home. It’s been a long time, but here I am.”
“I think it’s a lovely house, Sebastian, and I thank you for sharing it with me.”
He stared at her for a long time, and after a while she began to fidget. “Have I ever told you how pretty you are?” he asked softly.
“Me?” she asked stupidly.
His grin lit up the room. “You pull your hair up so tight in the morning and by evening it’s curling softly around your face. No Amanda, don’t fix it. I like it that way. It makes you look--sweet and feminine. I have this need to touch it, to see how soft it is,” he murmured.
Amanda was lost in his eyes. She felt more than heard his words and she was mesmerized by the hushed tone of his voice. He reached out and almost reverently touched her hair, sliding his hand down the side of her head tenderly to rest at the nape of her neck. Unable to resist any longer, he pulled her toward him and touched his lips to hers, sucking in his breath at the surge of electricity that shot through him. She felt it too, for her eyes were wide with astonishment. He tried it again, welcoming the shock to his senses as their lips met softly. He deepened the kiss and it never even occurred to Amanda to try and stop him. No, it felt much too good. His other hand came up to caress her arm and he licked her bottom lip with the tip of his tongue.
Amanda broke away with a gasp. She turned away from him, trying to bring her breathing under control and failing miserably. She looked up at him as he began stroking her back reassuringly. “Are you okay?” he murmured.
She nodded. “Sebastian?” she asked hesitantly. “What just happened, well, has never happened to me before. Am I supposed to feel so--”
“Unsettled, shaky, breathless?” At her nod he grinned. “You are supposed to feel all that and more,
Amanda, much more.”
“Even though I have a child, I’m not--well, what I mean to say is that I haven’t really--”
He put a finger to her lips. “I know you aren’t experienced in the ways of love, sweetheart, and even though we are ‘married’ now I want you to know I don’t expect that from you, although I feel an irresistible attraction to you. I won’t take advantage of you. In fact, I think I’ll sleep out here tonight.”
“No, I’ll not deprive you of your bed! We are both adults and I trust you. We can share.”
This seemed to shock him beyond all reason and she laughed. “I do believe I’ve scandalized you, Sebastian! But really, it would be silly for either one of us to sleep on the floor when there is such a large , comfortable bed in the other room, don’t you agree?”
“It just so happens I do agree. Why don’t you go on and change while I check on the children? I’ll be there soon.” Amanda stepped into the room and sighed, wondering what she had gotten herself into. She hurriedly shucked off her clothes and donned a high-necked, faded pink cotton nightgown and climbed between the covers. Oh, the bed was so comfortable she could hardly keep her eyes open and she let them droop. So when Sebastian entered the room he thought she was asleep, but as he began undressing she shamelessly opened her eyes a slit to watch him. He took off everything but his underwear and turned toward the bed. Amanda almost sighed aloud at the strong muscles outlined in his body. When she felt him crawl under the covers beside her she used the guise of sleep and curled up to him, sliding her head onto his chest. She could hear his steady heartbeat and his not so steady breathing as he brought his arm around to snuggle her against him. Never had she felt so safe as she did now in the cocoon of his embrace. Sighing contentedly, she let herself drift off to sleep.
CHAPTER SIX
When Amanda awoke the next morning the sun was just peeking over the horizon and there was no sign of Sebastian. Rising from
“I think it’s a lovely house, Sebastian, and I thank you for sharing it with me.”
He stared at her for a long time, and after a while she began to fidget. “Have I ever told you how pretty you are?” he asked softly.
“Me?” she asked stupidly.
His grin lit up the room. “You pull your hair up so tight in the morning and by evening it’s curling softly around your face. No Amanda, don’t fix it. I like it that way. It makes you look--sweet and feminine. I have this need to touch it, to see how soft it is,” he murmured.
Amanda was lost in his eyes. She felt more than heard his words and she was mesmerized by the hushed tone of his voice. He reached out and almost reverently touched her hair, sliding his hand down the side of her head tenderly to rest at the nape of her neck. Unable to resist any longer, he pulled her toward him and touched his lips to hers, sucking in his breath at the surge of electricity that shot through him. She felt it too, for her eyes were wide with astonishment. He tried it again, welcoming the shock to his senses as their lips met softly. He deepened the kiss and it never even occurred to Amanda to try and stop him. No, it felt much too good. His other hand came up to caress her arm and he licked her bottom lip with the tip of his tongue.
Amanda broke away with a gasp. She turned away from him, trying to bring her breathing under control and failing miserably. She looked up at him as he began stroking her back reassuringly. “Are you okay?” he murmured.
She nodded. “Sebastian?” she asked hesitantly. “What just happened, well, has never happened to me before. Am I supposed to feel so--”
“Unsettled, shaky, breathless?” At her nod he grinned. “You are supposed to feel all that and more,
Amanda, much more.”
“Even though I have a child, I’m not--well, what I mean to say is that I haven’t really--”
He put a finger to her lips. “I know you aren’t experienced in the ways of love, sweetheart, and even though we are ‘married’ now I want you to know I don’t expect that from you, although I feel an irresistible attraction to you. I won’t take advantage of you. In fact, I think I’ll sleep out here tonight.”
“No, I’ll not deprive you of your bed! We are both adults and I trust you. We can share.”
This seemed to shock him beyond all reason and she laughed. “I do believe I’ve scandalized you, Sebastian! But really, it would be silly for either one of us to sleep on the floor when there is such a large , comfortable bed in the other room, don’t you agree?”
“It just so happens I do agree. Why don’t you go on and change while I check on the children? I’ll be there soon.” Amanda stepped into the room and sighed, wondering what she had gotten herself into. She hurriedly shucked off her clothes and donned a high-necked, faded pink cotton nightgown and climbed between the covers. Oh, the bed was so comfortable she could hardly keep her eyes open and she let them droop. So when Sebastian entered the room he thought she was asleep, but as he began undressing she shamelessly opened her eyes a slit to watch him. He took off everything but his underwear and turned toward the bed. Amanda almost sighed aloud at the strong muscles outlined in his body. When she felt him crawl under the covers beside her she used the guise of sleep and curled up to him, sliding her head onto his chest. She could hear his steady heartbeat and his not so steady breathing as he brought his arm around to snuggle her against him. Never had she felt so safe as she did now in the cocoon of his embrace. Sighing contentedly, she let herself drift off to sleep.
CHAPTER SIX
When Amanda awoke the next morning the sun was just peeking over the horizon and there was no sign of Sebastian. Rising from
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