Part 11 (1/2)

This wasn't real. He had to be dreaming. But it felt real. As real as the ache in his head.

What was she doing here like this?

Evan tried to sit up. A groan twisted from his lips. The very act of propping himself up on his elbows sapped all the available strength from his body like the last bit of liquid being sipped through a straw.

His groan woke her. Claire was on her feet instantly, crossing to him. The concern that furrowed her brow faded when she saw that his eyes were open and no longer gla.s.sy. They were focused on her.

Her smile was accompanied by a sigh of relief. He'd had her worried, even after the doctor had a.s.sured her he'd be all right.

”Hi.” She banked down the desire to feather her fingers through his hair. ”Welcome back.”

Back? Had he been somewhere? Evan tried to think, but his head felt like a vacuum. A large, throbbing vacuum.

”What are you doing here?” Each word seemed to stick to his lips. They felt like dried sandpaper, and his voice sounded incredibly hoa.r.s.e to his ears.

Claire moved her shoulders, trying to work out the stiffness. She must have fallen asleep, she thought ruefully. It was rare that both children were down at the same time.

”Getting a crick in my neck,” She rubbed it quickly, then bent over to touch her lips to his head in the age-old fas.h.i.+on of mothers everywhere. Satisfaction curved her mouth. ”You're cooler. Finally.”

Straightening, Claire blew out a breath. It had been a long two days, and she was beginning to think she was going to have to call Dr. Richmond for a return visit. Not that he would have minded. Sometimes it paid, she mused, to be the daughter of a doctor, even though she hadn't always thought so.

The fog in his brain refused to recede to shed any light on the situation. He was still unclear what she was doing here, although he vaguely remembered calling for her.

Or was that just a dream?

”I don't recall getting into bed.”

Claire laughed, remembering. ”There's a reason for that.” She glanced at herself in the mirrored doors. She could stand a bit of tidying, she decided. All she could manage now was to run a hand through her hair. ”You pa.s.sed out before I could get you into it.”

She got him into bed? When had that happened?

”And the pajamas?” he questioned. Raising the covers, Evan saw that he had on the bottoms, as well as the top. The last thing he remembered was that he was wearing clothes. And feeling like h.e.l.l on a bad day.

Claire shrugged, purposely avoiding his eyes. She wasn't altogether sure what she'd see there or how she'd react to it She was an adult she'd done what she had to do and that was that.

That wasn't that. She'd undressed him and no matter what she told herself to the contrary, she had seen him naked. The man's clothes, impeccably tailored or not hid a h.e.l.l of a great body.

”Your clothes were soaked clean through.” There wasn't a hint of emotion in her voice.

He still didn't quite believe what she had done. Had he missed something? When had they gotten on this footing?

”You undressed me?” There was a hint of a smile in his voice. And on his face when she looked.

Hers was the soul of innocence. ”I'd rather think of it as dressing you in pajamas.” And then she smiled. ”Don't worry, I had my eyes shut the entire time.”

”I wish I hadn't.” He meant that sincerely.

There had been an intimacy between them, a moment when she had placed niceties aside and had thought only of caring for him.

And he had missed it completely by being out of his head when it had happened. There was no way to make up for that.

And then, suddenly, his thoughts went beyond his own needs, to someone whose needs were greater.

”Rachel-”

It pleased Claire to see the genuine concern on Evan's face. He wasn't just a caretaker anymore. The little girl was actually getting to mean something to him. There was hope for him yet.

”Don't worry, I've been looking after her. Libby's with her now. Last I checked, they were both sound asleep.” She laughed softly, smoothing out the blankets and sheet he had tangled. ”You're lucky Libby's too young to understand she could be charging you for baby-sitting. She's hardly left Rachel's side.”

He could feel his energy trickling from him, like a tap that hadn't been properly closed. With a sigh, he lay back against his pillow, struggling to hold on to just a little of it.

Evan couldn't remember the last time he'd been sick. ”How many hours have I been out of it?”

There was an odd smile on her face when she looked at him. He wondered what it meant.

”Try 'days.'”

For a moment, the word didn't fully register. ”Days?”

She nodded. ”Days.” He really didn't realize how sick he was, did he? ”It's Tuesday.”

He'd been out only a few hours. Half a day, tops. She was pulling his leg. ”That's impossible.”

Claire wondered where Evan had gotten this idea that he was nine parts invincible. ”Want to see a newspaper?” she offered.

It wasn't that he didn't believe her; it was just that this new wrinkle made things so much more complicated. He'd just taken a week off to be with Rachel. He didn't have time to be sick, too.

”But I'm supposed to be at work.”

”Surprise.” He looked so befuddled, she took pity on him. Claire perched on the edge of the bed, taking his hand the way she would Libby's when she comforted her.

Maybe it would help him to know that things had been taken care of. ”Don't worry, I called in and explained everything to Alma. Mr. Donovan said not to come back until you're well. He told me that he thought you'd work yourself into the ground someday.”

She made it sound as if she and Donovan were old friends. Evan couldn't remember ever having a personal conversation with the man in all the years he'd been with the corporation. Despite the fact that Donovan had taken a liking to him, all they had ever talked about was work.

”You spoke to Donovan?”

Why did he look so surprised? she wondered. ”He's a very nice man.” Claire grinned, recalling the older man's words. ”He said that he's happy you're in such 'capable hands.'”

Evan looked at the hand covering his. It looked too soft and delicate to be capable. But he was beginning to appreciate, firsthand, that she was. ”Would you know if-?”

Claire could tell exactly what was on his mind. It wasn't difficult. ”The takeover went through? No, it didn't.”

She'd made a point of asking and writing down the answer Donovan gave her. The fact that she had asked had prompted Donovan's a.s.sessment of her. She decided not to mention that the man had said he'd looked forward to meeting her. That would put a definitely different spin on the relations.h.i.+p she and Evan had. She figured he didn't react well to that kind of pressure.

”The figures you came up with impressed the representatives of the j.a.panese corporation so much, they decided to invest in your company. Endicott's plans for a hostile takeover died a very grisly death, was the way Mr. Donovan saw it.” She smiled, knowing Evan would be happy to hear this. ”Seems you saved the day while lying flat on your back.

”Which is where you're going to stay for the rest of today and until you're feeling stronger,” she added, negating any other ideas he might have.

That was fine with him. Right now, he had a feeling he couldn't get up even if he wanted to. But he did have a question.