"You could move in with me," he said seriously. "I promise that I wouldn't do anything to hurt you and that way you could take your time finding a job you'd be safe."
She was silent, but her eyes were searching his face. He looked so troubled, genuinely troubled for her, so she just nodded.
"You will?" he asked.
"Yes, I will," she told him. "But please don't rush me, Duncan. Tonight was different, you know that, and I'm not sure I'm ready for that type of relationship again just yet."
"Did I hurt you, Gil?" he implored. "Do you hate me?"
"NO!" she said emphatically. "It's just that tonight you know we were drugged and it was the animal in us that brought us together, not love.
The next time we make love, I want it to be because we want each other; because we're sure of our feelings, not because someone has put something in our drinks. Can you understand that?"
"Of course I understand, and I promise I'll respect your wishes, but it will be hard, loving you as much as I do."
"Maybe it won't be long, but please do try. I don't want to ruin everything before it gets started."
He laughed and said, "You are different, but that's why I love you!"
They ate their dinner in silence, just every once in a while their eyes would meet in a silent understanding, then he took her back to the hotel.
"Why don't you grab a few things, leave a note for Jessica so she doesn't worry and come with me. I am sure that Jessica will stay with Andrew tonight anyway and I don't want you to be alone."
"Let me see if she's there first then I'll come back downstairs and let you know."
She walked slowly to her room and Duncan waited for her in the lobby.
Jessica was not there and she had left a note for her telling her that she, too, was moving out. Andrew was getting her a small flat, but that she would get in touch with her through Duncan and she hoped that she and Duncan could work things out.
Hurriedly, Gillian packed a small suitcase and went back downstairs.
Duncan beamed when he saw her and took the bag from her hand. She went over to the desk and told the night clerk that she would be back in the morning for the rest of her things and leave a note for Jessica where she could be reached. He just nodded, eyeing her and Duncan, then marked his records accordingly.
Duncan helped her into the taxi and they headed for his flat. It was a lovely one bedroom place and the doorman greeted them as they got out of the taxi.
"Al, this is Miss Blake, she'll be staying with me for awhile. If she needs anything, please help her, she's new in town and tell the day man too."
"Certainly, Mr. Jones, and welcome to London, Miss Blake."
Duncan slipped him a pound note and then showed her the way to the lift and where the mail boxes were.
"I hope you'll like it here. As I told you, it's just one bedroom, but it's clean and pleasant, and this area is very safe, so don't be afraid to go out."
"Oh, I'll keep the place neat, and I'll even cook for you," she smiled.
"You know, it will be nice to have a man to take care of again."
"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" he queried teasingly.
"I guess it should," she laughed, "but anyway, I think I'll like it!"
She felt better after her dinner and the wine and he poured her a small brandy once he had shown her where she could put her things and the other little intricacies of the flat.
"Here, to my new roommate," he grinned, "I love her."
He tilted his glass to touch hers and they both sat back and let the warmth of the liquor relax them as they listened to some music from his stereo.
"I don't want you to worry about anything, Gil," he comforted her. "If he ever so much as calls you, I want you to tell me. Of course, it would take him a long time to find out that you're here with me, but he's a sick man and he may just figure that I'd ask you to stay."
"Believe me, if he does try to see me or call me, you'll be the first to know, Duncan dear, and thanks again. I don't know what I would have done without you."
He leaned over and kissed her lightly, tenderly, then pulled away, and held her face in his hands.
"1'll wait for you to love me," he told her, "but I hope it doesn't take too long!"
She smiled at him and kissed him warmly.
"I hope it doesn't either," she confided.
He let her use the bathroom first, then poured himself another drink while she went to bed. He knew that it would take all his willpower to let her alone when she would be so close, so he waited until she was sleeping, then crawled into the bed next to her.
"Good night, darling," he whispered, but didn't reach out to touch her or kiss her, that would have been too much of a trial.
She slept soundly all through the night, but woke up the next morning when she heard his alarm go off.
"I'll make you breakfast," she said, jumping out of bed and going to the bathroom. "What would you like?"
"Just coffee, really, I never eat breakfast."
"Oh," she exclaimed, "I've learned something new about you already!"
She put on a pot of coffee and had her morning cigarette. She looked at him when he came out to the kitchen to get his cup, his hair wet from the shower and he was bundled in a robe. He looked so young, so much like a little boy in the morning and she felt a flood of tenderness for him.
"Good morning," she said smiling. "I hope it is a good morning, Duncan dear!"
"It will be, sweetheart," he assured her. "Now, you do what you want to do today, you don't even have to look for a job if you don't want to."
"Oh, I think that I'd better see some employment agencies, and I'll call the other people I wrote to before I came to the city, maybe they still need someone."
"Well, that's up to you, but don't rush into anything just to get a job, it's not necessary."
"You're very sweet, Duncan, but I don't expect you to support me too.
You're already doing too much."
"You know I love you, so be quiet, I like to do things for you."