Never Underestimate a Caffarelli. Melanie Milburne

Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу Never Underestimate a Caffarelli - Melanie Milburne страница 10

Never Underestimate a Caffarelli - Melanie Milburne Mills & Boon Modern

Скачать книгу

be able to live a normal life, the life he’d had before, the life where he was in the driving seat, not being driven or pushed around by others. The grief and despair of what he had lost gnawed at him like a vicious toothache. How would he ever be happy with these limitations that had been forced on him?

      He could not be happy.

      He would never be happy, not like this.

      How could he be?

      Dominique came in with their main course. ‘Would you like me to cut the chicken into smaller pieces for you, Monsieur Raoul?’ she asked as she set his plate in front of him.

      ‘No, I would not,’ Raoul said curtly. ‘I’m not a bloody child.’

      Lily gave him a reproachful look once Dominique had left the room. ‘You’re giving a very convincing impression of one, and a very spoilt one at that. She was only trying to help. There was no need to bark at her like that.’

      ‘I don’t like being fussed over.’ Raoul glowered at her. ‘I refuse to be treated like an invalid.’

      ‘It’s always much harder for people with control issues to accept their limitations.’

      He let out a derisive grunt of laughter. ‘You think I’m a control freak? How did you come to that conclusion? Was my aura giving me away?’

      ‘You’re a classic control freak. That’s why you’re so angry and bitter. You’re not in control any more. Your body won’t let you do the things you want it to do. It’s galling for you to have to ask anyone for help, so you don’t ask. I bet you’d rather go hungry than have that meat cut up for you.’

      Raoul curled his lip. ‘Quite the little psychologist, aren’t you, Miss Archer?’

      She pursed her mouth for a moment before she responded. ‘You have a strong personality. You’re used to being in charge of your life. It doesn’t take a psychology degree to work that out.’

      He gave her a mocking look. ‘Well, how about I read your aura, since we’re playing amateur psychologist?’

      Her expression tightened. ‘Go right ahead.’

      ‘You don’t like drawing attention to yourself. You hide behind shapeless clothes. You lack confidence. Shall I go on?’

      ‘Is it a crime to be an introvert?’

      ‘No,’ Raoul said. ‘But I’m intrigued as to why a young woman as beautiful as you works so hard to downplay it.’

      She looked flustered by his compliment. ‘I—I don’t consider myself to be beautiful.’

      ‘You don’t like compliments, do you, Miss Archer?’

      She brought her chin up. ‘Not unless I believe them to be genuine.’

      Raoul continued to hold her gaze, watching as she fought against the desire to break the connection. Her eyes were dark blue pools, layered with secrets. What was it about her that so captivated him? Was it that air of mystery? That element of unknowable, untouchable reserve? She was so different from the women in his social circles—not just in looks and manner of dress but in her guardedness. She reminded him of a shy fawn, always keeping a watch out for danger—tense, alert, focused. He would enjoy the challenge of peeling back the layers of that carefully constructed façade.

      ‘What time would you like to start in the morning?’ he asked.

      ‘Is nine OK? It will be hard work, but hopefully you’ll find it beneficial.’

      ‘I certainly hope so. Otherwise my brother is going to be without a best man.’

      She frowned at him. ‘You mean you won’t go to the wedding at all if you’re not walking by then?’

      ‘I’m not going to ruin all the photos by being stuck in a chair. If I can’t walk, then I’m not going.’

      ‘But you can’t not go to your brother’s wedding.’ Her frown deepened. ‘It’s the most important day of his life. You should be there, chair or no chair.’

      Raoul set his jaw. He was not going to make a spectacle of himself on his brother’s wedding day. The wedding would be large and the press would be there in droves. He could just imagine the attention he would receive. He could already see the caption on the photograph: the poor crippled brother. His stomach churned at the thought of it. ‘Your job, Miss Archer, is to get me out of this chair. You have one week to convince me you can do it.’

      She moistened her lips with another little sweep of her tongue. ‘I’m not sure if I can or not. It’s hard to put a time frame on the healing process. It could take months or it might not happen at all...’

      ‘That is not an option,’ Raoul said. ‘You’ve supposedly worked a miracle before. Let’s see you if you can do it again.’

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEASABIAAD/4RAbRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAUAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAhodp AAQAAAABAAAAnAAAAMgAAABIAAAAAQAAAEgAAAABQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIDcuMAAyMDEzOjA4 OjE0IDAxOjM1OjEyAAAAAAOgAQADAAAAAQABAACgAgAEAAAAAQAABXigAwAEAAAAAQAACL8AAAAA AAAABgEDAAMAAAABAAYAAAEaAAUAAAABAAABFgEbAAUAAAABAAABHgEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAIBAAQA AAABAAABJgICAAQAAAABAAAO7QAAAAAAAABIAAAAAQAAAEgAAAAB/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEASABI AAD/7QAMQWRvYmVfQ00AAf/uAA5BZG9iZQBkgAAAAAH/2wCEAAwICAgJCAwJCQwRCwoLERUPDAwP FRgTExUTExgRDAwMDAwMEQwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwBDQsLDQ4NEA4OEBQO Dg4UFA4ODg4UEQwMDAwMEREMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDP/AABEI AIAAUAMBIgACEQEDEQH/3QAEAAX/xAE/AAABBQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAADAAECBAUGBwgJCgsBAAEF AQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMEBQYHCAkKCxAAAQQBAwIEAgUHBggFAwwzAQACEQMEIRIxBUFRYRMi cYEyBhSRobFCIyQVUsFiMzRygtFDByWSU/Dh8WNzNRaisoMmRJNUZEXCo3Q2F9JV4mXys4TD03Xj 80YnlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vY3R1dnd4eXp7fH1+f3EQACAgECBAQDBAUGBwcG BTUBAAIRAyExEgRBUWFxIhMFMoGRFKGxQiPBUtHwMyRi4XKCkkNTFWNzNPElBhaisoMHJjXC0kST VKMXZEVVNnRl4vKzhMPTdePzRpSkhbSVxNTk9KW1xdXl9VZmdoaWprbG1ub2JzdHV2d3h5ent8f/ 2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AOX66Zw2dv0rdO30XrLqH6Nv+vdafWdcRn/Gj/qXqjS39Gz/AF7lT85/O/QL cXysQ3QLs/8AF/dTi05+Y4Pihs3QN2gLSz0WN929zHO3rkA3hdP9Q85lHUr+n2sbZR1Co7g7jdUH O2OH5zLa7LGuVPILgWfGakHpL/rl9Ustp9O6wuH0mFhEff8A99XK/WHrPQLjXRg122WH8+PHmJcu x6Z9Wfq7X1Q5jcSplrATW3QVN9u321+1r/b++vM8rDrr6hcQ33O9wY4SCLNNrf5P7qigIk2LZpGQ FaOv9baaK2Y7gNttjA8sIIOm2v6JH5jPpsXNwuh+sjnV14eG6XvFQsssJkzL2bVhFqnjs15boSFA hGLVAhOWv//Q5fq4/V2gaxYIPycqtDP0TP8AXurXVHAYzSZgPH5HKtRafSZoIjT71Pzf879Atw/K zDFqfVinJt+sWBVihhudY4RYS1uz07HXe4B3u9H

Скачать книгу