Page 39 of Just One Night Together
“What does that mean?”
“That I think you worry more about everyone else than you worry about Haley Slater.”
Haley opened her mouth and closed it again, because he was right. “So?”
“So, maybe I’m glad to be addressing that imbalance.”
“Tonight?”
He met her gaze. “Tonight.” He nodded. “Tonight, you’re the queen, and the only thing that matters is your satisfaction. Whatever you want, I’ll do my best to deliver.”
“Oh, there’s an offer I can’t refuse.”
“And that’s a relief.” He pushed his hand into her hair, cupped her nape and pulled her closer. “Because I’m ready to please you all over again. Let’s start the new year off right, Haley.” He kissed her then, one of those demanding and possessive kisses that turned more than her knees to butter.
Haley collapsed against him in satisfaction.
More, more, more. What could be wrong with more of Damon? Not one thing as far as she was concerned.
* * *
Haley sleptin the next morning. She wasn’t surprised that Damon was gone by the time she awakened, although she was disappointed that he hadn’t left a note or a card.
They’d tried out the massage oil and ended up making love three times more. Contrary to his expectation, she wasn’t particularly worried about them doing it once without a condom. She knew it was the wrong time of the month for her to conceive and she couldn’t imagine that a guy who was so fastidious about his health wouldn’t be clean.
She’d liked how impulsive it had felt.
She’d taken a chance and she didn’t care.
It was 2018 and this was the new Haley. She was going to embrace risk, be passionate, try new things.
She ran some errands before going to work, then stopped to visit Natasha. The older woman was curled up on her bed when she arrived. Haley was sure she got thinner by the day.
“Good afternoon, Natasha,” she said softly. She didn’t want to wake the older woman up if she was sleeping but didn’t want to startle her either.
“Haley,” Natasha said, the name no more than an exhalation. Her head was bare and she’d lost her hair, which made her look almost like a large child.
“You look cold today,” Haley said, trying to sound cheerful. “Should we try to get some circulation going?”
“That would be nice, thank you.”
“Where’s your chemo hat? Did you drop it?”
“It’s too itchy,” Natasha said. “I can’t bear it.”
Of course, her skin would be extremely sensitive. “Maybe I can find you another one,” Haley said as she eased Natasha to her stomach.
“You’re so nice to me.”
“It’s easy to be nice to you, because you’re nice.”
Natasha smiled. “I thought you might like my son.”
“Why would you think that?” Haley began the massage, even more gently than she had before.
“I think he’s nice. Too nice to be alone.”
“Are you matchmaking, Natasha?” Haley asked, teasing her a little.
