicked, Holly jumped off his lap, but she lost her balance and stumbled. She watched, horrified, as her world tilted, and her head aimed straight for the corner of the desk as she fell.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Elias was going to kiss her. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to press his mouth to hers and claim her as his. He could see the desire in her green eyes, even though she didn’t want to admit it. Her eyelids lowered as her body relaxed.
The feel of her bottom atop his swollen member was driving him mad. He felt the hardened length twitch and swell as if trying to reach her through her thin chemise.
Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to stay in the chamber and watch as the seamstress measured her for new gowns. Seeing Holly in her chemise had nearly undone him. She was tall and lithe, her arms slender but toned. Her waist was narrow, and she wasn’t overly large in the bust area, but her breasts were large enough to make his mouth water.
Now, as she sat compliant in his lap, he drew her closer. The smattering of freckles on her small nose was enchanting. Eliasvowed that one day, he would take the time to kiss each one. But for now, he ached to taste her.
A knock at the door startled him and yanked Holly out of her daze. She jumped to her feet before he even had the chance to respond. He started to chuckle at her maidenly embarrassment, but then he noticed she was off balance.
He jumped up from his chair but not in time to catch her before her head hit the corner of his desk. The sound of her head striking wood was loud enough to make him wince.
“Och, lass, are ye all right?” he asked as she bounced off the desk and fell backward on her arse.
Another more insistent knock sounded at the door, but Elias ignored it as he reached down to help her to her feet.
“Aye. Just a bit dazed,” she said, but her voice sounded strained, as if she were in pain.
When she looked up and extended a hand to accept his proffered one, fear spiraled through his body. Blood—alotof blood—poured from the corner of her forehead.
Elias reached down, picked her up under her arms, and sat her in his chair. Blood dripped down her face and splattered across her chemise, the deep red a sharp contrast to the white material.
The knock sounded again.
“Get the healer!” he ordered, his voice loud enough that whoever was knocking could hear him through the door.
He was aware that the door opened, but his focus was on Holly and the amount of blood she was losing. Logically, he knew head wounds bled more than others, but the sight of her in his chair, pale and bleeding, sent panic through his veins.
“What have ye done now, Elias?”
He knew who that voice belonged to without looking up. It was Cassandra, his childhood friend. He breathed a sigh of relief. Cassandra was a healer, and a good one at that.
“She’s bleedin’,” he said, surprised that his voice sounded so breathy.
Cassandra went around the desk. “I see that.”
Even though her voice was calm, Elias wasn’t relieved. Head wounds could be dangerous. It was a good sign that Holly had not lost consciousness and was even now trying to bat his hand away.
“I’m fine,” she tried to argue, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
He’d covered her wound with his hand, since he didn’t have any cloth nearby, and had been pressing against it, cupping the back of her head in his other hand for leverage.
“Move away, Elias, so I can get a look at the lass,” Cassandra ordered him.
Elias waited until she was standing next to him, then carefully removed his hand and stepped away. He looked down, a lump of fear forming in his throat at the sight of his hand soaked with Holly’s blood.
“Are ye goin’ to hover there like an overprotective nurse?” Cassandra chided. “Go sit by the hearth or somethin’—just give me some breathin’ room.”
Elias wasn’t happy. He hesitated for a minute but then reluctantly moved over to the hearth. But he didn’t sit down. He was too anxious to be still.
“I’m fine, really,” Holly protested. “I just hit me head.”
“Is that why ye’re bleedin’ all over the place?” Cassandra said, a smile in her voice.
Elias watched as Holly’s eyes widened in surprise. How could she not know she was bleeding? Had she not felt her hot blood running down her face? Perhaps she was still too dazed from hitting her head.
