Page 74 of My Heart's Doctor

“I already did,” he said, adding: “and she's sleeping peacefully. Now come to bed,” he requested, patting the mattress.

“You're in my spot,” I said, looking at him with a touch of shyness.

“Then we'll both have to sleep on this side because it's my favorite too,” he stated, with that slow, mischievous smile he used when he was teasing me.

“Since you're the guest, I'll allow it,” I said.

“But we'll have to reach an agreement because I don't think this will be the last time we sleep together,” he stated with conviction, and once again, my heart danced in my chest.

I looked at him with a shy smile and lay down beside him. He immediately put his arm around my back and pulled me against his body, leaving me no choice but to rest my head on his chest.

“I told you we'd sleep on the same side. I'm not letting go of you all night,” he pointed out.

“I thought you were joking.”

“Joking? Not at all. If I have you by my side, I want to hold you in my arms, I have no doubt about that. Aren't you used to sleeping with your partners? Not counting your ex-husband, of course,” he asked, with great curiosity.

“No; besides...” I said, pausing to think carefully about what I was going to say, and although it embarrassed me, I felt I should be honest about my nonexistent romantic relationships, so I added: “since my separation, I hadn't been with anyone.”

He took my chin and turned my face to look into my eyes.

“How is that possible? I can't understand how a woman like you wouldn't have propositions.”

“I didn't say that. I simply didn't accept them. At first because I needed time for myself, then because I didn't feel comfortable.”

Then came the question that made me regret opening my big mouth, because even I didn't have the answer.

“And why did you agree to go out with me?”

“I don't know; I really don't know. I suppose because I was very attracted to you, even though at first I thought you were a brute,” I pointed out, and he smiled. “Besides, my friends were always insisting that I should go out, that I shouldn't justdedicate myself to work, and I thought the time had come to do it.”

“It's good that your friends insisted, although your little friend Araoz seems to look after you a lot. It pisses me off a bit that he's always getting between us.”

“Orson just looks out for me. He's a great friend.”

“Is there something between you two that I should worry about?”

“Worry about?”

“I don't want anyone touching you. You're mine, 'Dulce,'” he said, bringing his face close to mine and giving me a delicate kiss.

“Orson is just a great friend,” I replied, surprised by the possessiveness in his tone and words.

“Better that way,” he stated, then asked, completely changing the subject: “How many days off do you have?”

“Two weeks.”

“Then we're going to make the most of those free days,” he commented, like a promise.

“Do you know when Alba is coming back?”

“She hasn't told me yet. I'll ask her as soon as I can. Now let's sleep, my sweet doctor,” he said, making my heart clench at such warmth.

“Good night, William.”

“Good night, 'Dulce.'”

He pulled me close to his body and embraced me, feeling the warmth of our bodies and our synchronized breathing, until sleep overcame us both. We fell asleep embracing, two bodies fused into one. Sleeping in his arms was wonderful and comforted me in a way I couldn't describe with words.