a pale blue knit shirt, his face and body so beautiful, so beloved. Then she lifted both shoulders in a half-embarrassed shrug and smiled at him. “I’m back.”
“I’m glad,” he answered, and caught her in his arms.
His kiss was hot and passionate, and said all he didn’t say in words. How much he wanted her. How much he needed her. How much the evening had cost him. Her lips snagged like silk against the rough hunger of his mouth.
“I thought I’d lost you,” he said, then groaned when he finally regained a semblance of control. Pushing his fingers through the soft spill of her hair, he tipped her head back so he could look into her eyes. “Where did you go?”
“You mean you didn’t buy my convent story?” she whispered, tracing the outline of his lips slowly with her fingertips.
“Not for a moment,” he answered, nipping gently at her fingers. “You’re a terrible liar; those eyes give you away.”
“Then why didn’t you stop me?”
“Could I have?” he asked, his hand shaping itself to the curve of her cheek.
“No, I was too scared.”
“Of what, darlin’? Not me!”
“Yes, you! You don’t know what you do to me! Now, stop it! Don’t you dare laugh—no, not even grin!—and
certainly
don’t look at me with that wild glint in your eye.” She smoothed the rough, dark hair back from his brow. “Oh, Banjo Man, you’re changing my whole life: how I think, how I feel … it’s scary. All of a sudden I felt as if you were some incredibly powerful magnet, and I was nothingbut tiny bits of steel, jumping, wiggling, in your direction, and I was totally out of control. My body just took over with all these strange feelings, and … and—”
“It’s all right, sweet thing. I was feeling the same way. But I knew you didn’t know that yet.”
He laughed softly into her hair, filling his head with the sweet scent of her. “Laurie, I can tell by the way you look at me, you think I’ve got the secret; you think I’ve got it all wrapped up and tucked in my pocket. But I don’t. Not with you. You’ve got me turned inside out.”
She moaned softly. “Then what are we going to do, Rick?”
“We’re going to let it happen, Laurie. I’m already in love with you … and you, you’re falling in love with me. I’m willing to stake my life on it. I know it scares you; it has to!”
“But I don’t know
how.
I don’t know if I can handle anything more right now than untangling my own life. I don’t know anything!”
“Oh, yes, you do! You know how to be gentle and loving and caring. You know how to be open and honest. You listen to me and it’s like you’re hearing the thoughts in my head, the things I can’t always say. And you look at me with those incredible eyes and it’s like you’re seeing the man I really am, the man I can’t always show the world. You know all that—I’ll teach you the rest.”
Standing on tiptoe, she kissed him lightly on the mouth. “Well, I’ll try to be a good student.”
Her reaction was playful, not coy, and she was totally unaware of the rush of desire her words and tone awoke in Rick.
He held her tightly, his eyes closed, and then he slowly drew his hands down her back and circled her waist. Reluctantly he pushed her away. “Timefor dinner. Shall we go down to the restaurant or—”
“Oh, let’s just order something up, Rick. That way we can cuddle and nibble and talk. It’ll be fun.”
“Oh, yeah.” He swallowed hard, already planning a cold shower for dessert!
They ordered club sandwiches and chips and cold beer from room service, and sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard and dropping crumbs on the sheets and laughing at Laurie’s foam moustache. When the sandwiches were gone, they split another beer, drinking from the same can, putting their mouths on the same place, smiling at each other over the rim.
“This is wonderful!” She grinned, licking the foam off her lips with her tongue. “Here, you’ve got
“I’m glad,” he answered, and caught her in his arms.
His kiss was hot and passionate, and said all he didn’t say in words. How much he wanted her. How much he needed her. How much the evening had cost him. Her lips snagged like silk against the rough hunger of his mouth.
“I thought I’d lost you,” he said, then groaned when he finally regained a semblance of control. Pushing his fingers through the soft spill of her hair, he tipped her head back so he could look into her eyes. “Where did you go?”
“You mean you didn’t buy my convent story?” she whispered, tracing the outline of his lips slowly with her fingertips.
“Not for a moment,” he answered, nipping gently at her fingers. “You’re a terrible liar; those eyes give you away.”
“Then why didn’t you stop me?”
“Could I have?” he asked, his hand shaping itself to the curve of her cheek.
“No, I was too scared.”
“Of what, darlin’? Not me!”
“Yes, you! You don’t know what you do to me! Now, stop it! Don’t you dare laugh—no, not even grin!—and
certainly
don’t look at me with that wild glint in your eye.” She smoothed the rough, dark hair back from his brow. “Oh, Banjo Man, you’re changing my whole life: how I think, how I feel … it’s scary. All of a sudden I felt as if you were some incredibly powerful magnet, and I was nothingbut tiny bits of steel, jumping, wiggling, in your direction, and I was totally out of control. My body just took over with all these strange feelings, and … and—”
“It’s all right, sweet thing. I was feeling the same way. But I knew you didn’t know that yet.”
He laughed softly into her hair, filling his head with the sweet scent of her. “Laurie, I can tell by the way you look at me, you think I’ve got the secret; you think I’ve got it all wrapped up and tucked in my pocket. But I don’t. Not with you. You’ve got me turned inside out.”
She moaned softly. “Then what are we going to do, Rick?”
“We’re going to let it happen, Laurie. I’m already in love with you … and you, you’re falling in love with me. I’m willing to stake my life on it. I know it scares you; it has to!”
“But I don’t know
how.
I don’t know if I can handle anything more right now than untangling my own life. I don’t know anything!”
“Oh, yes, you do! You know how to be gentle and loving and caring. You know how to be open and honest. You listen to me and it’s like you’re hearing the thoughts in my head, the things I can’t always say. And you look at me with those incredible eyes and it’s like you’re seeing the man I really am, the man I can’t always show the world. You know all that—I’ll teach you the rest.”
Standing on tiptoe, she kissed him lightly on the mouth. “Well, I’ll try to be a good student.”
Her reaction was playful, not coy, and she was totally unaware of the rush of desire her words and tone awoke in Rick.
He held her tightly, his eyes closed, and then he slowly drew his hands down her back and circled her waist. Reluctantly he pushed her away. “Timefor dinner. Shall we go down to the restaurant or—”
“Oh, let’s just order something up, Rick. That way we can cuddle and nibble and talk. It’ll be fun.”
“Oh, yeah.” He swallowed hard, already planning a cold shower for dessert!
They ordered club sandwiches and chips and cold beer from room service, and sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard and dropping crumbs on the sheets and laughing at Laurie’s foam moustache. When the sandwiches were gone, they split another beer, drinking from the same can, putting their mouths on the same place, smiling at each other over the rim.
“This is wonderful!” She grinned, licking the foam off her lips with her tongue. “Here, you’ve got
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