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Gently, she removed the shoe and the sock and unwound the strapping bandage. She examined the bruised area, moving the joint around. She watched Alex’s face for any sign that it was painful. There was only a small wince when she turned the ankleinwards. This was the angle at which it had overstretched when it was sprained.

“There is definitely more movement.”

“That’s good,” Alex answered, but her focus was on Morgan and not the injury.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Morgan said, as she re-strapped the bandage. She hadn’t looked up at all, she dared not, but she could see out of her periphery that Alex was staring at her.

“Sorry, I—”

Morgan finished what she was doing and finally looked up, holding the now somewhat embarrassed gaze. “Make up your mind, Alex. Do you want me or not?”

“That’s an unfair—”

“No,” Morgan interrupted. “No, it isn’t unfair. We had sex, and then you said it couldn’t happen again, and I’ll respect that, but if that’s the case, then you have to stop looking at me like you want to devour me.”

“I know.” Alex hung her head.

“Or tell me you made a mistake,” Morgan said confidently. “Tell me you fucked up and you want to do this, but you can’t have an in-between mixed message of flirtatious glances. That’s not fair.” She stood up. “You let me know what it’s to be, but once you decide, that’s it. No going back.”

Alex only looked up again when she heard the sound of the bedroom door closing with a soft click. “Well, that told you, didn’t it?”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Rehearsals had gone well, and Alex had done everything she was asked and rested the moment they returned. Between getting back and now, Morgan had gone for a swim and left Francine to take charge of making sure Alex behaved.

She’d needed the break.

Since her little outburst earlier, Alex had barely spoken to her. Not in a punishing, silent treatment kind of way, but that she was just quiet, as though lost in her thoughts. And Morgan was okay with that. What was happening between them needed to be acknowledged and dealt with, one way or the other.

When she returned, Francine was speaking to a member of staff who’d brought dinner up on a huge trolley and decanted it all onto the table.

There was more food than anyone could possibly eat. It was like Christmas. Francine stood to the side, opening a bottle of champagne, while Morgan felt herself being observed by Alex on the couch.

“We didn’t know what you wanted, so…” Alex shrugged and smiled. “Francine said order everything.”

“You didn’t?” Morgan said, a little overwhelmed.

“No, I thought back to what you’ve ordered previously and kind of took a gamble that you’d enjoy the pork.”

Morgan smiled. “Thank you for being so considerate.”

“The hotel has sent a bottle of very nice sparkling wine,” Francine said as she poured into the first glass. “Are you partaking, Morgan?”

“I guess one glass won’t hurt.” She turned her smile on Francine and tried to ignore the intensity with which she was being viewed by Alex, as though something was being sized up. She wished now that she’d dried her hair and at least attempted to control the curls before she’d thrown on her leisure wear and come back up. “I’m just going to change into something more…appropriate for dinner.”

Francine’s eyebrows raised. “It’s just dinner with us. The world isn’t going to judge your attire.”

“You look fine, Morgan, be comfortable.” Alex pushed herself up and limped across to the table. “I’m starving,” she said, quickly averting her gaze.

Morgan looked more than fine, and that was the problem, wasn’t it?

“Okay,” Morgan said, taking a seat at the table.

With dinner over, Morgan had excused herself and left the two women with their glasses of scotch, and a lengthy list of things to discuss for the following day. Which was fine by her. She was in need of a long shower to finally get the last remnants of chlorine off of her. It was faint, she had of course showered at the pool, but still, it wasn’t her favourite scent, and it rankled every time she moved and it wafted up to her sensitive nose.

“I’ll just be—” She pointed over her shoulder, and if she wasn’t mistaken, a look of disappointment flashed across Alex’s face.

She left them to it.