Chapter Two
Laura felt refreshed as she walked through the lobby of the hotel the next morning. The day was hers and she was going to enjoy it.
"I was hoping you were an early riser," a voice called out.
Laura couldn't help but smile as she turned around to face the good-looking Aussie. She had been hoping she'd see him again. "Good morning, Malcolm."
"No, no, call me Mac. Only my mother called me Malcolm," Mac meant to tease, but revealed more than planned when his smile faltered as he thought of his mother.
His use of the past tense wasn't lost on Laura, and neither was the look of pain that appeared for a second, then disappeared underneath the roguish smile. Her curiosity was piqued, but she didn't pry. "I could have sworn your eyes were blue yesterday, Mac," she commented, deftly changing the subject.
Mac's smile was genuine. "They change. Are you hitting the town?"
Laura hesitated. There was something about him that inspired confidence, but still, she had to be careful. "I'm afraid I'm just going over there," she pointed to the hotel dining area. "Nothing fancy."
"I don't like fancy." He motioned to the t-shirt and jeans he was wearing as proof.
Laura kept her eyes from wandering and instead focused on his face. "I suppose you want to join me."
"Well, look at it this way. I'll be much more annoying sitting at a different table, trying to get your attention by throwing sugar packets at you."
Laura laughed. "You make a good point." She pretended to consider her options. "Are you paying?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow ever so slightly.
"Of course."
"Then let's go."
Their time together didn't end at breakfast. Before they knew it, they had spent the whole day together. There was an unspoken deal between them that they would not talk about anything personal. But that didn't keep them from enjoying each other's company. They did, more with each passing hour.
Night came quickly, and they stood in front of a bar with a distinctly Country/Western look to it. Mac eyed it suspiciously.
"You don't have to come in, you know," Laura teased.
"Ah, but who will protect you?"
"I can take care of myself."
"I don't doubt that," Mac replied. He opened the door for her. "I've never heard country music before. Is it any good?"
Laura smiled widely, glad that he wasn't leaving. "If you'd asked me that a year ago, I'd have said no. But living in," she caught herself, "...the South, it changed my mind."
They walked inside and found a table. The place was simple, but nice. The owner was playing his own collection of country music until the live band arrived. "All right, y'all," he announced, "here's the latest hit by Charley Pride!"
Laura's eyes lit up, and she turned to Mac. "I love him!"
Mac got up from his seat and offered his hand to Laura. She took it and they both realized this was the first time they had really touched. The mood between them changed as they walked to the dance floor, the song starting to play. It had a slow, sultry beat.
Mac's arms went around her waist, Laura's around his neck. It was so natural that anyone would have thought they'd danced together many times before. They swayed to the rhythm of the music, barely an inch of space between them.
You're a lady, you're an angel, Bringing sunshine in my life, You're the closest thing to heaven that I've ever had, Oh, but sometimes you're a devil, When you reach out and dim the lights, And I say mmm, mmm, you're so good when you're bad...
"I think I like country music," he told her. His soft breath on her neck made her shiver involuntarily. Mac tightened his hold on her, loving the warmth of her skin as it pressed agains his. He hadn't felt this drawn to a woman in a long time. He had wanted her from the moment she had turned around and looked at him with those blue eyes.
The song ended, and they reluctantly pulled apart.
Laura pushed a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. The way he was looking at her made heat rush through her, making her mouth dry. She took a few steps back, as if more space would stop the attraction. "I'm, uh, a bit thirsty."
"Laura."
His voice was low, but to Laura the way he said her name felt almost like a caress. She stopped moving, their eyes locked.
Mac walked slowly towards her, his intent clear as his gaze moved from her eyes to her mouth.
Laura knew she should stop him, tell him she was married. She opened her mouth to speak, but he cupped her face with one hand, making her forget what she was about to tell him as he ran his thumb over her bottom lip. His soft lips covered hers. He teased her mouth open with his tongue, elicting a soft moan as she tasted him.
The erotic sound affected Mac instantly. He broke the kiss, his breathing ragged. "I think we'd better stop."
Laura opened her eyes and was mesmerized by his eyes, the different shades of colors swirling around. She licked her lips, and nodded. "Yeah," she agreed, though for a different reason.
As soon as they got back to the hotel, she resolved, she was going to her room - alone.
~*~
About nine months later...
Laura gently touched her baby's head as he hungrily drank from her breast. If there were any perfect moments, this was one of them. She winced slightly, and then laughed softly. Well, almost.
Luke had been so excited to know he was going to be a father. Laura had been ready to tell him the truth. She had told him she was leaving. But Luke had promised to stop hanging around people that could put them in more danger. And Laura thought that maybe this was a second chance for them. So she had said nothing.
"He looks like you," the older nurse commented as she adjusted Laura's pillows. "He's a beautiful child."
Laura smiled, but not just because of the compliment. That's what I'm counting on, she thought.
Laura felt refreshed as she walked through the lobby of the hotel the next morning. The day was hers and she was going to enjoy it.
"I was hoping you were an early riser," a voice called out.
Laura couldn't help but smile as she turned around to face the good-looking Aussie. She had been hoping she'd see him again. "Good morning, Malcolm."
"No, no, call me Mac. Only my mother called me Malcolm," Mac meant to tease, but revealed more than planned when his smile faltered as he thought of his mother.
His use of the past tense wasn't lost on Laura, and neither was the look of pain that appeared for a second, then disappeared underneath the roguish smile. Her curiosity was piqued, but she didn't pry. "I could have sworn your eyes were blue yesterday, Mac," she commented, deftly changing the subject.
Mac's smile was genuine. "They change. Are you hitting the town?"
Laura hesitated. There was something about him that inspired confidence, but still, she had to be careful. "I'm afraid I'm just going over there," she pointed to the hotel dining area. "Nothing fancy."
"I don't like fancy." He motioned to the t-shirt and jeans he was wearing as proof.
Laura kept her eyes from wandering and instead focused on his face. "I suppose you want to join me."
"Well, look at it this way. I'll be much more annoying sitting at a different table, trying to get your attention by throwing sugar packets at you."
Laura laughed. "You make a good point." She pretended to consider her options. "Are you paying?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow ever so slightly.
"Of course."
"Then let's go."
Their time together didn't end at breakfast. Before they knew it, they had spent the whole day together. There was an unspoken deal between them that they would not talk about anything personal. But that didn't keep them from enjoying each other's company. They did, more with each passing hour.
Night came quickly, and they stood in front of a bar with a distinctly Country/Western look to it. Mac eyed it suspiciously.
"You don't have to come in, you know," Laura teased.
"Ah, but who will protect you?"
"I can take care of myself."
"I don't doubt that," Mac replied. He opened the door for her. "I've never heard country music before. Is it any good?"
Laura smiled widely, glad that he wasn't leaving. "If you'd asked me that a year ago, I'd have said no. But living in," she caught herself, "...the South, it changed my mind."
They walked inside and found a table. The place was simple, but nice. The owner was playing his own collection of country music until the live band arrived. "All right, y'all," he announced, "here's the latest hit by Charley Pride!"
Laura's eyes lit up, and she turned to Mac. "I love him!"
Mac got up from his seat and offered his hand to Laura. She took it and they both realized this was the first time they had really touched. The mood between them changed as they walked to the dance floor, the song starting to play. It had a slow, sultry beat.
Mac's arms went around her waist, Laura's around his neck. It was so natural that anyone would have thought they'd danced together many times before. They swayed to the rhythm of the music, barely an inch of space between them.
You're a lady, you're an angel, Bringing sunshine in my life, You're the closest thing to heaven that I've ever had, Oh, but sometimes you're a devil, When you reach out and dim the lights, And I say mmm, mmm, you're so good when you're bad...
"I think I like country music," he told her. His soft breath on her neck made her shiver involuntarily. Mac tightened his hold on her, loving the warmth of her skin as it pressed agains his. He hadn't felt this drawn to a woman in a long time. He had wanted her from the moment she had turned around and looked at him with those blue eyes.
The song ended, and they reluctantly pulled apart.
Laura pushed a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. The way he was looking at her made heat rush through her, making her mouth dry. She took a few steps back, as if more space would stop the attraction. "I'm, uh, a bit thirsty."
"Laura."
His voice was low, but to Laura the way he said her name felt almost like a caress. She stopped moving, their eyes locked.
Mac walked slowly towards her, his intent clear as his gaze moved from her eyes to her mouth.
Laura knew she should stop him, tell him she was married. She opened her mouth to speak, but he cupped her face with one hand, making her forget what she was about to tell him as he ran his thumb over her bottom lip. His soft lips covered hers. He teased her mouth open with his tongue, elicting a soft moan as she tasted him.
The erotic sound affected Mac instantly. He broke the kiss, his breathing ragged. "I think we'd better stop."
Laura opened her eyes and was mesmerized by his eyes, the different shades of colors swirling around. She licked her lips, and nodded. "Yeah," she agreed, though for a different reason.
As soon as they got back to the hotel, she resolved, she was going to her room - alone.
~*~
About nine months later...
Laura gently touched her baby's head as he hungrily drank from her breast. If there were any perfect moments, this was one of them. She winced slightly, and then laughed softly. Well, almost.
Luke had been so excited to know he was going to be a father. Laura had been ready to tell him the truth. She had told him she was leaving. But Luke had promised to stop hanging around people that could put them in more danger. And Laura thought that maybe this was a second chance for them. So she had said nothing.
"He looks like you," the older nurse commented as she adjusted Laura's pillows. "He's a beautiful child."
Laura smiled, but not just because of the compliment. That's what I'm counting on, she thought.