feel free to return to…whatever you were doing.”
“I was in bed next door, but I wasn’t asleep.”
“You’re next door?” She couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Where did you expect me to be?”
“At the opposite end of the wing,” she blurted.
She tried not to let the thought of Nick sleeping so close by bother her, tried to ignore the frisson of awareness that shot through her at the thought that he’d been lying awake only a few feet away. She tried harder not to think of the Nick who’d slept in the nude during their marriage.
“Sorry to disappoint you,” he replied.
I’m not disappointed. The words didn’t spill out, for which she was thankful.
Unable to stop herself, her gaze traveled over him. He’d donned a T-shirt over silk boxers, but that didn’t stop her from recalling the sight of his hair-roughened chest and the way it’d felt pressed against her minutes ago. Her heart thudded, this time to a different sensation, born not of fear but arousal. Lowering her eyes, she glanced at his thighs—taut and muscle-bound, and again sprinkled with silky hair. At the sight of his bare feet, her stomach somersaulted. She swallowed around a tight throat and raised her eyes to find his on her, a banked fire in their depths sending an undeniable pang through her body.
“Thanks for the water. Don’t let me keep you.” She put the glass down, hoping the dismissive move would send him on his way.
He merely shook his head, but his movements were jerky, a tension hovering over him as he frowned. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave you alone. I’ll stay. Try and go back to sleep.”
From somewhere she managed to summon a laugh. “Not a chance.”
One brow shot up. “Am I a distraction?”
“Not by half! You’re sitting there like some overprotective bear, and whatever was bothering you earlier has obviously still got you fired up…” When he didn’t take up the veiled invitation to share, she sighed. “Fine, let’s both choose the strong-and-silent route.”
“We could be very English and banal and talk about the weather? Or art?”
“It’s half past two in the morning. I don’t have much need for the weather. Or art for that matter.” She sank back into her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. “But I do need my sleep, I guess. You don’t have to, but if you want to stay, it’s up to you. Goodnight.”
“ Kalinihta, pethi mou ,” he murmured.
The endearment brought sharp tears to her eyes. Lowering her lids so he wouldn’t see, she turned away from him and concentrated on regulating her breathing. Hopefully, she could fool him into thinking she’d gone back to sleep so he’d leave. Because there was no way she could sleep with him there. No way.
Sunlight sneaking around the cracks in her curtain woke her just after nine the next morning. Her gaze flew to the chair by her bedside.
It was empty.
…
“God, I haven’t slipped into a time warp, have I? Only I could’ve sworn Monday was a few days off yet.”
The sound of Liz’s voice soothed Belle’s ruffled nerves, although she knew the feeling wouldn’t last, not once her best friend realized where she was calling from.
“Nope, you haven’t fallen into a vortex. And…I’m not in Nawaka. Not anymore.”
“You’re back home? Excellent. Wine and pizza are on me Sunday night. Seven okay with you—?”
“I’m not back home, Liz. I’m in Greece. On Althea.”
The silence that met her declaration made her heart clench.
“You’re back with Nick? After what he did to you?” Her perplexed tone came through loud and clear.
“I’m not back with him. It’s not like that.”
“Tell me what it’s like. Dammit , Belle, don’t forget I watched you turn yourself inside out for him in six short months, and it still wasn’t enough. He made you miserable, and now you tell me you’re back there—”
“I was kidnapped, Liz. Nick came to rescue me.” She rushed the words, unwilling to be
“I was in bed next door, but I wasn’t asleep.”
“You’re next door?” She couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Where did you expect me to be?”
“At the opposite end of the wing,” she blurted.
She tried not to let the thought of Nick sleeping so close by bother her, tried to ignore the frisson of awareness that shot through her at the thought that he’d been lying awake only a few feet away. She tried harder not to think of the Nick who’d slept in the nude during their marriage.
“Sorry to disappoint you,” he replied.
I’m not disappointed. The words didn’t spill out, for which she was thankful.
Unable to stop herself, her gaze traveled over him. He’d donned a T-shirt over silk boxers, but that didn’t stop her from recalling the sight of his hair-roughened chest and the way it’d felt pressed against her minutes ago. Her heart thudded, this time to a different sensation, born not of fear but arousal. Lowering her eyes, she glanced at his thighs—taut and muscle-bound, and again sprinkled with silky hair. At the sight of his bare feet, her stomach somersaulted. She swallowed around a tight throat and raised her eyes to find his on her, a banked fire in their depths sending an undeniable pang through her body.
“Thanks for the water. Don’t let me keep you.” She put the glass down, hoping the dismissive move would send him on his way.
He merely shook his head, but his movements were jerky, a tension hovering over him as he frowned. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave you alone. I’ll stay. Try and go back to sleep.”
From somewhere she managed to summon a laugh. “Not a chance.”
One brow shot up. “Am I a distraction?”
“Not by half! You’re sitting there like some overprotective bear, and whatever was bothering you earlier has obviously still got you fired up…” When he didn’t take up the veiled invitation to share, she sighed. “Fine, let’s both choose the strong-and-silent route.”
“We could be very English and banal and talk about the weather? Or art?”
“It’s half past two in the morning. I don’t have much need for the weather. Or art for that matter.” She sank back into her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. “But I do need my sleep, I guess. You don’t have to, but if you want to stay, it’s up to you. Goodnight.”
“ Kalinihta, pethi mou ,” he murmured.
The endearment brought sharp tears to her eyes. Lowering her lids so he wouldn’t see, she turned away from him and concentrated on regulating her breathing. Hopefully, she could fool him into thinking she’d gone back to sleep so he’d leave. Because there was no way she could sleep with him there. No way.
Sunlight sneaking around the cracks in her curtain woke her just after nine the next morning. Her gaze flew to the chair by her bedside.
It was empty.
…
“God, I haven’t slipped into a time warp, have I? Only I could’ve sworn Monday was a few days off yet.”
The sound of Liz’s voice soothed Belle’s ruffled nerves, although she knew the feeling wouldn’t last, not once her best friend realized where she was calling from.
“Nope, you haven’t fallen into a vortex. And…I’m not in Nawaka. Not anymore.”
“You’re back home? Excellent. Wine and pizza are on me Sunday night. Seven okay with you—?”
“I’m not back home, Liz. I’m in Greece. On Althea.”
The silence that met her declaration made her heart clench.
“You’re back with Nick? After what he did to you?” Her perplexed tone came through loud and clear.
“I’m not back with him. It’s not like that.”
“Tell me what it’s like. Dammit , Belle, don’t forget I watched you turn yourself inside out for him in six short months, and it still wasn’t enough. He made you miserable, and now you tell me you’re back there—”
“I was kidnapped, Liz. Nick came to rescue me.” She rushed the words, unwilling to be
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