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one more question, Luke, and then I promise I'll go.
Thank God, he stopped, turned back to her, his face
carved in granite.
 You already know I love you. What else do I need to do
to get you to trust me?
* * *
Jesus. No one but Janica would stand there and ask
him that. No one would dare.
Then again, he'd never let anyone in this close. It had
never even been a possibility until now.
Until Janica.
They stood there, facing each other in silence long
enough that the sun moved completely below the water
line.
It wasn't until he could barely make out her face and
form in the darkness that he finally admitted,  I don't
know. His heart was pounding so hard he could hardly
say,  But I do know I don't want you to go.
And then she was moving across the sand into his
arms and saying against his lips,  Don't worry. I'm not
going anywhere.
Her mouth was soft and sweet. Just like, he was
continually surprised to find out, she was.
So sweet.
So soft.
So warm.
 Let's go back upstairs to the cabin so you can fall
asleep in my arms again, she whispered, her breath
warm against his earlobe.
But when they'd made it back up the stairs, sleep was
the last thing on his mind. All he wanted was to be with
her again, to lose himself in the comfort and joy of her
body.
 I need you, he said, knowing how raw his statement
was, but utterly unable to keep that truth from her.
But there was no victory in her eyes at his admission of
need. Just love.
 I know you do. And I need you too.
This time, there was no rush. Neither of them was
going anywhere else. And there was no anger, either.
 I want to love you, Janica.
Again she said,  I know you do, and something about
the way she responded made him suddenly realize
what he'd said. How it sounded.
Like he wasn't just talking about physical lovemaking.
Like he was talking about his heart.
Was he?
The impossible question fell away as she began to
strip off his clothes and he reached for hers. Moonlight
was streaming in through the windows, illuminating her
incredible body.
How could he ever go back from her? How could he
ever move on without her? How would another woman
ever match up to her?
 I don't know how you're doing it, he found himself
saying.
 Doing what? she asked, her hands continuing to
make short work of his clothes.
He tried to figure out how to put it into words, into
something that made sense when nothing made sense
anymore.  Changing everything. Even the things he
hadn't thought needed changing.  So fast.
 You're doing it too, Luke. She reached out and placed
her palm flat over his heart.  Changing me. I've never
said I love you to anyone else. But with you, I can't
seem to stop.
Her words rushed through him, her love pushing up
against every wall he'd ever built. It was instinctive for
his brain to push back, to tell him to take a step back.
And he would. He had to. For both of their sakes.
Because he still believed what he'd said in the kitchen,
that the two of them were too different to ever truly be
together.
But he couldn't walk away from her now. Not yet. Not
when his need was so much stronger than his sense.
It had been exciting to take her on the couch, the living
room floor, but right now he needed to love her
properly, in a bed.
He scooped her up to take her to the bedroom and she
said,  We'll get sand in the sheets.
Looking down at her, wanting her more with every
second, he said,  Then I guess we'd better get cleaned
up first.
He made a detour into the shower, stepping onto the
ocean blue tile with her still in his arms. She reached
out and turned the water on, laughing when it came
down over them, cold at first, then warmer.
He kissed her, also laughing as the water soaked
them, loving how playful she was.
When was the last time he'd been playful at all? With
anyone?
 You know, she said with a wicked little gleam in her
eyes,  now that we're here, I think we should make the
most of it.
 I completely agree, he said, and then a second later,
he was shifting her in his arms so that her legs were
around his waist and her arms were around his
shoulders. He backed her up against the wall of the
shower and kissed her with all the emotion he neither [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]