thighs.
Don’t do this, said a voice inside her head. She pulled herself upright on the bed, her body stiff with uncertainty, her pulse racing.
“ Kyle, wait.”
“ Why should we wait?” He pulled her down on the bed next to him, held her against the length of his body. “You know how I feel about you. I’ve made no secret of it.” His voice dropped to a husky whisper. “Am I reading something that isn’t there? Or do you feel the same way about me?”
“ You know I do,” she whispered.
“ Then let me show you how much I care. Let me make love to you.”
“ I’m not sure it’s right for me, for either of us. This is all happening too fast.”
“ It is happening fast. I never imagined it could be this way. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t right.” His hand stroked her cheek as he gazed lovingly into her eyes. “There’s nothing more beautiful than what we feel for each other right now.”
Right now. His words drummed in her head, bringing to the surface all her reservations, all her fears.
Right now. For the moment.
Temporary. Temporary insanity.
Catching the look in her eyes, he whispered, “We can stop if you want. It’s up to you. But help me to understand. What are you afraid of?”
Of you. Of me. That I’ll fall in love with you, and when it’s time to say goodbye, I’ll never recover. She couldn’t make love to a man without giving her heart and her soul, and she was already perilously close to giving both to Kyle.
Monday morning you’ll be gone, she thought, and I’ll be left empty and aching.
She wanted to tell him, to try to explain, but her throat felt so constricted she couldn’t speak.
“ You said the other night that you’ll never get married again, that your divorce was inevitable. Aren’t you being a little hard on yourself? Are you so afraid of failure that you won’t allow yourself to love anyone again?”
She closed her eyes. “That’s...part of it,” she managed in a low quiver.
“ Have you been with anyone since then?” he asked softly.
She shook her head. Unbidden tears sprang into her eyes. He smoothed her hair back and kissed away her tears. “Don’t be afraid, Desiree. We can never be certain what the future holds for us. But don’t let that stop you from living, from loving.”
The tears brimmed over and trickled down her cheeks.
“ Don’t cry, my darling. Don’t cry.” His lips moved across her eyes, cheeks, and chin, and brushed away her tears, absorbing them into his own mouth. “Oh, God, Desiree, I’m sorry.”
He stretched out on his side and cuddled her close against him, massaging her back and heaving long, steadying breaths as if fighting to regain control over his body. Finally, his voice deep and vibrant, he said, “I didn’t mean to push you into something you’re not ready for. I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you, my darling. I only want to love you.”
My darling. A shuddering sigh escaped her control. No one had ever called her my darling. Not even Steve. Until this moment, she didn’t realize how much she’d always longed to hear just those words, in just the way he had said them.
Her arms looped around his back. Her hands tangled in his hair. Oh, Kyle, she thought. I didn’t want to need you. I didn’t want to want you. But I can’t help myself. I do. Her eyes met his with a wordless plea, revealing the depth of her emotions and desire as she tilted her lips up to his.
He read her assent in her gaze. With a low moan, he rolled on top of her. His lips touched hers again, with such sensitivity and gentle adoration it took her breath away. His tongue slid between her lips, then encircled hers with a slow, tender intimacy. His hands roamed over her shoulders, then down to caress her breasts through her silky blouse.
She felt herself relax beneath him. All her reasons to resist drifted away to some dark, forgotten corner of her mind. It’s going to be all right, she told herself. Somehow, he’ll make it
Don’t do this, said a voice inside her head. She pulled herself upright on the bed, her body stiff with uncertainty, her pulse racing.
“ Kyle, wait.”
“ Why should we wait?” He pulled her down on the bed next to him, held her against the length of his body. “You know how I feel about you. I’ve made no secret of it.” His voice dropped to a husky whisper. “Am I reading something that isn’t there? Or do you feel the same way about me?”
“ You know I do,” she whispered.
“ Then let me show you how much I care. Let me make love to you.”
“ I’m not sure it’s right for me, for either of us. This is all happening too fast.”
“ It is happening fast. I never imagined it could be this way. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t right.” His hand stroked her cheek as he gazed lovingly into her eyes. “There’s nothing more beautiful than what we feel for each other right now.”
Right now. His words drummed in her head, bringing to the surface all her reservations, all her fears.
Right now. For the moment.
Temporary. Temporary insanity.
Catching the look in her eyes, he whispered, “We can stop if you want. It’s up to you. But help me to understand. What are you afraid of?”
Of you. Of me. That I’ll fall in love with you, and when it’s time to say goodbye, I’ll never recover. She couldn’t make love to a man without giving her heart and her soul, and she was already perilously close to giving both to Kyle.
Monday morning you’ll be gone, she thought, and I’ll be left empty and aching.
She wanted to tell him, to try to explain, but her throat felt so constricted she couldn’t speak.
“ You said the other night that you’ll never get married again, that your divorce was inevitable. Aren’t you being a little hard on yourself? Are you so afraid of failure that you won’t allow yourself to love anyone again?”
She closed her eyes. “That’s...part of it,” she managed in a low quiver.
“ Have you been with anyone since then?” he asked softly.
She shook her head. Unbidden tears sprang into her eyes. He smoothed her hair back and kissed away her tears. “Don’t be afraid, Desiree. We can never be certain what the future holds for us. But don’t let that stop you from living, from loving.”
The tears brimmed over and trickled down her cheeks.
“ Don’t cry, my darling. Don’t cry.” His lips moved across her eyes, cheeks, and chin, and brushed away her tears, absorbing them into his own mouth. “Oh, God, Desiree, I’m sorry.”
He stretched out on his side and cuddled her close against him, massaging her back and heaving long, steadying breaths as if fighting to regain control over his body. Finally, his voice deep and vibrant, he said, “I didn’t mean to push you into something you’re not ready for. I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you, my darling. I only want to love you.”
My darling. A shuddering sigh escaped her control. No one had ever called her my darling. Not even Steve. Until this moment, she didn’t realize how much she’d always longed to hear just those words, in just the way he had said them.
Her arms looped around his back. Her hands tangled in his hair. Oh, Kyle, she thought. I didn’t want to need you. I didn’t want to want you. But I can’t help myself. I do. Her eyes met his with a wordless plea, revealing the depth of her emotions and desire as she tilted her lips up to his.
He read her assent in her gaze. With a low moan, he rolled on top of her. His lips touched hers again, with such sensitivity and gentle adoration it took her breath away. His tongue slid between her lips, then encircled hers with a slow, tender intimacy. His hands roamed over her shoulders, then down to caress her breasts through her silky blouse.
She felt herself relax beneath him. All her reasons to resist drifted away to some dark, forgotten corner of her mind. It’s going to be all right, she told herself. Somehow, he’ll make it
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