Read Love Songs for Free Online Page A

her lap as she looked around the room which would be hers for the next two weeks. It was small, but as pleasant as Ellen had said it would be. Painted a pale blue, rather than the traditional hospital white, its simplicity was relaxing. A small table stood to her left, a dresser to her right. Against the far wall was a nightstand, then the bed. In this case, too, white had been usurped by the pale green of both sheets and blankets. The warm glow of the lamp on the nightstand blended with a floor lamp by her chair to bathe the room in a light as gentle as that of dawn. To her surprise, Alanna felt quite comfortable.
    Turning to the first of the forms, she searched her purse for a pen, then began. The starting questions were standard. Name: Alanna Lyn Evans. Address: 2201 North Bancroft. Phone: 555–8821. Age: 31. Sex: Female. Marital Status: Single.
    A yawn escaped unhampered. Ellen was right; the task was more effective than counting sheep. Mustering her discipline, Alanna returned to it.
    Place of birth: Pittsburgh. Parents: Willard and Elizabeth Evans. Siblings: None.
    At the second yawn, Alanna put down the pen. The thought of outlining childhood illnesses and traumas, of which there were few, held no excitement. None at all.
    Excitement. The word was a trigger, flashing an instant image before her mind’s eye of a man, tall and broad-shouldered, arrogant as they come. Alexander Knight. Aside from the puppy love she had felt for Shep Harding, Alanna had never been stirred by a man in quite this way. Even aside from his preposterous mention of marriage, he was a puzzle. What coincidence had brought them together tonight? Had it only been for a few hours that she’d known of his existence?
    Strange, she mused, how time could take on altered dimensions. It was as though she had known him much longer. Indeed, their kiss had borne an intimacy that shocked her. What had happened to her usual defenses?
    Alanna kicked off her shoes and stood to explore the room. Her tapered fingers, their nails well shaped and clear, skimmed the curved edge of the tabletop, then the windowsill, bridging the gap to the bed, marking its length and width before falling to her side.
    Would she see him again? He knew where to find her. But what did she know of him, save that he was part of the Knight family? His dress and manner spoke of dignity, of class; why, then, his ludicrous idea about marriage? He had been serious! Or had he been? Perhaps he was toying with her; maybe the rich and privileged were accustomed to joking that way. Could he have meant it—that he intended to marry her? The remembrance of the touch of his lips on hers came unbidden to mind. An intoxicating spice—a manly mystique—an insidious explosion of warmth within her. Was she that vulnerable, after all she had led herself to believe?
    No! With a determined vow she turned to the closet and began to undress. Alex Knight might have been different, but she was not. She was the same Alanna Evans who had walked toward the hospital today with her head held high. She was a professional woman. She’d worked hard to get where she was. There was time for neither romance nor marriage in her life.
    Standing before the dresser in her bra and slip, she reached to carefully remove the pins which had anchored her hair sedately through the day. With the removal of each pin a strand of flaxen silk fell over her pale shoulders, one, then another, until a rich mane of honeyed treasure cascaded to midback. She ran her fingers freely through its length, bending to her overnight bag for her brush, then stroking the fall of hair until it was glossy in the pale light. Once again she thought of Alex Knight and her fingertips feather-touched her lips. How delightful he had tasted, she mused, then grimaced. Anything might taste good after decaffeinated coffee!
    Forcing her thoughts to her immediate plight, she showered, dressed in her nightgown and robe, then returned to her chair and the paperwork