He wasn’t that dense. He knew what the problem was. ‘can think of something that would pass the time.”
She stiffened and glared at him. ‘No way.”
‘What could be wrong with a game of Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?” He’d been having her on but she still couldn’t see him playing such a simple game and said so.
‘you forget the years I spent schooling in a very spartan environment.”
And she acknowledged there were depths to this alpha male she knew nothing about.
So they played, but she was tired, having slept little the night before.
After her third yawn, he said, ‘I think you should sleep, cara.”
She didn’t want to lie down, but it would have to happen some time. ‘Are you going to sleep?”
‘lt is that, pace, or sit on the hard floor. None of those appeal. I will sleep. I did not rest much last night.”
‘l’m sorry.” Her nightmare had wakened him.
‘Do not be. I have not slept well for the past year.”
He took Sicilian guilt to Olympic levels, which did nothing for her own peace of mind. Sighing with a sense of inevitability, she went into the small bathroom and got ready for bed.
She came out and once again he was waiting. This time he was standing in just his trousers his shirt dangling from one finger.
‘put this on to sleep in. It will be more comfortable than your dress.”
No doubt he was right, but still she balked. ‘I’ll be fine.”
Do not be stubborn.”
‘My dress isn’t that bad.” It was longer and tighter than any of her nightgowns, but she could deal with it.
‘You hate sleeping with anything wrapped around your legs.”
The reminder of their former intimacy did nothing to improve her mood.
‘I’ll survive this time.”
He put the shirt around her shoulders. there is no need.” He stepped around her and entered the bathroom.
‘Elisa’… ”
‘yes?”
‘I can think of nothing I would enjoy more than helping you change, cara.”
‘Has anyone ever told you that you’re too bossy?” His answer was the quiet sliding shut of the hi-fold door. She didn’t know if he would follow through on his threat to help her change, but on the likely chance he would she made quick work of slipping out of her dress and bra and putting his shirt on. She buttoned the buttons all the way up, but the collar was big enough that it still showed the dips and hollows of her collarbone.
Afterward, she went to the mattress to lie down. He had laid his coat down on one side and she knew it was there for a buffer between her skin and the velour-covered plastic of the mattress. She considered sleeping on the opposite side out of defiance, but decided against it. He’d put her beside the wall so she wouldn’t fall off the mattress either and somehow his concern touched instead of irritated her.
She snuggled down onto his coat pretending to herself that the scent of him was not having an impact on her emotions or physical comfort. Waiting for him to come out of the bathroom she pulled the light blanket over herself more to cover her bare legs than because she was cold.
He came out a few minutes later.
‘Do you want me to leave the light on?” It was a small enclosure. They both knew it well enough to find the bathroom if they needed it and they would sleep better in the dark.
‘No.”