her it felt good to have someone want to take care of her, even if it wasn’t necessary. She cast a wary eye at the ominous storm clouds before sliding open the door on the deck and stepping inside the house—the house she now officially shared with Blake for the summer.
He followed close on her heels. “Calm down.” He grabbed her arm. “I’m not trying to run your life. You’re free to do whatever you wish with whomever you wish.”
She spun around, yanked her arm out of his grasp, and glared at him. “And don’t you forget—”
The cat jumped out from behind a chair, bounded across the room at full speed, and leaped toward a startled Blake, landing on his shoulder.
“What the hell?”
Ty-Ling wrapped her paws gently around his neck, batted at his nose, flicked her tail across his face, then jumped back to the couch and to the floor. Before he could respond to the sudden flurry of activity, the cat wrapped its paws around his ankle, let go without digging its claws into his flesh, scampered away, and hid behind the couch.
Vicki didn’t know what to do or say after Ty-Ling’s hit and run. Then suddenly, she burst out laughing. She couldn’t have stopped the laughter no matter how angry she had been just moments earlier. The shocked look on Blake’s face and the cat’s playful antics had done what his words had been unable to do. They’d penetrated her outer defense mechanism and gotten through to her reasonable inner person.
Blake let out a relieved chuckle. “Well, wonder of all wonders. That’s the second time I’ve seen you laugh.” His manner turned serious as he held her gaze with intensity. “You should do more of it, allow more spontaneous moments of fun into your life.” He tenderly ran his fingertips lightly across her cheek. “It becomes you.”
Tremors started deep inside her, followed by a shortness of breath. Her pulse raced. He’d done it to her again, pulled her into the mesmerizing control of his aura. Time seemed momentarily suspended. His lips brushed softly against her forehead. The next thing she knew, he had released her from his spell and disappeared upstairs. She stood in stunned silence for several seconds before regaining her composure. What had just happened, other than her once again obviously unacceptable behavior? She had no right to lash out at Blake. Had she alienated him with her angry words? What in the world had made her do such an odd thing?
She took a calming breath. The answer to that question was a frightening one, an answer she didn’t want to even consider. An answer laden with layer upon layer of emotion. Vicki shook the objectionable thoughts from her mind and went into the dining room to finish unpacking boxes and arranging her office.
She still had several things to do before it would be properly organized for work the next morning.
****
Blake stood on the balcony outside his bedroom, unable to shake off his troubling thoughts. The wind had picked up considerably in the last hour. His nostrils flared as he inhaled the scent of approaching rain. Each physical encounter with Vicki, even the innocent brushing of his fingers against her skin, produced an increasingly emotional response inside him. As much as he wanted to bring her back to his bedroom for another sexual encounter intense enough to knock his socks off, he’d chosen the safer course of placing a light kiss on her forehead, then quickly retreating.
Retreating…hell, he’d flat out run away. Other than driving each other into a sexual frenzy, they had nothing in common. They existed in two different worlds. Why had he insisted she stay the summer? A truly foolish thing to have done. Too impetuous. Too impulsive.
And way too dangerous.
He closed his eyes and allowed the wind to ruffle his hair. Perhaps it could also ruffle thoughts of Vicki from his consciousness.
****
The first clap of thunder jarred Vicki from a restless sleep. The only sound breaking the quiet of the house came
He followed close on her heels. “Calm down.” He grabbed her arm. “I’m not trying to run your life. You’re free to do whatever you wish with whomever you wish.”
She spun around, yanked her arm out of his grasp, and glared at him. “And don’t you forget—”
The cat jumped out from behind a chair, bounded across the room at full speed, and leaped toward a startled Blake, landing on his shoulder.
“What the hell?”
Ty-Ling wrapped her paws gently around his neck, batted at his nose, flicked her tail across his face, then jumped back to the couch and to the floor. Before he could respond to the sudden flurry of activity, the cat wrapped its paws around his ankle, let go without digging its claws into his flesh, scampered away, and hid behind the couch.
Vicki didn’t know what to do or say after Ty-Ling’s hit and run. Then suddenly, she burst out laughing. She couldn’t have stopped the laughter no matter how angry she had been just moments earlier. The shocked look on Blake’s face and the cat’s playful antics had done what his words had been unable to do. They’d penetrated her outer defense mechanism and gotten through to her reasonable inner person.
Blake let out a relieved chuckle. “Well, wonder of all wonders. That’s the second time I’ve seen you laugh.” His manner turned serious as he held her gaze with intensity. “You should do more of it, allow more spontaneous moments of fun into your life.” He tenderly ran his fingertips lightly across her cheek. “It becomes you.”
Tremors started deep inside her, followed by a shortness of breath. Her pulse raced. He’d done it to her again, pulled her into the mesmerizing control of his aura. Time seemed momentarily suspended. His lips brushed softly against her forehead. The next thing she knew, he had released her from his spell and disappeared upstairs. She stood in stunned silence for several seconds before regaining her composure. What had just happened, other than her once again obviously unacceptable behavior? She had no right to lash out at Blake. Had she alienated him with her angry words? What in the world had made her do such an odd thing?
She took a calming breath. The answer to that question was a frightening one, an answer she didn’t want to even consider. An answer laden with layer upon layer of emotion. Vicki shook the objectionable thoughts from her mind and went into the dining room to finish unpacking boxes and arranging her office.
She still had several things to do before it would be properly organized for work the next morning.
****
Blake stood on the balcony outside his bedroom, unable to shake off his troubling thoughts. The wind had picked up considerably in the last hour. His nostrils flared as he inhaled the scent of approaching rain. Each physical encounter with Vicki, even the innocent brushing of his fingers against her skin, produced an increasingly emotional response inside him. As much as he wanted to bring her back to his bedroom for another sexual encounter intense enough to knock his socks off, he’d chosen the safer course of placing a light kiss on her forehead, then quickly retreating.
Retreating…hell, he’d flat out run away. Other than driving each other into a sexual frenzy, they had nothing in common. They existed in two different worlds. Why had he insisted she stay the summer? A truly foolish thing to have done. Too impetuous. Too impulsive.
And way too dangerous.
He closed his eyes and allowed the wind to ruffle his hair. Perhaps it could also ruffle thoughts of Vicki from his consciousness.
****
The first clap of thunder jarred Vicki from a restless sleep. The only sound breaking the quiet of the house came
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