rink.”
“Wil, we can talk about this some other day.”
She shook her head. “Look.” She pulled the necklace out from under the collar of her shirt. “I never take it off.”
Christopher touched the medal he’d put around her neck the day before they both moved from Aspen Creek. “It was to keep you safe during your travels.”
“It did.” She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of having him close. “I never told Alan where it came from.”
“I didn’t think you’d remember it.”
She opened her eyes slowly and gazed up at him. “I fell in love with you when I was a little girl. You don’t forget things like that.” She swayed closer to him.
Christopher shook his head and wrapped his arms around her tighter. “You’re going to regret those words when you sober up. I promise you.”
Malory shook her head. “No. I promise I won’t.”
Christopher kept her in his protective arms until they reached the hotel.
The November air chilled and threatened of snow as they walked through the revolving doors.
Malory’s head spun and her stomach sloshed. She remembered why she didn’t drink. Christopher wrapped his arm around her waist and escorted her to the elevator, where she leaned her head against his chest and fought against the feeling of the elevator rising.
He brushed her hair back behind her ear. “Let’s get you tucked into bed.”
“This isn’t how I envisioned this night.”
“Do I get to hold you all night?”
“Yes,” she whispered as she lifted her head to focus on him.
He smoothed his hand over her hair, and she felt the hesitation in his touch as he pulled it away. He stepped back from her and kept his eyes locked on hers. “Then that’s all I need, Wil. This isn’t about sex. This is about us.”
There he went again, thinking that he’d made up his mind on forever. She couldn’t do forever. She was proof of that. Wedding vows meant nothing.
She shook her head. The voices that danced around in it were getting too loud. He’d figure it out before it was too late. He was a smart man.
He ordered room service for dessert and a movie on the TV while Malory soaked in the deep tub and tried to regain some composure. She wasn’t sure it was working well. Sake was definitely off her drinking list forever.
When she emerged, the room service tray sat on the coffee table with a piece of cheesecake and a pot of coffee. She smiled. He certainly would do his best always to take care of her.
“The movie should start in a few minutes. I know you packed pajamas in that bag you brought.” He tilted his head down and raised his eyebrows. “And under the circumstances I think it would be a good idea for you to put them on before you come lie down next to me here on the bed.”
“You didn’t happen to order up some Tylenol, did you?”
“Shaving case. Help yourself.”
“Thanks.”
She went back into the bathroom and opened his case. She found the bottle of pills next to his razor and cologne. She opened the pill bottle, shook out a few, and swallowed them down with a glass of water. Then, because she couldn’t help herself, she looked through his bag again.
She took out the cologne and inhaled it deeply. Just the scent of him sent her heart into overdrive. Back in the bag she found the few items he’d need to get ready in the morning, but she wondered, as she dug deeper, where was his protection? Wouldn’t a man who had planned an evening of sex with a woman have condoms packed in his bag? She’d watched him unpack his bag and he hadn’t slid any in a drawer. When he’d paid the bill and pulled out his wallet, one didn’t fall on the table. Perhaps he was thinking forever started tonight. Well, wouldn’t she have something to say about that?
Then again, didn’t she fight everything, and wasn’t that half her problem?
She’d put her marriage under a microscope and picked it apart too, before she ever thought to mend it. She just tore at it until there was
“Wil, we can talk about this some other day.”
She shook her head. “Look.” She pulled the necklace out from under the collar of her shirt. “I never take it off.”
Christopher touched the medal he’d put around her neck the day before they both moved from Aspen Creek. “It was to keep you safe during your travels.”
“It did.” She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of having him close. “I never told Alan where it came from.”
“I didn’t think you’d remember it.”
She opened her eyes slowly and gazed up at him. “I fell in love with you when I was a little girl. You don’t forget things like that.” She swayed closer to him.
Christopher shook his head and wrapped his arms around her tighter. “You’re going to regret those words when you sober up. I promise you.”
Malory shook her head. “No. I promise I won’t.”
Christopher kept her in his protective arms until they reached the hotel.
The November air chilled and threatened of snow as they walked through the revolving doors.
Malory’s head spun and her stomach sloshed. She remembered why she didn’t drink. Christopher wrapped his arm around her waist and escorted her to the elevator, where she leaned her head against his chest and fought against the feeling of the elevator rising.
He brushed her hair back behind her ear. “Let’s get you tucked into bed.”
“This isn’t how I envisioned this night.”
“Do I get to hold you all night?”
“Yes,” she whispered as she lifted her head to focus on him.
He smoothed his hand over her hair, and she felt the hesitation in his touch as he pulled it away. He stepped back from her and kept his eyes locked on hers. “Then that’s all I need, Wil. This isn’t about sex. This is about us.”
There he went again, thinking that he’d made up his mind on forever. She couldn’t do forever. She was proof of that. Wedding vows meant nothing.
She shook her head. The voices that danced around in it were getting too loud. He’d figure it out before it was too late. He was a smart man.
He ordered room service for dessert and a movie on the TV while Malory soaked in the deep tub and tried to regain some composure. She wasn’t sure it was working well. Sake was definitely off her drinking list forever.
When she emerged, the room service tray sat on the coffee table with a piece of cheesecake and a pot of coffee. She smiled. He certainly would do his best always to take care of her.
“The movie should start in a few minutes. I know you packed pajamas in that bag you brought.” He tilted his head down and raised his eyebrows. “And under the circumstances I think it would be a good idea for you to put them on before you come lie down next to me here on the bed.”
“You didn’t happen to order up some Tylenol, did you?”
“Shaving case. Help yourself.”
“Thanks.”
She went back into the bathroom and opened his case. She found the bottle of pills next to his razor and cologne. She opened the pill bottle, shook out a few, and swallowed them down with a glass of water. Then, because she couldn’t help herself, she looked through his bag again.
She took out the cologne and inhaled it deeply. Just the scent of him sent her heart into overdrive. Back in the bag she found the few items he’d need to get ready in the morning, but she wondered, as she dug deeper, where was his protection? Wouldn’t a man who had planned an evening of sex with a woman have condoms packed in his bag? She’d watched him unpack his bag and he hadn’t slid any in a drawer. When he’d paid the bill and pulled out his wallet, one didn’t fall on the table. Perhaps he was thinking forever started tonight. Well, wouldn’t she have something to say about that?
Then again, didn’t she fight everything, and wasn’t that half her problem?
She’d put her marriage under a microscope and picked it apart too, before she ever thought to mend it. She just tore at it until there was
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