Good Deed Bad Deed, Marcia Morgan [summer beach reads TXT] 📗

to tip a well-respected professional? Would there be a significant charge on her bill? She opted out of a tip and decided not to worry about the charge. Her publisher was picking up the tab anyway, and she could explain that taking care of Ben was in aid of the interview. But that wasn’t her motive. She cared, seemingly more than she could have expected.

Dr. Harrow said good night and to have the concierge call if there was any problem. As he opened the door to leave, he turned back and remarked, “I hope the other guy looked worse than you.” They called out another thank you, and he closed the door behind him.

Ben immediately swung his legs to the floor and prepared to stand. He said, “Well, I’ll get out of your way now.” Ana saw a grimace of pain on his face as he slowly got to his feet. Once he had his balance he said, “I’ll be able to get a taxi up the street, right?”

“You’re not going anywhere yet. Remember, the doctor said to ice it again.”

“Are you always this bossy?”

“Only when I confront disobedience.” She tried not to smile and turned away, taking the ice pack into the bathroom to refresh it.

Ben settled back on the bed and kicked off his shoes, obviously too tired to argue. Ana fed him the Ibuprofen and re-applied the ice, then sat on the edge of the bed next to him. Now that he wasn’t in such pain, her thoughts drifted back to what it would be like to have him there under different circumstances. Her body was responding to these thoughts, and she hoped it didn’t show in her expression. The blood on his face was disturbing, so she went to get a wet cloth and proceeded to dab gently at his lip and chin. Once again Ben saw the sweet expression that had comforted him in the taxi. There was no denying that now he wanted her even more. He also wanted to know who this woman was below the surface, what made her ‘tick.’ Considering his history with women, this was unprecedented.

Ana finished treating his lip and backed into a chair adjacent to the bed. She crossed her arms over her chest and began to stare at him. He was quite sure she was considering how he should be handled. Eventually she said, “So, can I get you to rest now? I think you need to be under my watchful eye for a while longer.”

But knowing his intention to leave eventually, she needed a plan, and knew he would be better off with someone for the night. He agreed to rest, and with less discomfort he was able to recline slightly and lay his head back on the pillow, his arm resting across his body. With Ben settled, Ana excused herself and went into the bathroom. She had been chilled for hours and wanted to get out of her damp slacks and boots and slip into something cozy, like a robe and warm socks, but she was at a loss as to what would be appropriate. Somehow, changing into sleepwear didn’t seem the thing to do, considering their short acquaintance. Then she returned to the consideration of how she could keep him from leaving, care for him properly in the short term. Ana was an independent no nonsense woman, and therefore, her concern for this man stymied her.

Quite a bit of time had passed since she closed the bathroom door, and she wondered what Ben was doing. It was quiet, although she had given him the television remote. She opened the door a crack and saw that he was asleep, head back, mouth slightly open, and looking quite peaceful. The scenario pleased her, but she then began to wonder what to do about a place to sleep. Ana was exhausted by the night’s events. Without further contemplation she stripped down to her bra and panties and reached for the fluffy white robe on the hook behind the door. Wrapped in its warm comfort she tiptoed through the room to the bed. She carefully removed the ice pack from Ben’s shoulder and then slipped under the comforter. Ben was on top of it, and she wondered if he would become cold enough to wake, yet she couldn’t chance covering him or he would surely wake immediately. While pondering that situation, fatigue took charge and she was quickly asleep.

In the wee hours a howling wind accompanied by rain hitting the window startled Ana from sleep. She slid from beneath the comforter and went to the drapes, pulled one aside and stared out at the reflection of moving headlights on the wet street. A ceiling of charcoal gray clouds had formed, sporadic downpours obscuring the starlight. They roiled slowly through the night sky, allowing only faint glimpses of the waxing moon. Ben remained in the arms of Morpheus, no doubt in a very deep sleep due to the trauma of the night’s events. Ana closed the drape quietly and returned to bed. She checked the clock and saw that it was after three. Ben would be there until morning, and she found that fact to be both calming and strangely provocative.

She lay awake, listening to the rain and thinking about her life. In some ways it was empty, a fact that was all too evident as she glanced at the handsome, charming and injured man sleeping on her bed. There had been a few men, filling the role of lover more than potential mate. Her free-lance profession required great flexibility and few ties. Ana had said over and over again that it was just for now, that she would have plenty of time for a relationship later. But later hadn’t come, and she often found the nomadic life of a journalist to be tedious and in many ways incomplete. She turned to face Ben and focused on his breathing, enjoying little snorts and gasps that made him seem vulnerable,