top of her head. “Now I think I’d better let you get some sleep. You’re exhausted.” He stood up with her still in his arms and carried her over to the bed. He didn’t bother to try to undress her, but settled her on the pillows and pulled the sheet over her.
“You’re leaving?” She didn’t want him to go. Something had happened in this room tonight. Intimacy had been established; bonds had been forged. In a strange way, she felt that if she had given him Tommy, she had also given a portion of herself. As for what he had given her … it could never be measured.
Clancy shook his head. “I’ll stay right here.” He turned out the lamp, then lay down on the bed beside her and took her in his arms. “I don’t think the dreams will come, but I’ll be right here to stop them if they do.”
She didn’t think they would come, either. He had given her so much; she should really send him away. “You don’t have to stay. I’ll be all right now.”
His lips brushed the delicate skin at her temple. “Go to sleep,” he said. “I want to stay.”
She sighed contentedly and nestled against his hard strength. So hard, so strong, yet with a core of sensitivity and simple beauty that had shaken her profoundly. She was too tired to think of his words right now, but she knew she would soon and that they would bring hercomfort. Giving. That’s what he had said. Memories that constantly enriched, giving love and beauty to someone else, forming a chain that would last forever.…
Lisa’s breathing grew deep and even. She lay curved against him with the confiding trust of a little child. Thank heaven she’d fallen asleep so easily. Clancy knew he had taken a big risk tonight. There’d been a possibility that his instincts were wrong, that bringing the tragedy into the open would have done more harm than good. There had also been the chance that even if she’d recognized the necessity of his action, she’d have hated him for the pain he had caused. Neither of those things had happened, thank God.
He stroked her hair, staring absently into the darkness. Lisa was so alone, he reflected. He had tried to comfort her with his own philosophy, but he realized it might not apply in her case. Her dossier had stated that she had no close friends or relatives. Her parents were dead. Very possibly it was her isolation that kept her grief so raw and painful and causedher to turn inward and dwell on her loss. There had to be some way for him to help her conquer that isolation.
Clancy could feel the weariness dragging at him, and he steeled himself against it. He was almost as emotionally exhausted as Lisa, but he couldn’t give in to it. Tonight he had stripped away the protective barrier against pain that she had built so carefully. By the time she awoke he had to be ready to give her something to replace it. He settled her slender body more closely against his own with instinctive protectiveness and tried to concentrate his thoughts on what that elusive something would be.
It was still dark when Lisa awoke, and she was immediately conscious that Clancy was no longer beside her. It didn’t alarm her. He had promised he would stay with her, and he wouldn’t leave her. She didn’t even question that instinctive and complete trust. It was just there. She sat up and brushed a tendril of hair away from her face. “Clancy?”
He was standing by the French doors. She could see the glimmer of his white shirt in the darkness. Then she saw the glimmer move and knew that he had turned to face her. “I’m right here. Everything’s fine.”
She knew that; she was experiencing a sense of peace and serenity she hadn’t known for a long time. “Didn’t you sleep at all?”
He came toward her. “I wasn’t tired. Besides, I had some thinking to do. How do you feel?”
“Good,” she said softly. “And very grateful. What time is it?”
“A little after three in the morning. Would you like to go back to sleep, or do you
“You’re leaving?” She didn’t want him to go. Something had happened in this room tonight. Intimacy had been established; bonds had been forged. In a strange way, she felt that if she had given him Tommy, she had also given a portion of herself. As for what he had given her … it could never be measured.
Clancy shook his head. “I’ll stay right here.” He turned out the lamp, then lay down on the bed beside her and took her in his arms. “I don’t think the dreams will come, but I’ll be right here to stop them if they do.”
She didn’t think they would come, either. He had given her so much; she should really send him away. “You don’t have to stay. I’ll be all right now.”
His lips brushed the delicate skin at her temple. “Go to sleep,” he said. “I want to stay.”
She sighed contentedly and nestled against his hard strength. So hard, so strong, yet with a core of sensitivity and simple beauty that had shaken her profoundly. She was too tired to think of his words right now, but she knew she would soon and that they would bring hercomfort. Giving. That’s what he had said. Memories that constantly enriched, giving love and beauty to someone else, forming a chain that would last forever.…
Lisa’s breathing grew deep and even. She lay curved against him with the confiding trust of a little child. Thank heaven she’d fallen asleep so easily. Clancy knew he had taken a big risk tonight. There’d been a possibility that his instincts were wrong, that bringing the tragedy into the open would have done more harm than good. There had also been the chance that even if she’d recognized the necessity of his action, she’d have hated him for the pain he had caused. Neither of those things had happened, thank God.
He stroked her hair, staring absently into the darkness. Lisa was so alone, he reflected. He had tried to comfort her with his own philosophy, but he realized it might not apply in her case. Her dossier had stated that she had no close friends or relatives. Her parents were dead. Very possibly it was her isolation that kept her grief so raw and painful and causedher to turn inward and dwell on her loss. There had to be some way for him to help her conquer that isolation.
Clancy could feel the weariness dragging at him, and he steeled himself against it. He was almost as emotionally exhausted as Lisa, but he couldn’t give in to it. Tonight he had stripped away the protective barrier against pain that she had built so carefully. By the time she awoke he had to be ready to give her something to replace it. He settled her slender body more closely against his own with instinctive protectiveness and tried to concentrate his thoughts on what that elusive something would be.
It was still dark when Lisa awoke, and she was immediately conscious that Clancy was no longer beside her. It didn’t alarm her. He had promised he would stay with her, and he wouldn’t leave her. She didn’t even question that instinctive and complete trust. It was just there. She sat up and brushed a tendril of hair away from her face. “Clancy?”
He was standing by the French doors. She could see the glimmer of his white shirt in the darkness. Then she saw the glimmer move and knew that he had turned to face her. “I’m right here. Everything’s fine.”
She knew that; she was experiencing a sense of peace and serenity she hadn’t known for a long time. “Didn’t you sleep at all?”
He came toward her. “I wasn’t tired. Besides, I had some thinking to do. How do you feel?”
“Good,” she said softly. “And very grateful. What time is it?”
“A little after three in the morning. Would you like to go back to sleep, or do you
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