KISSED BY AN ANGEL, THE POWER OF LOVE, SOULMATES by ELIZABETH CHANDLER

Author:ELIZABETH CHANDLER
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: POCKET BOOKS
Published: 2003-01-11T23:00:00+00:00

P2-10

Ivy screamed and fought him, kicking behind her with all her strength. He held her down on the floor, his hand pressed over her nose and mouth. She screamed into his hand, then she tried to bite it, but he was too quick for her. She started rolling her body back and forth. She’d roll him into the candle flame if she had to.

“Ivy! Ivy! It’s me! Be quiet, Ivy! You’ll scare Philip. It’s just me.”

She went limp beneath him. “Gregory.”

He slowly lifted himself off her. They stared at each other, sweating and out of breath.

“I thought you were asleep,” he said. “I was trying to see if you were all right without waking you.”

“I—I just—I didn’t know who you were. Philip is out. He’s staying over at Sammy’s tonight, and Mom and Andrew are at the gala.”

“Everybody’s out?” Gregory asked sharply.

“Yes, and I thought—”

Gregory rammed his fist into his palm several times, then stopped when he saw the way she was looking at him.

“What’s wrong with you?” he demanded. “What’s wrong with you, Ivy?” He held her by both arms. “How can you be so stupid?”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

He stared deep into her eyes. “Why have you been avoiding me?”

Ivy looked away.

“Look at me! Answer me!”

She swung her head back. “Ask Suzanne, if you want to know why.”

She saw the flicker in his eyes then, as if he suddenly understood. It was hard to believe that he hadn’t guessed what was going on. Why else would she avoid him?

He loosened his grip. “Ivy.” His voice was softer now, wavering. “You’re home alone, late at night, in a house where you were attacked last week, with the door wide open. You left the door wide open! Why would you do something so dumb?”

Ivy swallowed hard. “I thought the screen was latched. But it wasn’t, I guess, and Ella must have pushed it open.”

Gregory leaned back against the sofa, rubbing his head.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I upset you,” she said.

He took a deep breath and laid one hand over hers. He was much calmer now. “No, I scared you. I should be the one apologizing.”

Even in the flickering candlelight, Ivy could see the weariness around his eyes. She reached up and touched the temple he had been rubbing. “Headache?”

“It’s not as bad as it was earlier today.”

“But it still hurts. Lie down,” she said. She set a pillow on the floor for his head. “I’ll get you some tea and aspirin.”

“I can get it myself.”

“Let me.” She put her hand lightly on his shoulder. “You’ve done so much for me, Gregory. Please let me do this for you.”

“I haven’t done anything I didn’t want to.”

“Please.”

He lay back.

Ivy got up and put on a disk with sax and piano music “Too loud? Too soft?”

“Perfect,” he said, closing his eyes.

She made a pot of tea, put some cookies on the tray along with aspirin, and brought it back to the candlelit room.

They sipped awhile in silence and munched cookies. Then Gregory playfully clinked his cup against hers in a silent toast.

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