need to get something in your stomach. It might help with the headache, too.”
She closed her eyes as he stood and walked across the room. He stepped outside but she could just make out the low murmur of his voice as he ordered room service. A moment later, he returned and gently laid his hand over her forehead.
“It’ll be here in a few minutes. I told them to put a rush on it.”
“Thank you.”
He was silent for a few seconds and then he said in a voice full of resignation, “I’ll make arrangements for us to fly home in the morning. Perhaps it’s best if you’re back in familiar surroundings. I don’t want you to suffer with a headache the entire week we were supposed to be here. At least at home, you’ll have your family and your friends to surround you and…make you feel better.”
She nodded, her chest heavy and aching with regret.
It should have been different. They should have spent the week making love. Laughing. Spending every waking moment immersed in each other.
Instead they’d go back home to a very uncertain future in a world that was suddenly unfamiliar to Ashley.
Where she’d have to guard every word, every action.
It frightened her. What if she failed? What if even after she removed the annoyances he still felt nothing more for her than he did now?
Then he doesn’t deserve you , the voice inside her aching head whispered in her ear.
He didn’t deserve her now. The intelligent side of her knew and accepted this. But she wanted him. Wanted his love, his approval. She wanted him to be proud of her.
If that made her an even bigger moron than she’d already been, she could live with that. What she couldn’t live with was just walking away without seeing if their marriage could be salvaged.
“It will be better when we get home,” she whispered.
His hand stilled on her hair but he remained silent as he seemed to contemplate her words. His expression was grim and tension radiated from his body in waves.
Then there was a distant knock and he rose once more. “That’ll be the food. Just stay here. I’ll wheel the cart in and we’ll get you a comfortable spot made up so you can eat in bed.”
He strode out of the room and Ashley lay there a moment mentally recovering from what felt like a barrage of emotional turmoil. Finally she pushed herself upward and sat cross-legged on the bed, with pillows pushed behind her back to keep her propped up.
Devon returned with the rolling table and parked it at the end of the bed. As soon as he uncovered the bowl of soup, the aroma wafted through the air and her mouth watered. On cue, her stomach protested sharply and sweat broke out on her forehead.
“You okay?” Devon asked as he positioned the tray in front of her.
His gaze was focused sharply on her face, his forehead creased with concern. She nodded and reached for the napkin and utensils with shaking hands.
When she would have slid the bowl closer, Devon gently took her hand away.
“Perhaps it would be better if I ladled the soup into a mug so you could sip at it. Less chance of spilling it that way.”
She nodded her agreement and watched as he filled one of the cups on the table with the delicious-smelling broth.
“Here. Careful now, it’s hot.”
She brought the steaming mug to her lips and inhaled, closing her eyes as she tentatively took the first sip.
It was heaven in a coffee cup. The warmth from the soup traveled all the way down to her stomach and settled there comfortably.
“Good?” he asked as he edged his way onto the bed beside her.
“Wonderful.”
He watched as she downed a significant amount of the soup and then he took her medicine bottle from the nightstand and shook out another pill.
“Here. Take this. Once you’re finished you can lie down and hopefully sleep until morning. I’ll wake you up in time to catch the flight. Don’t worry about your things.
I’ll lay out something for you to wear on the plane and I’ll pack everything else and have
She closed her eyes as he stood and walked across the room. He stepped outside but she could just make out the low murmur of his voice as he ordered room service. A moment later, he returned and gently laid his hand over her forehead.
“It’ll be here in a few minutes. I told them to put a rush on it.”
“Thank you.”
He was silent for a few seconds and then he said in a voice full of resignation, “I’ll make arrangements for us to fly home in the morning. Perhaps it’s best if you’re back in familiar surroundings. I don’t want you to suffer with a headache the entire week we were supposed to be here. At least at home, you’ll have your family and your friends to surround you and…make you feel better.”
She nodded, her chest heavy and aching with regret.
It should have been different. They should have spent the week making love. Laughing. Spending every waking moment immersed in each other.
Instead they’d go back home to a very uncertain future in a world that was suddenly unfamiliar to Ashley.
Where she’d have to guard every word, every action.
It frightened her. What if she failed? What if even after she removed the annoyances he still felt nothing more for her than he did now?
Then he doesn’t deserve you , the voice inside her aching head whispered in her ear.
He didn’t deserve her now. The intelligent side of her knew and accepted this. But she wanted him. Wanted his love, his approval. She wanted him to be proud of her.
If that made her an even bigger moron than she’d already been, she could live with that. What she couldn’t live with was just walking away without seeing if their marriage could be salvaged.
“It will be better when we get home,” she whispered.
His hand stilled on her hair but he remained silent as he seemed to contemplate her words. His expression was grim and tension radiated from his body in waves.
Then there was a distant knock and he rose once more. “That’ll be the food. Just stay here. I’ll wheel the cart in and we’ll get you a comfortable spot made up so you can eat in bed.”
He strode out of the room and Ashley lay there a moment mentally recovering from what felt like a barrage of emotional turmoil. Finally she pushed herself upward and sat cross-legged on the bed, with pillows pushed behind her back to keep her propped up.
Devon returned with the rolling table and parked it at the end of the bed. As soon as he uncovered the bowl of soup, the aroma wafted through the air and her mouth watered. On cue, her stomach protested sharply and sweat broke out on her forehead.
“You okay?” Devon asked as he positioned the tray in front of her.
His gaze was focused sharply on her face, his forehead creased with concern. She nodded and reached for the napkin and utensils with shaking hands.
When she would have slid the bowl closer, Devon gently took her hand away.
“Perhaps it would be better if I ladled the soup into a mug so you could sip at it. Less chance of spilling it that way.”
She nodded her agreement and watched as he filled one of the cups on the table with the delicious-smelling broth.
“Here. Careful now, it’s hot.”
She brought the steaming mug to her lips and inhaled, closing her eyes as she tentatively took the first sip.
It was heaven in a coffee cup. The warmth from the soup traveled all the way down to her stomach and settled there comfortably.
“Good?” he asked as he edged his way onto the bed beside her.
“Wonderful.”
He watched as she downed a significant amount of the soup and then he took her medicine bottle from the nightstand and shook out another pill.
“Here. Take this. Once you’re finished you can lie down and hopefully sleep until morning. I’ll wake you up in time to catch the flight. Don’t worry about your things.
I’ll lay out something for you to wear on the plane and I’ll pack everything else and have
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