Read Online VITTORIO'S WOMAN (The Vittorio Series) by Kimberley Reeves - Free Book Online
Authors: Kimberley Reeves
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the middle of the bed where she’d left him before going to her own room earlier that night. Guided by the moonlight filtering in through the open balcony doors, Lilly made her way to his side and leaned over him.
“I’m here,” she said softly.
“Lilly?” he croaked. “Is it time to get up already?”
“No, no it’s not. I thought…I’m sorry I woke you. I thought I heard you calling for me.” There was a moment of silence before his hand snaked across the bed to cover hers.
“Perhaps I did. My head hurt. I had trouble falling asleep, but I guess I must have finally slept because I was dreaming of you.”
Lilly smiled into the darkness. “Do I dare ask what the dream was about?”
Simon laughed softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “Nothing that would make you blush, cara mia . We were in the gardens and you disappeared down one of the paths so I called out for you to come back.”
He didn’t tell her that he’d been unable to follow her because his wheelchair got stuck in the moist soil, or the overwhelming feeling of panic that had engulfed him when she didn’t return. He could hear her light-hearted laughter floating back to him but it was getting further and further away and Simon had been struck with the numbing fear he would lose her forever. He’d struggled out of his chair and fallen flat on his face, his fingers clawing at the ground, dragging the dead weight of his body forward inch by inch in a desperate attempt to follow her. He knew he would never reach her, just as he knew he would never give up trying, and that’s when he’d cried out her name.
“How is your head, does it still hurt?”
“It is tension I expect. Foolish of me to worry over things I cannot control, is it not?”
“Everything will be fine, Simon, I just know it will.”
“I wish I was as confident, maybe then my head would not pound so incessantly.”
“Would you like me to get you some aspirin?”
“No drugs,” he said firmly, “it will go away by itself.”
“Maybe I can help. It’s something my mother used to do when I had migraines. Would you let me try?”
“No drugs?”
“No drugs.” Lilly eased her hand from beneath his then crawled up on the bed beside him and propped a pillow against the head board and leaned back. “Roll on your side and put your head in my lap.”
“This does not sound like the cure for a headache,” Simon teased.
“Just do it,” she ordered. “And if you don’t want your fingers broken, I suggest you keep your hands from wandering.”
He turned on his side, reaching beneath the covers to adjust the position of his legs before nestling his head on the softness of Lilly’s thighs. He felt her fingertips slowly sift through his hair, breathing a sigh of sheer contentment when she repeated the motion over and over. Whether it was her gentle caresses or simply the comfort of having his body curled into Lilly’s warmth, Simon didn’t know, but within minutes the throbbing headache that had plagued him half the night dulled and then dissipated altogether.
He should have told her, should have let her go back to her own bed, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. A few more minutes, he silently vowed, a few more minutes and then he would let her go. That was the last thing he remembered before sleep overtook him.
***
Lilly woke with a start when she heard the light tap on her bedroom door. Breakfast. Luisa always left their breakfast outside Simon’s door so Lilly could eat with him out on his balcony. Still groggy from the lack of sleep from the night before, she was reluctant to get up. But if Luisa had already left their trays, it meant she’d overslept and would have to hurry to get Simon up and dressed before it got cold. She stared at the door for
“I’m here,” she said softly.
“Lilly?” he croaked. “Is it time to get up already?”
“No, no it’s not. I thought…I’m sorry I woke you. I thought I heard you calling for me.” There was a moment of silence before his hand snaked across the bed to cover hers.
“Perhaps I did. My head hurt. I had trouble falling asleep, but I guess I must have finally slept because I was dreaming of you.”
Lilly smiled into the darkness. “Do I dare ask what the dream was about?”
Simon laughed softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “Nothing that would make you blush, cara mia . We were in the gardens and you disappeared down one of the paths so I called out for you to come back.”
He didn’t tell her that he’d been unable to follow her because his wheelchair got stuck in the moist soil, or the overwhelming feeling of panic that had engulfed him when she didn’t return. He could hear her light-hearted laughter floating back to him but it was getting further and further away and Simon had been struck with the numbing fear he would lose her forever. He’d struggled out of his chair and fallen flat on his face, his fingers clawing at the ground, dragging the dead weight of his body forward inch by inch in a desperate attempt to follow her. He knew he would never reach her, just as he knew he would never give up trying, and that’s when he’d cried out her name.
“How is your head, does it still hurt?”
“It is tension I expect. Foolish of me to worry over things I cannot control, is it not?”
“Everything will be fine, Simon, I just know it will.”
“I wish I was as confident, maybe then my head would not pound so incessantly.”
“Would you like me to get you some aspirin?”
“No drugs,” he said firmly, “it will go away by itself.”
“Maybe I can help. It’s something my mother used to do when I had migraines. Would you let me try?”
“No drugs?”
“No drugs.” Lilly eased her hand from beneath his then crawled up on the bed beside him and propped a pillow against the head board and leaned back. “Roll on your side and put your head in my lap.”
“This does not sound like the cure for a headache,” Simon teased.
“Just do it,” she ordered. “And if you don’t want your fingers broken, I suggest you keep your hands from wandering.”
He turned on his side, reaching beneath the covers to adjust the position of his legs before nestling his head on the softness of Lilly’s thighs. He felt her fingertips slowly sift through his hair, breathing a sigh of sheer contentment when she repeated the motion over and over. Whether it was her gentle caresses or simply the comfort of having his body curled into Lilly’s warmth, Simon didn’t know, but within minutes the throbbing headache that had plagued him half the night dulled and then dissipated altogether.
He should have told her, should have let her go back to her own bed, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. A few more minutes, he silently vowed, a few more minutes and then he would let her go. That was the last thing he remembered before sleep overtook him.
***
Lilly woke with a start when she heard the light tap on her bedroom door. Breakfast. Luisa always left their breakfast outside Simon’s door so Lilly could eat with him out on his balcony. Still groggy from the lack of sleep from the night before, she was reluctant to get up. But if Luisa had already left their trays, it meant she’d overslept and would have to hurry to get Simon up and dressed before it got cold. She stared at the door for
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