urged softly.
He shook his head. “I didn’t have any melodramatic declarations in mind. I just wanted to see you wake up in my bed, in my arms and to hold you. That’s all.”
Serena felt her throat tighten and she lowered her head to its former place on his shoulder. Those simple words had moved her unbearably. Her eyes were misting as they lay there in silent intimacy. Everything around them seemed to take on an added poignancy. The airy canopy above their heads, the gleam of the leaded-glass windows across the room, the glow of the copper lamp on the bedside table that Gideon had turned on when they’d come back from the lake. This place. This time. Could anything be more perfect?
Gideon’s hand was stroking the fine hair at her temple and his voice was a deep rumble beneath her ear. “You know, when I was a teenager, moving from place to place, I used to want something totally my own, something beautiful that wouldn’t change no matter what happened in the world around me.” One finger moved down to outline her lower lip with a gossamer touch. “I guess it made me pretty much of a pain for a while. I was so damn possessive that I couldn’t have any friends without wanting to be everything to them.” His lips brushed the top of her head. “I learned my lesson eventually, when I found I was driving people away just when I wanted them closer. You can’t force people to open their minds and hearts and take you in. You’ve got to be invited.” His voice was husky as he continued haltingly, “I guess what I’m trying to say is that you might have to back off and shove me away if I come too closeand try to barge in where I’m not wanted. You were right when you said I was pushy.” His fingers touched her lashes that were now star-spiked with tears. “You see, I’ve found my something beautiful, and I might not want to let go, even for a little while. Not even to let you breathe and grow. You’ll have to let me know, Serena.”
Her chest was aching with every breath she took, as her arms tightened around him with almost maternal fierceness. She was hurting with everything that was in her for the child he had been, for the pain and loneliness of his past, for the hard lessons he had learned, and for the honesty and vulnerability of the man he had become.
The brimming tears now flowed down her cheeks, and she felt him tense against her as a drop dampened his shoulder where her head was resting. “Hey.” He raised his head to look into her eyes. “What are the tears for?”
“Nothing. I’ve just decided I like the idea of having a pushy man around.”
His gaze searched her face. “Forever?”
She went still. Panic and rejection rose within her. It was insane. Gideon was everything beautiful and good in the world. Why was she so terrified of making a commitment?
A flicker of disappointment crossed his face. “It’s all right. I don’t have to have the words right now. What happened tonight was in the nature of a promise anyway. It’s good enough to last us for quite a while.”
Yes, it was, she thought dreamily. They lay there a long time and gradually Gideon’s arms relaxedabout her until they were only a comforting possessive shelter to keep out the outside world.
She was almost asleep when his voice reverberated beneath her ear with a satiny hint of threat and with a gravity that made the words a vow. “But if you ever could bring yourself to say forever, love, I’d make sure you never regretted it. Not for a minute.”
Four
“Sit still,” Serene ordered as her charcoal pencil traced the line of the strong masculine column of his thigh. It was a beautiful line, she thought absently, graceful and symmetrical while remaining totally masculine. “How do you expect me to get this right if you’re always moving?”
“I’m chilly,” Gideon said plaintively. He stretched lazily, his sleek muscles rippling, before resuming the pose she required of him. “You can’t expect a man to
He shook his head. “I didn’t have any melodramatic declarations in mind. I just wanted to see you wake up in my bed, in my arms and to hold you. That’s all.”
Serena felt her throat tighten and she lowered her head to its former place on his shoulder. Those simple words had moved her unbearably. Her eyes were misting as they lay there in silent intimacy. Everything around them seemed to take on an added poignancy. The airy canopy above their heads, the gleam of the leaded-glass windows across the room, the glow of the copper lamp on the bedside table that Gideon had turned on when they’d come back from the lake. This place. This time. Could anything be more perfect?
Gideon’s hand was stroking the fine hair at her temple and his voice was a deep rumble beneath her ear. “You know, when I was a teenager, moving from place to place, I used to want something totally my own, something beautiful that wouldn’t change no matter what happened in the world around me.” One finger moved down to outline her lower lip with a gossamer touch. “I guess it made me pretty much of a pain for a while. I was so damn possessive that I couldn’t have any friends without wanting to be everything to them.” His lips brushed the top of her head. “I learned my lesson eventually, when I found I was driving people away just when I wanted them closer. You can’t force people to open their minds and hearts and take you in. You’ve got to be invited.” His voice was husky as he continued haltingly, “I guess what I’m trying to say is that you might have to back off and shove me away if I come too closeand try to barge in where I’m not wanted. You were right when you said I was pushy.” His fingers touched her lashes that were now star-spiked with tears. “You see, I’ve found my something beautiful, and I might not want to let go, even for a little while. Not even to let you breathe and grow. You’ll have to let me know, Serena.”
Her chest was aching with every breath she took, as her arms tightened around him with almost maternal fierceness. She was hurting with everything that was in her for the child he had been, for the pain and loneliness of his past, for the hard lessons he had learned, and for the honesty and vulnerability of the man he had become.
The brimming tears now flowed down her cheeks, and she felt him tense against her as a drop dampened his shoulder where her head was resting. “Hey.” He raised his head to look into her eyes. “What are the tears for?”
“Nothing. I’ve just decided I like the idea of having a pushy man around.”
His gaze searched her face. “Forever?”
She went still. Panic and rejection rose within her. It was insane. Gideon was everything beautiful and good in the world. Why was she so terrified of making a commitment?
A flicker of disappointment crossed his face. “It’s all right. I don’t have to have the words right now. What happened tonight was in the nature of a promise anyway. It’s good enough to last us for quite a while.”
Yes, it was, she thought dreamily. They lay there a long time and gradually Gideon’s arms relaxedabout her until they were only a comforting possessive shelter to keep out the outside world.
She was almost asleep when his voice reverberated beneath her ear with a satiny hint of threat and with a gravity that made the words a vow. “But if you ever could bring yourself to say forever, love, I’d make sure you never regretted it. Not for a minute.”
Four
“Sit still,” Serene ordered as her charcoal pencil traced the line of the strong masculine column of his thigh. It was a beautiful line, she thought absently, graceful and symmetrical while remaining totally masculine. “How do you expect me to get this right if you’re always moving?”
“I’m chilly,” Gideon said plaintively. He stretched lazily, his sleek muscles rippling, before resuming the pose she required of him. “You can’t expect a man to
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