Page 11 of Embattled Ever After

Plugging his cell-phone into the charger, he set it on the bedside table, then hoisted himself onto the bed using the bedpost. He tried not to jostle Shannon but she was so tired she didn’t even move. Finagling his legs beneath the blankets, he laid back with a heavy sigh.

A mournful howl split the silence.

John blinked awake, wondering what the hell the dog was thinking. They were sleeping. She howled again, sounding like her heart was breaking.

“She’ll go to sleep,” Shannon murmured, not even opening her eyes. “Sometimes you have to let them cry.”

John laid back down and shut his eyes, but the mournful cries continued. And continued. After a solid fifteen minutes of noise he flung back the comforter, letting the cool of the room into the bed. Then he felt guilty and made sure Shannon was covered up to her neck. She didn’t budge the entire time the dog howled and he shook his head in disbelief.

Pulling his chair to the side of the bed he shifted onto the seat and released the brake. Maybe the dog had spilled her water or something.

Rolling through the dark house to the bathroom, he cracked open the door. The little dog bolted out of the room, smacking into the side of the chair. Then she leapt against his useless legs, trying to boost herself up into his lap. John reached down to pet her and felt like a ginormous heel when he realized she was shuddering with fear. Damn. What had he done to the poor thing!

As soon as he picked her up she curled into his lap and her trembling started to ease. Well, hell. Now what?

***

Duncan frowned atthe door for several long seconds, wondering how on earth he was going to keep his hands off the delectable Dr. Hartfield.

Even after traveling on the plane and getting here to his house, she still looked beautiful. Like, stunningly beautiful. He wasn’t used to being tongue-tied, but a couple of times his words had ground to a halt as he’d watched her lips move. What a totally… alien feeling. He always had words. Sometimes too many, sometimes not the right ones, but he always had them.

Duncan limped back out to the living room, his hips throbbing. He had done too much today. Wandering to the kitchen, he made sure everything was picked up, then he moved to the laundry room. The snowmelt from her suitcase was already gone. Limping back into the kitchen, he debated what to do. With the way his body ached he knew there would be no sleeping if he didn’t relax the straining muscles first.

Sighing, he headed to his room for a pair of swim trunks. He wouldn’t be skinny dipping tonight like he normally did.

After he changed he headed to the room addition at the back of the house. The area used to just be a patio, but when Duncan had bought the house a couple of years ago he’d known that he’d wanted a hot tub. The device been invaluable in his recovery, both in the hospital and at the physical therapy he’d taken over the years. Yes, the tub itself was a bit of a pain to keep up, but the alternative was crippling pain and discomfort. His hips would never be what they were before, but hopefully the hot water would help keep the arthritis and tendon tightening at bay.

So, the room had been modified for the appliance. The screen walls had been glassed in and the fake green grass carpet exchanged for non-slip, heated tile. It was a nice room, carefully lit to be soft and easy on the eyes.

As he sank into the water, he groaned in relief. The water was so hot it gave him chills, then the heat started to seep in. He could feel the muscles in his lower back releasing their debilitating, viselike hold.

Tiredness battered at him as well. The day had been long and busy, and he knew if he could find a comfortable position he would sleep like the dead. Hopefully Alex would as well. Then in the afternoon he could take her down to the hotel.

Although, who wanted to be alone in a hotel on Christmas?

He drifted off to sleep in the tub twice, but it felt too good to leave. The third time he dozed off he forced himself up out of the water and over the side. Patting his flushed skin with a towel he tried to wring out the excess water from his shorts before walking through the house. Once in his room he headed into the shower to rinse off. Then, finally, he allowed himself to lay down in his bed. Within seconds, he’d drifted away.

***

Alex, apparently didn’tmove at all the entire night. When she woke her bones felt rusted in place, but once she got moving she felt completely refreshed. That had to have been the first eight solid hours of sleep she’d gotten in a long time. Her thoughts immediately drifted to Duncan.

The house was quiet. Was he up yet? She felt anxious to see him.

Her career at the hospital was varied and interesting, but even she admitted it had kind of swallowed her entire life. It had been months since she and her father had gotten together, and even longer since she’d had a date. Sex was a distant memory. The men that wanted to fuck her she had no interest in, and vice versa.

It wasn’t until Duncan had limped into her life that she actually felt the need to get to know someone in depth. Yes, she was curious about his injury, but she was more curious abouthimand the life he lived now.

She peered out the bedroom door and tried to listen for movement. It was after seven o’clock, but maybe he slept in later than that on days off.

Would the shower wake him?

Alex gathered some clothes from her case and headed toward the bathroom. She would make it a point to be as quiet as she could. She latched the door shut and turned on the lights. As she stepped out of her sleep shirt and folded it, she wondered what he slept in.

The towel she pulled from the vanity smelled of Tide, one of her favorite scents. As she stepped under the hot water, she realized she should have brought her own soap. The water washed over her skin as she snapped open lids on shower gels to see what she liked. Finally she found one that wasn’t too overwhelmingly masculine.

As soon as she lathered up, she was reminded of Duncan. This must be the scent he used as well.

Alex shook her head at her foolishness. It had been years since she’d been so hooked on a guy. Back then it had been a passing thing, but she’d already been fascinated by Duncan for longer than any other relationship she’d ever had. It had been months since he’d met her in Kansas City, but she’d thought about their connection every day, wondering what would have happened if she’d kissed him. Or what if Aiden’s case had gone differently and had a better outcome?

---