she said, "I . . . uh . . . guess I'll get back to my room." She smiled weakly, then as she backed slowly toward the bedroom, added, "There's an article I want to finish reading."
He silently watched as she turned and entered the bedroom, then, with a pent-up frustration that was ready to burst at the seams, kicked a footstool across the room.
***
Sunny leaned heavily against the bedroom door, flinching when she heard the crash from the next room.
Pushing away from the door, she began to pace in agitation. How stupid can you get? she thought in disgust. An article I want to read, for heaven's sake!
Every time she was in his company for five minutes, the thoughts started whirling in her head. There was no way to stop them. She had tried—of course she had tried, but it was no use. She couldn't keep from touching him. She couldn't keep her mind off the nearness of him, the sight and sound and feel of him.
"What kind of woman am I?" she muttered angrily. He had made it perfectly clear that he didn't intend to let anything happen between them. Which meant that either he didn't feel the aching need that plagued her or his strength was beyond her comprehension.
Either way, it added up to the same thing— frustration. And fighting it was getting more and more difficult each day. She was beginning to think that the only way to combat it was to stay out of his way completely.
But where could she go? She couldn't stay cooped up in her room all day. If only she could get a job. It would solve so many problems. Not only would it get her away from the growing attraction, it would give her a chance to pay him back for his kindness in taking her in.
She sat slowly on the bed, staring straight ahead as the-thought became stronger. As far as she could see, her only other alternative was allowing him to find out who she was, and that she wouldn't even consider. Although her reasons had changed, she was still as determined as ever to prevent the past from finding her.
She jerked her head sideways when she heard a tapping on the window and saw Mary Louise's face pressed against the pane. Sunny really couldn't say whether their friendship was progressing, but the girl visited her regularly now, sometimes managing to stay a whole hour before walking out in a huff. She was still wary of Ben, and when he was home, refused to come in the ordinary way, instead edged her way across from her apartment on the parapet below the window.
"What's up?" her brusque visitor asked as she climbed clumsily through the window.
Sunny stared at her in amused resignation. "You know, Mary Louise, as much as I enjoy the intrigue and originality of your entrances, it's really not necessary. Ben wouldn't bite your head off if you came through the door."
"Did I say anything about Ben?" she asked huffily. "It just so happens that I need the fresh air—if you can call that gray stuff out there fresh." She stared at Sunny with narrow-eyed intensity. "Has he got you locked in here?"
"Of course not." Sunny laughed at her friend's suspicious expression. "I just wanted to—well, the fact is I feel like I'm in his way. He doesn't seem to be able to relax when I'm in the room." And neither can you, she added silently.
"You sure can't spend all your time in here. You'll end up loonier than you already are."
"Thanks," Sunny said drily. "What do you suggest I do?"
"Why don't you get a job? Then you'll not only be getting out of here, but you'll be able to pay him room and board." She lowered her voice to an ominous whisper and leaned closer. "Then he cant say you owe him anything."
"Trusting soul, aren't you?" Sunny said, chuckling. "He doesn't think I owe him anything, you goose. I think I owe him something—everything in fact. But I can't get a job without a Social Security card."
Mary Louise pushed her glasses back on her nose thoughtfully, then glanced hesitantly at Sunny. "I know a place that would take you. It wouldn't matter that you're crazy," she said,
He silently watched as she turned and entered the bedroom, then, with a pent-up frustration that was ready to burst at the seams, kicked a footstool across the room.
***
Sunny leaned heavily against the bedroom door, flinching when she heard the crash from the next room.
Pushing away from the door, she began to pace in agitation. How stupid can you get? she thought in disgust. An article I want to read, for heaven's sake!
Every time she was in his company for five minutes, the thoughts started whirling in her head. There was no way to stop them. She had tried—of course she had tried, but it was no use. She couldn't keep from touching him. She couldn't keep her mind off the nearness of him, the sight and sound and feel of him.
"What kind of woman am I?" she muttered angrily. He had made it perfectly clear that he didn't intend to let anything happen between them. Which meant that either he didn't feel the aching need that plagued her or his strength was beyond her comprehension.
Either way, it added up to the same thing— frustration. And fighting it was getting more and more difficult each day. She was beginning to think that the only way to combat it was to stay out of his way completely.
But where could she go? She couldn't stay cooped up in her room all day. If only she could get a job. It would solve so many problems. Not only would it get her away from the growing attraction, it would give her a chance to pay him back for his kindness in taking her in.
She sat slowly on the bed, staring straight ahead as the-thought became stronger. As far as she could see, her only other alternative was allowing him to find out who she was, and that she wouldn't even consider. Although her reasons had changed, she was still as determined as ever to prevent the past from finding her.
She jerked her head sideways when she heard a tapping on the window and saw Mary Louise's face pressed against the pane. Sunny really couldn't say whether their friendship was progressing, but the girl visited her regularly now, sometimes managing to stay a whole hour before walking out in a huff. She was still wary of Ben, and when he was home, refused to come in the ordinary way, instead edged her way across from her apartment on the parapet below the window.
"What's up?" her brusque visitor asked as she climbed clumsily through the window.
Sunny stared at her in amused resignation. "You know, Mary Louise, as much as I enjoy the intrigue and originality of your entrances, it's really not necessary. Ben wouldn't bite your head off if you came through the door."
"Did I say anything about Ben?" she asked huffily. "It just so happens that I need the fresh air—if you can call that gray stuff out there fresh." She stared at Sunny with narrow-eyed intensity. "Has he got you locked in here?"
"Of course not." Sunny laughed at her friend's suspicious expression. "I just wanted to—well, the fact is I feel like I'm in his way. He doesn't seem to be able to relax when I'm in the room." And neither can you, she added silently.
"You sure can't spend all your time in here. You'll end up loonier than you already are."
"Thanks," Sunny said drily. "What do you suggest I do?"
"Why don't you get a job? Then you'll not only be getting out of here, but you'll be able to pay him room and board." She lowered her voice to an ominous whisper and leaned closer. "Then he cant say you owe him anything."
"Trusting soul, aren't you?" Sunny said, chuckling. "He doesn't think I owe him anything, you goose. I think I owe him something—everything in fact. But I can't get a job without a Social Security card."
Mary Louise pushed her glasses back on her nose thoughtfully, then glanced hesitantly at Sunny. "I know a place that would take you. It wouldn't matter that you're crazy," she said,
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