The next morning when she awoke she was alone, and it took her a minute to remember where she was and what had happened. Had Declan really swooped in and saved her last night? She felt an overwhelming sense of relief that he had, as she realized just how badly she wanted to go home.

Declan, she thought about him once more. He was an enigma. To her, he had always been a stodgy, older, friend of her father's. What did she really know about him? Should she marry him? If she did, she could get her money then divorce him and do whatever she wanted to.

Marry Declan, she turned the idea over in her head and, as if she had conjured him up, he appeared as the bathroom door opened.

He looked at her, an eyebrow raised in question.

"My clothes?" It was all she could think to say as she stared at him, wondering if she could really marry him. He was wearing a dress shirt, slacks, and a tie, which hung untied around his neck, and it appeared as if he was freshly shaven.

He nodded to the hook by the door. "I sent them out to be dry cleaned after you fell asleep, they delivered them about an hour ago."

She nodded throwing back the covers, wincing as she moved her leg too quickly.

"Do you need help?"

She did, there was no way she could bare weight on the leg. "Yes, please." Livy was suddenly mortified, she had been so rude to him last night and now she needed his help. If she was him, she wouldn't help her.

He walked over to her and easily picked her up just as he had the previous night, but this time, instead of throwing her over his shoulder he cradled her against his chest, and he was a little too close for comfort. He took her into the bathroom, which smelled like aftershave and soap, and sat her on the toilet.

She couldn't look at him, embarrassed that he was having to help her, but she was dying for a shower and it had been awhile since her last one so she wasn't going to push him away.

He handed her a towel before starting the shower.

"Although it seems a little late after your overt display last night, let's see if we can do this and save what little modesty you have at the same time."

Any regret she felt fled as she started a slow simmer at his words, there was no need for him to be so nasty about it. But, she managed to keep the thought to herself as she bit her cheek and nodded, knowing that he didn't have to help her and she wouldn't put it past him to walk away if she became, once again, ungrateful or rude. He had always liked to put her in her place.

"Get undressed and wrap the towel around you." He turned his back unfastening his cuffs and rolling up his sleeves.

"O.K.," she said when that was done.

He picked her up and put her in the shower then closed the curtain. "Hand me the towel." He reached around the curtain for it. "There is a handle to hold yourself up with if you need it."

The hot water running over her skin felt sublime.

"You O.K.?"

"Yes," she said quickly, getting to the point and grabbing the soap. It shot out if her hand and rattled around the bottom of the tub and she closed her eyes embarrassed by her clumsiness.

Declan's hand came around the shower curtain with another bar of soap. "Try to hang on to this one."

She did, but when it came time to do her hair it was a little more difficult.

"You having problems?"

"I need both hands to do my hair."

"Well, let go of the handle and use both hands." He sounded exasperated by her incompetence.

She let go and almost slipped on the slick tub as she reached for the small bottle of shampoo.

"Turn you back."

She did so as the shower curtain opened and the cold air sent goosebumps over her flesh. The next thing she knew Declan's hands were in her hair lathering it up. A fresh wave of goosebumps broke out across her skin again, but this time it wasn't from the cold air. She felt his hand brush her neck and glide behind her ears.

Her reached up above her and grabbed the shower head taking it down from the hook it was hanging from.

"Tilt your head back."

She did as he instructed and he slowly rinsed out all of the soap. She felt it glide down her back and her legs making her very aware of her nakedness. He worked quickly and turned off the water then hung up the showerhead and handed her a towel. After she was wrapped he lifted her up and out of the shower placing her back on the toilet.

"I'll get your clothes," he said in an emotionless voice.

She nodded afraid that if she spoke she would start crying and she wasn't sure why.

After he handed her clothes to her he closed the door behind him and Livy took a few deep breaths, trying to regain control of emotions that she didn't understand. She looked at her flushed face in the mirror. That had to be one of the most intimate moments she had ever shared with a man in her life and it was with old, stodgy, boring, Declan.

Dressing, her mind zinging from thought to thought, she was completely taken by surprise when she walked out of the bathroom and came across a shirtless Declan. He didn't look old and stodgy. He was built. She watched his biceps flex as he passed the phone from one hand to the other. His broad shoulders led to a muscular chest and a flat rippled stomach led to..." She swallowed. What little control she had regained started to quickly slip as she looked at him. He had a phone to his ear and hadn't noticed her as he shook out his shirt and put one arm in the sleeve. When she looked up from his massive chest it was see Declan watching her in the mirror, that condescending eyebrow raised again.

She let the door jamb hold her up, looking away as she considering the risk it would be to hobble to the bed. Seeing her dilemma and not bothering to stop his conversation on the phone, he walked over to her and picked her up again. He hadn't buttoned his shirt and she could feel the warmth of his skin against her arm.

Was this really Declan Brooks?

He sat her on the bed and went back to dressing while still talking on the phone.

When he hung up he had finished buttoning his shirt and reached for his tie.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes but..."

"But?" She could hear the impatience in his voice.

"I don't have any shoes?"

She swore she saw his lips twitch. Another first. In all of the years she had known him she could not recall him ever smiling. "That should make airport security a little easier for you."

Livy's mouth fell open. Had he just made a joke?

"We'll stop and get some." He finished his tie and started to pack up the rest of his things.

"Let's go." He put the bag over his shoulder and picked her up again, but this time, thankfully, it was in a fireman's carry, and Livy didn't know whether to be glad or not. His holding her to his chest was getting more and more personal, but this way was almost as personal since her rearend was right in his face.

When he entered the lobby to check out, he lowered her to the ground and helped her to a chair.

It was the first time that she was witnessing him interact with another person that wasn't her or her father, and she was a little astounded by the reaction he was receiving from the concierge. She was a pretty little blond and she smiled sweetly at him while batting her eyelashes. She was trying to flirt with Declan but he seemed oblivious as he signed the bill and thanked her.

In stupefied silence at what she had just witnessed, she let Declan carry her to the car and stow her away without a word being spoken.

"What size shoe are you?" he asked, once again all business.

"Seven."

He nodded and drove for a few minutes before pulling into a five and dime store. He came out with a pair of flip flops and threw them at her. "Here these should do the trick."

They were horrible with neon yellow and purple stripes. She slid them on her feet with a frown.

"You got the ugliest pair on purpose, didn't you?" Realizing she had sounded ungrateful, and not meaning to, she closed her mouth and looked away from him.

"They're shoes Livy, you can throw them away as soon as we arrive home for all I care."

She pinched her lips as she slid her feet into the shoes, at least they fit.