walked into the kitchen, leaving the door open for her to either come in or not. While I slept, the ice machine in my freezer had made enough ice for another couple of icepacks, and I filled the blender up and started it crunching. I limped into the living room to retrieve the bags I'd used before, noticing as I crossed the hall that Robyn had stepped inside and was watching me, her dark eyes following my every jerky, painful move.
I dumped the water out of the larger bag, refilled it with ice, and started the next blender full, motioning to the refrigerator as Robyn stepped into the kitchen.
"Forgive me if I'm not up to being hostess today…help yourself to whatever. There's beer or juice in the fridge, wine in the cabinet, whiskey, and some scotch too…"
She didn't say anything, just continued to watch.
I stopped the blender and filled up the smaller bag, then took them both into the living room, flipped on the television, found a baseball game, and gingerly lowered myself on the couch. I pulled up my shirt to check the swelling and heard her startled intake of breath.
She crossed the room in two long strides and sank onto the couch beside me, reaching out to run gentle fingers across the swollen, blue-black scrape along my ribs.
I swallowed my own startled intake of breath as pinpoints of sensation from the gentle touch skittered along my nerves, straight to my nipples and groin.
Jesus .
I gently but quickly moved her hand away, placing an icepack on the swelling and pulling my shirt down over it.
She was watching me when I looked up from my task. "Looks like it hurts some."
I smiled slightly, and shifted around on the couch, trying to find a more comfortable position. "Some," I replied.
She stood and propped two loose pillows against the end of the couch. "Come on, lay down." She patted the pillows. I hesitated, and she patted the pillows again. "Caid, lay down for god's sakes. You'll be more comfortable, and you won't have to hold the ice on your ribs." She grasped my shoulders and gently lowered me onto the pillows, then carefully swung my feet up onto the couch. "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?"
She busied herself arranging the pillows behind my head, and I just watched her, warmed by the concern in her eyes. She stopped and looked down at me, gently moving aside the smaller icepack that I was holding to my jaw and brushing the swelling with a feather-light touch.
"You're a mess," she said quietly and smiled, brushing a stray hair off my forehead. As always, the rush took my breath away, and it was a few seconds before I could speak.
"I'm mad at you, you know." I grabbed the hand that had brushed my forehead and held it captive. "Why did you lie to me, Robyn? About Friday night? And why did you take off the other morning?"
Her whole body stilled and she withdrew her hand from mine, straightening slowly.
"FYI," I said with a hint of sarcasm, "If you're going lie to people about being out of town, it's best not to run around in public as one half of the most photogenic couple on the planet."
"Caid…"
I struggled to a sitting position, ignoring the pain, not willing to have this conversation lying on my back with her looming over me. "Damnit, Robyn, if you don't want me around, then just fucking tell me. Don't lie to me about it. I'm not a stalker - you don't need to trick me to get me to leave you alone."
"Oh, no Caid…" She sat down next to me and grabbed my hand, holding it between both of hers. "No, no, no. Caid, you are so wrong." She waited until I met her gaze. "So wrong. I…Caid, believe me, I want you around, and I certainly don't want you to leave me alone."
"Then why…" my voice trailed off as she closed her eyes.
"I wanted you to see you on Friday…I just…" She opened her eyes again and stared at me intently. I blinked, fighting to keep my eyes open, but my eyelids felt heavy, my ribs were throbbing, and my jaw ached painfully.
She smiled gently and pushed me back on the
I dumped the water out of the larger bag, refilled it with ice, and started the next blender full, motioning to the refrigerator as Robyn stepped into the kitchen.
"Forgive me if I'm not up to being hostess today…help yourself to whatever. There's beer or juice in the fridge, wine in the cabinet, whiskey, and some scotch too…"
She didn't say anything, just continued to watch.
I stopped the blender and filled up the smaller bag, then took them both into the living room, flipped on the television, found a baseball game, and gingerly lowered myself on the couch. I pulled up my shirt to check the swelling and heard her startled intake of breath.
She crossed the room in two long strides and sank onto the couch beside me, reaching out to run gentle fingers across the swollen, blue-black scrape along my ribs.
I swallowed my own startled intake of breath as pinpoints of sensation from the gentle touch skittered along my nerves, straight to my nipples and groin.
Jesus .
I gently but quickly moved her hand away, placing an icepack on the swelling and pulling my shirt down over it.
She was watching me when I looked up from my task. "Looks like it hurts some."
I smiled slightly, and shifted around on the couch, trying to find a more comfortable position. "Some," I replied.
She stood and propped two loose pillows against the end of the couch. "Come on, lay down." She patted the pillows. I hesitated, and she patted the pillows again. "Caid, lay down for god's sakes. You'll be more comfortable, and you won't have to hold the ice on your ribs." She grasped my shoulders and gently lowered me onto the pillows, then carefully swung my feet up onto the couch. "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?"
She busied herself arranging the pillows behind my head, and I just watched her, warmed by the concern in her eyes. She stopped and looked down at me, gently moving aside the smaller icepack that I was holding to my jaw and brushing the swelling with a feather-light touch.
"You're a mess," she said quietly and smiled, brushing a stray hair off my forehead. As always, the rush took my breath away, and it was a few seconds before I could speak.
"I'm mad at you, you know." I grabbed the hand that had brushed my forehead and held it captive. "Why did you lie to me, Robyn? About Friday night? And why did you take off the other morning?"
Her whole body stilled and she withdrew her hand from mine, straightening slowly.
"FYI," I said with a hint of sarcasm, "If you're going lie to people about being out of town, it's best not to run around in public as one half of the most photogenic couple on the planet."
"Caid…"
I struggled to a sitting position, ignoring the pain, not willing to have this conversation lying on my back with her looming over me. "Damnit, Robyn, if you don't want me around, then just fucking tell me. Don't lie to me about it. I'm not a stalker - you don't need to trick me to get me to leave you alone."
"Oh, no Caid…" She sat down next to me and grabbed my hand, holding it between both of hers. "No, no, no. Caid, you are so wrong." She waited until I met her gaze. "So wrong. I…Caid, believe me, I want you around, and I certainly don't want you to leave me alone."
"Then why…" my voice trailed off as she closed her eyes.
"I wanted you to see you on Friday…I just…" She opened her eyes again and stared at me intently. I blinked, fighting to keep my eyes open, but my eyelids felt heavy, my ribs were throbbing, and my jaw ached painfully.
She smiled gently and pushed me back on the
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