“This early?”
“There’s not so much left for us to do. We may as well try to get a full night’s sleep. You never know what tomorrow might bring.”
“Stay with me tonight?” she whispered.
He wanted to. Badly. But the last thing he wanted to explain was the nightmares that haunted him on nights like tonight. It had been an emotional day all-round, but tonight, especially, he couldn’t trust himself to sleep through the night without drawing attention to his subconscious thoughts.
“Please.”
Maybe he could stay with her until she fell asleep and then find himself a nice, quiet little place where he wouldn’t disturb anyone if his dreams were too vivid. “I’ll come to your room.”
Frankie staying in the hospital, even now Edward was gone, was best for everyone. The gathered media weren’t too interested in taking pictures of anyone else; she was the one they wanted. Hopefully if they didn’t catch sight of her for a few days, they’d lose interest and find another story to cover.
He gave Frankie a few minutes to shower before he joined her in her room. Earlier that day, he’d taken the crib out and replaced it upstairs in Paediatrics so she wouldn’t have to see it the moment she opened the door.
It was alien, thinking of someone else’s needs and acting on what he thought best for them in a personal capacity. Professionally, it was all part of his job. But doing things for Frankie, small things to make her life a little easier, made him happy.
He needed to stop that. Within a few short days, their skills would no longer be needed and they would be flying home. They would go their separate ways and their time together would be nothing more than an interesting interlude amongst the chaos and devastation.
As he stepped towards the room, his phone beeped. He’d kept a low charge on it and used it as a morning alarm, but he hadn’t had a signal since arriving on Astoria. Pulling it out of his pocket, expecting a message from the charity he’d been working for, he stared at the text message half-revealed on the screen.
It was from his mother.
He threw the phone back into his pocket with a savagery born of frustration. He couldn’t do this now. But he couldn’t help himself. He’d already read part of the message; he may as well read it all.
Thinking of you today, my son. I do this every day but never more so than this day. I love you, Mum.
Lucas hit his hand against the wall as everything he’d tried to hold in came rushing to the surface. He wanted to smash the phone into a thousand little pieces. Why? Why did she still love him? Why couldn’t she just leave him alone and get on with her life? Why couldn’t she just hate him as much as he hated himself?
The door opened behind him.
“Lucas?”
He couldn’t turn around. The tears that had pricked the back of his eyes when he’d read his mother’s message now lay on his cheeks. “Go to sleep, Frankie.”
“You need me.” She moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle.
Her cheek rested on the middle of his back. She felt so warm, so comforting, but mostly so alive there was no way he could walk away from her. She was right. Tonight, he did need her.
His hands joined with hers and he held on tight. Slowly, her strength seeped into him and his heartache eased. He turned, his mouth crashing down on hers. Blindly, he felt along the corridor for the door to her room. He shoved it open and manoeuvred them inside without breaking off the kiss.
Her back against the door of the room, he didn’t let up the pressure of the kiss. The night before he’d stayed away partly because of the baby but mostly because he hadn’t wanted her to become dependent on him. She was a relationship girl and he avoided them. He didn’t want to lead her into thinking this would ever be more than it was.
Sex.
Hot, steamy sex.
Maybe if he hadn’t tried to be so damned noble, his need for her now wouldn’t be so strong. The need to feel her soft body underneath his almost overwhelmed him.
Her craving for him raised his own desire. Her leg curled around his, drawing their bodies closer together, while her arms looped around his neck while the movement of her hips showed him exactly what she wanted.
This wasn’t a night for pretty words and a slow build up. He increased the pressure by tilting his groin forwards. Frankie moaned and rubbed herself against him, making the heat between them rise to combustible levels.
Frankie moved her head, holding his face between her hands. “Make love to me, Lucas, and do it right now.”