to do?”
“Oh, I enjoy a fine restaurant now and then, the theater, a movie.”
“Parties?”
“A quiet one once in a while. Usually not, though. I like my free time to be more private.”
“Ahah! A woman after my own mind! Just me and thee—”
“Alex…” Her tone held a gentle warning and his facetious singsong faded. In the next instant she almost wished she’d let him go on with his kidding, for he grew less playful, more pensive.
“A minute ago you spoke of needs, Alanna. Were you serious?”
She hesitated, suddenly fearful of the direction his thoughts were taking. But she couldn’t lie. “Unfortunately, yes.”
“Why ‘unfortunately’?”
Her shrug was cushioned by his chest. “I always liked to believe that I had total control.…”
“According to what you’ve said you haven’t been with a man for a very long time.”
“I haven’t.”
“Then why would you suddenly have this problem with needs? Why the flare of raw physical desire?”
Alanna flinched at his bluntness. “You put that so delicately,” she muttered beneath her breath, but he ignored her subtle rebellion.
“Why, love?” he asked softly. “Why now?” He pondered her silence as she asked herself the same question. But Alex came up with the answer she had hitherto refused to acknowledge. “It’s me , isn’t it?” Again he paused and again there was silence. “Answer me, damn it, Alanna. Am I the first one to stir those feelings since—”
“Yes.” Though she whispered the word almost grudgingly, he heard it well. A tremor passed through him in response.
“Ahhhhh,” he breathed against her hair. “That’s the nicest thing I’ve heard in years. It almost makes insomnia worthwhile.”
Alanna didn’t know what to say. Her confession was one she would rather not have made. Would he use this information against her? Would he use her weakness to push her toward marriage? Would he take total and merciless advantage of the physical attraction he now knew she shared?
To her astonishment he did nothing but shift more comfortably behind her. She felt his chest against her back, his thighs against her own. A gentle hand tucked a loose strand of her hair behind an ear, then stroked her cheek lightly.
“Good night, love,” he whispered contentedly. Within minutes his slow and steady breathing told of his return to sleep. Alanna had little time to debate the wisdom of his staying, however. Within minutes the warmth of his body and the comfort of his presence put her to sleep as well.
When she awoke the next morning to feel a tentative hand on her shoulder it was that of the day nurse, not Alex. He had, at some prior and unknown point, returned to his room, saving them both a spate of awkward explanations. Indeed, in her morning daze she wondered whether she had imagined the entire episode. It had been lovely and uncomplicated—his crawling into bed to sleep quietly with her. And she could not deny one very notable fact: last night, even given her brief period of wakefulness, she had slept more soundly—and now felt more refreshed—than at any time in recent memory! On that very intriguing note she headed for the swimming pool.
5
When Alanna arrived at the pool, an indoor facility she had had occasion to visit several times with her girls, there were already a dozen early risers swimming laps. She sat on the edge to tuck her hair beneath her cap and position her goggles when something caught her eye. Or rather, someone. A man. He was easily the most proficient of the swimmers. He stroked smoothly from one end of the pool to the other, then flipped underwater to begin the return lap.
Despite her impatience to start her own lap she found her gaze following this man, mesmerized. Powerful arms pulled him forward with every stroke, those same arms glistening beneath the bright lighting as they sliced the air before entering the water again. His motion was unhurried, his breathing steady. His legs
“Oh, I enjoy a fine restaurant now and then, the theater, a movie.”
“Parties?”
“A quiet one once in a while. Usually not, though. I like my free time to be more private.”
“Ahah! A woman after my own mind! Just me and thee—”
“Alex…” Her tone held a gentle warning and his facetious singsong faded. In the next instant she almost wished she’d let him go on with his kidding, for he grew less playful, more pensive.
“A minute ago you spoke of needs, Alanna. Were you serious?”
She hesitated, suddenly fearful of the direction his thoughts were taking. But she couldn’t lie. “Unfortunately, yes.”
“Why ‘unfortunately’?”
Her shrug was cushioned by his chest. “I always liked to believe that I had total control.…”
“According to what you’ve said you haven’t been with a man for a very long time.”
“I haven’t.”
“Then why would you suddenly have this problem with needs? Why the flare of raw physical desire?”
Alanna flinched at his bluntness. “You put that so delicately,” she muttered beneath her breath, but he ignored her subtle rebellion.
“Why, love?” he asked softly. “Why now?” He pondered her silence as she asked herself the same question. But Alex came up with the answer she had hitherto refused to acknowledge. “It’s me , isn’t it?” Again he paused and again there was silence. “Answer me, damn it, Alanna. Am I the first one to stir those feelings since—”
“Yes.” Though she whispered the word almost grudgingly, he heard it well. A tremor passed through him in response.
“Ahhhhh,” he breathed against her hair. “That’s the nicest thing I’ve heard in years. It almost makes insomnia worthwhile.”
Alanna didn’t know what to say. Her confession was one she would rather not have made. Would he use this information against her? Would he use her weakness to push her toward marriage? Would he take total and merciless advantage of the physical attraction he now knew she shared?
To her astonishment he did nothing but shift more comfortably behind her. She felt his chest against her back, his thighs against her own. A gentle hand tucked a loose strand of her hair behind an ear, then stroked her cheek lightly.
“Good night, love,” he whispered contentedly. Within minutes his slow and steady breathing told of his return to sleep. Alanna had little time to debate the wisdom of his staying, however. Within minutes the warmth of his body and the comfort of his presence put her to sleep as well.
When she awoke the next morning to feel a tentative hand on her shoulder it was that of the day nurse, not Alex. He had, at some prior and unknown point, returned to his room, saving them both a spate of awkward explanations. Indeed, in her morning daze she wondered whether she had imagined the entire episode. It had been lovely and uncomplicated—his crawling into bed to sleep quietly with her. And she could not deny one very notable fact: last night, even given her brief period of wakefulness, she had slept more soundly—and now felt more refreshed—than at any time in recent memory! On that very intriguing note she headed for the swimming pool.
5
When Alanna arrived at the pool, an indoor facility she had had occasion to visit several times with her girls, there were already a dozen early risers swimming laps. She sat on the edge to tuck her hair beneath her cap and position her goggles when something caught her eye. Or rather, someone. A man. He was easily the most proficient of the swimmers. He stroked smoothly from one end of the pool to the other, then flipped underwater to begin the return lap.
Despite her impatience to start her own lap she found her gaze following this man, mesmerized. Powerful arms pulled him forward with every stroke, those same arms glistening beneath the bright lighting as they sliced the air before entering the water again. His motion was unhurried, his breathing steady. His legs
Similar Books
