He pushed her out of the dining room and they spent a couple peaceful hours while he gave her a guided tour of the different floors. They found an unattended elevator and rode it up and down after Malcolm took to closing his eyes and pushing a button, taking her out on whatever floor they ended up on. That came to a halt when they mistakenly stepped out onto the surgical floor and were chased off by an irate nurse.
Bree felt exhausted by the time he wheeled her back to her room. She climbed out of the chair and slipped under the bedclothes.
He must have noticed her tired eyes because he said, "I shouldn't have kept you out so late, Miss Barry. It won't be Dr. Tumey I have to worry about if Mother finds out I caused you to relapse."
She smiled. "It was lovely, Mr. Du ... um ... Malcolm. I enjoyed getting out. I can't believe how big this place is, and you know so much about it. You don't seem sick. I would have expected they'd let you go sooner than this."
He smiled. "I'm glad you've finally decided to call me by my given name. And since we're going to be spending so much time in each other's company in the coming weeks, will you finally consider me a friend?" He watched her intently, and she could have sworn he held his breath.
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An Unsinkable Love
by Terri Benson
She smiled sheepishly. "I suppose. And as I said before, my friends call me Bree."
He let out his breath in a whoosh. "Excellent! You need to get some sleep now. It's late and you're probably tuckered out. I'm going to park your chariot here in the corner. If they don't let us leave tomorrow, I'll come in and steal you away."
He smiled charmingly and went out, closing the door gently behind him.
Bree stared at the door. I'm afraid he's already stolen my heart, and doesn't even know it.
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133
An Unsinkable Love
by Terri Benson
Chapter 19
Malcolm meandered through the halls late into the night.
He couldn't get those emerald eyes out of his head. The memory of her soft lips brushing his caused an uncomfortable pressure in his loins. Knowing she was there, only a thin layer of flannel separating them as they sat at the table, had been torture. He hoped her disconcerted attitude stemmed from the same source as his own—being so close to her, talking to her about anything that popped into his head, hearing her laugh at his silly attempts at amusement. It had been a wonderful evening. For him at least.
She was the reason he was still here at the hospital. Dr.
Tumey suggested he was fit enough to leave a few days ago, so he'd started feigning dizzy spells. He wanted to be near Bree, to make sure she got the care she needed. It was agony knowing he couldn't do anything to help her himself.
When his mother told him she had convinced Bree to go home with them, he only just refrained from giving her a crushing hug. If her ribs were healed, he would have anyway.
It was the perfect solution. It would buy him time to convince Bree he wasn't the rich ne'er-do-well she obviously thought him to be. No way would he watch her walk out of his life now. Eldon made a fuss, demanding to know why his wife would want to drag along a half-downed seamstress. Malcolm smiled at the vision of his mother drawing herself up to her full height and lecturing her overbearing husband.
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An Unsinkable Love
by Terri Benson
"Not only do I owe her my life, but I consider her a very dear friend. She could have easily left me sleeping in my room. She might have taken every piece of jewelry I owned, and anything else she wanted. But she didn't. She took care of me. And I'll not do anything less for her. She has no family. No one to care for, or about, her. I intend to do both."
She'd glared at Eldon with a fire Malcolm hadn't seen in her eyes for years. He hoped it was a sign she wasn't going to let her husband dominate her life anymore. Time would tell.
He finally made his way back to his room in the wee hours of the morning. Still plenty of time to dream about creamy white skin and imagine long, coppery curls twisting around his body and drawing him close.
* * * *
His mother breezed in