was his, but he didn’t know if she really understood what that meant or what he’d meant by it.
They’d had a lot of serious talks lately, but he figured he might as well start one more. He hated to disturb the sweet feeling of her lying in his arms. Kina fit him perfectly and he could imagine them falling asleep this way every night for the rest of their lives, but that was the problem. He had no idea if she also could see that, or even if she wanted it.
“You awake?” he asked Kina softly.
“Yeah,” she murmured sleepily.
“What are your plans for after this show is over?” he asked bluntly, not beating around the bush. He might as well throw it out there. Jonathan knew Kina would rather he be upfront and honest than prevaricate.
Kina was tired and half-asleep, until she heard the seriousness behind Jonathan’s question. She had no idea how to answer him. She knew what she wanted, but she wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear.
She decided to tread carefully. “Eddie’s offered to sign me on for another three show contract, but I’m not sure I want to keep working for him. I’m not thrilled with the way he treats people and what he’s done to the contestants on his shows in the past.”
She squirmed when Jonathan didn’t answer right away.
“What if I asked you to come back to Arizona with me?” he finally asked.
God. Kina didn’t know how to answer him. It was way too soon for her to be thinking about moving to a different state for a man…wasn’t it?
“I don’t know what to say,” she told him honestly. And she didn’t. She wanted to jump up and scream ‘Yes!’ but the more practical side of her said she didn’t even know him.
“Say yes,” Jonathan urged, but said no more.
“What would I do there?”
Jonathan wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to do anything but love him, but he knew that’d sound crazy. And besides, Kina was the type of woman who needed to do something; she needed to feel like she was contributing. She’d never let him earn all the money.
“I don’t know,” he said honestly, “but I’d help you find whatever it was that you wanted to do there. All I know is I want you with me. I don’t want to leave in a few weeks and never see you again. You’re all I’ve ever wanted in my life. More than I ever thought I’d have. I want to introduce you to my folks as mine, have you see how happy they are on the animal refuge they run. I know you saw them when you were there for the last show, but I want you t o kno w them. I want to have double dates with my brother and Becky."
“You’re smart, Kina; if you want to stay in television, I’m sure you’ll find your way to do that. We have lots of TV stations there, with your experience, someone will snatch you up quickly. If you want to do something else, we’ll figure that out too. I just want to share my life with you, however you’ll let me.”
Kina teared up. She was thankful it was dark in the tent and Jonathan couldn’t see her. “I’ll have to think about it,” she finally said, once she had her emotions under control. “I’ve been at the mercy of a man before, I told you about that,” she told him honestly. “I don’t know if I can do it again.” She felt him nod, but he kept silent.
“I’m not asking you to be at my mercy, hon. If anything, I’m a t you r mercy. You could tell me you wanted to live on a nudist colony and I’d be helpless to deny you anything. If you wanted to get your own place, I’d understand. I want you to feel comfortable and not feel like I’m smothering you. It would kill me to have you living there and not in my arms every night, but I understand why you’d need that. I do.”
Quiet settled over them. They both had a lot to think about.
When Kina didn’t think Jonathan would say anything else before they fell back asleep, he surprised her.
“All my life I’ve heard from my dad about how he met my mom. He told me and Dean
They’d had a lot of serious talks lately, but he figured he might as well start one more. He hated to disturb the sweet feeling of her lying in his arms. Kina fit him perfectly and he could imagine them falling asleep this way every night for the rest of their lives, but that was the problem. He had no idea if she also could see that, or even if she wanted it.
“You awake?” he asked Kina softly.
“Yeah,” she murmured sleepily.
“What are your plans for after this show is over?” he asked bluntly, not beating around the bush. He might as well throw it out there. Jonathan knew Kina would rather he be upfront and honest than prevaricate.
Kina was tired and half-asleep, until she heard the seriousness behind Jonathan’s question. She had no idea how to answer him. She knew what she wanted, but she wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear.
She decided to tread carefully. “Eddie’s offered to sign me on for another three show contract, but I’m not sure I want to keep working for him. I’m not thrilled with the way he treats people and what he’s done to the contestants on his shows in the past.”
She squirmed when Jonathan didn’t answer right away.
“What if I asked you to come back to Arizona with me?” he finally asked.
God. Kina didn’t know how to answer him. It was way too soon for her to be thinking about moving to a different state for a man…wasn’t it?
“I don’t know what to say,” she told him honestly. And she didn’t. She wanted to jump up and scream ‘Yes!’ but the more practical side of her said she didn’t even know him.
“Say yes,” Jonathan urged, but said no more.
“What would I do there?”
Jonathan wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to do anything but love him, but he knew that’d sound crazy. And besides, Kina was the type of woman who needed to do something; she needed to feel like she was contributing. She’d never let him earn all the money.
“I don’t know,” he said honestly, “but I’d help you find whatever it was that you wanted to do there. All I know is I want you with me. I don’t want to leave in a few weeks and never see you again. You’re all I’ve ever wanted in my life. More than I ever thought I’d have. I want to introduce you to my folks as mine, have you see how happy they are on the animal refuge they run. I know you saw them when you were there for the last show, but I want you t o kno w them. I want to have double dates with my brother and Becky."
“You’re smart, Kina; if you want to stay in television, I’m sure you’ll find your way to do that. We have lots of TV stations there, with your experience, someone will snatch you up quickly. If you want to do something else, we’ll figure that out too. I just want to share my life with you, however you’ll let me.”
Kina teared up. She was thankful it was dark in the tent and Jonathan couldn’t see her. “I’ll have to think about it,” she finally said, once she had her emotions under control. “I’ve been at the mercy of a man before, I told you about that,” she told him honestly. “I don’t know if I can do it again.” She felt him nod, but he kept silent.
“I’m not asking you to be at my mercy, hon. If anything, I’m a t you r mercy. You could tell me you wanted to live on a nudist colony and I’d be helpless to deny you anything. If you wanted to get your own place, I’d understand. I want you to feel comfortable and not feel like I’m smothering you. It would kill me to have you living there and not in my arms every night, but I understand why you’d need that. I do.”
Quiet settled over them. They both had a lot to think about.
When Kina didn’t think Jonathan would say anything else before they fell back asleep, he surprised her.
“All my life I’ve heard from my dad about how he met my mom. He told me and Dean
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