think I’ll be able to sleep for a while.”
That did it. The thought of her being in continual pain was too much to bear.
“Right.” He retrieved her handbag and tipped it up, scattering the contents on the bed.
“What the…” She stared at him, incensed, and made a grab for the handbag, but he moved it out of the way. “What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.
He ferreted around amongst the lipsticks, tissues and tampons and found what he’d suspected she’d carried—a tube of painkillers. He read the label, undid the lid, tipped two onto his palm, then took a bottle of water from the fridge.
He held them out to her. “Take them.”
“No,” she snapped. “Fuck off. Who do you think you are?”
“Mia,” he said gently, “you’re breaking my heart. Please. Just for tonight.”
She met his gaze. As quickly as if someone had turned down a dial, her anger faded. Her eyes shone, and then a tear tipped over her lashes and ran down her cheek.
Fighting the urge to hug her, he put the pills and the bottle in her hand and watched her take them. Relieved she’d finally complied, he went into the bathroom and rummaged in her washbag.
“Clearly we have no secrets,” she complained, sniffing as she wiped away her tears.
He pulled out a small bottle of body lotion. That would have to do. “Not today,” he said, returning with the lotion and a towel. “Take off your blouse.”
She stared at him. “I beg your pardon?”
“I’m going to massage your back. I want to help.”
“By getting me naked,” she said flatly.
“That just happens to be an added bonus.” He sighed as she rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Mia, we’re both grown-ups, and I can restrain myself when I have to. Take off your top and bra and lie on your front.” He turned away, taking the opportunity to remove his watch and toe off his shoes.
“Colm…”
“I trained as a sports physio before I took my history degree. I know what I’m doing.”
“You really think I’m going to strip off and let you rub lotion all over me?”
He turned back, hands on hips. “Stop making it sound sexy. Pain isn’t sexy. Obviously I’d love to get down and dirty with you—I’ve barely thought about anything else since I watched you walk into the staff room at the beginning of the year. But I decided months ago that you deserve more than a fling, and that’s really not what’s on my mind right now.”
It was a half truth—in spite of her pain and her tears she still looked sexy enough to make his heart beat faster than usual at the thought that he was alone with her in a room with a bed. But he really did want to help her feel better. “I’m offering you a massage,” he clarified. “Nothing more.”
She blinked. “You want to get down and dirty? With me?”
He snorted. She doubted that? “Of course I do.”
“Oh.” She looked completely flummoxed and, if he wasn’t mistaken, rather hopeful.
His heart beat even faster. She was interested in him? Of course she’d asked him to kiss her on her birthday so he’d guessed the sight of him didn’t make her want to vomit, but he hadn’t thought she’d be interested in taking it any further.
And neither are you, he reminded himself. She’s in pain, remember? Maybe later. He’d have to wait and see.
He sighed. “But even more than that, I want you to feel better. Just for one night, eh? You can go back to being a martyr tomorrow.” He held her gaze, letting her know he wasn’t happy with her self-flagellation.
She gave a small nod and he turned away.
There was a moment of silence. Then he heard the sounds of clothing being removed and the squeak of the bed as she shifted.
“Are you ready?” he asked when it went quiet again.
“Yes,” she said softly.
He turned to see her lying on her front, her elbows squeezed against her side, face on the pillow as she looked over her shoulder at him with large eyes. She still wore her jeans, but her slender, naked back
That did it. The thought of her being in continual pain was too much to bear.
“Right.” He retrieved her handbag and tipped it up, scattering the contents on the bed.
“What the…” She stared at him, incensed, and made a grab for the handbag, but he moved it out of the way. “What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.
He ferreted around amongst the lipsticks, tissues and tampons and found what he’d suspected she’d carried—a tube of painkillers. He read the label, undid the lid, tipped two onto his palm, then took a bottle of water from the fridge.
He held them out to her. “Take them.”
“No,” she snapped. “Fuck off. Who do you think you are?”
“Mia,” he said gently, “you’re breaking my heart. Please. Just for tonight.”
She met his gaze. As quickly as if someone had turned down a dial, her anger faded. Her eyes shone, and then a tear tipped over her lashes and ran down her cheek.
Fighting the urge to hug her, he put the pills and the bottle in her hand and watched her take them. Relieved she’d finally complied, he went into the bathroom and rummaged in her washbag.
“Clearly we have no secrets,” she complained, sniffing as she wiped away her tears.
He pulled out a small bottle of body lotion. That would have to do. “Not today,” he said, returning with the lotion and a towel. “Take off your blouse.”
She stared at him. “I beg your pardon?”
“I’m going to massage your back. I want to help.”
“By getting me naked,” she said flatly.
“That just happens to be an added bonus.” He sighed as she rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Mia, we’re both grown-ups, and I can restrain myself when I have to. Take off your top and bra and lie on your front.” He turned away, taking the opportunity to remove his watch and toe off his shoes.
“Colm…”
“I trained as a sports physio before I took my history degree. I know what I’m doing.”
“You really think I’m going to strip off and let you rub lotion all over me?”
He turned back, hands on hips. “Stop making it sound sexy. Pain isn’t sexy. Obviously I’d love to get down and dirty with you—I’ve barely thought about anything else since I watched you walk into the staff room at the beginning of the year. But I decided months ago that you deserve more than a fling, and that’s really not what’s on my mind right now.”
It was a half truth—in spite of her pain and her tears she still looked sexy enough to make his heart beat faster than usual at the thought that he was alone with her in a room with a bed. But he really did want to help her feel better. “I’m offering you a massage,” he clarified. “Nothing more.”
She blinked. “You want to get down and dirty? With me?”
He snorted. She doubted that? “Of course I do.”
“Oh.” She looked completely flummoxed and, if he wasn’t mistaken, rather hopeful.
His heart beat even faster. She was interested in him? Of course she’d asked him to kiss her on her birthday so he’d guessed the sight of him didn’t make her want to vomit, but he hadn’t thought she’d be interested in taking it any further.
And neither are you, he reminded himself. She’s in pain, remember? Maybe later. He’d have to wait and see.
He sighed. “But even more than that, I want you to feel better. Just for one night, eh? You can go back to being a martyr tomorrow.” He held her gaze, letting her know he wasn’t happy with her self-flagellation.
She gave a small nod and he turned away.
There was a moment of silence. Then he heard the sounds of clothing being removed and the squeak of the bed as she shifted.
“Are you ready?” he asked when it went quiet again.
“Yes,” she said softly.
He turned to see her lying on her front, her elbows squeezed against her side, face on the pillow as she looked over her shoulder at him with large eyes. She still wore her jeans, but her slender, naked back
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