guard. She had slipped up.
And she wasn't going to slip up again.
The bathroom door opened slowly, and she stuck her head around it
hesitantly. There he was, reclining on the floor with his bare arms
flexed back and hands linked behind his dark head. He was resting on
one of the huge throw pillows that she used on her bed in the daytime,
and her bedcovers were pulled down for her. The late news was on
the television, but he was watching her instead, unwaveringly. A
fresh wave of nervousness hit her in the region of her stomach and it
showed. Her big blue eyes were nearly black, they were dilated so,
and her thin face was very pale. She came out of the bathroom slowly,
looking as if she might bolt at the first sudden movement.
Mike Carridine said calmly, running his unfathomable gaze down her
slim body, 'I was beginning to get worried for a minute. I don't trust
you in that bathroom for any length of time and I would hate to have
to chase you in my pyjamas.'
Dee had to smile at that, reluctantly, and felt comfortable enough to
walk closer. The room was so small that he had to lay down his
blankets by necessity right beside her bed, and she climbed on her bed
from the bottom end to avoid stepping over him. Then she settled
gingerly under the covers, eyeing him with that wary, distrustful
gaze.
His face softened a little, and the change in his expression from that
was so noticeable that she had to stare. Those features were really
hard, with a firm, uncompromising jaw and harsh cheekbones and
browbone, and she'd only seen him with a determined look in those
bright green eyes. That gentler expression made him look younger,
and she found herself revising her impression of his age. He would be
in his late twenties, perhaps, or thirty. 'You don't have anything to feel
nervous about, child,' he said quietly. 'I won't hurt you.'
Her eyes widened at that, and she felt supremely startled. She was
touched by what he had said, but then her facial expression sharpened
and she snapped, 'I don't believe that, and I don't trust you. You're
hurting me now, damn you, and there's nothing I can do about it!'
His eyes changed and they stared at each other for a minute before
Dee deliberately rolled over and pulled her covers to her neck. There
was a moment or two of tense silence and then something rustled. She
stiffened, but all that happened was that the light was abruptly doused
and they were plunged into darkness. The last thing said between
them was when Mike said implacably, 'We leave in the morning,
early.' And the words fell on her heart like a heavy stone.
Dee didn't sleep well at all, what with nervousness cramping in her
stomach and apprehension holding her in its grip. She could hear
Mike's quiet breathing, even and soft in the darkness, and the sound
was strangely intimate and soothing. Even so, she had the impression
of a coiled, dangerous animal crouching at her feet and she dared not
move for fear she might wake the beast.
When the first golden rays began to dispel the predawn's greyness,
she quietly crept out of her covers and went to her tiny kitchen to start
the coffee. When she turned around and glanced at Mike, she found
him watching her calmly, alertly, though he still looked relaxed. He
also looked rested, which was more than she could say for herself.
She put a self-conscious hand to her rumpled hair, blinking sleepily.
'I must look like a mess,' she mumbled, sliding her eyes away from
his. In actuality she looked like a sleepy rumpled kitten, with those
clear blue eyes peering out from under the yellow gold of her curling
hair. The nightshirt was too large and merely served to emphasise the
slight delicate lines of her bone structure, and drew attention to her
legs.
'Mm,' was his only comment, but when Dee glanced up and caught
his gaze, she saw appreciation flicker in them as he swept her over
with an encompassing look. That made her more self-conscious
And she wasn't going to slip up again.
The bathroom door opened slowly, and she stuck her head around it
hesitantly. There he was, reclining on the floor with his bare arms
flexed back and hands linked behind his dark head. He was resting on
one of the huge throw pillows that she used on her bed in the daytime,
and her bedcovers were pulled down for her. The late news was on
the television, but he was watching her instead, unwaveringly. A
fresh wave of nervousness hit her in the region of her stomach and it
showed. Her big blue eyes were nearly black, they were dilated so,
and her thin face was very pale. She came out of the bathroom slowly,
looking as if she might bolt at the first sudden movement.
Mike Carridine said calmly, running his unfathomable gaze down her
slim body, 'I was beginning to get worried for a minute. I don't trust
you in that bathroom for any length of time and I would hate to have
to chase you in my pyjamas.'
Dee had to smile at that, reluctantly, and felt comfortable enough to
walk closer. The room was so small that he had to lay down his
blankets by necessity right beside her bed, and she climbed on her bed
from the bottom end to avoid stepping over him. Then she settled
gingerly under the covers, eyeing him with that wary, distrustful
gaze.
His face softened a little, and the change in his expression from that
was so noticeable that she had to stare. Those features were really
hard, with a firm, uncompromising jaw and harsh cheekbones and
browbone, and she'd only seen him with a determined look in those
bright green eyes. That gentler expression made him look younger,
and she found herself revising her impression of his age. He would be
in his late twenties, perhaps, or thirty. 'You don't have anything to feel
nervous about, child,' he said quietly. 'I won't hurt you.'
Her eyes widened at that, and she felt supremely startled. She was
touched by what he had said, but then her facial expression sharpened
and she snapped, 'I don't believe that, and I don't trust you. You're
hurting me now, damn you, and there's nothing I can do about it!'
His eyes changed and they stared at each other for a minute before
Dee deliberately rolled over and pulled her covers to her neck. There
was a moment or two of tense silence and then something rustled. She
stiffened, but all that happened was that the light was abruptly doused
and they were plunged into darkness. The last thing said between
them was when Mike said implacably, 'We leave in the morning,
early.' And the words fell on her heart like a heavy stone.
Dee didn't sleep well at all, what with nervousness cramping in her
stomach and apprehension holding her in its grip. She could hear
Mike's quiet breathing, even and soft in the darkness, and the sound
was strangely intimate and soothing. Even so, she had the impression
of a coiled, dangerous animal crouching at her feet and she dared not
move for fear she might wake the beast.
When the first golden rays began to dispel the predawn's greyness,
she quietly crept out of her covers and went to her tiny kitchen to start
the coffee. When she turned around and glanced at Mike, she found
him watching her calmly, alertly, though he still looked relaxed. He
also looked rested, which was more than she could say for herself.
She put a self-conscious hand to her rumpled hair, blinking sleepily.
'I must look like a mess,' she mumbled, sliding her eyes away from
his. In actuality she looked like a sleepy rumpled kitten, with those
clear blue eyes peering out from under the yellow gold of her curling
hair. The nightshirt was too large and merely served to emphasise the
slight delicate lines of her bone structure, and drew attention to her
legs.
'Mm,' was his only comment, but when Dee glanced up and caught
his gaze, she saw appreciation flicker in them as he swept her over
with an encompassing look. That made her more self-conscious
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