Legs stretched out on the floor in front of him, Gray stared through the French doors for what seemed like hours. He'd tracked air traffic, civilian and military, as it circled the city, any distraction to keep from thinking about what he'd told Lori.
He listened to the whir of the vaporizer, Magda's slight but steady snore, Lori's even breathing as she slept beside him.
Gray turned to look at her, the edge of the mattress rubbing along his neck. Lori slumped asleep, propped in the corner created by the end table and mattress. Her arm draped up to the bed, her hand on Magda's arm.
Unable to stop himself, he reached to rest his hand on top of Lori's. She didn't wake, but still laced her fingers with his. He held on to her soft hand and stared out the door again.
He hadn't meant to tell her so much. There was so much more he could have said. Not that it made any difference except to leave him feeling as if he'd taken a load of shrapnel internally.
Lori had just listened and held his hand, like now. She gave to others even in her sleep. Just like his mother.
And he'd pushed her away. Just like his father.
Gray freed his hand if not his thoughts.
God, he was tired. He'd monitored patients through the night before. What was it about this particular mother and daughter that drained his reserves more than a wardful of patients? She'd bombarded his defenses until he'd stupidly indulged in morose psychobabble garbage.
Time to shake it off pal. If he was that tired, then Lori must be past exhaustion. She needed to be in her own bed.
Gray stood and checked Magda, careful not to wake her, then scooped Lori into his arms. Just like a few days before, a year ago, she snuggled in for a secure fit. Thank heaven she slept on though. He wasn't up to resisting any more of her groggy gropings.
Limp with deep sleep, Lori didn't stir during his walk down the hall to her bedroom. He lowered her to her bed and tucked her under the covers with lingering hands.
Lori's towering four-poster canopy bed enticed him to stay. The door finished its swing in, the lean of the house and gravity at work until the door clicked shut as if defying him to leave. A bottle of peach lotion waited on the bedside table like an invitation to remember things he could never forget, anyway.
Lori's hand trailed down his arm and held fast to his hand. "Stay. Sleep."
Did she know what she was offering? Or was she talking in her sleep again, trapped in the familiarity of a year ago?
Gray found her eyes open, fairly clear. Her touch was steady and warm. "Stay."
He thought of mentioning Magda as an excuse, but beside Lori's bed the nursery monitor glowed with a single red light. Magda's gentle snuffling floated through the device. He would hear her if she called out from down the hall.
Too tired to argue or pull his hand free, Gray lay beside Lori. On top of the fluffy comforter. No use tempting fate. He would just grab a little shut-eye in case Lori or Magda needed him, easier than making the cross-town drive again.
Taking care of Magda, then falling victim to Lori's gentle prodding left him more wiped out than he'd been after a Desert Storm mission. Gray closed his eyes and hoped like hell combat-induced dreams wouldn't chase him into sleep.
Chapter 10
Lori settled deeper into the most incredible dream. And it involved plastering herself against Gray's warm, solid body.
Surrendering to the dream proved irresistible. She'd been so long without. Without him.
Her hungry hands climbed over his back, along the rippling cut of muscles and pure man. Her fingers itched with impatience to feel him, not the well-worn T-shirt. A frantic trek to his waist brought her to the hem of his shirt. She tunneled inside.
Skin to skin she touched him. Her face buried in his neck, she inhaled, snuggled closer, pressed her lips to the delicious salty taste of his shoulder. She kicked her down-filled comforter to the foot of the bed so she could cuddle closer.
Gray groaned. Somewhere in her hazy mind she heard him, felt him turn his face to her.
"Lori?"
Instinct guided her mouth to his before he could say more.
Searing, hot need painted vibrant reds and blues on the backs of her eyelids. Heat combusted within her, sleep evaporating. Her hands paused, tensed. What was she doing? Other than almost passing out with pleasure just because she had Gray's mouth against her, fully, finally.
She thought of pulling away. For all of one practical second.
Lori twisted her fingers in his hair and yanked Gray closer. Hard. No doubt, remnants of sleep clouded her judgment. She didn't care. How could she think, much less reason while her legs tangled themselves with Gray's?