Page 34 of Hidden Desire
Grace nodded. She turned away, not wanting to let Taylor see her disappointment. She tried to keep up her spirits for the rest of the night, but after she got Hannah into bed, her mind wouldn’t stop. Was it really work keeping him away, or did he want to put space between them?
She tried to read the book she started earlier in the day but couldn’t keep her attention on it. Grace decided to go to bed but stood in the hallway, trying to figure out where she should be. In her old room or in with Robert? She didn’t want to push it, so she got ready for bed and slipped into her small, cold bed.
When several hours passed, she gave up, grabbed a blanket and pillow, and made a bed on the sofa in Robert’s office. With his scent surrounding her, she was finally able to fall into a fitful sleep.
She was startled awake when she realized someone was talking to her.
“I’ve been looking for you, Sweetheart,” Robert said as he crouched next to the sofa.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know where to sleep.”
He looked troubled and sighed before he stood and lifted her in his arms.
“Robert, I can walk,” she told him.
“I know, but I can also carry you.”
He laid her on his bed and covered her with the blanket. “I’ll be right back.”
She nodded, watched him walk into his bathroom and strip off his clothes. Her breath caught when she was able to see his naked backside. She didn’t know much about men but knew Robert had a body that made her salivate.
A few minutes later, he walked back into the bedroom in shorts and slid into bed beside her.
Grace was speechless when he draped his arm over his face and sighed. Why did he want her in his bed but then ignore her? After a few minutes, she turned until her back was to him and closed her eyes.
It felt like her heart would burst from her chest when she felt a wall of heat press against her back and his arm come around her waist, pulling her tighter against him.
“I thought about you a lot today,” he said.
“Me, too. Did you have a good day?” Grace asked.
“Not really. There’s just a lot going on right now.”
“Anything you want to talk about?”
“No.”
That’s all he said, and the abruptness made a twinge of sadness fill her body.
“I’ll come home early tomorrow night so we can spend some time together,” he said.
She nodded but stayed quiet. It wasn’t long before she heard his breathing deepen and his body relax against her, telling her he was asleep.
Grace couldn’t shut down her mind enough to sleep, so she stared out the window and watched the stars disappear, and the world started to lighten with the dawn.
She held very still when Robert slowly moved away from her. She heard the shower and the toilet, and after a few minutes, the door to the bedroom closed behind him as he walked out. She couldn’t help the tears that ran down her face and dampened her pillow.
An hour passed, and she gave up. The way she felt, there was no way she’d be able to sleep.
Taylor gave her a double take as she walked into the kitchen to get some coffee.
“What happened to you?” Taylor asked.
“Nothing. I just didn’t sleep very well last night.”
“Oh, heck, I have those kind of nights, and they suck. You might consider laying down with Hannah when she goes down for a nap.”
“I think I will. Anything I can help with?” Grace asked.