Doc John made a noncommittal noise and motioned across the room. "Have a seat in that chair, if you don't mind. I'm going to draw the sample myself."

When he was finished taking the blood, he wrote her name on a label and wrapped it around the tube.

There was a commotion outside, voices rising sharply.

Doc John ignored the noise. "So here's what I think. You're exhausted. You haven't been eating enough. And you overdid it with the hot water in the tub, which was why you passed out. How's that for a diagnosis?"

She smiled a little. "Nothing that I hadn't guessed."

"Then I'm really going to knock your socks off with my prescription. Go home. Take some time off. Sleep until you can't stand to have your eyes closed for a moment longer and then stay in bed for another day. I'll send the blood out. Results will be back in forty-eight hours. Sound good to you?"

Cass nodded. "I was going to take a little break, anyway."

"And now you have a note from the doctor."

She smiled and gave him her cell phone number, thinking she'd be back in New York by the time the lab results came in.

"Thanks, Doc John."

"My pleasure. Call me anytime if you have questions." He shook her hand and left.

As she got dressed, there were more raised voices in the hall. When she stepped outside, she was surprised to come face-to-face with Alex.

And downright shocked when she got a look at him.

He was white as the wall behind him, and he was being restrained from going into her exam room by Spike.

Libby must have called him.

"What's wrong with you?" Alex demanded.

"Nothing."

"You passed out."

"Because I was in the tub too long. It's no big deal."

"You look like hell."

As Spike cursed, Cass felt the tickle of hysteria rise in her throat. "Well, thank you. How kind of you to point that out. Now, where is Libby?"

"She left. I told her we'd take you home."

"Fine. Let's go."

Cass turned and headed for the main door, wondering if she was ever going to feel like herself again.

As soon as the three of them pulled up to the mansion, Libby came out of the house and embraced Cass.

"Are you all right?"

"Exhaustion. Nothing more," Cass murmured as they went inside.

Alex waited until she and Libby got caught up. Then he pointed at the stairs as if he had a right to. As if Cass were his responsibility.

Which was absurd.

Still, she wasn't going to argue with him in front of Libby. In fact, she wasn't going to argue with him at all. She knew for a fact her bedroom door had a lock on it, and she was going to use the damn thing.

She quickly mounted the steps, but he was faster than usual, as if he knew what she was thinking. When she got to her room, she tried to shut her door in his face, but he stopped her easily.

By putting his whole body in the way.

"Alex, will you leave me alone?"

"No."

"Why?"

He shoved the door wide and walked in. "You can't take care of yourself, obviously. So someone better worry about you."

"Yeah, well, it's not going to be you. We already covered this, remember? Not your problem."

"Anyone else volunteering for the job? Aside from O'Banyon, I mean?"

She threw up her hands. "You're insane, you know that? Does Madeline know how nuts you are?"

He shut the door. "Yes, she's been under me for years."

Oh, there was a terrific image. "Alex, will you just-"

He grabbed her upper arms. "You scared the hell out of me. I walked into Doc John's and could barely see I was so terrified."

That shut her up. "Why?"

He opened his mouth. Clamped it shut. Tried the whole talking thing again. "Ah, hell, Cassandra. I don't want you to be sick. And I don't want you to be unhappy. I don't..."

He dropped his hands, looking curiously helpless.

Abruptly her energy burst left her, just evaporated into the air, leaving her tired and tender. She went over and sat on the bed.

"Alex, just go," she said quietly.

He didn't. He came over and lowered himself to the mattress, stretching his leg out in front of him. In the silence he picked up his cane and twirled it slowly in one hand, like a baton. Her eyes latched on to the movement. The lazy circling of the handle had a hypnotic effect, like the slow spinning of a watch dial's third hand.

He cleared his throat. "Last night, after you told me about Reese, I got so angry I wanted to put my fist through a wall. I just...I believe every word you said, but can't believe it happened, you know? I can't fathom why a man would do that to any woman he was married to, but especially to you. It's damn appalling, it really is. If he were alive today, I would be yelling at him right now."

She glanced over. And tried not to love him even more.

He was so full of honor and decency under that gruffness, she thought. A true man of his word.

How she adored him.

"Madeline is a very lucky woman," she murmured.

He frowned, the cane stopping. "Huh?"

Cass waved her hand, trying to wipe the words away. "Nothing."

He shifted to the side, regarding her as if she were crazy. "You think Mad and I are..."

"She's your Miracle, isn't she? And you can't be with her because she's a member of your crew. That's the why of it, right?"

Alex stared at her and then laughed a little. "No. Mad's good people and I'd go through hell for her. But there's nothing like that going on. Never has, never will."

"Oh."

Then who was she?

An awkward quiet stretched between them.

"Well, thank you for your concern this afternoon," Cass said, trying to get him to leave. Trying to end things.

She should tell him she was returning to New York, she thought.

Cass looked up. And stopped breathing.

Alex was staring at her with an absorption that made her feel marked, his navy eyes fixated, penetrating.

He leaned into her, her name coming out of him on an exhale.

She closed her eyes as Alex kissed her cheek. She expected him to pull back right away. Instead, he kissed her again, a little lower. Then lower still.

Then his mouth was on hers.

His lips were soft. So very soft. She opened her eyes a little. His massive shoulders were turned toward her, his big body pivoted on his hips. He kissed her again. Gently.

When his tongue came out and flicked across her lower lip, she broke the contact.

"Why are you doing this?" she groaned. "I thought it was just once. You told me it was just once."

While he pulled back and rubbed his face, her eyes drifted down his body and focused on his need. "You want me."

He looked down at himself. Tried to cover up with his hands what was showing through his jeans.

"Yeah. I do."

"Enough to break your once-only rule?"

He cursed, a vile word that cut through the quiet room. "You don't need to ask me that."

"Why not?"

"Because you know the answer." His eyes shot to hers as he deliberately rearranged his erection.

"Last night," she murmured, "when you left, was it because you wanted me then, too?"

"Yes."

Sweet relief poured through her. To know that he still wanted her, still needed her, even if his Miracle- Cass bit her lip and stared at his mouth.

She knew she was falling deeper into a spiral that was only going to bottom out with her in pieces. But still, if she could have him one last time, she'd take him. Even though it would just hurt her more later.

Except, the start would have to come from him. She wasn't going to get turned down again. She knew what she wanted. He was the one who was on the fence, trapped between where his body wanted to go and where his heart wasn't.

Their eyes met and held.

Kiss me again, she willed. Kiss me. Now.

Alex got to his feet and left.

As the door closed, she felt as though she'd been stabbed in the chest.

Stupid. Stupid...idiot.

Going home was such the right thing to do, she thought, as she peeled her clothes off.

She went into the bathroom and had a quick shower, careful not to make the water too hot. When she got out, she wrapped a towel around herself and went back into the- Cass froze.

Alex was in the bed, propped up on the pillows, his bare chest resplendent. With one fluid, powerful movement, he drew the covers back and revealed his nakedness, welcoming her to lie beside him.

"I had to tell Spike to go home," he explained.

Chapter Eighteen.

Alex watched, heart in his throat, as Cassandra's gleaming green eyes drifted down his body. He knew it was wrong to be with her, because she deserved to know the whole truth, but he would tell her everything tomorrow. Tonight he couldn't fight what he needed anymore and he prayed she would let him inside.

Her towel dropped to the floor.

She came toward him, her body moving slowly, gracefully.