The Princess Has Amnesia!. Patricia ThayerЧитать онлайн книгу.
telling me to keep anything going.â
âCommon sense would tell you to add logs to the fire when itâs going out.â
âYou seem to forget that I was in a plane crash yesterday and I donât have any memory,â she snapped. When she stood, her head began to spin and she swayed.
Alarmed, Jake rushed to her side. âWhoa.â He grabbed her by the arm, led her to the couch and sat her down. Damn. What was wrong with him? He was being a jerk.
âDoes your head hurt?â Stupid question. He could see the pain in her eyes.
âYes, I took some medication from the first-aid kit.â
âThen rest here.â
âNo,â she said, refusing to lie back. âI want to know what you found at the plane. Whoâ¦died?â
He shook his head. âWe can talk about it later when youâre feeling better.â
âI need to know now,â she demanded. âWho were they?â
He didnât want to go over this now, but it looked like he didnât have a choice. âThere was a Rory Hearne, he was a security guard from Penwyck. Do you remember him?â
She shook her head again. âNo.â
âYou sure? You cried out his name last night when I tried to wake you. It seems you were pretty familiar with this guy.â
She frowned. âWhat are you insinuating, Mr. Sanderstone?â
He didnât like the feeling that had creeped back into his gut. âIâm only stating facts, chère.â
âWell, stop it. You act as if Iâm guilty of something. What if this Rory and I wereâ¦together? Is there any reason we shouldnât have been?â
âNo, but weâre trying to find out who you are.â He was pushing her, but since his discovery, this situation had grown a lot more serious. And he needed some answers. âDoes the name Stephen Loden ring any bells?â
She shook her head. âWas he the other man in the plane?â
Jake nodded.
âI want to thank you for burying them. That was kind of you.â
âForget it. I did what needed to be done.â
âIt was more than anyone could have expected of you, especially in this weather.â
He got up. âOkay, Iâm a nice guy.â He started toward the bedroom. âIâm going to change my clothes.â
Once inside the room, he shut the door harder than needed, but his frustration drove him to it. He jerked off the wet shirt along with his undershirt. He was soaked to the skin. Peeling off his wet jeans was more difficult, but he managed. Opening the dresser drawer, he took out underwear and another pair of jeans.
What was he going to do now? Heâd come here to Wales to get away from complications like this. And heâd had one big problem dropped in his lap. But this one was attached to a gorgeous woman with an attitude.
Not to mention a pair of legs that made his mouth water.
By the third day, Jake had cabin fever.
For the first time since heâd arrived in the mountains four months ago he wanted to leave. Thanks to one blue-eyed intruder, his peace and quietânot to mention his solitudeâwas a thing of the past.
Why should it matter so much if he had a visitor for a few days? The cabin sure as hell wasnât big, but two rooms should be enough for two people. He wasnât so much of a bastard he couldnât share his spaceâ¦for a while. Unless, of course, the other person was a woman who seemed set on driving him crazy.
âYank indeed,â he muttered, watching the continuing downpour through the window. Seventy-two hours had passed since he found his visitor, and as soon as this damn storm was over, he would take her down to the authorities and hand her off. But not before he satisfied his own curiosity and found out who his cabin mate was. Especially not until he found out what she was doing with a member of a known terrorist group.
He glanced across the room to Ana. Awake for the past thirty minutes, she sat quietly at the hearth, studying the fire and looking innocent. The shirt heâd given her to wear nearly swallowed her up. He could barely see her fingertips under the cuffs, which made her look fragile. He pushed aside any feelings of compassion as his gaze wandered down past the shirttails to her long, smooth legs. Another basic need surfaced and a surge of heat rushed through his body.
He growled a curse. She must have heard him because she looked up. Her hair, wild with curl, circled a pretty face, only marred by the bandage on her forehead. When their eyes locked and hers darkened like twin sapphires, he found his throat suddenly dry. Damn, she was gorgeous. Realizing that he was staring, he forced himself to look away, but his hunger stayed.
He couldnât let this woman get to him. Hell, she had a life somewhere. She could be involved in God knows what. So even if he wanted to pursue his interest, he couldnât let anything happen between them.
Her health had to be his main concern. âHow is your head?â
âIt still hurts.â
âNo doubt. You must have walloped yourself but good when the plane came down. Youâre lucky to have survived.â
âTell that to the two men who died.â
âYouâre not responsible for their deaths.â
Frowning, she stood. âThen why do I feel responsible? Why do I feel that they were taking me somewhere? You said I was the passenger and they were flying the plane.â
âYes, and one was a licensed pilot. Besides, the plane had been cleared by the airport to take off.â He came across the room and took a closer look into her rich enticing eyes, telling himself that he was only checking her pupils. They were normal. They had been for the past twenty-four hours. âYou canât keep second-guessing everything. It wonât change a damn thing.â
âWell, it gives me something to think about since I donât have any other memories before yesterday. What do you do when youâre by yourself around here? Besides go mad.â
He shrugged. âThereâs plenty to do.â
She placed her hands on her hips. âFor instance?â
âLike fishing, or riding or hiking. This area is beautiful.â
âAll Iâve seen is this room.â Her eyes widened. âAnd of course, the wonderful facilities out back.â
Jake was getting fed up with the womanâs complaining. âWell, you better head to those facilities once more, because itâs about bedtime.â
âItâs barely dark,â she said.
âAnd weâve both been up since long before daylight,â he insisted.
âBut Iâve slept all day. Iâm not tired.â
âWell, I am.â
âThen you take the bed and Iâll sleep out here.â
Damn, she was stubborn and he needed to get as far away from her as possible. He needed to be alone, even if he had to lock her in the bedroom to do it. He swung her up into his arms.
âPut me down this instant,â she ordered.
Jake ignored her demand and carried her into