before the accident.”
“I know it isn’t, and I can live with it. What I don’t have to live with is someone saying stupid—”
Dan’s mouth, hard and commanding, fastened on her mobile lips, stealing her breath away and swallowing her words. There was nothing gentle about his kiss. He was using his mouth as a means of shutting hers. Casey twisted her head from side to side, but she didn’t push against him to free herself. She let his warmth seep into her; she luxuriated in his strength, finding all the comfort and support she could ever want.
The pounding of her heart made her realize that his lips had softened, and that she was cradled in his arms. With a drowning feeling she attempted to push him away. He seemed to be totally unaware of her efforts and merely pulled her closer. Her lips were irresistibly forced apart until the warmth of his mouth made her give up the struggle and her arms slipped up about his neck.
Her surrender seemed to trigger a deeper need in him and the quality of his kiss exploded into a persuasive, sensuous, passionate demand that caused something warm and powerful to throb in the area below her stomach. Fear that she was losing control brought her back to reality.
“Dan, please don’t!” she begged when his lips freed her mouth to rest on her cheek.
“Don’t say those things to me ever again, Casey.” His voice was a deep rumble. He moved his face so that he could look at her. Her eyes were damp and wide and her mouth puffy and trembling. “There’s more to you than a pretty face. It’s an old cliché, but true when applied to you.” Hismouth was still set stubbornly and Casey’s eyes riveted on it. “I like the way you hold your head, your slender neck. I like your wiry, tight body, your height, the way your hair shines. Most of all I like your eyes that reflect all your emotions. And your mouth. I have never kissed a sweeter mouth.” His lips sipped at a tear that rolled down her cheek. “What I don’t like is surliness and dishonesty,” he said firmly and softened his words with a gentle kiss.
“I don’t understand you,” she whispered. “I don’t understand you at all.”
“I don’t understand me either. I just know I’m miserable when I’m away from you. I worry that you’ll need me and I won’t be there. I’m happiest when I’m with you. I knew that the first night in the hospital,” he said with great certainty. “I’ve been honest with you about that.”
“You couldn’t have made up your mind that fast.”
“I did,” he said, smiling at her. “Can’t we just leave it at that and see what happens?”
She nodded. His words had brought her a delicious breathlessness. This can’t last, she told herself sternly. Her mind clicked into gear while she searched his dark eyes, now tender and teasing. As long as she recognized the danger of being terribly hurt at some later date, she might as well give herself up to this reckless, dreamlike interlude.
“Okay,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I called you a liar.”
“Are you sure?” he asked lightly as he wrapped her in his arms. She cuddled willingly and raised her lips. He kissed her long and tenderly. “C’mon, let’s walk on the beach.”
They walked for hours along the stony beach, picking up and discarding shells and other treasures the waves had cast up during the night. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they merely shared companionable silence, the sun falling warm and golden on their skin. When Dan thought she was tiring he found a spot protected from the northwest wind by a giant boulder. For a long while they lay on the fine sand sharing confidences, opinions, experiences.
I’m a Democrat. Are you? I don’t care much for Country Western music, but I do like Kenny Rogers. I don’t like the food in Mexico, but I like it Texas style. I’ve seen Swan Lake. Me, too. Did you get the drift of the story? Sure. I guess I was too busy watching to see if someone fell off their
“I know it isn’t, and I can live with it. What I don’t have to live with is someone saying stupid—”
Dan’s mouth, hard and commanding, fastened on her mobile lips, stealing her breath away and swallowing her words. There was nothing gentle about his kiss. He was using his mouth as a means of shutting hers. Casey twisted her head from side to side, but she didn’t push against him to free herself. She let his warmth seep into her; she luxuriated in his strength, finding all the comfort and support she could ever want.
The pounding of her heart made her realize that his lips had softened, and that she was cradled in his arms. With a drowning feeling she attempted to push him away. He seemed to be totally unaware of her efforts and merely pulled her closer. Her lips were irresistibly forced apart until the warmth of his mouth made her give up the struggle and her arms slipped up about his neck.
Her surrender seemed to trigger a deeper need in him and the quality of his kiss exploded into a persuasive, sensuous, passionate demand that caused something warm and powerful to throb in the area below her stomach. Fear that she was losing control brought her back to reality.
“Dan, please don’t!” she begged when his lips freed her mouth to rest on her cheek.
“Don’t say those things to me ever again, Casey.” His voice was a deep rumble. He moved his face so that he could look at her. Her eyes were damp and wide and her mouth puffy and trembling. “There’s more to you than a pretty face. It’s an old cliché, but true when applied to you.” Hismouth was still set stubbornly and Casey’s eyes riveted on it. “I like the way you hold your head, your slender neck. I like your wiry, tight body, your height, the way your hair shines. Most of all I like your eyes that reflect all your emotions. And your mouth. I have never kissed a sweeter mouth.” His lips sipped at a tear that rolled down her cheek. “What I don’t like is surliness and dishonesty,” he said firmly and softened his words with a gentle kiss.
“I don’t understand you,” she whispered. “I don’t understand you at all.”
“I don’t understand me either. I just know I’m miserable when I’m away from you. I worry that you’ll need me and I won’t be there. I’m happiest when I’m with you. I knew that the first night in the hospital,” he said with great certainty. “I’ve been honest with you about that.”
“You couldn’t have made up your mind that fast.”
“I did,” he said, smiling at her. “Can’t we just leave it at that and see what happens?”
She nodded. His words had brought her a delicious breathlessness. This can’t last, she told herself sternly. Her mind clicked into gear while she searched his dark eyes, now tender and teasing. As long as she recognized the danger of being terribly hurt at some later date, she might as well give herself up to this reckless, dreamlike interlude.
“Okay,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I called you a liar.”
“Are you sure?” he asked lightly as he wrapped her in his arms. She cuddled willingly and raised her lips. He kissed her long and tenderly. “C’mon, let’s walk on the beach.”
They walked for hours along the stony beach, picking up and discarding shells and other treasures the waves had cast up during the night. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they merely shared companionable silence, the sun falling warm and golden on their skin. When Dan thought she was tiring he found a spot protected from the northwest wind by a giant boulder. For a long while they lay on the fine sand sharing confidences, opinions, experiences.
I’m a Democrat. Are you? I don’t care much for Country Western music, but I do like Kenny Rogers. I don’t like the food in Mexico, but I like it Texas style. I’ve seen Swan Lake. Me, too. Did you get the drift of the story? Sure. I guess I was too busy watching to see if someone fell off their
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