Part 5 (1/2)

”I don't need an excuse. If you ever come to work again dressed like you were this morning, women's liberation notwithstanding, I'll lay you down on the floor in my office!”

He was breathing heavily. Of course, so was she. Her arms were beside her head and she felt hot and trembly all over. She'd read in books that men touched women in the ways he'd touched her, but she hadn't understood what it felt like until now.

She moved experimentally. Her body still felt shocks of pleasure go through it with every movement. She s.h.i.+vered a little.

He watched her with indulgent amus.e.m.e.nt. He hadn't meant to let things go so far, but her shocked pleasure had made it impossible for him to stop. He enjoyed her fledgling responses to his lovemaking. He enjoyed all of her. It had been years since he'd indulged in anything remotely resembling this heavy petting. He found that his body still responded sharply to a woman's, and it pleased him that he wasn't completely dead from the neck down.He traced her face with his fingers, lightly touching, teasing. He sighed and eased down, stretching, before he pulled her completely against him and held her there, her bare b.r.e.a.s.t.s against his hair-roughened chest. His s.h.i.+rt was on the floor somewhere, along with his belt and her robe. They were both disheveled as h.e.l.l, and he didn't care.

His hand fumbled for the telephone. He lifted his head long enough to punch in numbers.

”Nurse Turner?” he murmured drowsily. ”Call the hospital and tell them I'll be two hours late for rounds. I've got to have some sleep. They can reach me by my beeper. Yes. Thank you. She hasn't? Well, we'll start in two hours, I imagine she'll be back by then.” He chuckled drowsily. ”Oh, I think she'll get over it. I'm not easy to get along with when I haven't had any sleep. Yes, I will. Thanks.”

He hung up and pulled a stunned, still drowsy Kitty closer. Seconds later, they were both asleep.

Used as he was to grabbing odd moments of sleep, Drew woke in a little over two hours, feeling an unfamiliar weight on his arm. He opened his eyes, turned over and stifled a gasp at what he saw.

Kitty was lying beside him, her firm, pretty210.211.

b.r.e.a.s.t.s bare, her glorious hair making a veil over the upper half of her body. She looked like a painting he'd once seen of a fairy, almost glowing, beautiful, vibrantly alive.

His hand lifted involuntarily and he touched her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, tracing their firm contours, delighting in their instant response. Even asleep, her body recognized him and lifted toward his searching fingers.

He groaned deep in his throat and moved again, tracing Kitty's warm, soft flesh with his mouth.

She stirred then and moaned breathlessly, lifting again.

Something was touching her. She felt wanted, beautiful, wanton. She cradled the dark head to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and moved sinuously, enjoying the unfamiliar warmth of Drew's hungry mouth against her bare flesh.

”G.o.d Almighty,” he breathed roughly, leaning his forehead against her while he fought for control, ”what am I doing?”

”Don't ask me,” she whispered shakily, ”I'm a novice myself.” She laughed softly as she moved against the sheets. ”But I wouldn't mind if you kept doing whatever it is.”

He lifted his head with a heavy sigh and looked down at her. She met his eyes withcuriosity and drowsy pleasure. She smiled. Unthinking, uncaring, he smiled back.

His lean hands cradled her face. He bent, kissing her tenderly. ”I have to make rounds,” he whispered.

”I have to go to work,” she whispered back.

His body moved restlessly against hers. He ached all over with desire. He could have her. He knew it without a word pa.s.sing between them. He was more than prepared, there would be no risk, none at all, of a child.

But what then? His mouth lifted from hers with reluctance. He searched her soft eyes for a long moment.

She could see him deliberating. Seconds later, she knew that he'd taken several mental steps away from her. Nothing else was going to happen. That iron control wasn't going to let him lose his head completely.

Her arms fell away from him and she lay there, just watching him, without speaking.

He rolled away from her and got up, shrugging into his s.h.i.+rt before he replaced his belt.

She watched him do these routine things with pleasure. She should have felt embarra.s.sed, she supposed, but she didn't. It occurred to her in that moment that she was in love with him.272.

213.His eyes slid to where she still lay on the bed and she tried not to let the possessiveness she felt for him show.

”Get dressed,” he said quietly. ”We both have work to do.”

She didn't look at him as she sat up and replaced her slip. She got out of bed, pus.h.i.+ng her hair back over her shoulders.

He took her by the shoulders, smoothing his hands over the soft, warm skin. ”I won't lie and say that I didn't enjoy it,” he said quietly. ”I did. But it's still too soon for me,” he added.

She looked up into his eyes, searching them quietly. ”Was it me?”

”It was you, not a ghost,” he replied, understanding the question. ”You're very attractive, and I think you already know what effect that hair has on me. You saw it in the office, when I lost my temper. I was so afraid that you'd cut it before I could get here.” He laughed flatly. ”I think I'd have cut my own throat. It's glorious hair.”

She pushed it away from her face. ”Why were you so angry?” she asked belatedly.

”The night I proposed to Eve, she had her hair in a similar fas.h.i.+on and she was wearing a white lacy Spanish dress,” he explained. ”Iwasn't at all prepared for the way you were going to look in your new image.”

”I see. I'm sorry,” she said through her teeth.

”There's no need to apologize,” he replied at once. ”You look delightful, Kitty Cat,” he teased softly. ”Wear your hair like that anytime you please. I'll try to restrain my enthusiasm.”

”Is that what it was?” she asked demurely.

He linked his hands behind her waist and pulled her close. ”It was affection punctuated with the purest l.u.s.t I've ever felt,” he replied, looking at her possessively. ”I want you. I mean it. I'm not thinking of any other woman, either, when I touch you.”

”But it makes you feel guilty.”

His shoulders rose and fell. ”Yes, it does. I loved Eve. I've never been able to let go of her memory.” He looked her straight in the eye. ”I never will. I loved her too much. I can offer you some pa.s.sionate kisses. I can sleep with you. G.o.d knows I want to. But that's all it would be,” he added, trying to be honest with her. His hands contracted. ”s.e.x wouldn't be enough.”

Her eyes fell to his hair-roughened chest She wanted to touch him there, caress him, but214.215.

she didn't. He wanted her. But he still loved Eve. It was always going to be like that.

”We can be friends,” he said. ”Even intimate friends. I like you a h.e.l.l of a lot. You're good company and you aren't afraid to speak your mind.”

She looked up. ”Friends.”

”Lovers, if you like,” he added bluntly.

She managed a soft laugh. ”With everyone in town knowing?”

”I'm afraid so. Your face is a dead giveaway right now.”

”I suppose it is.” She moved away from him, reaching to the floor to pick up her robe and wrap it around her. She felt cold.

He went to her, and tilted her face up to his. ”I can't love you,” he said shortly. ”I can't offer you marriage.”

”I know that.” She tied the robe. ”And I can't accept anything less.” She moved away from him. ”I want a husband and children.”

He drew a long, sad breath. ”I'm sorry.”

”You can't help it. If I'd had someone that wonderful in my past, maybe I could settle for memories, too. I don't blame you.” She turned to look at him. ”But I'm only twenty-four and I have my whole life still ahead of me. I don't have any memories to live on.”He stuck his hands into his pockets. ”I guess not.”