Page 85 of A Seaside Escape
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After an evening of talking and planning trips they might take when Greg was better he yawned and rubbed at his eyes. Knowing that his ordeal had taken its toll on him, Mallory decided to help him to bed, but he initially protested. She persevered, however, and with an eye roll reminiscent of a sulking teen, he eventually gave in and allowed her to lead him up the stairs.
Gingerly he lowered himself onto the bed and looked up at her longingly.
She smirked and shook her head. ‘Don’t go getting any ideas, mister. You’re still in a state. I’ll go home and sleep there. I daren’t stay in case I knock you in the night or something.’
‘Don’t go, please. It’s been a while since I shared your bed and that didn’t end too well. Stay?’ He gave her the puppy dog eyes and she giggled.
‘Greeeg. I don’t want to hurt you if I roll into you. Your ribs are still black and blue under those bandages. I’m worried…’
‘Ah, but what if I need to go pee in the night? And I can’t get up? You wouldn’t leave a poor wounded man to fend for himself, would you?’ He stuck out his bottom lip in a pout and fluttered his eyelids.
Mallory laughed. ‘Good grief, you’re worse than a kid!’ She teased. ‘Oh, for goodness sake… all right then, I’ll stay,’ she acquiesced as he kept pouting and fluttering. ‘Now let’s figure out how to get you undressed.’ She stood hands on hips and assessed him like a project.
‘Ooh I love it when you talk dirty,’ he chuckled.
She raised her eyebrows. ‘Don’t push your luck, I’m in a position of immense power here.’
Together they struggled to free him from his T-shirt. And then he lay back whilst she unzipped his jeans and pulled them down over his long, lean legs. A shiver went through her as he lay there in just his fitted black boxers. Just looking at his body caused an explicit diversion to her thoughts.
‘Ahem… Mallory… can you help me so I can go brush my teeth please?’ he grinned knowingly.
Mallory blushed, aware she had been caught. ‘I wasn’t staring!’ she insisted and then, ‘Oh, who am I kidding, Iwasstaring.’ She giggled as her cheeks flushed with the heat of embarrassment.
As she helped him to stand, he told her, ‘All in good time, my gorgeous girl.’
She breathed deeply, trying to calm the fire of lust burning low in her belly. ‘What does your tattoo mean?’ she asked. ‘This one on your chest.’ She traced the lettering with her fingers as he stood in front of her. His skin trembled under her touch, which didn’t help her state of mind.
‘It’s Gaelic. I studied it at school and it’s always been special to me. The tattoo translates, roughly, as “Love conquers all.”’
Her heart melted.
He reached up and smoothed his thumb across her cheek. ‘I got it to remind myself that no matter what life throws at me, whether it’s my wife and best friend betraying me, Mairi being killed on a mountain, or me ballsing anything up in a big way… for example with the woman I’m in love with now, whatever it is, love will still find a way and I’ve not to give up on it. And you see…’ he kissed her forehead. ‘I was right.’
Mallory’s heart swelled when she heard his reasons behind the beautiful scarring on his chest.
When Greg had finished up in the little en-suite, Mallory helped him into bed then went to change into one of his oversized T-shirts and a pair of his shorts, hiding in the en-suite to do so. Once she was ready, she gingerly climbed in beside him and snuggled into his side, careful not to catch his bruising.
He kissed her hair and sighed. ‘Hmm, feels good to be next to you again.’
‘It really does,’ Mallory agreed. She gave him a tender kiss goodnight and they both drifted into a deep, comfortable, contented sleep.
