Worth the Risk_ A Contemporary - Megan Hart Page 0,35

women, in general, but he did know how to recognize one in a state of irritation.

Laila humphed and sipped at the drink. She winced, touching her lip. "Hot!"

"Have you been up long?"

It was the wrong question. "I don't know," Laila said with false sweetness. "Do you consider all night to be long?"

"You didn't sleep well," Hal said, not asked.

"You could say that," Laila replied.

He knew it had to be his fault. "What'd I do?" he asked resignedly.

"You snored," she said. "You muttered. You rolled around a lot. You hogged the covers."

"I get the picture."

Laila set her mug down on the dresser. "I'm going for breakfast. Are you coming?"

"Just let me get dressed," Hal said, already out of bed and pulling on his jeans.

Laila let out a sigh so longsuffering Hal knew her long list of complaints was not the only reason she was mad this morning. But darned if he could figure out why. He'd stayed on his own side of the bed, for the most part any way. He hadn't made any wrong moves and hadn't tried to touch her.

"Laila," he said finally as he buttoned his shirt. "What's wrong? Why are you really mad at me today?"

"Mad?" She said, shoving her arm into her coat sleeve so hard some threads popped. "What on earth gives you the idea I'm mad at you?"

He pulled on a sweatshirt, then some socks. Matching. "You seem mad."

"I'm just tired," she said shortly. "I didn't sleep well last night."

"Because of me," he said.

"Yes," Laila replied, glaring.

"Because I snored," Hal offered, still trying to figure out her real reason.

"Because--because you slept!" Laila fumed.

Fortunately, the bed was close enough for him to sit on. Hal sat, completely perplexed. "What?"

She threw her hands in the air. "Forget it!"

Even as she headed toward the door, Hal reached out and caught her by the wrist. She didn't struggle too hard to get away. She even let him turn her so she faced him.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"You slept all night long," Laila said, as though she were admitting some terrible secret.

He frowned, not--quite--getting it. "And?"

She sighed in frustration. "I thought you might...I wanted you to...oh, just forget it!"

Her cheeks were pink like she was embarrassed. Hal still didn't understand. "You didn't want me to sleep?"

"No!" She shouted. Then, softer, "No."

"What did you want-- Oh." Hal could have kicked himself for being so blind. Now it was his turn to be embarrassed. He dropped Laila's wrist and pushed off from the bed. All at once he felt like he needed to pace.

"Let's just go, okay?" Laila almost pleaded. She headed toward the door again, her back straight like she had a poker stuck down her pants.

"If I had known," Hal began.

"Well, obviously you didn't," Laila said formally, pausing before she opened the door. "I'm sorry I brought it up. Forget it."

But he couldn't forget it, not when images of how the night could have been spent kept pushing their way into his head. If he hadn't been so blind. If he hadn't been stupid!

"Let's go," Laila said and opened the door. Hal followed her out because there wasn't much else he could do.

Breakfast was sawdust in Laila's mouth. It was hard to eat through a forced smile, especially when she felt like crying. What had she expected anyway? Muriel Whitehead had told her up front that no LoveMatch escort ever initiated sexual intimacy with a client, unless it was clearly and obviously stated to be the client's desire.

And she had desired it, she thought as she followed the crowd out of the morning dining room. Hal's kiss after the carriage ride had awakened a passion in her she'd thought dead after losing Ian. She'd had few dates in the three years since Ian's death, and none of those men had made her feel the way Hal did.

"Walleyball?" Eli asked, catching up to her. "Bubbe and Zayde rented the court until lunchtime. Ready to play?"

The last thing Laila wanted to do was to join one of the infamous Alster sports tournaments. But she was here to enjoy family fun time, and it would prevent her from having to spend time alone with Hal. She managed a weak smile of agreement.

"Sure."

Eli looked at her closely. "Laila, are you okay?"

Laila looked over her shoulder. Hal was walking alone, and she knew she should go back and keep him company. "Don't start, Eli. Please."

"If he's done anything to you--"

She took her brother's hand for a minute. "I'm fine. I told Ruth the same