against his solid body when she began to shiver, the contact creating an instant air of intimacy.
The heat that radiated from him warmed her damp flesh. As his embrace pushed back the cold, it filled her entire being with want, with longing. The man was simply addictive.
She nestled into him. His earthy scent assailed her senses, and even though they’d just made love, she ached to lose herself in his arms, his kisses and his bed, once again.
When she tipped her head to meet his eyes, her blood pressure soared and her body hummed with anticipation. Danielle pushed her damp bangs from her forehead and blinked a drop from her lashes, wondering what he wanted to tell her.
By the time they stepped up to his door, the shower had passed. “Go inside and grab some towels. I need to put these tools away.”
Danielle rushed to the bathroom and grabbed two towels. She dried her hair and began closing all the windows. As she pulled them shut the breeze rustled a bunch of papers on the table, and a few sailed to the floor. She bent to pick them up. One paper in particular caught her attention. She scanned the words.
As her heart twisted, it occurred to her that this was what Ethan wanted to talk to her about. In less than twenty-four hours, he’d be leaving to go overseas. The one thing he always wanted. The one thing he desired most.
Her heart sank. Lauren was right. She should have kept this wild affair just about sex, because when it came right down to it, they lived completely different lives. So much for her desire to keep him around longer and see where this relationship would lead.
Unlike all the other guys she’d been with, Ethan had taken the time to discover her needs and pleasure her, but lessons learned long ago had taught her not to put herself out there. She drew a breath and berated her stupidity for doing just that, because once again she was going to find herself alone.
She rushed to replace the paper as he came inside. Danielle handed him a towel. Concealing her churning emotions, she straightened her spine and worked to sound casual, even though she felt rattled inside.
“I guess the magic elixir really did fulfill your deepest desires, Ethan.” Despite her best efforts, she knew her voice sounded tight.
His eyes moved over her face, perplexed. “What are you talking about, Dani? You know I don’t believe in any magic elixir.”
She nodded toward the paper and offered an apologetic face. “I didn’t mean to read it. It just sort of happened.” She shifted back and forth from foot to foot. She forced a smile, but it was as shaky as her breath. “Believe in the elixir or not, you just got exactly what you wanted.”
As she stood there looking at him, everything in her wanted to ask him to stay with her. But she couldn’t, and she wouldn’t, not when this was the one thing he desired more than anything else. He deserved happiness and deserved to feel in control again.
“Congratulations. I’m happy for you, Ethan. Are you packed? Do you need any help?” She was rambling but couldn’t seem to stop herself.
His smile fell from his face. He looked injured. “You are? No. No,” he said, replying to her questions in sequence.
She rolled her shoulder. “Sure I’m happy. You told me it was your greatest desire. Now you get to go back to commanding fellow comrades. You must be thrilled.”
She watched his throat work as he swallowed. He took one measured step toward her and scrubbed his hand over his chin like he was waging an internal battle.
“Not really,” he replied soberly.
Looking lost, and a little forlorn, he stepped into her personal space and dragged her into his arms. His rich scent singed her senses and brought on a shudder.
They exchanged a long look, and then he drew a breath, as though centering himself. “Someone wise once told me that there is no ambiguity in the truth . So I’m going to lay it on the line and tell you the truth, Dani. Then it’s your turn.”
She
The heat that radiated from him warmed her damp flesh. As his embrace pushed back the cold, it filled her entire being with want, with longing. The man was simply addictive.
She nestled into him. His earthy scent assailed her senses, and even though they’d just made love, she ached to lose herself in his arms, his kisses and his bed, once again.
When she tipped her head to meet his eyes, her blood pressure soared and her body hummed with anticipation. Danielle pushed her damp bangs from her forehead and blinked a drop from her lashes, wondering what he wanted to tell her.
By the time they stepped up to his door, the shower had passed. “Go inside and grab some towels. I need to put these tools away.”
Danielle rushed to the bathroom and grabbed two towels. She dried her hair and began closing all the windows. As she pulled them shut the breeze rustled a bunch of papers on the table, and a few sailed to the floor. She bent to pick them up. One paper in particular caught her attention. She scanned the words.
As her heart twisted, it occurred to her that this was what Ethan wanted to talk to her about. In less than twenty-four hours, he’d be leaving to go overseas. The one thing he always wanted. The one thing he desired most.
Her heart sank. Lauren was right. She should have kept this wild affair just about sex, because when it came right down to it, they lived completely different lives. So much for her desire to keep him around longer and see where this relationship would lead.
Unlike all the other guys she’d been with, Ethan had taken the time to discover her needs and pleasure her, but lessons learned long ago had taught her not to put herself out there. She drew a breath and berated her stupidity for doing just that, because once again she was going to find herself alone.
She rushed to replace the paper as he came inside. Danielle handed him a towel. Concealing her churning emotions, she straightened her spine and worked to sound casual, even though she felt rattled inside.
“I guess the magic elixir really did fulfill your deepest desires, Ethan.” Despite her best efforts, she knew her voice sounded tight.
His eyes moved over her face, perplexed. “What are you talking about, Dani? You know I don’t believe in any magic elixir.”
She nodded toward the paper and offered an apologetic face. “I didn’t mean to read it. It just sort of happened.” She shifted back and forth from foot to foot. She forced a smile, but it was as shaky as her breath. “Believe in the elixir or not, you just got exactly what you wanted.”
As she stood there looking at him, everything in her wanted to ask him to stay with her. But she couldn’t, and she wouldn’t, not when this was the one thing he desired more than anything else. He deserved happiness and deserved to feel in control again.
“Congratulations. I’m happy for you, Ethan. Are you packed? Do you need any help?” She was rambling but couldn’t seem to stop herself.
His smile fell from his face. He looked injured. “You are? No. No,” he said, replying to her questions in sequence.
She rolled her shoulder. “Sure I’m happy. You told me it was your greatest desire. Now you get to go back to commanding fellow comrades. You must be thrilled.”
She watched his throat work as he swallowed. He took one measured step toward her and scrubbed his hand over his chin like he was waging an internal battle.
“Not really,” he replied soberly.
Looking lost, and a little forlorn, he stepped into her personal space and dragged her into his arms. His rich scent singed her senses and brought on a shudder.
They exchanged a long look, and then he drew a breath, as though centering himself. “Someone wise once told me that there is no ambiguity in the truth . So I’m going to lay it on the line and tell you the truth, Dani. Then it’s your turn.”
She
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