Mountain Fire by Brenda Margriet Page B

deep in her throat as he discovered new delights along the length of her neck, behind her ear. She anchored herself in his lap and the little blood remaining in his brain drained out.
    With his last coherent thought, he pushed her away, lifting her onto the rock at the edge of the pool, dragging his hands off her body. If he touched her one second longer he would have to have her, and nothing would stop him. His arousal was almost painful. His breath heaved, and it took all his resolve to keep his hands clenched at his side when they burned to touch her.
    Her blue eyes were dreamy, heavy with passion.
    “We have to stop.” He bit out the words. “I won’t be responsible for what happens next if we don’t stop right now.”
    The intensity drained from her face, leaving it wan and still. “How very noble of you, to sacrifice your needs for mine,” she said coldly. “I didn’t ask you to kiss me, but if I hadn’t wanted you to, it wouldn’t have happened. I want you,” she continued bitterly. “It still doesn’t mean I’m ready to sleep with you.”
    “What do you want from me?” Frustrated hunger blazed into flame again, but he kept it firmly under control. “What kind of promises? Are you worried I’ll be having sex with someone else if we’re sleeping together? What kind of guy do you think I am?”
    He surged out of the pool and stomped a few feet away. Water coursed off the heavy fabric of his shorts and down his calves. He pulled off his shirt and wrung it out.
    “I think you’re a very good man,” she said simply. He gathered himself before turning toward her. Hurt was evident in the hunch of her shoulders, the set of her mouth. “And I think you’re mad because you know I’m right.” She got to her feet and stepped out of the pool, but did not approach him. “I don’t want to mess this up. I want to be sure. I want you to be sure.”
    Alex thought of his father’s recent announcement, and realized he was ashamed to mention it to June. “Tell me the truth. Tell me straight. Do you believe in marriage? In vows of ‘’til death do us part’?”
    She answered without hesitation. “Yes, I do. I believe there’s nothing better than spending your life with someone you love. But I’m not stupid. I know it’s not all rainbows and roses. It’s hard work. And sometimes, even hard work isn’t enough.”
    He wondered if she was thinking of his parents. She might be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but he’d been there, he’d seen it. He wasn’t willing to give them even that much.
    “I want kids, too.” She studied the river rushing past. “And I don’t want to put them through the pain of divorce. So I’m going to be very, very careful about who I let into my life. And while I know sex with you would probably be mind-blowing...” she teased a reluctant smile out of him “...having sex will change our relationship. And I want to make sure it changes for the better, not the worse.”
    He remembered his panic when she’d called for help. Was it really less than two days ago? He could give her that much, at least. “I care about you. It’s not only desire, not only sex. It’s...” he rolled his shoulders, frustrated at his inability to find the right words. “I don’t know what it is. I need to know you’re safe, you’re happy.”
    The tension in her arms, her neck, abated. He sighed. “Come on, let’s have lunch.”
    Awkwardness still stuttered as they walked back to where they had dropped their packs. June pulled out a towel and shared it with him.
    “Ready to eat?” he asked.
    “What did you bring?”
    “Let’s see.” He reached into his pack and pulled out a squashy thermal cooler from which he removed two take out containers, a couple sets of chopsticks, a small bottle of soy sauce, and a bottle of white wine.
    June’s eyebrows rose. “Sushi? You brought sushi?”
    “California rolls, ebi ten, veggie rolls. You like it, right? I’m sure you