Just One Kiss Read Online Free PDF

hurts to"—she swallowed— "to breathe." As she turned her head aside, her lashes fluttered closed. She coughed, the sound dry and hacking. Morgan knew she'd slipped into unconsciousness once more.
    This time he was almost glad, for he suspected she would have been appalled at what he was about to do. Tugging the bodice of her gown down over smooth, creamy shoulders, he bent low, putting his ear to her chest. Her breath seemed to rattle; air made a whistling sound in and out of her lungs.
    Morgan swore. He was on his feet in an instant. "Simmons!" he shouted. "Send a man for Stephen! This woman is ill!"
     
    An hour later, his friend Dr. Stephen Marks stood beside the bed where his patient had been taken. He was short but broad of shoulder, his easygoing nature reflected in the readiness of his smile and the warmth of his eyes.
    He stepped back from the bedside, glancing back over his shoulder where Morgan watched him quietly, strong arms folded across his chest.
    "She came from London, you say?"
    Morgan nodded. "So she told Simmons," he said briefly.
    "There's no question it's a lung infection," Stephen said. "Probably from the damp sea air. But she's young and appears healthy, so that's in her favor. Right now the best thing we can do for her is to try to bring her fever down and keep her dry." He replaced his instruments in his bag, then cast his friend a teasing glance. "I must say, Morgan, she's a bit of a change from your usual."
    Morgan's mouth turned down at the corners. "Don't bother speculating," he said dryly. "It wasn't me she came here to see at all."
    "Who, then?"
    There was a moment's silence. "Nathaniel."
    The twinkle slowly faded from Stephen's eyes. "What on earth would a woman from England want with Nathaniel?"
    "That," Morgan stated grimly, "is what I'd like to know. And there's more, Stephen. Simmons said she introduced herself as
Lady
Elizabeth Stanton."
    Chestnut brows shot upward. "Britain's upper crust?"
    "So it would seem." Morgan's gaze rested on the figure in the bed. "When the lady wakes up, we'll just have to ask her, won't we?"
    Stephen said nothing, merely watched his friend closely. "Where is Nathaniel?" he asked finally.
    The lines of Morgan's features had gone hard. His reply was blunt and instantaneous. "We both know I'm rarely privy to his whereabouts. I haven't seen him in months—which is just the way I prefer." He nodded toward the girl. "Will she be all right?"
    "I suspect so," Stephen said thoughtfully. "But it will likely be some weeks before she's back on her feet again." He chuckled as he watched a thundercloud darken his friend's face. Reaching for his jacket, he shrugged into it. "You may as well become accustomed to the idea, Morgan—you'll be having a houseguest for a while."
    That, Morgan thought blackly, was not what he wished to hear.
    Stephen strode toward the door, then stopped suddenly. "I have a suggestion, though. What if I sent over my housekeeper, Margaret, for a time? She's not only an excellent nurse, but she'll keep tongues from wagging should it come out you've a young female residing under your roof. The last thing you need is another scandal."
    A cynical half smile curled Morgan's lips. He shook his head. "It's not necessary. Heaven knows my reputation is the last thing that concerns me. Besides, God knows it could hardly be sullied any more than it already is."
    Stephen reached for the door's ornately carved brass handle. Seeing the gesture, Morgan turned toward him, but Stephen waved him away. "No need, old man. I'll see myself out."
    With that, he was left alone—alone with his uninvited houseguest. Moving back to the bedside, he glanced down at the girl. Her profile might have been etched in marble, she was so still and white. Her closed eyelids were the palest pink, almost translucent. Lashes like Indian ink curved across her cheeks. Her brows were slender and arched with a distinctly piquant slant.
    But it was her skin that captured his attention the