Somewhere in His Arms (27 page)

             
Lucy hoped Alec had something tasty for dinner. She particularly had a craving for spaghetti. But she suspected her doctor had given her husband a list of foods she should eat to build her blood back up. So more spinach it would probably be.

             
She found him in the living room decked out in sweats and lacing up running shoes. “Alec…?”

             
He glanced up at his wife and smiled at the way her hair tumbled about her face. “Hey, love,” he greeted her warmly as he finished tying his trainers. “Sleep well?”

             
Yawning, she sat down beside him and put her head on his shoulder. “Where are you going?”

             
He kissed the top of her head, “Just down the beach. I need to stretch me leg a bit. The muscles shrunk while wearing that straitjacket.”

             
She laughed. “How
did
that happen exactly?”

             
Alec winced at the memory. “It’s a gruesome tale I’d rather not repeat at the moment.”

             
“You’ll have to tell me sooner or later.”

             
“Or rather not
at
all,” he said with a rueful laugh. He stroked her hair and took her hand. “Or did you want to eat first? I’ve got a roast in the oven.”

             
“I can wait,” she sighed and glanced down at their entwined hands. She mourned the loss of her ring, and its absence was sorely felt. “I’m sorry about the ring,” she apologized, stroking his finger with hers. “I wish I hadn’t done that.”

             
Deep laughter rumbled from within his chest. “You and me both!” She watched as he reached beneath his sweatshirt and pulled out a chain from around his neck.

             
She stared dumbfounded, there, winking knowingly at her in the lamplight, were the matching wedding bands. Alec lifted off the chain and handed it to her. “Look familiar?”

             
Lucy’s eyes grew round. It was
her
wedding ring, all right. Or rather what was left of it. Apparently, something
very
big and
very
heavy had crushed the cheap metal as easily as if it were paper. It lay a flattened memory of itself next to Alec’s intact one. Tears came to her eyes. It was almost a foreshadowing. She’d been crushed and broken just like the ring, while her husband seemed to have gotten stronger with each passing day. “It’s ruined,” she wept.

             
Alec had meant it as a joke. Though he’d been heartbroken at the loss of her ring, he’d come to see the humor in it. After getting a construction worker to pry it out of the asphalt with a crowbar, he’d taken it back to his hotel. He’d lovingly cleaned and repaired it the best he could before placing it on a chain along with his. He’d worn it with pride like a damn war medal. “Shush, love,” he soothed and gave her an affectionate squeeze. “I’ll get you another.”

             
“I want
this
one,” Lucy croaked. “Can you ever forgive give me?” she asked tearfully as she stroked the flattened circlet.

             
His own throat tightened. But he didn’t want her to carry on so. It was a cheap alloy and therefore, not worthy of being worn by the woman he loved so dearly. He managed a smile though. “There’s nothing to forgive, wife,” he said huskily, taking out his bandana and wiping the tears away. “I had it coming through both ends.”

             
Lucy shook her head in a little denial. “No, you didn’t deserve that!”

             
“I didn’t…?”

             
She reached up and touched his cheek shyly. “No,” she repeated stubbornly.

             
“Okay,” he breathed and lowered his head.

             
Lucy’s breath caught as his mouth gently caressed hers. He hadn’t tried to kiss her since that night he’d come to visit her in the hospital. She’d wanted him to. Oh, how she’d
wanted
him to. His mouth was warm, firm and tender. The first time Dean had tried to kiss her, she’d turned her head away…unsure and frightened, but her husband…?

             
It wasn’t difficult to see why she’d married him. He’d been so utterly charming, funny, and so gentle. Oh, so gentle. She remembered how careful he’d been with her. Even in a drunken delirium, he’d been gentle.

             
Lucy sighed and kissed him back, her mouth opening a little under his. His tongue lightly teased hers in a sweetly sensual caress. She timidly touched it with her own and he groaned, deepening the kiss. She found herself swept up in something she wasn’t sure she could handle. But it was wonderful to be held this way. Her hands slid up into his hair, and Lucy gasped as his mouth whispered kisses across her cheek to her ear and down her throat.

             
“Sweetness,” he muttered hoarsely. Alec flicked out his tongue and touched it lightly to where her pulse drummed frantically against the creamy flesh. He hadn’t meant to kiss her, knowing if he did so, he wouldn’t stop. She was trembling in his arms like a frightened rabbit.
Had he gone too far?
Alec pulled away. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes closed
. “Lucy?”
he asked, his voice thick with passion. “Are you all right, love?”

             
“Hmm…?”

             
“Are you okay, love? Did I… frighten you?”

             
Relief flooded him when the thick lashes fluttered open. She stared up at him in a daze. She then reached up and touched his cheek in wonder. “The room was spinning again.”

             
Alec released a breath he hadn’t known he was holding and put his brow to hers. “Me too,” he breathed. “Wait for me?”

             
Lucy nodded and kissed the scar above his right eye. “Hurry!”

             
He extricated himself reluctantly from his wife’s embrace and hurried out the door, nearly tripping on the welcome mat. Her soft laughter followed him out into the darkness, and he beat a hasty retreat down the road, anxious to get back to the one he loved.

              Alec opened the door, stomping his feet to shake off the excess sand, and hurried to pull the pot roast out of the oven before it turned into jerky.

             
He stopped short at the entrance to the small kitchen. His wife had donned a pair of oven mitts and was about to pull it out herself. “Oh, no you don’t!” he admonished lightly.

             
Lucy whirled around at her husband’s voice. “Stop doing that!” she scolded him and swiped at him with an oven mitt. “What are you trying to do? Put me back in the hospital?”

             
“Give me those,” he said, motioning for the mitts. She handed them over and stood aside as he pulled the heavy oval roaster out and placed it on the counter. He pulled off the lid and stuck a meat thermometer into the roast. “I’ll stop only if
you
stop trying to be Wonder Woman.” He peered at her obliquely. “You’re still recovering and it’s my job to see that you do!”

             
“I was just checking to see if it was done!” she grumbled, slightly offended. “Thank you very much!”

             
“If you want to make yourself useful, wife,” he told her with a playful swat at her bottom, “go set the table.”

             
He laughed as she made a face and went to retrieve the forks from the buffet. “Will the nook be okay?” she asked, setting the napkins and silverware down.

             
“That’s fine,” he muttered as he sliced into the roast. Thank goodness the meat appeared to be edible! “Unless you’d rather eat in the living room.”

             
Lucy shook her head. “I like the nook, it’s very cozy.”

             
Her husband glanced up, smiling wickedly. “I know something else that’s
twice
as cozy!”

             
She stared at him blankly before her mouth dropped open. Would she never get used to his bawdy humor?
“Husband!”
she gasped in mock horror. “Behave yourself! Whatever will the neighbors think?”

             
Alec laughed at his wife. “They won’t
think
anything! The only neighbors nearby live across the bay!”

             
“Really?”
her eyes grew round. “And here I was thinking I was perfectly safe!”

             
“Oh, you are! You are!” he insisted, grinning from ear to ear.

             
Lucy brushed past him to get the plates and coyly fluttered her lashes. “And how long will
that
last?”

             
He sobered slightly. “Are you flirting with me, wife?”

             
She peered at him over her shoulder and gave him a saucy wink. “Perhaps.”

             
Their eyes met and then the both of them burst out laughing. “Cheeky monkey,” he chided softly and motioned for her to sit down. “I’ll get the glasses. What would you like to drink?” He peered into the small refrigerator. “We have soda, tea, and ginger ale.”

             
“Ginger ale, please.”

             
He opened her can and watched as she poured it over her ice. Alec went to fetch the meat. He placed hot slices of the roast, potatoes, and carrots onto a serving platter. He put this in the middle of the table and retrieved some ready serve rolls he’d popped into the microwave and the butter. Lucy handed him her plate. She watched in bemusement as he placed two slices of the rich beef onto her plate and smothered it in gravy. To this he added the potatoes and carrots. “This enough?’ he asked.

             
“Perfect,” she sighed as she sliced into the meat. It was cooked perfectly and melted in her mouth. “You’re a wonderful cook!”

             
Alec sat down and dug into his dinner. “Try the potatoes. They’re to die for!”

             
She speared a roasted potato. “You’re right!” Lucy peered up at him uncertainly. ”Boarding house…?”             

             
He shook his head as he chewed. “Mum.”

             
“What’s she like?”

             
Alec swallowed and took a sip of his iced tea. “Mum? Oh, she’s wonderful! You’ll love her!”

             
“Will she…like me?” she asked, suddenly afraid that her new mother-in-law would find her lacking.

             
Alec looked up in and saw the fear in her eyes. “She’ll think you’re great, love!” he reassured her. “She’s been wanting me to marry for ages!”

             
“Really?”

             
“Yeah,” he told her as he polished off the rest of his plate. “She’s a regular nag!”

             
“Alec!”

             
“I’m joking love,” he chuckled. “But she’ll be chuffed when she sees you. Trust me!”

             
“You’re sure…?”

             
He winked at her. “Would I lie to you, wife? Now, how ‘bout some dessert?”              Lucy watched, not entirely convinced, as he took their plates and placed them in the dishwasher. Then from the refrigerator, he produced a chocolate pie with delicate swirls of whipped cream dappling the creamy surface.
“
Where’d
you get
that?”

             
“I went into town while you napped and picked this little beauty up. They’ve got the most adorable bakery.” He placed it down and cut her a huge slice.

             
She cut into it and immediately thought she’d died and gone to heaven. “Yum!”

             
“That good, huh?” He cut himself a slice and nearly had an orgasm himself. “Blimey, that
is
good!”

             
“Want to watch a movie?” he asked after a final swallow of pie.

             
“Sure, what will we watch?”

             
“Something funny!”

             
Their eyes met and he reached across and took her hand. She couldn’t speak.               There
were
no words.

              After helping her husband load the dishwasher, he’d cleaned up the kitchen and settled down with her on the sofa to watch
Dumb and Dumber.
They sat in companionable silence, holding hands, and laughing here and there at the zany antics of Harry and Lloyd.

             
When the movie ended, Alec asked her if she wanted a bath. Lucy was tired, but she needed to wash the previous day’s grime away, so she allowed him to show her to the bathroom down the hall.