Page 31 of Harvey

He went straight for the half-finished scotch he had been sharing with his brother and poured a generous amount into the glass.

Taking it with him to the sofa, he sat heavily, his body still ignited by a desire that was raging through him. Tossing back the drink, he leaned back and closed his eyes wearily. It was natural, of course.

She was beautiful, and he had been without one for weeks. The scent of her was still in his nostrils, and he could still feel the press of her breasts on his skin. Swearing ripely and cursing the circumstances that had him coming in just as she was suffering, he surged to his feet and went to pour another half glass.

He couldn’t very well have left her there. And it was human to feel sympathy, even if he didn’t care about her, he argued to himself. She had been in agony, and it had triggered some sort of reaction inside him.

He had wanted to take away the excruciating pain from her. It had tortured him to see her brought to her knees, and her cries had pierced the armor of his heart. Tossing back the drink, he slammed the glass down and looked at the time, not surprised to see that it was almost two in the morning.

Determined to get some sleep, he stumbled towards the bed and climbed in.

*****

Kendra’s eyes drifted open slowly, the disorientation taking over. At first, she had no idea where she was, but then the memories came rushing back, causing her to sit up suddenly.

Touching a hand to her head, she recalled the man she had previously despised, taking care of her for hours. He had scooped her into his arms and ministered care.

The pain had been the worst she had ever experienced and had left her feeling debilitated. But he had tended to her, and she owed him for it.

Glancing at the clock, she jolted in surprise to see that it was almost nine and she was running late. Picking up the phone, she dialed the shop and told her assistant she would arrive in the next half hour.

Putting away the phone, she rushed into the bathroom to shower.

Thinking she was the only home, she hurried downstairs, stopping short when she saw Julia seated around the table, sipping a cup of coffee.

“Ah, my dear, here you are. Silas told us what happened last night. “Light green eyes searched her face. “I wished they would have informed me. I could have called Jeff. He is our family doctor. If you like, I could have him come and take a look at you.”

Shaking her head, Kendra went to pour herself a cup of coffee.

“I was feeling much better and well taken care of.”

“Silas told me Harvey was there for you.” A strange gleam entered Julia’s eyes as she stared at Kendra.

“It was very nice of him. I owe him a debt of gratitude.”

“He is your husband; that’s what he is supposed to do.”

Wrapping her hands around the cup, she tried to absorb the warmth. “We are not that kind of couple.” She reminded the woman.”

“Nevertheless- “Leaving the rest of the sentence unfinished, Julia rose gracefully from her seat and approached Kendra. Placing a hand on her shoulder, she squeezed gently. “I think you should take the day off and get some rest.”

Kendra shook her head. “I have several things to tend to and feel much better. I suppose Harvey already left for the day?”

Julia nodded. “He has. You can always call him, you know.”

“I suppose so. Are you on your way out?”

“To attend several meetings. I was about to send you a maid with a tray.” Patting her shoulder, Julia moved away. “Get something to eat, my dear.”

Finishing the coffee, Kendra helped herself to some fruits and wondered if she should call him.

*****

He was in a foul mood. The men could sense that he was and were steering clear. His head was pounding from imbibing too much and not getting enough sleep.

He had tossed and turned on the damn bed, managing to get two hours of sleep before it was time to get up again. Resisting the temptation to check on her, he deliberately marched into the bathroom, showered, put his clothes on, and then headed out.

He had not called the house or even Silas to find out how she was doing. It was not his concern, which was what he was telling himself. He had done a good deed last night by being there for her, and he was suffering because of said good deed.

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