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"You'll lose your job and it will be my fault," she persisted.
"I won't lose it. I have permission to be here." He lifted her left hand and rubbed his thumb over the
signet ring she'd given back to him two months ago. He'd replaced it on her ring fin-ger while she
was still unconscious.
"You gave us all a scare," he added solemnly.
She moved her finger experimentally, only just realizing the ring was back. "How did that get there?"
she asked drowsily.
"I put it there," he replied quietly. "We're still married. I had to sign you in under your legal name."
She averted her eyes and tugged her hand away from his. "That must have shocked Miss Moore," she
said very dully. "I hope she's willing to wait until we can get divorced."
He drew in a short breath and rammed his hands into his pockets. "Let's see about getting you well and
back on your feet before we talk about that."
She arched an eyebrow. "Why wait?"
He turned away, frowning. Inspiration came as he studied the painting on the wall. It looked vaguely
Japanese.
"You're forgetting the business trip to Japan, aren't you?" he murmured. "We wouldn't want to upset
the negotiations at this stage by presenting a divided front, would we?"
"It shouldn't affect the negotiations," she replied, but she didn't sound convincing.
He turned and studied her slight form under the sheet. "Let's not take chances, just the same."
She frowned, but she didn't argue. "Whatever you want to do is fine with me," she replied after a
minute. "But you may have to go to Japan alone. I don't know that I'll be up to it."
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said. He moved back to the bed, his face drawn and
taut with worry and lack of sleep. He reached down and touched her face lightly with his fingertips.
"You're a little better today."
"It's slow," she replied.
His thumb rubbed slowly, softly, over her full mouth. It excited him to remember its ardent response
on Christmas Eve. He had so many regrets. He could hardly find room for them all in his conscience.
"You don't sleep well, do you, honey?" he asked with some concern. "There are dark circles under
your eyes."
She laughed without humor. "If I could get out of this bed, Jack Clark would have a few dark circles
under his eyes, too, but they wouldn't be from lack of sleep!"
"He'll go away for a long time," he said curtly.
Her dark eyes sought his. "Cash said you tried to attack him."
His gaze moved to the far wall. "I didn't even realize you were shot until Cash turned you over and we
saw the blood. We thought you'd fainted until then."
"I don't faint," she remarked drowsily. She sighed and closed her eyes wearily.
"You brave little idiot," he bit off, moving closer to the bed. "Why didn't you just sing out?"
"He had you right in his sights," she said involuntarily. "There wasn't time to shout a warning. By the
time I spotted him, he was already pulling the trigger."
"Christabel, how do you think I'd feel if you'd died?" he asked bluntly. "Do you think I could have
lived with knowing that you bought my life with your own?"
She barely heard him. She was so tired. "Couldn't...let him... kill you."
He bent with a groan and pressed his lips hard to her forehead. "Listen, there's something I need to tell
you," he began.
"No, there's not," she murmured. "It was my choice. I made it. You've taken care of me for five years,
Judd. It was my turn to take care of you."
He couldn't bear the pain of remembering how she'd looked just after the bullet hit her. He bent and
drew his mouth tenderly over her dry lips, savoring their warmth in a tense silence.
"Don't," she moaned, putting her hand against his mouth. "Don't, please! I don't want to mess up your
life any more than I already have. You don't owe me a thing."
He kissed her palm hungrily. "You don't understand."
Her eyes opened and looked up into his. "Sure I do," she whispered wearily. "You feel guilty for what
you told Tippy about how I embarrassed you. Then I got shot and you're try-ing to sacrifice yourself
to make amends. It isn't necessary. You can take this ring back. I'll give you a divorce..."
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