never marry again.”
“This would be different.”
Suzanne slowly turned to him. “How?” she said bitterly. “I didn’t marry Wallace for love, either.”
He closed the distance between them. “I’ll never cheat on you. I’ll never shame you.” He touched her face. “And it may be a loveless marriage, but it won’t be a passionless one.” He lowered his voice. “Trust me. Don’t think. Just say yes.”
“Rick! Suzanne!” Mandy called from the bottom of the stairs. “Aren’t you coming?”
“What’s your answer?” Rick’s dark eyes pierced hers with a magnetic intensity that held her captive.
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Mandy’s waiting.”
“Let her wait.”
She turned to the door and shouted, “We’ll be there.” Then she looked at Rick and said, “Please give me time,” before running down the stairs, desperate to break his invisible hold.
Suzanne had to hide her shock when she saw the condition of the pond. She hadn’t looked at it since her return. It was overgrown with weeds and the top of the water was covered with a thin film of plankton or some other form of water life. Initially she couldn’t see anything living, then Luke screamed out with excitement.
“Look! Look! I see a tadpole!” His enthusiasm only grew after that. They spent another hour at the pond where he pointed out all the living creatures he couldfind. There were the three large bullfrogs sitting on a giant stone in the middle of the pond, a harmless garden snake that slithered over his shoes, a pod of tadpoles, several large goldfish, which had somehow survived the neglect, and dragonflies jumping on the water lilies, which her mother had planted, to make the unsightly pond, as she referred to it, more “presentable.”
“It’s time to go,” Rick said.
Luke turned to his father, upset. “Already?”
“Yes.”
Suzanne tickled him under his chin before he could argue. “Don’t worry, the pond is all yours now.” She stood and walked toward the house. “Come on.”
He ran up to her and grabbed her hand. “I still don’t want to leave yet.”
“You’ll be back soon.”
“Can I spend the night with you?”
Rick stared at his son, stunned, but Suzanne laughed. “You are your father’s child and may be not as shy as we think. I’m sorry, perhaps another time.”
“That means no,” he said disappointedly, then followed Mandy to the car.
“How about an answer to my question,” Rick said as Suzanne climbed the porch steps.
She looked at him as she gripped the railing. “I told you I need time.”
He took two steps until they were at eye level. “I gave you over an hour. What’s your reply? What do I get to tell Luke?”
Suzanne frowned. “You play dirty.”
He let his finger trail a sensuous path down her arm. “At one time you liked how I played.”
“That time is gone.”
His finger trailed up. “So you’re turning me down?”
She folded her arms, her skin tingling. “No.”
He stilled. “You’re saying yes?”
“On one condition.”
“I plan to sleep with you.”
Her cheeks burned. “That wasn’t the condition.”
“I just wanted to make sure we understand each other.” He took another step toward her. “What’s the condition?”
“That you won’t shame me. If I hear even a whisper that you’re seeing another woman it’s over between us.”
“I told you—”
“I know what you told me, but I want you to promise.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist. “So you do believe in men’s promises.”
“Just say it.”
He slid another arm around her. “Okay. I promise that you’ll be the only woman in my life.” He placed a kiss on her cheek. “And I promise that you’ll have no reason to doubt me.” He kissed her other cheek. “And one day I promise to make you believe every word I’ve said.” He bent to kiss her lips, but she pulled away.
“Mandy and Luke could see us.”
“So what? I’m not going to be your little
“This would be different.”
Suzanne slowly turned to him. “How?” she said bitterly. “I didn’t marry Wallace for love, either.”
He closed the distance between them. “I’ll never cheat on you. I’ll never shame you.” He touched her face. “And it may be a loveless marriage, but it won’t be a passionless one.” He lowered his voice. “Trust me. Don’t think. Just say yes.”
“Rick! Suzanne!” Mandy called from the bottom of the stairs. “Aren’t you coming?”
“What’s your answer?” Rick’s dark eyes pierced hers with a magnetic intensity that held her captive.
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Mandy’s waiting.”
“Let her wait.”
She turned to the door and shouted, “We’ll be there.” Then she looked at Rick and said, “Please give me time,” before running down the stairs, desperate to break his invisible hold.
Suzanne had to hide her shock when she saw the condition of the pond. She hadn’t looked at it since her return. It was overgrown with weeds and the top of the water was covered with a thin film of plankton or some other form of water life. Initially she couldn’t see anything living, then Luke screamed out with excitement.
“Look! Look! I see a tadpole!” His enthusiasm only grew after that. They spent another hour at the pond where he pointed out all the living creatures he couldfind. There were the three large bullfrogs sitting on a giant stone in the middle of the pond, a harmless garden snake that slithered over his shoes, a pod of tadpoles, several large goldfish, which had somehow survived the neglect, and dragonflies jumping on the water lilies, which her mother had planted, to make the unsightly pond, as she referred to it, more “presentable.”
“It’s time to go,” Rick said.
Luke turned to his father, upset. “Already?”
“Yes.”
Suzanne tickled him under his chin before he could argue. “Don’t worry, the pond is all yours now.” She stood and walked toward the house. “Come on.”
He ran up to her and grabbed her hand. “I still don’t want to leave yet.”
“You’ll be back soon.”
“Can I spend the night with you?”
Rick stared at his son, stunned, but Suzanne laughed. “You are your father’s child and may be not as shy as we think. I’m sorry, perhaps another time.”
“That means no,” he said disappointedly, then followed Mandy to the car.
“How about an answer to my question,” Rick said as Suzanne climbed the porch steps.
She looked at him as she gripped the railing. “I told you I need time.”
He took two steps until they were at eye level. “I gave you over an hour. What’s your reply? What do I get to tell Luke?”
Suzanne frowned. “You play dirty.”
He let his finger trail a sensuous path down her arm. “At one time you liked how I played.”
“That time is gone.”
His finger trailed up. “So you’re turning me down?”
She folded her arms, her skin tingling. “No.”
He stilled. “You’re saying yes?”
“On one condition.”
“I plan to sleep with you.”
Her cheeks burned. “That wasn’t the condition.”
“I just wanted to make sure we understand each other.” He took another step toward her. “What’s the condition?”
“That you won’t shame me. If I hear even a whisper that you’re seeing another woman it’s over between us.”
“I told you—”
“I know what you told me, but I want you to promise.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist. “So you do believe in men’s promises.”
“Just say it.”
He slid another arm around her. “Okay. I promise that you’ll be the only woman in my life.” He placed a kiss on her cheek. “And I promise that you’ll have no reason to doubt me.” He kissed her other cheek. “And one day I promise to make you believe every word I’ve said.” He bent to kiss her lips, but she pulled away.
“Mandy and Luke could see us.”
“So what? I’m not going to be your little
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