Come Lie With Me - Linda Howard [73]
“I’d like to stay in bed with you all day,” he whispered against her satiny skin. “But Alberta will be up here soon if we don’t put in an appearance. She was worried about you yesterday, almost as much as I was.”
She buried her hands in his thick, dark hair. “Why were you worried? You knew why I was upset.”
“Because I never meant to upset you. I didn’t want to remind you of anything that had hurt you, but I did. You were so pale and cold.” He kissed the enticing slope of her breast and smiled at the ripple of response that was evident under her skin.
They showered together; then he sprawled on the bed and directed her dressing. He wanted her to wear the slinky, seductive shorts she’d worn before, and his eyes glittered as he watched her pull them on. He had to return to his room to dress, as he’d come to her stark naked, and stark naked he walked down the hall, moving slowly but with increasing confidence and grace. Tears of pride stung her eyes as she watched him.
“It’s a beautiful day,” Alberta said with an odd smugness as she served breakfast, and it was so unusual for Alberta to make small talk that Dione glanced at her sharply, but could read nothing in the woman’s stoic face.
“Beautiful,” Blake echoed gravely, and gave Dione a slow smile that started her blood racing.
Their workouts were leisurely and remarkably short; Blake seemed more interested in watching her than in lifting weights or walking on the treadmill. He was relaxed, satisfaction lying on him like a golden glow. Instead of trying to slow him down, Dione scolded him for doing so little. “I’m going to have to cut down on the amount you’re eating if you aren’t going to work any more than this.”
“Whatever you say,” he murmured, his eyes on her legs. “You’re the boss.”
She laughed and gave up. If he weren’t going to work out, he might as well be walking. It was warmer out than it had been recently, so they walked around the grounds; the only support he used was his arm around her waist. She noticed that he was limping less; even his left leg moved without dragging as badly as it had.
“I’ve been thinking,” he announced as they returned to the house. “There’s no use in waiting until the first of the year before I go back to work. I’m going back Monday; I’ll get myself accustomed to the place and what’s going on, before Richard takes off.”
Dione stopped and stared at him, her cheeks paling. He saw her expression and misunderstood it; he laughed as he hugged her to him. “I’m not going to hurt myself,” he assured her. “I’ll just work in the mornings. Half a day, I promise. Then I’ll come home and put myself in your hands again, and you can work me until I drop if that’s what you want.”
She bit her lip. “If you’re capable of returning to work, then there’s no need for me to stay at all,” she said quietly.
He frowned, his hands tightening on her. “There’s all the need in the world. Don’t even think about leaving me, honey, because I won’t let you. You’re part of me. We’ve already been through this once, and it’s settled. You’re staying here.”
“Nothing’s settled,” she denied. “I have to work, to support myself—”
“By all means, work if you want,” he interrupted. “But you don’t have to. I can support you.”
She jerked back, indignant color staining her face. “I’m not a call girl,” she snapped. “Or a lap dog.”
He put his hands on his hips. “I’ll agree with that, but I’m not talking about either of those,” he said, his own temper rising. “I’m talking about marriage, lady, the ‘till death do us part’ bit.”
She couldn’t have been more startled if he’d turned green before her eyes. She stared at him. “You can’t mean that.”
“Why can’t I mean it?” he demanded irritably. “This is a hell of a reception for the only marriage proposal I’ve ever made.”
She couldn’t help it; she laughed at the anger in his tone, even though she knew inside that he would soon forget her. He was still involved in their intense, isolated therapist-patient relationship, with the added complication of their physical involvement. She’d known that making love with him was a mistake,