waists.
“I don’t know. My parents don’t use it much after the summer ends.”
Julie Ann watched him unlock the door. She shivered again and hugged herself nervously.
Gray saw the shiver and the hug, and they kindled a slow grin. “I’ll make a fire inside.”
“I’m okay.”
“Yeah, that’s what you said before.” He unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Stay outside while I check the place.”
Julie Ann stood on the porch and watched him disappear into the house. The night-fogged windows did a poor job of diffusing the moonlight, and she lost sight of him immediately. It wasn’t until the interior was lit by the golden glow of a kerosene lantern that she ventured inside.
“After the summer my father turns off the main electrical switch outside. Do you mind the lantern?”
She shook her head.
“I’ll make that fire.” Gray knelt by the hearth and began to pile small sticks in a teepee. “Make yourself comfortable.”
“Are we going to be here long enough to need a fire?”
“Let’s just see.”
Julie Ann perched on the edge of a rocker. She kept her eyes on the small blaze as Gray went outside to get bigger wood to feed it. She wondered what biological miracle was causing her hands to sweat when they were icy cold.
“This should do it.” Gray came back and positioned two split logs on the fire and watched as the flames licked around them. “Come here and warm up.”
Obediently she went to stand beside him, extending her hands toward the flames.
“Why are you so scared?”
“I’m not!” Julie Ann turned so she could see Gray’s face. He was right, but she wasn’t going to tell him so. “What am I supposed to be scared of?”
“Me. If you’re not scared, you should be.”
She searched his face, and what she saw there reassured her. “Why? You’d never hurt me.”
For a moment she saw something very close to fear in his eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you, Julie Ann. God knows, you’ve been hurt enough in your life.”
“But it’s made me strong.”
He touched her cheek, and her eyes closed as he stroked it. “Sometimes at night I shut my eyes, and I see your face.” He leaned toward her and brushed his lips where his fingers had been. “I thought we were just friends. That’s what I wanted us to be.”
“We are friends.” She sought his lips with hers.
Their kiss was gentler than the last one had been. When it ended, he held her close. “We should have met in the future.”
Her head lay against his shoulder. “When we were ready for this?”
He didn’t answer, but she could feel his slight nod. “Being here tonight is a bad idea,” he said finally. “I’d better take you home.”
She had survived the misery of her childhood because she had learned to follow her best instincts. Now her best instincts told her he was right. She didn’t care. When had this decision been made? In the lonely nights since she had last seen him? She wasn’t sure, but she was sure of one thing. Just once, just this once, Julie Ann Mason was going to take something for herself. “I don’t want to go.”
His arms tightened around her. “You know what’s going to happen if we stay, don’t you?”
“Just tell me it’s because you want me and not because you had too much beer.”
“I want you, and I shouldn’t.” He found her mouth again, and this time the kiss was not gentle. It was everything she had ever dared dream a kiss could be. She felt it grow inside her until she thought she couldn’t contain it. She felt Gray’s reaction, too.
He took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom closest to the bay. The light from the lantern he carried crept along the wall behind her. As she waited for Gray to set the lantern down, she noted the double bed, the chest of drawers. She shut her eyes and hoped she was doing the right thing.
“Did you think you’d lose your virginity here?” he asked, walking up behind her and dropping his hands over her shoulders so
“I don’t know. My parents don’t use it much after the summer ends.”
Julie Ann watched him unlock the door. She shivered again and hugged herself nervously.
Gray saw the shiver and the hug, and they kindled a slow grin. “I’ll make a fire inside.”
“I’m okay.”
“Yeah, that’s what you said before.” He unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Stay outside while I check the place.”
Julie Ann stood on the porch and watched him disappear into the house. The night-fogged windows did a poor job of diffusing the moonlight, and she lost sight of him immediately. It wasn’t until the interior was lit by the golden glow of a kerosene lantern that she ventured inside.
“After the summer my father turns off the main electrical switch outside. Do you mind the lantern?”
She shook her head.
“I’ll make that fire.” Gray knelt by the hearth and began to pile small sticks in a teepee. “Make yourself comfortable.”
“Are we going to be here long enough to need a fire?”
“Let’s just see.”
Julie Ann perched on the edge of a rocker. She kept her eyes on the small blaze as Gray went outside to get bigger wood to feed it. She wondered what biological miracle was causing her hands to sweat when they were icy cold.
“This should do it.” Gray came back and positioned two split logs on the fire and watched as the flames licked around them. “Come here and warm up.”
Obediently she went to stand beside him, extending her hands toward the flames.
“Why are you so scared?”
“I’m not!” Julie Ann turned so she could see Gray’s face. He was right, but she wasn’t going to tell him so. “What am I supposed to be scared of?”
“Me. If you’re not scared, you should be.”
She searched his face, and what she saw there reassured her. “Why? You’d never hurt me.”
For a moment she saw something very close to fear in his eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you, Julie Ann. God knows, you’ve been hurt enough in your life.”
“But it’s made me strong.”
He touched her cheek, and her eyes closed as he stroked it. “Sometimes at night I shut my eyes, and I see your face.” He leaned toward her and brushed his lips where his fingers had been. “I thought we were just friends. That’s what I wanted us to be.”
“We are friends.” She sought his lips with hers.
Their kiss was gentler than the last one had been. When it ended, he held her close. “We should have met in the future.”
Her head lay against his shoulder. “When we were ready for this?”
He didn’t answer, but she could feel his slight nod. “Being here tonight is a bad idea,” he said finally. “I’d better take you home.”
She had survived the misery of her childhood because she had learned to follow her best instincts. Now her best instincts told her he was right. She didn’t care. When had this decision been made? In the lonely nights since she had last seen him? She wasn’t sure, but she was sure of one thing. Just once, just this once, Julie Ann Mason was going to take something for herself. “I don’t want to go.”
His arms tightened around her. “You know what’s going to happen if we stay, don’t you?”
“Just tell me it’s because you want me and not because you had too much beer.”
“I want you, and I shouldn’t.” He found her mouth again, and this time the kiss was not gentle. It was everything she had ever dared dream a kiss could be. She felt it grow inside her until she thought she couldn’t contain it. She felt Gray’s reaction, too.
He took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom closest to the bay. The light from the lantern he carried crept along the wall behind her. As she waited for Gray to set the lantern down, she noted the double bed, the chest of drawers. She shut her eyes and hoped she was doing the right thing.
“Did you think you’d lose your virginity here?” he asked, walking up behind her and dropping his hands over her shoulders so
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