Page 64 of Prohibited

“I’m sorry to wake you,” she said in her voice, rich as fig jam. A small line appeared between her eyebrows, a charming indication of worry. For him? The thought made his stomach flutter.

“I was already awake,” Lindsay said, cracking a small smile. Mostly, anyway.

With graceful hands that made his heart sing, she poured him a glass of water and helped him sit up enough to drink it.

“Thank you,” Lindsay said, settling back on his pillow when he’d had enough to drink. The water sitting in his stomach made him realize how hungry he was. As if to amplify the matter, his stomach gave a growl of protest.

“Don’t thank me,” Evelyn said. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked away. “It’s the least I could do.”

“Evelyn,” Lindsay said in a gentle voice. His hand slid over the sheets to where her hand rested in her lap. Cautiously, he allowed his fingers to creep over hers until, to his delight, her hand turned over and held his.

She glanced at him through a fringe of lashes, a melancholy settling over her face that was so acute, it made his heart ache for her.

“You’ve never said my name before,” she said, a touch of surprise and tenderness in her voice.

“It’s a beautiful name,” he said. A smile touched the corner of his lips. “If you don’t mind me saying so, I don’t think a person can live life weighting the scales back and forth. You’ve done things you shouldn’t have. So has Ryan. So have I. So did Tommy.” A comfortable moment of silence settled between them, and she nodded slowly. “All you can do is your best.”

Evelyn scoffed. “My best doesn’t rate veryhigh so far.”

“Maybe not,” he said, lightly. “I can’t say for sure. But I do know you saved my life and that rates pretty fucking high, in my opinion.”

A small smile cracked her face. “Call me Evie, would you?”

“Evie,” he said, his smile growing to match hers.

A small laugh escaped her, a surprising and beautiful sound. A flower bloomed somewhere, surely. She covered her face.

“I’m getting off track,” she said, suddenly businesslike. She turned toward him and began to gently undo the bandages on his shoulder. “How is it feeling this morning?”

“Wonderful,” Lindsay said with a dry laugh that turned into a grunt of pain when she began to feel his shoulder, checking the temperature and searching for any pockets of swelling.

“Didn’t seem to hit anything vital.” There was real relief in her voice when she began to cut up some linens in order to apply new bandages.

“Didn’t seem to,” Lindsay agreed. “Still hurts like a son of a bitch.”

“I don’t doubt it.” Her hands moved quickly, practiced at their work, deft as a piano player. It was a pleasure to watch her care for him with real tenderness, worry etching itself between her eyes. When she was through, she folded the dirty linens and put them aside to be laundered, and then she settled back next to him on the bed. She looked at him, almost shyly.

“I was worried,” she said. “For a moment, I– I thought you were dead.”

“That’s sweet of you.” He gave her a playful smile and turned his hand over again, an invitation for her to place hers in the safety of his. She did without hesitation.

Then, slowly and gently while he watched her for any signal of resistance, he raised her hand to his mouth so that he could brush his lips along her knuckles. A blush stained her cheeks immediately, but a smile of pleasure crept onto her face. She looked into his eyes, and he into hers for a moment that stretched into an eternity, searching out unspoken words, hidden anxieties, and the seeds of longing. Then, she gently unfolded her hand from his and dragged her fingers gently down his cheek.

“You need a shave,” she said with a small laugh. “I’d be happy to oblige.”

“Is there anything you can’t do?” Lindsay teased.

“I can’t bake a cake to save my life.” Though she said it solemnly, a smile sneaked onto her face.

“Well, isn’t this sweet?” Over Evelyn’s shoulder, Alex was standing in the doorway, dressed in one of his fine suits, a blue waistcoat causing his eyes to spark from his face. He watched them with a cold, amused smile. Impossible to read as always. “My Pony and my Dolly, playing together so nicely.”

“Leaving?” Lindsay smiled at him, appreciating the way his handsome face made his heart squeeze.

“Only just,” Alex said. He held a hat in his hands that twirled distractedly. “There is much to do.”

“Still alive, I see.” Ryan’s voice from the doorway made Lindsay look away from Evelyn–no, Evie. Ryan stood there, looking like blazing shit. Bloodshot eyes, also unshaved, very rumpled. He was holding a steaming mug, likely a cup of coffee. Black, of course.

“I’ll live to fight another day,” Lindsay said with a dry laugh that turned into a slight cough.

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