Chapter Fifteen
Caroline
––––––––
“HOW DO I LOOK, LITTLEgirl?”
Spinning on his heel, Harper ran his fingers through his hair.Dressed in a shirt and suit Laurent had come up with, he looked far less like Elsa’s patient and far more like the man I’d first encountered at Fortorus.
“Much more like yourself, Sir,” I answered, grabbing the tie he’d chosen from the limited options the Frenchman had presented him with.“Extremely handsome.”
“You’re just saying that.”His grin was smug as he tugged down his sleeves.The shirt wasn’t the usual custom-made variety he was used to wearing, but he had a way of making anything look good.
“I mean it.”Finding my feet, I tried not to dwell on how good his backside looked in the trousers.It was definitely not the moment for another spontaneous round of nookie.
“Well, thank you.”He flashed me an even wider smile.“And there’s good news.I’m remembering more and more about Hans and the drive down to Switzerland.”
“That’s great.It seems the doctors were right about your memory returning.”I waved the silk tie in my fingers and gestured to the covers.“Take a seat and I’ll help you with this.”
“Is that an order?”He chuckled as he came to sit down in the place I’d vacated.
“No.”My tone was teasing, “I’m just trying to help.”
“You mean, you’re trying to take your mind off all of this Ian Jackson shit.”Perching on the blankets, he turned up his collar as I straightened the silk between my hands.
“Yes, that sounds about right.”Standing between his legs, I reached the fabric behind his neck and slid it into position.There was something absurdly sensual about helping him to dress.After so long hardly even being permitted to touch him, I relished feeling so useful.It was just a shame the mood was tinged by the imminent sycophantic missive he was about to record for his old friend.
“Hey.”He reached for my hand, halting my progress.“I know you’re worried, but things will be okay.”
“You keep saying that.”
I watched as his long fingers stroked over mine, trying to embed every second of his soft caresses in my memory.In a matter of days, the message he was hellbent on recording would be sent out to the world, and Jackson might have responded.If things went the way I feared, I’d have to accept that he was leaving and know there was nothing I could do to stop him.In that worst case, aside from my many concerns about his safety, I’d need to have memorized every one of his touches so the recollections could keep me warm in his absence.The ICC seemed to think the plan would play out like clockwork, but real life had taught me that things didn’t always go the way we thought they would.
“But you can’t know that, Sir.None of us knows what will happen.”
“I know that you love me.”His gaze rose to meet mine, sincerity burning in his blue eyes.“And that I love you.And with everything else going on, little girl, that’s everything.It might be all I need to know.”
“I wish you were right about that.”I sighed.
“So, you don’t love me?”His tone was sardonic.
“Yes.”Dropping one end of the silk, I swatted his shoulder playfully.“You know I do, and I appreciate the romantic sentiment, but I’m just saying there might be more to consider than that.”
If the last year had shown me anything, it was that I really couldn’t take much for granted.Much though it pained me to realize it, that included Harper and his love.I desperately wanted us to be together, but there seemed to be a never-ending list of obstacles to be overcome before that could be a genuine reality.
“Right now, you don’t even have the medical all-clear to record the message, let alone to leave, Sir.”
We were still waiting for the austere doctor’s say-so, and even though her rejection might have, ultimately, seen Harper thrown into jail, I couldn’t help but secretly hope she refused him.
