her heart and laughed. “Hungry? I brought us some food. It isn’t gourmet cuisine, just bread, goat cheese and peaches for dessert, but at least we won’t go hungry tonight.”
“ I’ve never had goat cheese, ought to be interesting.” Without waiting for him, she reached for the food and started eating. She was starved, anything would do.
He watched her devour a hunk of the goat cheese without so much as a blink. Her cheeks were still flushed from laughing and her eyes were glossy from fatigue. Her hair had fallen from her cape to frame her face. Without thinking, he spoke his mind. “You really are beautiful, love.”
She stopped chewing in the middle of her bite. The way he was looking at her, she could be his supper. Trying to make light of it, she bit down on her food again. “And you are very handsome, Rowen.” Holding her hand out, she offered him the cheese. “You haven’t had any of this wonderful cheese yet, here take some.”
Reaching past the cheese, he slid his fingers lightly down her forearm. “I mean it, Fern, you should wear your hair down more often, it’s really quite flattering.” He smiled at the blush in her cheeks. “Last night was really eroti—”
“ Rowen!” Her eyes locked onto his, begging him to stop. “We promised not to talk about that, remember?”
“ I can’t help myself, Fern. It was quite nice, don’t you agree?”
She let her eyes drop to where his fingers lightly tickled her arm. Jerking it back, she scooted away. “Let’s just drop it, alright? What happened, happened. I have to get it out of my mind; we both have to get it out of our minds. We have a job to do, Rowen, let’s just stick to it.” After wrapping the cheese and bread back in the cloth, she lay down on her blanket and turned away. He was wildly attractive, just one touch from his fingers made her blood seethe. They couldn’t let physical attraction get in their way, no matter how much she wanted to feel his lips softly teasing hers and his tongue tracing her lips before dipping in to taste hers. Squeezing her eyes tight, she tried to force the vision from her mind.
Rowen gazed at her back. The way her dress conformed to her body as she lay on her side aroused him, more than he already was. “Damn!” what was he thinking? He couldn’t let her go to his head. What sort of disaster was he wishing for himself? “I’m going to go take a swim, Fern, I’ll be back soon.”
She rolled over just in time to watch him disappear. Closing her eyes, she tried to sleep, but it wasn’t possible. He wanted a repeat of last night, and damn it, so did she. Fact was, as soon as they were done making sure they were both going to be around for their own century, he’d never have anything to do with her again. She was nowhere near his league. She remembered the articles in the newspaper with his picture, there was always some gorgeous woman hanging on his arm. Poised and polished as if he’d picked her from a display in a ritzy art gallery. Flipping over onto her back, she forced Rowen from her mind and thought about Rose.
It was so odd, that priest knew she was coming. He was even waiting for her on the steps of his church. She passed through the wardrobe to be deposited directly in front of him. She didn’t recognize the surroundings. The priest was a little on the chubby side, and looked somewhat like a cherub the way he held his folded hands together next to his chest. When he waddled over to take Rose from her protective embrace, she took a step backward, unsure if she could trust him.
“ Don’t be afraid, child. Your sisters told me you were coming. Actually, it’s been written in the sacred books for generations, but we weren’t sure of the exact time. It is an honor to be the one to help this child. I will make sure she is properly taken care of, don’t worry.”
“ If the sisters trust you then so shall I, but please take good care of her. As you can see, she is precious.” Gently she
“ I’ve never had goat cheese, ought to be interesting.” Without waiting for him, she reached for the food and started eating. She was starved, anything would do.
He watched her devour a hunk of the goat cheese without so much as a blink. Her cheeks were still flushed from laughing and her eyes were glossy from fatigue. Her hair had fallen from her cape to frame her face. Without thinking, he spoke his mind. “You really are beautiful, love.”
She stopped chewing in the middle of her bite. The way he was looking at her, she could be his supper. Trying to make light of it, she bit down on her food again. “And you are very handsome, Rowen.” Holding her hand out, she offered him the cheese. “You haven’t had any of this wonderful cheese yet, here take some.”
Reaching past the cheese, he slid his fingers lightly down her forearm. “I mean it, Fern, you should wear your hair down more often, it’s really quite flattering.” He smiled at the blush in her cheeks. “Last night was really eroti—”
“ Rowen!” Her eyes locked onto his, begging him to stop. “We promised not to talk about that, remember?”
“ I can’t help myself, Fern. It was quite nice, don’t you agree?”
She let her eyes drop to where his fingers lightly tickled her arm. Jerking it back, she scooted away. “Let’s just drop it, alright? What happened, happened. I have to get it out of my mind; we both have to get it out of our minds. We have a job to do, Rowen, let’s just stick to it.” After wrapping the cheese and bread back in the cloth, she lay down on her blanket and turned away. He was wildly attractive, just one touch from his fingers made her blood seethe. They couldn’t let physical attraction get in their way, no matter how much she wanted to feel his lips softly teasing hers and his tongue tracing her lips before dipping in to taste hers. Squeezing her eyes tight, she tried to force the vision from her mind.
Rowen gazed at her back. The way her dress conformed to her body as she lay on her side aroused him, more than he already was. “Damn!” what was he thinking? He couldn’t let her go to his head. What sort of disaster was he wishing for himself? “I’m going to go take a swim, Fern, I’ll be back soon.”
She rolled over just in time to watch him disappear. Closing her eyes, she tried to sleep, but it wasn’t possible. He wanted a repeat of last night, and damn it, so did she. Fact was, as soon as they were done making sure they were both going to be around for their own century, he’d never have anything to do with her again. She was nowhere near his league. She remembered the articles in the newspaper with his picture, there was always some gorgeous woman hanging on his arm. Poised and polished as if he’d picked her from a display in a ritzy art gallery. Flipping over onto her back, she forced Rowen from her mind and thought about Rose.
It was so odd, that priest knew she was coming. He was even waiting for her on the steps of his church. She passed through the wardrobe to be deposited directly in front of him. She didn’t recognize the surroundings. The priest was a little on the chubby side, and looked somewhat like a cherub the way he held his folded hands together next to his chest. When he waddled over to take Rose from her protective embrace, she took a step backward, unsure if she could trust him.
“ Don’t be afraid, child. Your sisters told me you were coming. Actually, it’s been written in the sacred books for generations, but we weren’t sure of the exact time. It is an honor to be the one to help this child. I will make sure she is properly taken care of, don’t worry.”
“ If the sisters trust you then so shall I, but please take good care of her. As you can see, she is precious.” Gently she
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