Laura put the magazine down and smiled sympathetically. ‘Cramp? Nothing worse, is there?’
‘There certainly isn’t…’ He gritted his teeth, rolling his shoulders back and forth in an effort to loosen the knotted muscles, but it didn’t seem to have much effect.
Laura hesitated but concern for the discomfort he was in wouldn’t let her rest. She patted the cushion next to her. ‘Here, sit yourself down and I’ll try to massage it away.’
‘Would you?’ He hesitated only a moment before he came over to the sofa and sank gratefully onto it.
Laura stood and went round the back of the sofa, running her hand experimentally over the corded muscles at the base of his neck. Her heart gave a small bump of awareness but she ruthlessly suppressed it. She’d offered the massage in a purely professional capacity, she told herself sternly. And that was the way she intended to conduct it!
‘Can you undo your top buttons?’ she requested in her calmest tone.
‘Sure.’ Mark flicked open the top three buttons of his pale blue shirt and settled back in his seat. Closing his eyes, he let his head loll forward as Laura put both hands on the nape of his neck and began to knead it gently. ‘Oh, does that feel good!’
She smiled as she heard the genuine appreciation in his voice. ‘It should do. I did a course on massage when I was a midwife. I used to teach the expectant fathers how to rub their wives’ backs while they were in labour!’
‘I hope you’re adapting the technique. The circumstances aren’t quite the same in this case, Laura.’
She chuckled at the wry note in his voice. ‘No? I disagree.’ She ran her hands experimentally across the width of his shoulders, feeling the knots in them. ‘Tension is tension, no matter what causes it, so the remedy is much the same.’
‘Is it?’ There was a taut edge to the question which made her pause, but there was no sign of it as he added, ‘Well, I’ll have to take your word for that as you’re the expert.’
He fell silent after that, seemingly content to let her get on with the job of working all the kinks out of his neck and shoulders. Laura worked methodically, finding a knot of muscle and working away until she felt it relax beneath her hands. She found that she was enjoying it as much as Mark was. There was something deeply satisfying about the feeling it gave her to know that she could ease his discomfort this way.
Her hands worked their way along his shoulders then worked their way all the way back to the nape of his neck once more. His shirt had fallen open and she felt the warmth of his skin as her fingers glided inside his collar. She pressed her fingertips into the column of his neck, hearing him groan as she delicately probed each separate vertebra.
Her hands stilled as a frown puckered her brow. ‘Sorry. Does that hurt?’
‘No.’ His voice seemed to crack on the word and she heard him clear his throat before he suddenly leaned forward out of her reach. He stood up, keeping his back towards her as he buttoned the neck of his shirt. ‘Thanks, Laura. That was great…really.’
She frowned again, wondering why a small voice was telling her that he was feeling far from ‘great’. ‘Sure? I could massage lower down your back if—’
‘No!’ He spun round so fast that she actually backed away because he’d startled her that much. He took a deep breath and she could see the effort it cost him to speak in what was meant to be a normal tone of voice. ‘As I said, that’s helped a lot.’
He was saying one thing but giving out entirely the opposite signals! Laura stared at him in confusion and heard him sigh.
‘Sweetheart, do I really need to spell it out for you?’ he asked with what sounded suspiciously like exasperation. ‘You’ve managed to cure the ache in one part of me but I’m having the devil’s own job with another!’
‘Oh!’ Her gasp echoed around the room as it hit her what he meant. Her eyes flew downwards then flew straight back up because she didn’t need to check if he’d meant what he’d said. The very air seemed to pulsate with emotions all of a sudden, new, different ones to those that had been around just a few seconds before.
Laura felt her heart give a sharp lurch so that it felt as though it had plummeted down and bounced back off her diaphragm. She knew that she should say something—something light and witty—to ease the tension, but nothing came to mind. Her mind was a huge void, every rational thought sucked from it by the sheer force of feeling which hit her. She didn’t want to find the exact bon mot to smooth over this moment! She didn’t want to rationalise it with perfect grammar. She didn’t want to have to think at all and thereby deny herself what she suddenly wanted to feel so much!
‘Laura?’ There was a thread of uncertainty in Mark’s voice as he said her name, but none at all in the way he came round the sofa and took hold of her hands. If he was wondering if this was a wise thing to do then it certainly didn’t show, she realised with a humour which should have shocked her, only she refused to be shocked.
When he pulled her into his arms and held her so that she could feel the urgency of his body pressing against hers, she sighed with pleasure and no trace of regret. Regret was something she would deal with later, but for now it wasn’t on the agenda. There were too many positive emotions to enjoy, rather than worrying about negatives. For too many long and lonely months she’d denied her normal womanly instincts, told herself they were dead. Now, as Mark held her, she felt more alive than she had in ages. How could she possibly regret feeling like this?
His lips were hard and warm, demanding a response which she gave him eagerly. As his mouth took hers, Laura’s took equal delight in drawing a response from his. They were both trembling when the kiss ended, both of them stunned by the force of their passion, and yet even then Mark took the time to make sure she knew what was happening.
‘Laura, you know where this is leading, don’t you?’ He cupped her face between his hands, staring deep into her eyes and making her look into his so that he could tell she understood.
‘Yes, I know.’ She raised her head and faced him proudly. ‘I want you to make love to me, Mark. I…’ Her voice cracked, but she recovered immediately. ‘I want to make love to you.’
He closed his eyes as though he was afraid of what she might see in them at that moment, but when he opened them again it was still there—all the joy, all the tenderness, all the love.
‘Laura, I—’
‘No.’ She pressed her fingers against his lips, stopping the words before they could emerge. It didn’t make them any less real, couldn’t change things, but it was for the best. She didn’t need to hear him say that he loved her to know that it was true, and she felt a momentary chill. When this was over, would he regret it? Was she wrong to run the risk of hurting him, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do?
Her mind veered towards common sense before it abruptly changed course once more. She would think about that later as well. She rose on tiptoe, twining her arms around his neck as she pressed her lips to his in an invitation neither of them could resist.
‘Laura…Laura!’
There was joy in the murmured sound of her name and tenderness as well but, then, she’d expected nothing else. Mark would love her like the man he was, tenderly and with the utmost caring, and it would be all the more special because of that. How could she ask for anything more?
Firelight flickered over their bodies as they slowly undressed one another. They shared the pleasure, each taking a turn. Mark unbuttoned her blouse and slid it off her shoulders, pausing to kiss her throat and collarbone before letting it fall to the floor. Laura unfastened his shirt, letting her palms rest on the warm muscles of his chest for a few delicious seconds before she slid the soft cotton off his shoulders.
Mark smiled but his eyes were so dark and burning with heat that her breath caught. ‘I get the best out of this deal.’ He ran a teasing finger around the lace covering her breasts. ‘I get to remove more than you do!’
Laura smiled then gasped as his head dipped while he pressed a
kiss to her warm skin. She was shivering uncontrollably as his hands slid behind her back to undo the hooks on her bra. He fumbled with the tiny fastenings for a moment then gave a murmur of triumph as he managed to work them free at last.
White lace rustled as he drew the straps down her arms, slowly, inch by delectable inch. There was just a tiny scrap of material covering her breasts now and she found that she couldn’t drag her eyes away from the sight of what was happening. The blood was drumming in her ears, pounding at her temples, making her legs feel weak and her head dizzy.
Why didn’t he take it off and stop this torment? she found herself thinking just a millisecond before he complied and the ability to think disappeared. There was just the warm, caressing touch of Mark’s hands on her sensitive skin, the expression of reverence on his face as he bent towards her, then a feeling so intense, so powerful that she cried out as his mouth found her. It was just a foretaste of the long hours of pleasure to come.…
Grey morning light crept through a gap in the velvet curtains, chasing away the last of the night. Laura closed her eyes, not wanting to let it slip away. Day was upon them and inside she was afraid of what would happen when they had to face what they had done. She wanted to cling to the memories as long as she could.…
‘Are you awake?’
Mark’s voice was low enough not to wake her if she had been sleeping, but she still jumped. She opened her eyes, all her doubts clear to see in their shadowy depths.
‘Don’t!’ He scooped her towards him, his big warm arms holding her close as he covered her face with kisses. They had made love on the sofa, staying there afterwards to sleep, so there was little room to move, yet somehow Laura managed to draw back.
‘Should we have done what we did, Mark?’ she asked in a small voice that betrayed her uncertainty.
‘Yes! How can you doubt it?’ He rolled her over, looming over her so that she was forced to look into his eyes. ‘Wasn’t it as wonderful for you as it was for me, Laura?’
‘Yes, but—’
‘But nothing!’ He kissed her hard, hungrily, groaning deep in his throat as he felt her immediate response. She could feel the tremor which ran through him and knew what an effort it cost him when he pulled back.
‘I could stay here all day, convincing you, but duty calls, my love. And if I’m not mistaken, it sounds as though your son is awake and raring to go!’ He grinned as the unmistakable sound of bed springs being put through a severe testing issued from the bedroom. Planting a last kiss on Laura’s parted lips, he rolled to his feet and groaned dramatically.
‘Oh, my poor aching back! That sofa certainly wasn’t made for someone my size. I’d ask for another one of your wonderful massages only, remembering what happened last night, I don’t think we have time!’
Laura summoned a smile, trying her best to behave as positively as Mark was doing. ‘Not if we aim to get to work this side of lunchtime! Anyway, I’d better go and stop Robbie using your bed as a trampoline. There won’t be any springs left in it at this rate!’
She started to rise then stopped as she realised her state of undress. Mark had pulled the chenille throw over them for warmth before they’d fallen asleep, but now she was suddenly conscious of her nakedness.
‘I’ll get you my robe from the bathroom if you hold on.’ He seemed to guess her predicament and once again made sure that she wouldn’t feel embarrassed by it. Laura sank back into the warm cushions as he left the room, a smile playing around her lips. Was it her besotted imagination or was Mark really perfect? Kind, considerate, tender and gentle, not to mention the most exciting lover.…
A flush heated her cheeks and she quickly buried her face in the cushions as her mind was flooded with images of the previous night. The velvet smelt of Mark’s aftershave and she drew in a deep breath, letting the delicious aroma fill her. Maybe she should feel guilty about what had happened, but she refused to be a hypocrite. Neither would Ian have wanted her to be one. Her love for Ian hadn’t been diminished in any way because of her love for Mark.…
The thought slipped in and was suddenly there, slap bang in her head in all its glory. She loved Mark. So much for all her vows not to let it happen! Yet, oddly, she didn’t feel shocked by the discovery or scared. It felt too good, too right, too…too wonderful!
‘Here you are.’ Mark came back with the robe and held it out for her. Laura stood up, forgetting her shyness as her mind rejoiced at its new revelation. She loved him. He loved her. They loved each other. Just conjugating the verb gave her so much pleasure!
‘Mmm, I think I could take to this very easily.’ Mark wrapped the robe around her as she slid her arms into the soft towelling. He turned her round and neatly tied the belt in a careful knot. His grey eyes gleamed with laughter and a host of other things as he looked up at her. ‘I have a vacancy for a full time house-guest if you’re interested. The terms are reasonable and you get all sorts of privileges.’
‘Such as?’ She hadn’t felt this light-hearted in ages, she realised as she responded to his teasing banter. There had been too many other things to think about, to worry over. Now it was joy itself just to play the fool with Mark like this.
Her delicate brows pleated as she mockingly demanded an explanation. ‘What privileges, pray, Dr Dawson?’
‘Oh, things like being allowed the run of the place and unlimited use of the Jacuzzi.’ He sighed when she sniffed her disdain. ‘Hmm, I can see you aren’t impressed. How about the chance to share my bed…or, in this case, my sofa…each night? How does that sound to you?’
‘You really think that’s a privilege—’ she began, then gasped as he swung her up in his arms. ‘Mark! Put me down before you drop me!’
‘Unlikely.’ He grinned at her. ‘You weigh next to nothing so I don’t think you’re in any danger of being dropped, my love.’
He dropped a smug kiss on her nose, obviously enjoying the chance to show off his superior strength. However, there was a light in his eyes that told her he meant what he’d said as he continued quietly, ‘And, yes, I really do believe that sleeping in my bed is a privilege because it isn’t an offer I’ve made to all that many women, Laura.’
He took a deep breath and she felt his chest rise and fall. ‘In fact, I don’t expect to make it to anyone else after this.’
She knew what he was saying and her heart tumbled around inside her as she realised its implications. ‘Mark, I—’ she began, but he wouldn’t let her finish.
Setting her carefully on her feet, he kissed her hard, his grey eyes full of determination. ‘No. I don’t want you to make up your mind now because it’s too soon.’
He let her go, walking quickly to the door before he glanced back, and it was obvious that he had no intention of listening even if she had tried to make him understand that she wasn’t ready for any kind of commitment just yet. ‘I’ll put on a pot of coffee and rustle up some toast while you sort Robbie out. OK?’
‘OK,’ Laura replied softly. She bit her lip as he disappeared from the room. Suddenly her mind was awash once again with all the old doubts. Mark seemed to believe that they had a future together but she wasn’t convinced. She never had been, even though one of her main objections had been ruled out.
She no longer felt guilty at the thought of forming a relationship with another man. Ian wouldn’t have expected her to spend the rest of her days mourning him and would have been pleased that she’d found happiness again. However, that had never been the only reason against her allowing Mark into her life.…
‘Mummy, me hungry.’
She turned at the sound of the child’s voice and her heart began to ache as she saw Robbie standing in the doorway. There was another reason why there couldn’t be a happy-ever-after for her and Mark, one that couldn’t be changed. She couldn’t put upon him the burden of looking after her son, especially not when she could never risk giving him a child of his own. It wouldn’t be fair. She couldn’t take everything from Mark and give him nothing in return!
Laura summoned a smile but it was an effort. Her mind was still awash with what had happened the night before, despite the fact that it was now mid-morning. She hadn’t seen Mark since he’d driven her to work that morning because he’d been caught up in yet another meeting, but in one way she was glad.
It wasn’t going to be easy to make him understand how she felt yet she shied away from telling him the truth. Mark would overrule her objections and that was the last thing she must let him do. She wouldn’t hurt Mark by grasping her own chance of happiness when it would mean him losing out on so much.…
‘He should be better by now. I just can’t understand what’s gone wrong.’
Laura took a deep breath and determinedly focused on the problem of Daniel. ‘We don’t think anything has gone wrong, Mrs Glover. Dr Dawson is confident that Daniel’s operation went completely to plan.’
‘But he keeps on saying that his ears hurt!’ Josephine Glover sighed as she looked over to where her son was laughing with Tim Matthews. ‘Not that there looks much wrong with him, as you say, nurse. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was having us all on. He wasn’t too keen on the idea of going to stay with his gran when he came out of here, but there wasn’t anything else I could think of. His dad and I can’t afford to take any more time off work to look after him, you see.’
‘I do,’ Laura agreed, wondering if Mrs Glover might have shed some light on the problem. Everyone had been perplexed by Daniel’s repeated claims that his ears were hurting, because there was no reason why they should be. Could it be that Daniel was having more fun in hospital than he would have had at his grandmother’s house?
Laura sighed as she looked at the two boys. They had their heads together and were obviously plotting some new bit of mischief. So far Daniel had notched up quite a list of incidents ranging from the Rice Crispie experiment to another involving how fast a bath could fill with water.
A Very Special Child Page 18
