mother.”
“That wasn’t it.”
“Then what was it?”
“All I can tell you is that I wanted what was best for Lindy and the baby.”
“And for your reputation?”
He let out a heavy sigh. “So that’s what you think.”
“The facts are rather hard to ignore. Look, I don’t want to judge you, but—”
“But you are,” he interrupted.
“If I’m wrong, then tell me where I’m wrong.”
“I’m not able to.”
“You expect me to take you at your word without any explanation?” Anne demanded.
“I don’t expect you to, Anne. I’m asking you to.”
“Why?”
Tom’s silence had an edge to it, as though it were filled with a savage patience as he searched for the right words. “Anne, the things that are worth the most in this life are those that command the deepest faith from us and for which we have no explanations.”
Anne turned toward the mantel and fingered a picture of her that sat there. She was sixteen, dressed for a dance, excited, eager, innocent. Those days were long gone.
“When I was twenty I had faith in the long, lanky cowboy to whom I was engaged,” she said. “He told me I was the only woman in the world. He turned out to have a girl at every rodeo. When I was twenty-eight I married a Boston homicide detective and had faith in his promise to forsake all others until death do us part. Three years later I discovered he had a girlfriend on the side.” Anne turned around to face Tom and found him standing directly in front of her. “I don’t put my faith in men anymore.”
“I’m not just a man, Anne. I’m a priest. I stand by my vows.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
Tom stepped closer. He cupped her shoulders, holding her lightly, as though she were a priceless piece of porcelain. Anne felt the sudden, gentle heat of his hands.
“It means I can’t always tell you everything you may want to know,” Tom said. “But you can have faith in what I do tell you.”
Anne looked up into his eyes. They were so deep, so blue, so warm. “What are you telling me?”
“This,” Tom said as he slowly bent his head to hers.
The initial touch of his lips was nothing more than an intriguing brush of warmth, but it sent a delicious shiver into Anne’s breasts right down through her thighs. When the smooth heat of his mouth pressed delicately against hers, Anne felt the leap of her pulse.
Then his mouth settled firmly against hers with a soft, sweet hunger that poured through her core, and her senses went wild.
His was a tender sensuality, exquisite in its intensity, unlike anything she had ever known. Nerve endings she had no idea she possessed shot vividly to life. The heat from his mouth, the warmth of his breath sent her heart dancing against her ribs.
Anne’s lips parted of their own accord as she lifted her mouth to his for more. The tip of his tongue slowly caressed the sensitive edges of her parted lips over and over again until they hummed with pleasure. His tongue dipped into her heated softness, tasting her, tantalizing her.
Her knees grew weak as she breathed out his name, an exhalation of pure pleasure. “Tom...”
“That’s how I’ve wanted you to say my name.” His voice was deep and throaty and delicious.
His mouth pressed firmly against hers. He tasted smooth and hot, like a night of sweet, dark passion. The intensity of her response rippled inside her. She was suddenly, acutely aware of a secret well of elemental hunger raging within her core.
What this man could say with just a kiss was incredible. Anne knew then that she had wasted her time with cowboys and cops. It was priests who knew how to kiss!
She wanted more of him. A lot more. She leaned forward, intending to have it.
But his mouth drew back from hers and the warmth went with him. Anne opened her eyes and found she was looking directly into his. A blaze of sheer blue heat.
Both of Tom’s strong hands clutched her shoulders now as if he was holding on to a lifeline. His voice was
“That wasn’t it.”
“Then what was it?”
“All I can tell you is that I wanted what was best for Lindy and the baby.”
“And for your reputation?”
He let out a heavy sigh. “So that’s what you think.”
“The facts are rather hard to ignore. Look, I don’t want to judge you, but—”
“But you are,” he interrupted.
“If I’m wrong, then tell me where I’m wrong.”
“I’m not able to.”
“You expect me to take you at your word without any explanation?” Anne demanded.
“I don’t expect you to, Anne. I’m asking you to.”
“Why?”
Tom’s silence had an edge to it, as though it were filled with a savage patience as he searched for the right words. “Anne, the things that are worth the most in this life are those that command the deepest faith from us and for which we have no explanations.”
Anne turned toward the mantel and fingered a picture of her that sat there. She was sixteen, dressed for a dance, excited, eager, innocent. Those days were long gone.
“When I was twenty I had faith in the long, lanky cowboy to whom I was engaged,” she said. “He told me I was the only woman in the world. He turned out to have a girl at every rodeo. When I was twenty-eight I married a Boston homicide detective and had faith in his promise to forsake all others until death do us part. Three years later I discovered he had a girlfriend on the side.” Anne turned around to face Tom and found him standing directly in front of her. “I don’t put my faith in men anymore.”
“I’m not just a man, Anne. I’m a priest. I stand by my vows.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
Tom stepped closer. He cupped her shoulders, holding her lightly, as though she were a priceless piece of porcelain. Anne felt the sudden, gentle heat of his hands.
“It means I can’t always tell you everything you may want to know,” Tom said. “But you can have faith in what I do tell you.”
Anne looked up into his eyes. They were so deep, so blue, so warm. “What are you telling me?”
“This,” Tom said as he slowly bent his head to hers.
The initial touch of his lips was nothing more than an intriguing brush of warmth, but it sent a delicious shiver into Anne’s breasts right down through her thighs. When the smooth heat of his mouth pressed delicately against hers, Anne felt the leap of her pulse.
Then his mouth settled firmly against hers with a soft, sweet hunger that poured through her core, and her senses went wild.
His was a tender sensuality, exquisite in its intensity, unlike anything she had ever known. Nerve endings she had no idea she possessed shot vividly to life. The heat from his mouth, the warmth of his breath sent her heart dancing against her ribs.
Anne’s lips parted of their own accord as she lifted her mouth to his for more. The tip of his tongue slowly caressed the sensitive edges of her parted lips over and over again until they hummed with pleasure. His tongue dipped into her heated softness, tasting her, tantalizing her.
Her knees grew weak as she breathed out his name, an exhalation of pure pleasure. “Tom...”
“That’s how I’ve wanted you to say my name.” His voice was deep and throaty and delicious.
His mouth pressed firmly against hers. He tasted smooth and hot, like a night of sweet, dark passion. The intensity of her response rippled inside her. She was suddenly, acutely aware of a secret well of elemental hunger raging within her core.
What this man could say with just a kiss was incredible. Anne knew then that she had wasted her time with cowboys and cops. It was priests who knew how to kiss!
She wanted more of him. A lot more. She leaned forward, intending to have it.
But his mouth drew back from hers and the warmth went with him. Anne opened her eyes and found she was looking directly into his. A blaze of sheer blue heat.
Both of Tom’s strong hands clutched her shoulders now as if he was holding on to a lifeline. His voice was
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