Come Lie With Me by Linda Howard

tears ran down her face. She howled. She beat the weight bench with her fist in mute mockery of the way he’d pounded the wheelchair controls; she clutched her arms across her stomach, gasping for breath, and every new eruption of rage from him sent her off into renewed paroxysms.
    â€œStop laughing!” he thundered, his voice booming off the walls. “Sit down! We’ll see who wins this time!”
    She was so weak that she had to haul herself to the massage table where he’d propped his elbow and was waiting for her with a face like doom. Still giggling, she collapsed against the table.
    â€œThis isn’t fair!” she protested, putting her hand in his grip. “I’m not ready. Wait until I stop laughing.”
    â€œWas it fair when you let me think I was wrestling a frail, normal woman?” he seethed.
    â€œI’m perfectly normal!” she hooted. “You got beat fair and square, and you know it!”
    â€œI don’t know any such thing! You cheated, and I want a rematch.”
    â€œAll right, all right. Just give me a minute.” Quickly she squelched the remaining laughter that wanted tobubble out and flexed her hand in his. She began tightening her muscles. “Okay. I’m ready.”
    â€œOn the count of three,” he said. “One…twothree!”
    It was fortunate that she was ready for the quick count he gave. She threw her entire body into the effort, realizing that the extra weight he’d gained and the few days of workouts that he’d had with the weights had increased his strength. Not by much, perhaps, but with the added impetus of his anger and the laughter that had weakened her, perhaps it would be enough to win the match for him.
    â€œYou cheated!” she accused in turn, gritting her teeth as she bore down with all her strength against the force of his arm.
    â€œYou deserved it!”
    They panted and huffed and grunted for several minutes, and sweat began to run down their faces. They were close together, almost face to face, as their locked arms strained harder and harder. Dione groaned aloud. His initial burst of strength had been greater than hers, but not enough to make a quick end to it. Now it was a matter of stamina, and she thought that she could outlast him. She could have let him win, to soothe his ego, but it wasn’t in her to trick him that way. If he won, it would be despite everything she could do.
    Something of her determination must have shown in her face, because he growled, “Damn it, this is the part where you’re supposed to let me win!”
    She puffed, sucking in much-needed oxygen. “If you want to beat me, you’re going to have to work for it,” she panted. “I don’t let anybody win!”
    â€œBut I’m a patient!”
    â€œYou’re an opportunist!”
    He ground his teeth and pushed harder. Dione duckedher head, a movement that placed her head in the hollow of his shoulder, and counteracted his move with everything she had. Slowly, slowly, she felt his arm begin to move back. The rush of strength that winning always gave her zoomed through her veins, and with a cry she slammed his arm down flat on the table.
    Their panting breaths filled the room, and her heartbeat thundered in her ears like the hoofbeats of a galloping horse. She was still slumped against him, her head on his shoulder, and she could feel the pounding of his heart throughout his entire body. Slowly she pushed herself off him, letting her weight fall against the table. Like a rag doll, he slumped forward onto the table, too, his color fading almost to normal as he sucked in deep breaths of air.
    After a moment he propped his chin on his folded arm and regarded her out of dark blue eyes that still held storm clouds.
    Dione drew a deep breath, staring at him. “You’re beautiful when you’re angry,” she told him.
    He blinked in astonishment. Stunned, he stared at her for a