Chapter Nine

Around twilight, as evening shadows consumed the room, Dina came to. She sat straight up in bed, alert and rested. Then she noticed the dark figure seated across the room from her and gasped.

From the shadows, Ben said, “I should’ve put on a light. Didn’t realize it’d gotten so dark.” He rose and flipped the switch on the table lamp near her bed. “Feeling better?”

After rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she gave him a groggy smile. “I did a real Rip Van Winkle on you. What time is it?”

“After eight the last time I checked. Hungry?”

“Now that you mention it, yes. And thirsty.”

“Why am I not surprised?” He started for the door. “Be back in a flash. I made some chicken salad for sandwiches. Iced tea okay?”

Something wasn’t equating. Why was he fixing her something to eat? Where was everybody else? And why had he kept vigil in her darkened room while she slept? She knew him well enough by now to know he wasn’t a pervert, so what was going on?

Too many questions. Dina allowed herself a few more minutes to wake up before she reached under the covers to feel her leg. Still there. It no longer throbbed, although it ached somewhat when she moved it. Through the pants leg of her pajamas, she probed for the bite area. It wasn’t as swollen and no longer hot to the touch.

While she waited for Ben to return, she attempted to sit up and get out of bed. It had been hours since she’d attended to personal needs. The minute she placed the foot of the affected leg on the floor, a sharp pain shot through the back of her thigh. What was this? Hadn’t the doctor said she’d be fine by tonight?

“What’s wrong?” Ben asked from the doorway. He placed the tray he’d brought on a nearby table and rushed over to her.

“I can’t get up without this horrible pain ripping through my leg. How long is this supposed to last?”

Ben shook his head, apparently puzzled. “I don’t know. Do you want me to call the clinic?”

“I’ll give it ’til morning. Were you able to fill the prescription for painkillers the doctor gave you?”

“Yeah. I was lucky to find a pharmacy that delivered, because I didn’t want to leave you alone.” He popped open a vial, shook out a tablet and handed it to her along with a glass of water.

“Where is everyone?”

He hesitated, as if the question required a more detailed response than downstairs. “Your mother and Rick are staying at the inn.”

“What! What on earth for?”

He didn’t reply at once. “When your mother called to check on you, she seemed to think you are under quarantine, so she and Rick have to stay away.”

Dina nearly dropped her glass of water. “Where did she get that idea?”

Ben placed a gentle hand under hers to support the glass. “I have no idea. She didn’t give me a chance to find out. She hung up immediately after announcing their location.”

Dina shook her head in disbelief. “Give me the phone. I’ll get her back here.” How like her mother to over-dramatize her condition.

Ben held up a hand. “It’s late. We could use the privacy to work. You can call her tomorrow. First, you need to eat.” He brought her the sandwich and iced tea.

After a few bites, she stopped chewing. The chicken had a sweet sharpness to it. She brought it closer to her nose and inhaled a heavenly blend of spices, mayo, and mustard. “This is delicious. Did the housekeeper leave it?”

“Actually, when I got hungry earlier, I chopped up some cold chicken breasts, added a bit of this and a dab of that and produced chicken salad.”

“I’m impressed. My chicken salad usually comes from the deli.”

“We each have our own talents. Yours must be outside the kitchen.”

She grinned. “Very diplomatic. Except I have yet to discover what they are.”

“How about your organizational and accounting skills? You worked wonders putting my papers in order.”

Maybe he thought so, but he didn’t know her recent history. She couldn’t contain the sigh that escaped.

“Ouch! Sorry. Didn’t realize it was a sore point.”

She fingered the edge of her blanket, focusing all her attention there. “I appreciate the compliment. Until recently, I was head cheerleader for my accounting skills. But a few months back, something happened. No need to go into details, but it pulled me up short. Made me reassess just how good I am.”

“That why you didn’t jump at the chance to rescue my books?”

She nodded, still keeping her eyes focused elsewhere. “At the time, I was worried about some other screwball scheme Mother had gotten herself into. My mind wasn’t totally on my work, which is why I missed something.”

“That happening now? Your concern about your mom’s marriage keeping you from focusing?”

“No. I’ve been extra cautious. Plus, you’re going over everything I do, although you threw me when you doubted the reporting error I found last night. But if you’d rather I dropped out—”

“That won’t be necessary. You’ve given me no reason to distrust your skills. I’m more interested in, uh, this thing with your mother. No, you worrying about your mother.” The words were out before he realized they’d escaped. But suddenly it all made sense. “You claim you’ve created your own life away from Hollywood, but it’s clear to me your mother’s influence extends all the way back to the Midwest.

Dina turned his direction but kept her eyes lowered.

He knew it wasn’t his business, but he couldn’t help asking, “Why does she have such a powerful hold over you?”

She didn’t respond at first. Rather, she continued to play her hands over the blanket binding. Finally, she said, “Judge for yourself. You’ve seen her in action. She’s mesmerizing. She’s also a lovely, gracious person. But she makes her own universe, like believing I’m quarantined, so she and Rick have to keep their distance for a few days. Sometimes those decisions create havoc. My job’s always been clean-up, while she moves on to her next disaster.

He recognized the woman she described. But he couldn’t figure out Dina’s role. “How did trailing your mother with an imaginary dust pan come to be your job?”

She leaned back against her pillow. “Because I was all she had after she and Dad divorced.”

She said it with finality, as if that was the only option. Had she ever considered there might be others?

“What I said about Mother? She’s really a wonderful person.”

He smiled. “I know.” He meant it. “How about getting back to my books? Do you feel up to it?”

The idea hit her cold. Where was her usual work ethic? “Uh, could I do something about my appearance first? I feel so grubby. I could use a shower.”

“No problem.”

“I, uh, can’t make it under my own power.” Did she really need a shower or did she just want to be in his arms again? Probably both.

He picked her up and carried her into the bathroom, leaving her to attend first to her other needs. That task accomplished, she turned her attention to the shower only to realize her inability to stand precluded that possibility. “Ben! We’ve got a problem here,” she called through the closed door. When he reentered the room, she explained her predicament.

“How much do you want a shower?” Ben raised his eyebrows to suggest there would be a price to pay.

“Enough to risk hearing the answer to that question.”

“How about a bath instead? We’ll run the water and set you in there, pajamas and all. Will water ruin that fabric?”

That such a question would occur to him surprised her. She didn’t know the answer, but she did know she wanted/needed to freshen up. “I’ll risk it. Start the water. Just make sure it’s not too hot.”

Five minutes later, she reclined against the back of the tub, enjoying the sheer pleasure of foaming bubbles. It’d been a long time since she’d varied her shower routine. This was wonderful. So peaceful and luxurious.

She eased her head against the bath pillow and inhaled the dizzying fragrance of the imported lavender bath salts her mother loved and closed her eyes, her mind floating through greenish clouds. No, it was sea water, the same undulating waves that rocked her the day before on the fishing boat. The motion lulled her into a relaxed, semi-conscious state.

Eyes shut, Dina allowed fantasy to sweep her away. Ben appeared out of nowhere, holding up their fish, the pleased smile on his face as timeless as the successful hunter returning to the cave with his kill. He was no longer pale or seasick. Instead, he was robust and healthy. Very healthy. His eyes went dusky as he held out a hand for her to join him.

He called out to her. “Dina, Dina.”

“Ben.”

“Dina? Are you okay in there?”

She blinked her eyes open. That really was Ben. “I’m fine. Although the water is getting cold. Time to get me out.”

Silence. Had he left?

“Ben? Are you still there? I said I’m ready to get out.”

“Uh, something just occurred to me. Maybe you’ve already come up with a solution?”

What was he talking about? Now that the water temperature had registered in her consciousness, she was getting colder by the minute.

“I take it you’re no longer wearing the pajamas?”

“Right. I was able to remove them. Why do you ask? Oh. My. God! Didn’t you have an escape plan in mind?”

“I...uh...no.”

Great. Goosebumps already dotted her arms, but now chills swept through the rest of her body. Modesty was fast giving way to other creature comforts, like restoring her body temperature. She groped for some way to take care of both. “Looks like the only way to get me out of here is for you to come in and lift me out.”

No response.

“Ben?”

“Are you, uh, sure you want me to come in there?”

“With your eyes closed, yes. When you get in here, you should find some large bath towels in the linen closet. You’ll have to feel your way there to locate them. Can I tru...can you do that?”

“You want me to find a blindfold first?”

“Well, no.”

“I was kidding. This is no time to worry about your virtue. We’ve got to get you out of there before you freeze.”

“Okay. Come in. Get at least two towels.”

With her back to the bathroom door, she couldn’t see him enter, but she knew when he’d moved into the room when she heard, “Ouch!” Without the use of his eyes, he’d walked directly into the commode.

“Sorry. I’d better talk you through this. Just hurry.”

Even with her directing, he still managed to ram into the lavatory and then the end of the bathtub, but eventually he reached the closet door. Despite her shivers, her body warmed at the thought of his presence. She trusted him to be a gentleman, but how far would chivalry go when confronted with the temptation of a naked lady stuck in the tub? For that matter, what about her own temptations?

“Put the one over your shoulder and hold the other one in your outstretched hands.”

“Aye, aye, cap’n. Done.”

“Turn a hundred and eighty degrees and take five steps. That should bring you to the side of the tub. You’ll have to bend down and place it around me and then pick me up.”

“Are you sure about this?” He couldn’t sound more skeptical.

“The bath towel is super-sized. It should easily cover all the parts of me that need to be covered.” She couldn’t believe how matter-of-fact she sounded about something so...provocative.

“One. Two. Three.”

“What’s taking so long?”

“I’m stopping after each step to test whether there’s anything in front of me. Just in case your instructions are off. If I recall, you weren’t so hot remembering how to get us to the island.”

“Give me a break.”

“Four. Fiiiii—”

“Hey, watch out!”

“Eowww!” He toppled into the tub almost on top of her, his eyes flying open as he landed. For a suspended moment, he stared at Dina. A completely naked Dina.

She’d had only enough response time to cross her arms in front of her, but that hardly covered her chest. She should be embarrassed, but she was more fascinated by the way his eyes grew larger and darker at the sight of her. In response, her legs tensed and the more intimate parts of her body tingled, and not from shivering.

Then the moment was over. Ben threw the towel at her. “Here. It’s already wet, but put it around you anyhow. I gotta get out of here.”

She complied while he disengaged himself from the tub, eyes closed again, water dripping from his pants and shirt like the net that pulled in their catch the day before. “Five steps, you say? Maybe for you, lady, but by my count, that should’ve been four Ben-sized steps.”

He was attempting to make light of it. She should be grateful. What would she have done if he’d reacted differently and stayed in the tub longer? That look in his eyes, brief though it had been, telegraphed that he would have liked to.

She finished draping the soggy towel around her soapy body and told him she was ready to be lifted out. His thoroughly soaked pants molded themselves to his body. He was interested! Temptation to unwrap the towel and let him gaze upon her again gripped her so powerfully she had to hug herself to keep from doing anything so rash.

“Ready?” Eyes now open again, he returned to the tub and bent to pick her up.

“Huh? Oh, yes. Ready. Careful, it may be slippery.”

As he pulled her out, she reached down to assure herself that the towel adequately covered her bottom. He apparently wasn’t expecting her abrupt movement, and once again, he lost his footing. He righted himself enough to slide toward the commode where he landed with a plop, her on top of him.

“Sor—” she started to say.

Their faces were inches apart, her arms still cradled around his neck. The tingling she’d felt before was nothing compared to the buzz saw vibrating through her lower region now as she gazed into smoky charcoal eyes. She couldn’t look away. Or do anything, for that matter. Within the swirling smoke, she saw a question and then a flash of resolve.

“Damn!” He crushed his lips to hers.

His kiss hit her with the impact of a plunging elevator, exhilarating and frightening at the same time. It wasn’t a sweet kiss. It was harsh, demanding, his need powerful. Something inside her seemed to wake from a long, frozen sleep, sending her spirits soaring. She couldn’t breathe until he suddenly pulled away.

“Damn! I shouldn’t have done that.”

He stood, lifting her with him. Then he set her down again on the commode. “I’ll get you a dry towel and wait in the hall. Call me when you’re ready, and I’ll take you back to your room.”

Before she could reply, he returned with another towel and, despite the slippery floor, shot out of the door. Had that really happened? Ben Cutler kissed her? Then almost as rapidly, he’d denied the implication. Given his speedy exit, she suspected he would even have denied having done it at all, if he thought he could get away with it.

She hadn’t been kissed by a man in a long time. Too long. But even if kisses from other men had been more frequent, this one stood out. A jolt of electric sensation still raced through her entire body from the tips of her fingers to her toenails. She touched her mouth, as if to reassure herself that his lips had recently been there, though from the burning sensation that remained, there should be no doubt.

From the other side of the door, he called, “Ready?”

She hadn’t moved. Still sat in the dripping towel. “Almost. Give me another minute.” She quickly traded sodden terrycloth for dry. “Okay, come in.”

He reentered the room but didn’t look at her.

“Home, James,” she said, attempting to lighten the mood. “If you’ll carry me back to my bed and find some clothes for me, I can dress myself.”

Once he set her on the bed, he searched through the drawers of her bureau for dry clothes. “Hope these will do.” His voice was stiff as he held up a pair of shorts, underwear and a knit top. “I’ll go mop up the bathroom.”

“Don’t you want to get to work?” she asked his retreating back. Let him go, Dina. Give him a few minutes to compose himself. They could discuss the kiss later. Or never.

He was acting like he’d taken advantage of her. But he hadn’t. She’d willed it to happen. If he hadn’t broken away, she would have been a goner. She would have given herself to him there and then.

But it hadn’t happened. At least not lasted long enough for him to discern her feelings. Damn! For the first time in years, she’d found someone she could be interested in romantically, but since the man was the father of the man she wanted to oust from her mother’s life, she couldn’t follow through. Life was cruel.

From behind the closed door, Ben called, “Bathroom’s dry again.”

“Thanks.” That sounded so lame, but what else could she say—“Thanks for jumpstarting my sleeping libido.”

“I’ll put on some dry clothes and then I’ll be back.”

Was this the second or third time since they’d met that he’d been doused, thanks to her? When she got a chance, she’d have to check into the significance of water in sexual fantasy.