question her about this, she moved swiftly ahead and continued to direct her narrative to the spot on the wall.
As she talked she touched on the fact that she'd never been married but had been engaged once. She'd broken off the engagement but didn't elaborate on that or any other relationship.
When she got around to confessing that she was thirty-one she rolled her head sideways to gauge Reed's reaction to this little tidbit of news.
She didn't know whether to laugh or sigh at the sight that confronted her.
Reed had been unusually quiet during most of her monologue. Now he reclined, half-buried in the pillows, his right arm thrown behind his head, and at the moment enjoyed a very deep sleep.
"My, my, Gerard. Aren't we the fascinating conversationalist?"
Smiling, she turned on her side. The rise and fall of his chest and the clean line of his jaw held her rapt attention. She took her time examining his face. She could look at those devastating features all night. The classic, chiseled lines looked so boyish in sleep.
Her body began to relax, so she closed her eyes for a few moments to relieve the burning. Just a few minutes, then I'll wake him up and we'll go to our beds. Geez, I must be nuts.
CHAPTER FOUR
A glaring light on the other side of her eyelids forced Elise out of her sleep.
Her first thought was that she'd forgotten to close the room-darkening shades again. But before the thought was complete, she realized she wasn't scrunched in her cozy bed. This had to be the hardest hotel bed she'd ever slept on, and with her job, she had a lot to compare it with.
Reality crept into her mind, and her eyes flew open. She held her breath and blinked away the remaining vestiges of sleep. Sure enough, lying comfortably across from her, one arm flung across his eyes and the other resting on his very taut stomach, slept the impossible visitor of the day before.
Now, in the light of a new day, the whole story seemed insane. Elise panicked. She had to get to her tear gas again, as quickly and quietly as possible. But as she inched herself up onto her elbows, the stranger across from her lifted his arm from his face, stretched, and opened his electric blue eyes.
Bewilderment clouded those eyes, then as he caught her movement and turned his head to gaze at her, he let out a long, frustrated sigh.
"So, it is true. It was not a dream."
Elise tried to keep the nervousness out of her voice. "No, I guess it wasn't."
They stared at each other as the seconds dragged by. A clock ticking somewhere in the house seemed to boom in the silence. Elise got to her feet and made her way to the door, picking up a few cushions along the way and tossing them back onto the couch.
"I, uh, I guess I'll go make some coffee," she said as she finally reached the door. She made a beeline for her purse and clipped the canister of tear gas to the inside of her pocket. Reason told her he had been a perfect gentleman the day before, and she obviously survived the night without getting her throat slit. But caution told her that if she was dealing with a nut she couldn't rely on past behavior.
In the kitchen she slid the coffee holder into the Mr. Coffee and wondered whether or not to call the police. How could she explain that she'd let him spend the night? She felt, rather than heard him come into the room. When she whirled around he jumped back just in time to keep from bumping noses with her.
"Do you have to hover?" Elise snapped, unnerved and irritated by his unexpected, close proximity.
"Elise, I must offer you my apologies. What I did was unforgivable, but I can only hope that you will take into account the circumstances and somehow find it in your heart to make allowances." Reed's face was both stoic and repentant.
A chill snaked up her spine, and she slowly moved her hand to cover her tear gas.
"What circumstances? What are you talking about?" She couldn't
As she talked she touched on the fact that she'd never been married but had been engaged once. She'd broken off the engagement but didn't elaborate on that or any other relationship.
When she got around to confessing that she was thirty-one she rolled her head sideways to gauge Reed's reaction to this little tidbit of news.
She didn't know whether to laugh or sigh at the sight that confronted her.
Reed had been unusually quiet during most of her monologue. Now he reclined, half-buried in the pillows, his right arm thrown behind his head, and at the moment enjoyed a very deep sleep.
"My, my, Gerard. Aren't we the fascinating conversationalist?"
Smiling, she turned on her side. The rise and fall of his chest and the clean line of his jaw held her rapt attention. She took her time examining his face. She could look at those devastating features all night. The classic, chiseled lines looked so boyish in sleep.
Her body began to relax, so she closed her eyes for a few moments to relieve the burning. Just a few minutes, then I'll wake him up and we'll go to our beds. Geez, I must be nuts.
CHAPTER FOUR
A glaring light on the other side of her eyelids forced Elise out of her sleep.
Her first thought was that she'd forgotten to close the room-darkening shades again. But before the thought was complete, she realized she wasn't scrunched in her cozy bed. This had to be the hardest hotel bed she'd ever slept on, and with her job, she had a lot to compare it with.
Reality crept into her mind, and her eyes flew open. She held her breath and blinked away the remaining vestiges of sleep. Sure enough, lying comfortably across from her, one arm flung across his eyes and the other resting on his very taut stomach, slept the impossible visitor of the day before.
Now, in the light of a new day, the whole story seemed insane. Elise panicked. She had to get to her tear gas again, as quickly and quietly as possible. But as she inched herself up onto her elbows, the stranger across from her lifted his arm from his face, stretched, and opened his electric blue eyes.
Bewilderment clouded those eyes, then as he caught her movement and turned his head to gaze at her, he let out a long, frustrated sigh.
"So, it is true. It was not a dream."
Elise tried to keep the nervousness out of her voice. "No, I guess it wasn't."
They stared at each other as the seconds dragged by. A clock ticking somewhere in the house seemed to boom in the silence. Elise got to her feet and made her way to the door, picking up a few cushions along the way and tossing them back onto the couch.
"I, uh, I guess I'll go make some coffee," she said as she finally reached the door. She made a beeline for her purse and clipped the canister of tear gas to the inside of her pocket. Reason told her he had been a perfect gentleman the day before, and she obviously survived the night without getting her throat slit. But caution told her that if she was dealing with a nut she couldn't rely on past behavior.
In the kitchen she slid the coffee holder into the Mr. Coffee and wondered whether or not to call the police. How could she explain that she'd let him spend the night? She felt, rather than heard him come into the room. When she whirled around he jumped back just in time to keep from bumping noses with her.
"Do you have to hover?" Elise snapped, unnerved and irritated by his unexpected, close proximity.
"Elise, I must offer you my apologies. What I did was unforgivable, but I can only hope that you will take into account the circumstances and somehow find it in your heart to make allowances." Reed's face was both stoic and repentant.
A chill snaked up her spine, and she slowly moved her hand to cover her tear gas.
"What circumstances? What are you talking about?" She couldn't
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