Chapter 10

So, before you go,

Was there something I could've said to make your heart beat better?
If only I'd have known you had a storm to weather
So, before you go, was there something I could've said to make it all stop hurting?
It kills me how your mind can make you feel so worthless
So, before you go

Would we be better off by now
If I'd have let my walls come down?

Before You Go, Lewis Capaldi

I gradually became aware of a steady, high-pitched beeping noise. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to find myself lying in a strangely uncomfortable bed in what appeared to be a hospital, judging by the look of the room and the sterile smell. I stiffly turned my head to the left, and an IV pole came into focus. That explained the beeping sound. I followed the line of plastic tubing from the IV pole to where it disappeared beneath a bandage on my left hand and then looked to my right.

Will was seated in a chair next to my bed. His elbows rested on his thighs and his bowed head rested in his hands, tufts of his thick, dark hair sticking up at odd angles between his fingers. When I turned my head further to the side, the sheets rustled, and he looked up. His eyes were red and tired, his face haggard.

"Elizabeth," he whispered. His expression instantly shifted from one of exhaustion to relief as he reached out to stroke the side of my face. "Oh, thank God," he murmured, briefly closing his eyes. "How do you feel?"

My head pounded and my mouth felt strange. I groaned. "Like I've been hit by a bus full of rhinoceroses."

"I'm glad to see your sense of humor is still intact." He moved from the chair to sit on the edge of the bed and rested his hands on my shoulders. "Do you remember anything?"

I attempted to focus on the darkened window behind him. Memories of our argument and my embarrassing fall whirled through my mind. "Everything," I whispered with some difficulty.

Will followed my gaze. "You've been unconscious since we left your apartment at nine o'clock." He turned back to me. "It's nearly three in the morning. You have a bad concussion. They're concerned that you haven't woken up at all since you've been here. The doctor was afraid there might be brain damage of some sort. Now that you're awake, they'll probably want to ask you some questions."

He ran a hand over his face. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If I would have just kept my mouth shut, and not said anything, you wouldn't have stormed off and tripped in the first place."

I blinked. "No, Will. You were right."

He turned away and shook his head.

"Will, please, listen," I begged, squeezing his arm while trying to ignore the pain in my head.

He turned back to me, his expression pained.

"I needed to hear it. What you said made me realize a lot of things, including how much you care for me. And how much I care about you. And besides," I shrugged, "I don't know if you've noticed, but the ground and I seem to share a fatal attraction for one another." When my joke didn't even provoke a twitch of his lips, I exhaled heavily. "Anyway, I suppose it was about time I had some sense knocked into me." I released his arm and pointed to my face. "Quite literally in fact," I grinned, and then immediately winced at the pain and strange tightness in my mouth. I raised my fingers to my lips. "Stitches?"

Will nodded. "Eight of them."

I scanned the room again. "Where's Jane?"

"She and Charles went back to your flat to fetch some of your things. They should be returning shortly." His voice was monotone, his face emotionless.

His carefully blank demeanor made me nervous, and I felt apprehension rise in my chest. "You don't need to stay here. Don't you have to work tomorrow – well, today I guess it is now? I'm sure you'd rather be asleep in a comfortable bed."

Will's veneer of control vanished in a flash, and I was struck by the intensity of his manner and voice. He leaned down, propping himself above me with one arm on the mattress by my pillow. "For the love of God, will you please stop assuming things! I need to be here, and I want to be here." He took a deep breath as if to collect himself before he spoke again. "Now, I need to call a nurse in. I was supposed to notify them immediately when you woke up." He reached across me and pressed the call button that was looped around the bed rail.

"Well, aye-aye," I snapped, resisting the urge to glare at him and his mercurial moods.

Within moments, a matronly woman sporting short, curly, iron-gray hair and purple scrubs appeared in the doorway.

Will stood. "She just woke," he informed the nurse who had crossed to my bedside.

I answered the nurse's string of questions and lay patiently while she carefully examined me and took my vitals.

"So," she smiled, "no memory loss and you seem to recall everything up to the time you lost consciousness. That's a very good sign. Your doctor will be around in about two hours for morning rounds. Do you feel dizzy at all?"

"No," I replied. "Just sore."

The nurse turned to study the display screen on the IV pole and adjusted the drip. "The stitches will come out by the end of the week. It's unlikely you'll have any noticeable scarring."

"Excellent," I mumbled.

"Alright," she turned toward me, placing her hands on her well-padded hips. "If you don't need anything else at the moment, I'll let you get some rest. We'll be back in to check your vitals in about an hour. If you need anything before then, just press your call light." She turned to Will. "If anything changes, notify us immediately."

Will nodded. "Thank you."

After the nurse had left, I looked up at Will who stood by my bedside. "Did you say it's almost three o'clock?"

"It is," he nodded. He looked exhausted.

"Will, have you gotten any sleep? What time do you have to be at work?"

He returned to his seat on the edge of my bed. "I have a meeting at nine, but I need to stop by the hotel to shower, change, and collect my things before then." He tried to stifle a yawn and failed.

I rested my hand on his leg. "Go home. Go to bed. I'll be fine."

"I'm not leaving until I absolutely have to. If I need to, I'll sleep on the couch," he insisted, nodding toward the generic, vinyl couch in front of the large window.

I gave him a dubious look.

Will scooted toward the head of the bed and smoothed my hair away from my forehead with soothing strokes. "Sorry for snapping at you, but I leave Thursday morning and I'm not giving up a single moment with you if I can help it. I plan to come back tonight and then I'll be by your flat Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night as well if that's alright with you."

"Of course, it's okay. I'm just worried you won't get enough rest."

Will nodded. "I will. Don't worry about me. You need to rest, too. So, now, close your eyes," he said in his lilting voice as he continued to gently stroke my hair.

I obediently did so.

Will continued to speak, his voice soft. "Picture in your mind a beautiful wood, stretching over a wide extent. Now, imagine gradually ascending over a road for half a mile until you find yourself at the top of a considerable eminence, where the wood ceases. Your eye is instantly caught by a grand, beautiful house, situated on the opposite side of a valley, into which the road that you've just traversed, with some abruptness, winds. The house is a large, handsome, stone building, standing well on rising ground, and backed by a ridge of high woody hills; and in front, a stream of some natural importance swells into greater, but without any artificial appearance. Its banks are neither formal nor falsely adorned."

I could see the picture his words painted vividly in my mind's eye as I drifted closer and closer to sleep. "Would this happen to be a description of Pemberley?" I whispered sleepily.

"Yes, it is." I could hear the smile in his voice. "Now," he whispered, "picture you and me walking along the banks of that stream, just the two of us, no interruptions."

His voice, along with the soothing touch of his fingertips, lulled me into a deep, peaceful sleep.

OOOoooOOOoooOOO

A ray of sunlight sliced through my eyelids like a knife, pulling me from slumber. My head pounded and the laser-bright torture ray, such as it was, only exacerbated it. I put a hand over my eyes.

"Lizzy?" I heard Jane's voice call.

"Jane?" I parted my fingers and peeked through the gap. "Hey, can you please close the curtains?" I begged.

I listened as Jane's footsteps crossed the room and then heard the whoosh and rattle of the curtains being drawn across the window. I put my hand down and opened my eyes. "Thank you. Much better," I sighed.

Jane returned to my bedside and sat in the chair next to me. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," I smiled carefully, remembering the stitches in my lip. "I'm sorry for my behavior yesterday. Charles seems like a great guy. I misjudged him. And you, it seems."

Jane laid a warm hand on my arm. "I understand that you were just looking out for me."

I turned my head toward my sister. "You were right, and so was Will. Thanks for being blunt with me. Sometimes, apparently, that's what I need."

She smiled. "You wouldn't be yourself if you weren't incredibly stubborn. That's why I love you."

I squeezed Jane's hand. "I'm really happy for you. Speaking of Charles, where is he?"

"He said he needed to run some errands." She shrugged. "Anyway, if you'll remember, we had a day out planned with mom and the girls this afternoon. So, when Charles gets back, I'm going to go run diversion for you."

My eyes widened. "Don't tell Mom. I'd never hear the end of it."

She patted my arm. "I know. That's why I'm going to go, so she doesn't suspect that anything happened. I'll just tell her you're in bed with a bad headache."

I raised my head off the pillow. "That's rather devious of you."

"But necessary. And besides, it's mostly true."

"Touché," I replied.

I steered the conversation back to Jane's favorite topic. "So, tell me, what do you think of Charles? Is he everything you thought he'd be?" I wagged my eyebrows.

Jane blushed and nodded her head. "He's more, Lizzy. He's so kind and thoughtful. Last night, he insisted we go back to your condo to get your things so that you'd be more comfortable here."

I rolled my eyes and stared up at the ceiling. "I am such a schmuck. I'm so ashamed of the way I acted. I watched the two of you like a hawk yesterday, expecting him to do or say something to put you off or hurt you. I've been very unfair, and I'm so sorry."

Jane sighed. "We've already been through this. You were looking out for me." She smoothed my hair back from my forehead. "Thanks for loving me that much."

I smiled up at her in return.

The door burst open and Charles entered the room with a wide smile and a backpack slung over one shoulder. "Good morning, ladies!" he exclaimed. "Glad to see you're awake, Elizabeth."

I smiled back. "Hi, Charles. Thanks for everything. And call me Lizzy – all my friends do."

He shrugged modestly. "No worries." Turning to my sister he said, "It's nearly eleven. You'd better go if you're going to make it to lunch with your mum and sisters by noon."

"Right," Jane nodded and stood. She looked down at me and gave my hand an affectionate squeeze. "See ya later. I'll be back by four."

"Bye," I called after her.

Charles stopped Jane at the door to give her a hug and a quick kiss on the forehead before she left the room. After he had closed the door behind her, he waited a few more moments, as if listening to her retreating footsteps before he turned around again and faced me with a huge grin. He clapped his hands once and rubbed his palms together excitedly. "She's gone! Time to start the party."

"What?" I laughed.

"What's a hospital stay without contraband?" Charles asked, wagging his sandy eyebrows. He set his backpack down on the chair next to my bed, unzipped the main compartment, and pulled a giant chocolate bar and a bottle of soda, along with a straw, out of the bag and handed them to me.

My jaw dropped. "You're kidding me! Oh, you are awesome."

"That's not all." He reached into the bag again and pulled out a handful of Mr. Bean DVDs. "I figured you'd probably grow tired of watching daytime television by the end of the day."

"You're a bad influence," I joked.

Charles winked and cocked a finger at me. "And don't you forget it." He walked over to the wall-mounted television and DVD combo and put a disc in before returning to the chair next to my bed. He moved his backpack to the floor and took a seat, pulling a bag of chips and another bottle of soda for himself out as he did so.

"Thank you for doing this, Charles. You didn't have to, you know."

"Ah, don't mention it," he smiled. "Besides, I wanted to get to know you better. Jane has plans for the day and Will is away." He shrugged. "I'm not made for solitude, so I figured it'd be the perfect opportunity."

"Well, I'm glad you did."

Charles raised his soda bottle. "Cheers!"

I raised mine in a like salute.

After we had watched two episodes of Mr. Bean, a nurse came in to take my vitals.

Charles took the opportunity to step out of the room for a moment.

The young brunette nurse eyed the partially eaten, giant candy bar and bottle of soda on the bedside table. She gave me a censuring look but didn't say anything.

Charles returned shortly after she left the room and took his seat beside my bed. "Still have a pulse?"

"Mhm," I smiled wryly. "I owe you an apology."

He gave me a surprised look. "Why?"

"Well, aside from the fact that I ruined your first date with Jane by cutting my face open, I also judged you unfairly. I wasn't sure if you were trustworthy or not, despite both Jane and Will's assurances. If I seemed a bit on edge yesterday, that's why. I was wrong."

"There's no need to apologize for caring about your sister. When Jane told me about her past, she also told me about how it affected you, due to your tendency to take on responsibility for things that are none of your business." He winced.

My eyes widened.

"Wait," Charles shook his head. "That came out wrong. You know how something sounds fine in your head, and then you say it and…" He imitated the sound of an explosion and then sighed heavily, a worried look creasing his brow.

I smiled. "Story of my life."

"Anyway," he went on, "what I was trying to say is that Jane told me how much you care about her and that you tend to take it upon yourself to shoulder responsibility for everyone around you, even when events are out of your control. I know someone else just like that."

"Oh?"

Charles nodded. "Yes. Will."

"I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult," I winked.

He shifted in his chair to face me. "A compliment of the highest degree, I assure you."

"Thank you," I replied.

"Jane is right, you know. For what my word is worth, Will is a good man. You can trust him, Lizzy."

"I'm beginning to believe that," I smiled.

"Good," Charles grinned. "Because I care deeply about my friend and I haven't seen him this happy in a very long time. He's had a rough go of it in life. I know it doesn't appear that way from the outside looking in, but losing both of his parents, caring for Georgiana, and handling his family's business interests have taken a toll on him. Since he met you, I've seen more of the man he used to be, the one I knew in university, than I have in all the years since his father died."

I wasn't quite sure how to feel about Charles's admission regarding Will, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Now, enough with the serious. Do you want to keep watching Mr. Bean, or shall I put in Monty Python and the Holy Grail?" Then, suddenly seeming to remember something, he reached into his backpack and held up a deck of cards. "I've also brought Go Fish!"

OOOoooOOOoooOOO

Jane returned a few hours later to find Charles and me absorbed in a cut-throat game of Go Fish.

I looked up from my hand of cards when she entered the room. "So, how did the day go? Was mom suspicious?"

Jane dropped down next to me on the bed. "No," she smiled wryly. "But she did say to tell you that you'll never catch a man if you insist on lazing about in bed all day during the summer."

"Thanks for passing that little nugget of wisdom along for her, Jane. You're such a great sister," I drawled.

Jane giggled. "What else are older sisters for?" She turned her attention to Charles, who had been watching our exchange with an amused expression. "Are you ready to head out?"

"Sure thing," he nodded, gathering up the cards and putting them back in the box before tucking them in his backpack. "Lizzy, thank you for a wonderful afternoon."

"Thank you. I had a great time."

He held his hand out for a fist bump, which I returned with a smile.

Jane bent down to give me a hug. "I'll be back tomorrow morning. Get some rest."

"Bye," I whispered, returning her embrace. "Have fun tonight."

They waved goodbye before closing the door behind them.

Exhausted, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

When I woke again, the room was dark, except for a small lamp next to the sofa by the window where Will sat, reading a newspaper.

"Hey," I greeted.

He looked up and set the paper aside before he stood and crossed the room to sit on my bed. "Hello."

"How did today go?" I tried to keep my gaze from wandering to his sculpted chest and arms, both of which were displayed to perfection in the black, form-fitting t-shirt he wore. I self-consciously tugged at the neckline of my frumpy, blue hospital gown where it had fallen off my shoulder.

Will shrugged. "I'm glad these meetings are wrapping up in two days' time. And yours?"

"Surprisingly well. Charles spent the afternoon with me. He brought chocolate, Mr. Bean, Monty Python, and Go Fish."

Will smiled softly. "I suppose an afternoon at the hospital doesn't get much better than that." His smile faded. "Elizabeth, I want to apologize again for what happened—"

"Hey," I cut him off. I was thoroughly sick of making and hearing apologies. "We talked about this already, remember? We spoke earlier this morning, if I recall, about me finally getting some sense knocked into me." I smiled at him, forgetting my stitches again. I winced.

My reaction didn't go unnoticed by Will. He traced the outline of my lips with his index finger, disappointment clouding his face as he did so.

A shudder spread outward from where his finger touched my skin, raising goosebumps on my arms. "Why the bummed look?" I questioned in an attempt to distract myself from the havoc his touch was creating throughout my body.

He smiled a little, glancing up to meet my eyes. "I was just thinking about how long I've wanted to kiss you. Ever since that night of our first dinner together when you were angry with me about the phone conversation with Charles that you overheard. You stood so close to me in that alcove and pursed that impertinent mouth of yours and all I could think about was how much I wanted to kiss you. Every time I've had a chance since then, we seem to get interrupted." He exhaled sharply. "I didn't know that so many interruptions could occur over the course of a lifetime, let alone within a month."

I blushed.

"And this," Will brushed his thumb over my uninjured top lip, "means I'll have to wait even longer." His eyes narrowed and a smile touched his lips. "Unless…"

"Unless?" I held my breath.

"Unless," he repeated as he leaned down until he was just inches away from my face.

My eyes involuntarily fluttered shut.

"I'm very," he accentuated the word with a soft kiss to my forehead, "very," he paused to gently kiss each of my closed eyelids, "careful," he ended, kissing the tip of my nose.

My heart hammered in my chest and I opened my eyes to see his intense blue ones, inches above mine. I gave a barely perceptible nod, unable to think of anything I'd like more, right then than for Will to finally kiss me.

He lowered his head and placed a lingering kiss at the corner of my mouth, just barely making contact with the edge of my lips. Every nerve ending in my body sparked to life, and I instinctively threaded my fingers through his hair, urging him closer. He moved to kiss the opposite edge of my mouth, just like he had on the other side, and then pulled back, desire burning in his eyes.

"Please," I whispered.

He smiled and drew close again. I could feel the nearness of him, the warmth of his mouth, millimeters from my own.

"Ahem!"

Will bolted upright and quickly moved back to his chair, while I turned startled eyes to the door.

The same no-nonsense, matronly nurse from the night before stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, wearing a very displeased look on her broad face. "There can be none of that now, you two," she chided. "With that cut you have, any kind of," she tilted her gray head from side to side and rolled her eyes, obviously uncomfortable with the situation, "activity, could result in an infection!" She pointed a finger at me and swung it around to Will. "No kissing until that lip is healed and those stitches are out."

I glanced at Will. His cheeks were flushed, and his mouth was pressed into a tight line. He looked extremely uncomfortable. Poor guy.

Trying my hardest not to laugh at the irony of the situation, I bit my lower lip out of habit to stifle my mirth and yelped in pain.

"Mhm." The nurse raised an eyebrow, giving me a knowing look. "Let's take a look."

I obligingly laid still while she examined my stitches.

"None are broken. This time. It's bleeding again though. Does it hurt?"

I nodded.

She patted my shoulder. "I'll get you something for the pain. The doctor ordered some pain meds for you in case you needed them today."

After she had taken my vitals, the nurse headed back out the door to retrieve the medication.

I looked at Will again. "Well, that was awkward," I muttered.

He scrubbed his hands over his face. He looked like he was about to say something when the nurse returned to the room.

"Now," my matronly caregiver barked, "I'll give you your meds and be out of your hair if you can promise me that there will be no more shenanigans in this room when I leave."

I raised my hand in a three-fingered salute. "Scout's honor."

She shifted her eyes to Will.

"Of course," Will replied in an irritated tone.

She lifted my IV line and injected a medication-filled syringe into it.

The liquid burned as it entered my bloodstream and sent a tingly feeling up my arm and across the back of my shoulders. I shivered. "Oooh, that's weird!"

The nurse gave me a wry look. "Yeah, well, this is a narcotic pain medication, so things are gonna get a whole lot weirder here in a minute or two when it kicks in. Call me if you need me," she directed. With that, she left the room, closing the door firmly behind her.

I folded my hands across my stomach and turned to Will with an ironic smile. "So, you were saying, about interruptions?"

He rested a hand on the back of his neck and reclined in his chair, tilting his head back to look up at the ceiling. He shook his head. "I can't believe I embarrassed you like that."

I poked him playfully in the side with my finger. "Hey now, none of that. But I think we should listen to the warden for the time being. No shenanigans as she called it. After all, if her grim predictions prove true and I do develop an infection, it'll be even longer until you can give me that kiss."

My words had the desired effect, and Will laughed.

The medication kicked in a few moments later. "Oh, wow, that feels weird. Remind me never to take this stuff again. I think I prefer the pain if this is the alternative."

Will looked down at me and met my zoned-out gaze with an amused smile.

"Wow, you do have really pretty eyes," I drawled. Then, I had the strangest sensation of falling off the edge of a cliff, into darkness.

I woke up in my hospital room on Monday morning, to the sight of sunlight pouring in through the window. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a piece of paper resting on the pillow, next to my head. It was a note from Will.

Elizabeth,

Good morning. The nurses think you'll be discharged from the hospital before noon, so I'll come by your place tonight. Get some rest today…

Yours,

Will

OOOoooOOOoooOOO

Wednesday came all too quickly. On Monday and Tuesday, Jane and Charles and Will and I had spent as much time together as possible, enjoying evenings filled with conversation and laughter. Charles and Jane decided to spend Wednesday evening alone together because Charles was scheduled to fly back with Will the next morning. That left Will and me by ourselves for the evening.

After a late dinner and a walk in Heartland of America Park, we found ourselves back in my living room talking about Will's journey home the next day and his future plans, now that his work in the area had wrapped up. We discussed my upcoming trip to Pemberley as well.

He had checked out of his hotel earlier in the evening and planned to stay in one of my spare rooms for the night because my place was closer to the airport.

I stood up and stretched my arms out to my sides. "I'm going to get a glass of water; do you want anything?"

"No thanks, I'm fine," he replied.

I nodded. "Alrighty, then." I retrieved my drink and returned to the living room to find Will stretched out on the couch with his eyes closed. He opened them when I approached. "You okay?"

He nodded. "Set your glass down," he directed. After I had done so, he grasped my wrist and pulled me down next to him on the sofa, cushioning my head and shoulders with one arm while he rested his other hand on my waist.

After I was settled in next to him, I looked up, taking the opportunity to study the tiny glints of midnight blue that flecked his otherwise azure eyes.

Will frowned.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He pressed his mouth into a hard line before he spoke. "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"About Saturday night, in the hospital."

I quirked an eyebrow in question.

Will took a deep breath. "The doctors weren't sure what was going to happen to you, Elizabeth. You were unconscious and didn't wake up for any of the tests they performed. You didn't even flinch when they put the IV in. When they started tossing around words like 'traumatic brain injury' and 'coma'…I can't describe how I felt, but I can tell you that I've only felt that way on two other occasions in my life: when my mother and father died. I experienced the terrible feeling that something very precious and dear was being ripped from me and that my life would never be the same again. Agony…that's the only word that can come close to describing it. I couldn't leave you. And then, when you woke up, I felt so thankful. Thankful not only that you were awake and that you were healthy and well, for which I was profoundly grateful, but also because I fully realized how much you mean to me, and how much I don't want to live my life without you in it." He closed his eyes tightly.

I stared at him, unable to reply.

He opened his eyes once again. "Elizabeth, I—"

I held my breath, waiting for him to finish his sentence, half fearful, half hopeful of what he might say.

Will hesitated and exhaled heavily before he shook his head almost imperceptibly. "We should get some sleep."

My curiosity was piqued. "What were you going to say?"

"I'll tell you, someday."

"Why don't you tell me now?" I wondered aloud.

"Because. I don't think you're ready to hear it, and our relationship is too important to me to throw words around in an ill-timed and thoughtless manner."

Puzzled, but knowing him well enough to realize that asking again would be fruitless, I gave him a resigned nod. "Okay, then." I closed my eyes and snuggled into his arms. His hold tightened around me, and I was suddenly very aware of him; his nearness, his warmth, his sandalwood and spice scent, the hardness and strength of his body enveloping mine. I cracked an eyelid open. "This is not conducive to sleep."

"No?" he asked, frowning.

"No," I shook my head, giving him my best censuring look.

He slid his hand from my waist to the small of my back and pulled me firmly against him. "How about this?" he whispered.

My breath hitched. "Definitely not."

He moved his hand to my shoulder and swept my braid aside, then carefully smoothed the hair back from my temple. He brushed the side of my cheek with his fingertips before trailing them down the curve of my neck and back over my bare shoulder, where he increased the pressure of his strokes, sliding his palm underneath the shoulder strap of my tank top. Never breaking eye contact, he slowly ran his warm hand down the inside of my arm and across my palm to my fingertips, and back up again.

More emotions and sensations than I could identify churned inside me, and I swallowed hard. "Will…"

He cupped my cheek and leaned in as if to kiss me, his mouth a breath away from mine. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, his hand trembling slightly against my skin. He exhaled sharply and rested his forehead against my own before he kissed my temple and the edge of my jaw, just below my ear.

When his mouth closed over the pulse point on the side of my neck, I inhaled sharply and instinctively dropped my head back.

His hands moved to the small of my back again, his strong arms pulling me closer still as he drew one of his long legs over both of mine and shifted his weight partially on top of me.

I wove the fingers of one hand through his hair, while my other grasped his bicep.

He continued to trail soft kisses down to the juncture of my neck and shoulder. When his lips grazed my collarbone and then dropped lower, I froze, stiffening in his arms.

Will lifted his head.

I eyed him warily.

He stared back at me, his eyes dark. "A bit too much?"

I released a breathy laugh. "Maybe just a bit."

He groaned; a sound of frustration mixed with humor. It turned into a husky laugh as he rolled back onto his side and tilted his head back toward the ceiling. "Well then," the corner of his mouth pulled up in a half-smile and he tucked my hair behind my ear. "Time to put on the brakes." He stroked my cheek with the backs of his fingers. "I think we should watch an episode of Doctor Who, and then you should probably go to sleep in your room. Possibly with the door locked."

Understanding that he was joking about the need to lock my door, I smiled at him and rested my forehead against his warm chest for a moment before I rose from the couch to find the television remote.

OOOoooOOOoooOOO

Will said goodbye to me at the front door of my condo at eight o'clock the next morning. "Are you sure I can't take you to the airport?" I asked.

"I have to return my rental car," he replied. "Besides, I'd rather say goodbye here. Airports tend to be crowded, and not at all private."

"Understood." I smiled sadly.

Will traced my uninjured top lip with the pad of his thumb and bent to kiss my forehead. "I'll ring you on Skype when I get home, and I'll see you in Manchester in two weeks."

I stood on my tiptoes to hug him. "I can't wait."

He wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me off the ground, holding me tightly against him. "Fourteen days, three hundred thirty-six hours, twenty thousand one hundred sixty minutes, until I get to hold you again. And these stitches," he paused to kiss my cheek, just at the edge of my mouth, "will be out in two days."

"Okay, Rain Man," I laughed.

Will set me down but kept his hands on my waist.

I peeked around his shoulder at the clock on the wall above the coat rack. Forcing a cheerful note into my voice, I said, "You'd better get going. You still have to return your vehicle and get through security."

He rested a warm hand on my cheek and bent to kiss my forehead one more time. "There's so much I want to say, but I find I lack the proper words."

Determined not to let him see how much I didn't want to let him go, I managed a tight smile. "We have all the time in the world, Will."

"Indeed, we do...this is only the beginning." His fingers trailed across my jaw as he took a step back through the doorway and into the hall.

I leaned against the door frame. "Bye."

He raised a hand in farewell before he turned to walk toward the elevator.

After he'd disappeared from sight, I reluctantly closed the door, silently praying that the next two weeks would fly by.