tell him no, but words refused to emerge. Instead, she nodded in agreement.
A part of her wanted to kick her own ass, but the bigger part—the one that held her survival instinct’s hostage—urged her on. She knew she shouldn’t give him more weapons against her. He already held enough power over her.
His large hand devoured her much smaller one, calloused fingers threading with hers as he led her away from the beach and toward a thick copse of trees. Gwen could barely see the small trail within the deep inky shadows of the heavy foliage, tall trees blocking out any sign of the night sky overhead. Forced to follow, she did her best not to stumble over rocks, which occasionally littered the way. Arthur seemed to anticipate the rough areas, prepared to stop her fall and put her back on her feet before moving further into the woods.
The scent of evergreens, eucalyptus and rich earth filled the air, carrying with it a sense of peace. Their surroundings so still, as if the world held its breath in expectation. She allowed a questing tendril of her magic out, hesitantly touching the natural world around her.
A small gasp escaped her as the earth caressed her with welcoming energy. Arthur spared her a quizzical glance over his broad shoulder, but she shook her head, urging him to keep moving to…wherever he was so determined to take her.
Her magic faded away as Arthur stepped into a clearing and turned to watch her intently. She blinked in stunned disbelief at the lush beauty before her. Opened to the sky and illuminated by the crescent moon, the glen looked something out of a fairy tale complete with calming sound of rushing water flowing in a sparkling ribbon down a natural waterfall to cascade over pale smooth rocks, then disappeared into the thick foliage. If she strained she could hear the whisper of that water merging with the surging tide of the sea.
The thick grass she stood on caressed the soles of her sandals, soft and cool after the heat of the day. Moonlight touched the blades in shades of silver and deep blue-green. The brush surrounding the glade gave it a feeling of an isolated retreat.
“It’s so beautiful here.”
A soft smile formed on Arthur’s sensuous lips, and her pulse skittered like tires hitting black ice. The man was beyond handsome when he smiled, showing a flash of even white teeth and a dimple by his lush mouth. Those dark eyes flashed with pleasure and warmth she could feel against her skin.
“I come here to think or unwind. It’s a haven for me of sorts,” Arthur admitted.
And he shared this with her? Hope reared up in her and just as quickly she shoved it down again. She wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes from the past, a past which haunted her and destroyed many of those lives.
“I can see how. It’s so…comforting here, like being in a loving embrace, all safe and secure.” She shook her head at the romantic analogy, but it felt exactly that to her. “Why show this place to me?”
“Why not?”
“We don’t have the greatest track record between us. Nothing which would inspire trust or sharing, I guess I’m just curious.”
The smile disappeared from his lips, and she wanted to cry at its passing. Leave it to her to mess up a perfect moment.
“No we don’t,” he agreed. Those dark brown eyes seemed to burn a hole into her as they held her pinned to the spot. “But we are not those same people. We have different experiences, made different choices in our lives.”
Oh damn, hope struggled against the firm hold she had on it. She wanted so badly to be in his arms, pressed tightly against him. It became a palpable energy between them.
“No, I’m nothing like what I used to be,” Gwen agreed readily, her past flickering in her mind like an old movie reel. She felt so much despair, self-loathing and guilt. Only at this moment in time, could she truly control all of it and reach for a better life, one where she forgave her past sins. Why now she wondered? Could
A part of her wanted to kick her own ass, but the bigger part—the one that held her survival instinct’s hostage—urged her on. She knew she shouldn’t give him more weapons against her. He already held enough power over her.
His large hand devoured her much smaller one, calloused fingers threading with hers as he led her away from the beach and toward a thick copse of trees. Gwen could barely see the small trail within the deep inky shadows of the heavy foliage, tall trees blocking out any sign of the night sky overhead. Forced to follow, she did her best not to stumble over rocks, which occasionally littered the way. Arthur seemed to anticipate the rough areas, prepared to stop her fall and put her back on her feet before moving further into the woods.
The scent of evergreens, eucalyptus and rich earth filled the air, carrying with it a sense of peace. Their surroundings so still, as if the world held its breath in expectation. She allowed a questing tendril of her magic out, hesitantly touching the natural world around her.
A small gasp escaped her as the earth caressed her with welcoming energy. Arthur spared her a quizzical glance over his broad shoulder, but she shook her head, urging him to keep moving to…wherever he was so determined to take her.
Her magic faded away as Arthur stepped into a clearing and turned to watch her intently. She blinked in stunned disbelief at the lush beauty before her. Opened to the sky and illuminated by the crescent moon, the glen looked something out of a fairy tale complete with calming sound of rushing water flowing in a sparkling ribbon down a natural waterfall to cascade over pale smooth rocks, then disappeared into the thick foliage. If she strained she could hear the whisper of that water merging with the surging tide of the sea.
The thick grass she stood on caressed the soles of her sandals, soft and cool after the heat of the day. Moonlight touched the blades in shades of silver and deep blue-green. The brush surrounding the glade gave it a feeling of an isolated retreat.
“It’s so beautiful here.”
A soft smile formed on Arthur’s sensuous lips, and her pulse skittered like tires hitting black ice. The man was beyond handsome when he smiled, showing a flash of even white teeth and a dimple by his lush mouth. Those dark eyes flashed with pleasure and warmth she could feel against her skin.
“I come here to think or unwind. It’s a haven for me of sorts,” Arthur admitted.
And he shared this with her? Hope reared up in her and just as quickly she shoved it down again. She wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes from the past, a past which haunted her and destroyed many of those lives.
“I can see how. It’s so…comforting here, like being in a loving embrace, all safe and secure.” She shook her head at the romantic analogy, but it felt exactly that to her. “Why show this place to me?”
“Why not?”
“We don’t have the greatest track record between us. Nothing which would inspire trust or sharing, I guess I’m just curious.”
The smile disappeared from his lips, and she wanted to cry at its passing. Leave it to her to mess up a perfect moment.
“No we don’t,” he agreed. Those dark brown eyes seemed to burn a hole into her as they held her pinned to the spot. “But we are not those same people. We have different experiences, made different choices in our lives.”
Oh damn, hope struggled against the firm hold she had on it. She wanted so badly to be in his arms, pressed tightly against him. It became a palpable energy between them.
“No, I’m nothing like what I used to be,” Gwen agreed readily, her past flickering in her mind like an old movie reel. She felt so much despair, self-loathing and guilt. Only at this moment in time, could she truly control all of it and reach for a better life, one where she forgave her past sins. Why now she wondered? Could
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