Carpathian 12 - Dark Melody

putting inches between them, but he was breathing heavily. "Your heart is pounding."
    Her mouth curved slowly, her eyes dancing. "That's yours, not mine." It wasn't strictly true; both hearts were beating out a syncopated rhythm together.
    "The healers are going to come in here and give us a lecture," Dayan whispered, glancing at the door.
    She ruffled his hair, enjoying the luxury of touching the silky wayward strands. "What will they do if they catch us?" she asked, smirking at him. "Be shocked?"
    "Order me out is more like it," he said gravely. "I would be given a lecture about how irresponsible and selfish I am. Which I am. I should be very careful of you at all times, not giving in to temptation every time you smile at me." He frowned at her when she pushed at his chest. "What are you doing?"
    "Getting up. I have to go to the bathroom. I take it that's not something your species has to do much."
    She was teasing, but the smile faded when he continued to look at her steadily. She held up her hand.
    "Don't even go there. I don't want to know. Just get out of my way and let a mere mortal do her thing."
    "My love" – the words came out a whisper, velvet soft, and seemed to shimmer in the air between them
    – "I cannot allow you to run around. The healers said complete bed rest. I must insist you obey."
    "They didn't mean not go to the bathroom. I seem to remember you carrying me the last time, but it isn't necessary." When he refused to move, she sighed heavily and changed tactics. "All right, carry me again.
    But this is embarrassing, and I'm afraid it's becoming a bad habit."
    Dayan lifted her easily, cradling her in his arms. "I do not see why. You think of the strangest things."
    "I'd like to be in your mind once in a while and see what goes on in there," she challenged him.

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    He set her carefully on the tile floor beside the wide marble sink. "You can read my mind anytime you like, honey. My mind is always merged with yours. I stay a shadow in there so I can find out all those fascinating things you try to hide from the world." He smirked at her. "You are just too much of a chicken to actually look into my mind and see what thoughts are lurking there."
    She stood there, gripping the side of the marble sink, staring up at him for a few moments. "Well?" She waited. "Out! You can't think you're going to stay in here."
    "I cannot leave you alone," he said mildly.
    "I mean it, Dayan. Get out this instant. No arguing. Out!" She was very firm and tough about it.
    Dayan looked helpless for a moment, then shrugged and glided out of the bathroom, deciding the old adage "Discretion is the better part of valor" held true.
    The door closed with a hard thud behind him at a wave from Corinne's hand. "Make sure your mind goes with you," she called out, then found she was smiling because she could wave at doors and faucets and set her toothbrush in motion and it didn't seem to bother Dayan in the least.
    ‘Ido not know why you would think my mind would not go with me and stay with you at the same time.' His voice brushed at the walls of her mind like the flutter of butterfly wings, sending waves of warmth coursing through her.
    For the first time in a long while, Corinne found she was truly happy. Standing in the bathroom, leaning against the sink, making an attempt to do something with her wild mass of hair, she was perfectly happy.
    Once she had pulled her hair free from the thick braid, it was too heavy to manage. She found she was too tired to lift her arms to tidy it. She sighed very softly.
    'What is wrong?' There was anxiety in his voice.
    Corinne didn't actually reply, she knew she didn't, she just sighed again, but it was enough to bring him rushing in, scooping her up as if she were precious porcelain. Her hair tumbled in all directions, fanning out over his shoulder and across the dark shadow on his jaw. "Just can't stay away, can you?" she asked, secretly grateful he had raced in to rescue her.
    "I knew you needed rescuing," he said with great male satisfaction.
    "Was I thinking rescue? That was the actual word in my mind?" She shook her head as she settled onto the bed. "I don't think rescue was the precise word. I can't imagine using a word like that."
    "Oh, it was rescue all right." He wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily, not when her green eyes were sparkling with laughter and her intriguing dimple was very much in