offense.”
She was instantly concerned. “Are you having trouble sleeping? Are you feverish?” She lifted a hand to his brow, then went still when he took her wrist.
“Yes, to both questions. You could say you’re the cause and the cure.” He brought her hand from his brow to his lips. “I may be homeroom mother, but I’m still a man, Ana. I can’t stop thinking about you.” He turned her hand over, pressing those lips to the inside of her wrist, where the pulse was beginning to jerk. “And I can’t stop wanting you.”
“I’m sorry if I’m giving you restless nights.”
His brow quirked. “Are you?”
She couldn’t quite suppress the smile. “I’m trying to be. It’s hard not to be flattered that thinking about meis keeping you awake. And it’s hard to know what to do.” She turned away to switch off the heat on the stove. “I’ve been feeling a little restless myself.” Her eyes closed when his hands came down on her shoulders.
“Make love with me.” He brushed a kiss on the back of her neck. “I won’t hurt you, Ana.”
Not purposely, she thought. Never that. There was so much kindness in him. But would they hurt each other if she gave in to what she wanted, needed, from him, and held back that part of herself that made her what she was?
“It’s a big step for me, Boone.”
“For me, too.” Gently he turned her to face him. “There’s been no one for me since Alice died. In the past couple of years there was a woman or two, but nothing that meant any more than filling a physical emptiness. No one I’ve wanted to spend time with, to be with, to talk to. I care about you.” He lowered his mouth to hers, very carefully, very softly. “I don’t know how I came to care this much, this quickly, but I do. I hope you believe that.”
Even without a true link, she couldn’t help but feel it. It made things more complicated somehow. “I do believe you.”
“I’ve been thinking. Seeing as I haven’t been sleeping, I’ve had plenty of time for it.” Absently he tapped a loosened pin back into her hair. “The other night, I was rushing you, probably scared you.”
“No.” Then she shrugged and turned back to filter one of her mixtures into a bottle, already labeled. “Yes, actually, I guess you did.”
“If I’d known you were … If I’d realized you’d never …”
With a sigh, she capped the bottle. “My virginity is by choice, Boone, and nothing I’m uncomfortable with.”
“I didn’t mean—” He let out a hissing breath. “I’m doing a great job with this.”
She chose another funnel, another bottle, and poured. “You’re nervous.”
With some chagrin, he noted that her hands were rock-steady when she capped the next bottle. “I think terrified comes closer. I was rough with you, and I shouldn’t have been. For a lot of reasons. The fact that you’reinexperienced is only one of them.”
“You weren’t rough.” She continued to work to hide her nerves, which were jumping every bit as much as his. As long as she had to concentrate on what she was doing, she could at least pretend to be calm and confident. “You’re a passionate man. That’s not something to apologize for.”
“I’m apologizing for pressuring you. And for coming over here today fully intending to keep things light and easy, and then pressuring you again.”
Her lips curved as she walked to the sink to soak her pans. “Is that what you’re doing?”
“I told myself I wasn’t going to ask you to go to bed with me—even though I want you to. I was going to ask if you’d spend some time with me. Come to dinner, or go out, or whatever people do when they’re trying to get to know each other.”
“I’d like to come to dinner, or go out, or whatever.”
“Good.” That hadn’t been so hard, he decided. “Maybe this weekend. Friday night. I should be able to find a sitter.” His eyes clouded. “Somebody I can trust.”
“I thought you were going to cook for me and
She was instantly concerned. “Are you having trouble sleeping? Are you feverish?” She lifted a hand to his brow, then went still when he took her wrist.
“Yes, to both questions. You could say you’re the cause and the cure.” He brought her hand from his brow to his lips. “I may be homeroom mother, but I’m still a man, Ana. I can’t stop thinking about you.” He turned her hand over, pressing those lips to the inside of her wrist, where the pulse was beginning to jerk. “And I can’t stop wanting you.”
“I’m sorry if I’m giving you restless nights.”
His brow quirked. “Are you?”
She couldn’t quite suppress the smile. “I’m trying to be. It’s hard not to be flattered that thinking about meis keeping you awake. And it’s hard to know what to do.” She turned away to switch off the heat on the stove. “I’ve been feeling a little restless myself.” Her eyes closed when his hands came down on her shoulders.
“Make love with me.” He brushed a kiss on the back of her neck. “I won’t hurt you, Ana.”
Not purposely, she thought. Never that. There was so much kindness in him. But would they hurt each other if she gave in to what she wanted, needed, from him, and held back that part of herself that made her what she was?
“It’s a big step for me, Boone.”
“For me, too.” Gently he turned her to face him. “There’s been no one for me since Alice died. In the past couple of years there was a woman or two, but nothing that meant any more than filling a physical emptiness. No one I’ve wanted to spend time with, to be with, to talk to. I care about you.” He lowered his mouth to hers, very carefully, very softly. “I don’t know how I came to care this much, this quickly, but I do. I hope you believe that.”
Even without a true link, she couldn’t help but feel it. It made things more complicated somehow. “I do believe you.”
“I’ve been thinking. Seeing as I haven’t been sleeping, I’ve had plenty of time for it.” Absently he tapped a loosened pin back into her hair. “The other night, I was rushing you, probably scared you.”
“No.” Then she shrugged and turned back to filter one of her mixtures into a bottle, already labeled. “Yes, actually, I guess you did.”
“If I’d known you were … If I’d realized you’d never …”
With a sigh, she capped the bottle. “My virginity is by choice, Boone, and nothing I’m uncomfortable with.”
“I didn’t mean—” He let out a hissing breath. “I’m doing a great job with this.”
She chose another funnel, another bottle, and poured. “You’re nervous.”
With some chagrin, he noted that her hands were rock-steady when she capped the next bottle. “I think terrified comes closer. I was rough with you, and I shouldn’t have been. For a lot of reasons. The fact that you’reinexperienced is only one of them.”
“You weren’t rough.” She continued to work to hide her nerves, which were jumping every bit as much as his. As long as she had to concentrate on what she was doing, she could at least pretend to be calm and confident. “You’re a passionate man. That’s not something to apologize for.”
“I’m apologizing for pressuring you. And for coming over here today fully intending to keep things light and easy, and then pressuring you again.”
Her lips curved as she walked to the sink to soak her pans. “Is that what you’re doing?”
“I told myself I wasn’t going to ask you to go to bed with me—even though I want you to. I was going to ask if you’d spend some time with me. Come to dinner, or go out, or whatever people do when they’re trying to get to know each other.”
“I’d like to come to dinner, or go out, or whatever.”
“Good.” That hadn’t been so hard, he decided. “Maybe this weekend. Friday night. I should be able to find a sitter.” His eyes clouded. “Somebody I can trust.”
“I thought you were going to cook for me and
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