was achingly aware of the way his eyes would fall to her mouth when she spoke, and especially with the fascination he had with her hair as she absently sifted the long strands through her fingers. Was he remembering how it had felt in his own fingers? The darkness in his eyes told her that he was.
Toni was quietly pleased with what she appeared to be accomplishing. He couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of her, and that was enough for now. He really wasn't in any condition to succumb to more flagrant inducements anyway. He wasn't moving with his usual ease, and the pinched line of his mouth told her that any moaning he'd be doing would hardly be groans of ecstasy. His side was hurting, even though he kept insisting that it didn't.
Tonight, she'd just have to settle for an evening with him in front of the TV. That wasn't so bad. Loving someone meant sharing the quiet times, too. In many ways, she found that very satisfying.
It would have been a lot more satisfying if his arm had been around her, though.
Sunday afternoon held no promise of further accomplishments.
Toni was curled up in the chair by the window reading one of Madeline's books from behind a copy of Forbes while Kyle sat on the sofa watching a football game. No doubt he was silently identifying with the linebacker whose progress had just been abruptly halted by the massive shoulder that connected with his stomach. Though Kyle hadn't been complaining about it, Toni could tell from the way he kept rubbing the back of his neck that he'd hurt more than his side when he'd been tackled.
Every time he flinched, Toni's heart gave a funny little jerk, and she longed to do something —anything—to ease his discomfort. He'd been growling like a wounded bear all day, and she was sure that he was irritated with the inconvenience of his injury as much as anything else.
Closing her book on the provocative massage sequence she'd been reading—she decided that the massage was in order, even if the more boldly explicit moves portrayed in the chapter were not. Right now anyway.
"Your neck hurt?" she asked, climbing onto the sofa beside him.
His eyes were on the television, and his hand still gripped the back of his neck. "It's fine."
Ignoring his terse disclaimer with a rueful shake of her head, she scooted back on the sofa and tucked her legs beneath her. He was just being obstinate, and having been blessed with her fair share of that same trait, she pushed his hand away and settled hers in its place.
His muscles turned to stone, and he jerked around sideways to face her, immediately clamping his hand over the strained muscles again. "Aw, damn." He grimaced at the pain slicing down his shoulder. He shouldn't have moved so quickly. "What are you trying to do?"
Calm blue eyes blinked at his narrow-eyed expression. "I'm returning a favor. Now move back here."
"What favor?"
"Do you remember the morning you massaged my legs because they were so sore? Well," she continued, letting the shadow of wariness in his eyes answer her question, "you look like you could use a little of that same medicine. And stop looking at me like that. It's not like I'm trying to seduce you or something."
Her last words were directed to the pulse beating at the base of his neck. There was no way she could have said that if she'd been looking him straight in the eye—even though there was a certain amount of truth to her statement at the moment.
"It only hurts a little," he qualified, allowing Toni to position herself behind him.
Toni raised her eyes to the ceiling, begging the deities above to enlighten her as to why he hated to admit that he wasn't invincible. But she didn't need Zeus to hit her with a lightning bolt to know that Kyle was just being Kyle.
She reached for his shoulders.
Her knees were wedged around his hips and as her fingers worked slowly over the pale green fabric of his shirt, she didn't know who this exercise was affecting more. A massage was supposed to relax a person.
Toni was quietly pleased with what she appeared to be accomplishing. He couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of her, and that was enough for now. He really wasn't in any condition to succumb to more flagrant inducements anyway. He wasn't moving with his usual ease, and the pinched line of his mouth told her that any moaning he'd be doing would hardly be groans of ecstasy. His side was hurting, even though he kept insisting that it didn't.
Tonight, she'd just have to settle for an evening with him in front of the TV. That wasn't so bad. Loving someone meant sharing the quiet times, too. In many ways, she found that very satisfying.
It would have been a lot more satisfying if his arm had been around her, though.
Sunday afternoon held no promise of further accomplishments.
Toni was curled up in the chair by the window reading one of Madeline's books from behind a copy of Forbes while Kyle sat on the sofa watching a football game. No doubt he was silently identifying with the linebacker whose progress had just been abruptly halted by the massive shoulder that connected with his stomach. Though Kyle hadn't been complaining about it, Toni could tell from the way he kept rubbing the back of his neck that he'd hurt more than his side when he'd been tackled.
Every time he flinched, Toni's heart gave a funny little jerk, and she longed to do something —anything—to ease his discomfort. He'd been growling like a wounded bear all day, and she was sure that he was irritated with the inconvenience of his injury as much as anything else.
Closing her book on the provocative massage sequence she'd been reading—she decided that the massage was in order, even if the more boldly explicit moves portrayed in the chapter were not. Right now anyway.
"Your neck hurt?" she asked, climbing onto the sofa beside him.
His eyes were on the television, and his hand still gripped the back of his neck. "It's fine."
Ignoring his terse disclaimer with a rueful shake of her head, she scooted back on the sofa and tucked her legs beneath her. He was just being obstinate, and having been blessed with her fair share of that same trait, she pushed his hand away and settled hers in its place.
His muscles turned to stone, and he jerked around sideways to face her, immediately clamping his hand over the strained muscles again. "Aw, damn." He grimaced at the pain slicing down his shoulder. He shouldn't have moved so quickly. "What are you trying to do?"
Calm blue eyes blinked at his narrow-eyed expression. "I'm returning a favor. Now move back here."
"What favor?"
"Do you remember the morning you massaged my legs because they were so sore? Well," she continued, letting the shadow of wariness in his eyes answer her question, "you look like you could use a little of that same medicine. And stop looking at me like that. It's not like I'm trying to seduce you or something."
Her last words were directed to the pulse beating at the base of his neck. There was no way she could have said that if she'd been looking him straight in the eye—even though there was a certain amount of truth to her statement at the moment.
"It only hurts a little," he qualified, allowing Toni to position herself behind him.
Toni raised her eyes to the ceiling, begging the deities above to enlighten her as to why he hated to admit that he wasn't invincible. But she didn't need Zeus to hit her with a lightning bolt to know that Kyle was just being Kyle.
She reached for his shoulders.
Her knees were wedged around his hips and as her fingers worked slowly over the pale green fabric of his shirt, she didn't know who this exercise was affecting more. A massage was supposed to relax a person.
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