thing to lessen the need for her that still burned in his gut.
Rising to his feet, he took a deep breath. He might as well face facts. He wanted her—had never stopped wanting her. If he hadn’t known that before, he sure as hell did now.
He rubbed the tension at the back of his neck. He could see a lot of cold showers in his near future and the first one would be tonight—as soon as they returned to the foreman’s cottage.
* * *
“Blake, I think I’ll leave to make the drive to Lincoln County after we have breakfast tomorrow morning,” Karly said as he drove the truck away from the log mansion.
“I thought we had that settled,” he said, staring straight ahead. “You were going to wait until the strike was done and fly to Spokane.”
“I just think it would be for the best,” she said, unwilling to admit out loud that she was in real danger of falling under his spell once again.
Sitting in the hot tub next to him, having him put his arm around her and feeling his naked body against hers had almost been her undoing. Even though she hadn’t been able to see much in the dim light of the little cave housing the hot tub, her memory had filled in the blanks. In her mind, she had seen every well-defined muscle, every plane and valley of his impressive physique. Remembering how his strong arms had held her so securely and how gently he made love to her was overwhelming, and she shivered as a wave of desire coursed through every part of her.
“I know I shouldn’t have kissed you.” He took a deep breath and added, “Either in the barn or tonight in the hot tub. But it felt right and I’ll be damned if I’m going to apologize for it.”
She couldn’t in good conscience allow him to shoulder all of the blame. “You wouldn’t have kissed me if I hadn’t let you.”
His deep chuckle sent heat pulsing through her veins. “Yeah, I noticed you weren’t protesting.”
“That’s the problem.” She sighed. “I should have.”
He glanced over at her. “Why didn’t you?”
“I...wanted you to kiss me,” she admitted.
“But you didn’t want to want me kissing you.” It wasn’t a question.
“No.”
“Sweetheart, a wife wanting her husband to kiss her is allowed,” he said, reaching over to take her hand in his. The moment their palms touched a delightful tingling sensation streaked up her arm.
She did her best to ignore it and tried to focus on what he’d said. “That’s the problem, Blake. Three months from now we’ll be divorced. I shouldn’t want you kissing me, not anymore.”
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Have you asked yourself why you do?”
His question took her by surprise. But as she tried to think of an answer, she decided it probably wasn’t wise to delve too deeply into the reason behind her wanting his affection. If she did, she was certain she wouldn’t be all that comfortable with the answer.
“You’re only going to be here a few more days, Karly,” he said pragmatically. “And I give you my word that nothing is going to happen between us unless that’s what you want. But I’m not going to lie to you and tell you it isn’t what I want.”
As he drove the truck up the lane to the foreman’s cottage, Karly thought about what Blake had said. What did she want?
Eight months ago, she’d been confident she was making the right decision when she’d said yes to his marriage proposal. She had been certain at the time she married him that she loved Blake and wanted them to spend the rest of their lives together. But when she’d returned to Seattle her practical side had taken over. That’s when she’d known ending things was the right call—for both of them.
She’d questioned falling in love with him so quickly and feared that their feelings for each other might not last. Then she’d thought about her parents. Her mother had been in love with her father, but in the end it hadn’t been enough for her. She’d become bitter and resentful, and Karly
Rising to his feet, he took a deep breath. He might as well face facts. He wanted her—had never stopped wanting her. If he hadn’t known that before, he sure as hell did now.
He rubbed the tension at the back of his neck. He could see a lot of cold showers in his near future and the first one would be tonight—as soon as they returned to the foreman’s cottage.
* * *
“Blake, I think I’ll leave to make the drive to Lincoln County after we have breakfast tomorrow morning,” Karly said as he drove the truck away from the log mansion.
“I thought we had that settled,” he said, staring straight ahead. “You were going to wait until the strike was done and fly to Spokane.”
“I just think it would be for the best,” she said, unwilling to admit out loud that she was in real danger of falling under his spell once again.
Sitting in the hot tub next to him, having him put his arm around her and feeling his naked body against hers had almost been her undoing. Even though she hadn’t been able to see much in the dim light of the little cave housing the hot tub, her memory had filled in the blanks. In her mind, she had seen every well-defined muscle, every plane and valley of his impressive physique. Remembering how his strong arms had held her so securely and how gently he made love to her was overwhelming, and she shivered as a wave of desire coursed through every part of her.
“I know I shouldn’t have kissed you.” He took a deep breath and added, “Either in the barn or tonight in the hot tub. But it felt right and I’ll be damned if I’m going to apologize for it.”
She couldn’t in good conscience allow him to shoulder all of the blame. “You wouldn’t have kissed me if I hadn’t let you.”
His deep chuckle sent heat pulsing through her veins. “Yeah, I noticed you weren’t protesting.”
“That’s the problem.” She sighed. “I should have.”
He glanced over at her. “Why didn’t you?”
“I...wanted you to kiss me,” she admitted.
“But you didn’t want to want me kissing you.” It wasn’t a question.
“No.”
“Sweetheart, a wife wanting her husband to kiss her is allowed,” he said, reaching over to take her hand in his. The moment their palms touched a delightful tingling sensation streaked up her arm.
She did her best to ignore it and tried to focus on what he’d said. “That’s the problem, Blake. Three months from now we’ll be divorced. I shouldn’t want you kissing me, not anymore.”
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Have you asked yourself why you do?”
His question took her by surprise. But as she tried to think of an answer, she decided it probably wasn’t wise to delve too deeply into the reason behind her wanting his affection. If she did, she was certain she wouldn’t be all that comfortable with the answer.
“You’re only going to be here a few more days, Karly,” he said pragmatically. “And I give you my word that nothing is going to happen between us unless that’s what you want. But I’m not going to lie to you and tell you it isn’t what I want.”
As he drove the truck up the lane to the foreman’s cottage, Karly thought about what Blake had said. What did she want?
Eight months ago, she’d been confident she was making the right decision when she’d said yes to his marriage proposal. She had been certain at the time she married him that she loved Blake and wanted them to spend the rest of their lives together. But when she’d returned to Seattle her practical side had taken over. That’s when she’d known ending things was the right call—for both of them.
She’d questioned falling in love with him so quickly and feared that their feelings for each other might not last. Then she’d thought about her parents. Her mother had been in love with her father, but in the end it hadn’t been enough for her. She’d become bitter and resentful, and Karly
Similar Books
