Once a Wife by Patricia Keelyn

CHAPTER TEN

Reece hadn’t expected the storm to move in so quickly.

In the fifteen minutes he’d been in the barn securing windows and putting away equipment, the situation had gone from bad to worse. Heavy clouds darkened the late-morning sky, turning the light an eerie shade of gray-green. A gust of wind rolled over him, and he grabbed his hat and pulled it lower on his forehead.

Cursing under his breath, he headed back toward the corrals. Five horses, including both pregnant mares, still needed to be moved into the barn. Wyoming weather was totally unpredictable. Even in the middle of summer, golf ball-size hail and freak windstorms weren’t unheard of. He needed to get those horses inside. Now.

He’d just taken hold of the first mare when Sarah drove up and parked alongside the fence. Climbing out of her car, she hurried over to him. “Can I help?”

“Where’s Drew?”

She brushed at the hair blowing in her face. “It’s okay. His teacher’s going to bring him home when they’re done. What can I do here?”

Reece nodded toward the mare. “Get her inside while I get the other mare.”

Sarah grabbed the horse’s halter, and Reece headed back toward the corral. “Come on, girl,” she crooned to the nervous animal.

Once in the barn, out of the wind, the horse settled somewhat. Sarah got her into her stall and was just closing the door when Reece entered leading the second mare. Sarah hurried to help him by opening another stall door while he led the horse in.

“Two more and then the Appaloosa,” Reece said as they headed back outside.

“Where’s Tod?” Sarah asked. She’d just realized none of the other hands were around.

“Out with the herd. A storm like this could start a stampede. Come on.”

They worked together to get the rest of the horses in. By the time the last was safely in his stall, both Sarah and Reece were soaking wet. Reece closed the stall door, and Sarah collapsed against it.

“Thanks,” he said. “I’m not sure I’d have gotten the stallion in on time if you hadn’t shown up.”

“No problem. I enjoy chasing crazy horses in the rain.”

Reece laughed lightly and smiled at the sight of her, her dewy rain-soaked skin, the damp tendrils of hair escaping her braid and sticking to her forehead and cheeks. He automatically reached to brush them aside, and her eyes widened at the touch. His hand froze. Then slowly, he finished what he’d started, clearing her face of the damp strands. Her skin felt like satin against his fingers, smooth and sleek.

“Reece,” she whispered, and he heard the unspoken question in her voice, saw it in her eyes.

“Yes,” he answered, thinking they’d avoided this too long.

His glaze slid lower, to the slim column of her neck and then to her breasts. Her white sleeveless blouse clung to her, revealing the lace of her bra and the darkness of her nipples, stiff and inviting from the chilly rain. Under his scrutiny, they hardened further. He smiled, for the moment suppressing the desire to lean over and taste them through the thin fabric. Instead, he brought his eyes slowly back to her face, past the wild pulse at her throat, to her dark hungry eyes.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he said.

He heard her breath catch, saw her lips press together. She captivated him like no other woman he’d ever known, tempting him with her existence, teasing him with her presence. He brought his other hand up to frame her face, holding her head for a moment, before slowly lowering his mouth to hers.

This is crazy, he told himself, even as his lips drank of hers, taking in their moisture, savoring their softness. Sheer madness, he thought again. But he couldn’t, wouldn’t stop. Not unless she asked him to.

“Sweet,” he murmured against her mouth. “So sweet.” He traced her lips with the tip of his tongue, gently requesting entrance. With a soft sigh, her eyes fluttered shut and she opened to him, pulling his tongue into the honeyed depths of her mouth.

She tasted dark and sultry, bewitching him, but he gave himself over to her willingly. She was both the young girl he’d loved and lost years ago, and the woman who’d snuck past his defenses. Her arms slipped around his waist, tentatively at first. But as he leaned against her, pressing her against the door, she tightened her hold.

Releasing her mouth, he slid his hands to her bare shoulders and bent to sample the pulse at the base of her neck. He’d wanted to taste her there for weeks, to feel her excitement grow through the accelerating throb at her throat.

She moaned, and he lowered one hand to her breast, kneading the tender flesh through the thin material. It wasn’t enough. He wanted to touch her skin, to feel the puckering of her nipples beneath his fingers, to taste them as he did her pulse.

He moved his hand to the row of buttons that ran down the front of her shirt and quickly undid the first two, just enough to push the fabric aside and reveal the soft honey-colored flesh beneath it. He pulled back to look at her, running his fingers over the swell of her breasts and then slipping them under the top edge of her bra.

She let her head fall back against the wooden door, and he shifted his hand to take one nipple between his thumb and index finger, rubbing it until she moaned. He covered her mouth once again, mixing her sounds of pleasure with his own.

Still, he wanted more of her.

Freeing her mouth once again, he shoved her shirt and bra strap off one shoulder, exposing one delectable breast.

“Yes,” she whispered, and he couldn’t deny either of them. Sliding his hands to her waist, he bent and took her rigid nipple into his mouth.

Sarah thought she’d break apart if he didn’t take her soon. Caught between torment and rapture, she wound her fingers into his hair, holding his head against her breast, surrendering to the pure physical pleasure of his mouth on her, pulling, sucking, making her want more.

And she did want so much more.

She ached. Inside, at the core of her femininity, she needed him, his hands, his mouth, every part of him. She longed to spread her thighs for him, for herself, and feel him hard inside her. She didn’t care about their past or even their future at the moment. What she hungered for was elemental and fierce. She was a woman who desired this man, the only man she’d ever known, ever loved.

“Reece,” she said, hardly recognizing the harsh plea as her own voice. “Please. Love me.”

He released her breast, and she moaned in protest, but he scooped her into his arms, kissing her to silence as he carried her to the ladder that led to the loft. Pulling away, he asked, “Are you sure, Sarah?”

In answer, she found his mouth, showing him how much this meant to her, how much she longed for it, for him. He let her feet slide to the floor and pushed her against the ladder. She laughed lightly, taking one step back and up onto a rung, bringing her exposed breast in line with his mouth.

He groaned and accepted the invitation, catching her nipple between his teeth and tugging gently until her moans matched his own. Then he released her, only to apply his tongue to the swollen tip. Again, she moved her hands to his head, twisting her fingers through his hair. His hands moved under her skirt, sliding up her thighs to the edge of her panties, running his fingers along the outside edges, teasing her, tormenting her until she thought she’d shatter.

Then he slipped his thumb beneath the elastic and moved it with tantalizing slowness to her most sensitive spot. She arched against him, and he shifted his other hand to her hip to steady her as he massaged the feminine nub.

“No,” she whispered, even as her body began to undulate against his hand. “I want you inside me.” He turned his head sideways, resting it between her breasts, holding her against the ladder. “I plan to be inside you, Sarah. So deep you’ll never forget me, never forget what it means to be mine. But first—” he slid two more fingers beneath her panties, into the damp crevice between her legs “—I want to feel you come undone. I want to hear how much you want me.”

“Oh, God,” she moaned, feeling the last of her control fall away. “I want …”

“That’s it, baby, let go. I want to feel you shatter against my hand.”

And she did. Like a million shards of glass, splintering and catching in the light, exploding and falling to the ground in pieces. She couldn’t think—she could only feel, the sensation of his hand and his mouth against her breasts. And then she cried out in ecstasy.

Reece held her as the last of her cries echoed through the barn. He smiled, hearing the pawing of the stallion and the nervous pacing of the mares and Sarah’s gasps for breath.

“Are you okay?” he asked. She lifted her head, and he saw the tears in her eyes. “Sarah …” he said, suddenly afraid he’d hurt her.

“I’m fine.” She leaned over and kissed him gently. “But I want what you promised me.” Then she twisted in his arms to turn around, and took three steps up the ladder before looking back at him over her shoulder. “Coming?” she asked, and then continued upward.

He watched as her luscious bottom disappeared over the top of the ladder, and then he followed her. She was waiting for him, standing well back from the edge, a picture of dark exotic beauty, with one shoulder and breast bared, the rest of her demurely covered.

For a moment, he couldn’t move. He just drank in the sight of her, mesmerized as she undid the last of the buttons on her shirt, then dropped it in the hay beside her. She paused for a moment, her hand poised at the front clasp of her bra. Finally, she unfastened it, but didn’t remove the offending garment.

A deep growl escaped him, and he started toward her, but stopped when she held up her hand, letting the bra drop to her feet.

Where had she learned to torment a man like this?

He wanted to throw her to the floor, shove her skirt to her waist and drive into her. Instead, he waited as her clever hands moved to the back of her skirt and unfastened it. After a torturous moment, it, too, slid to the floor along with her other clothes, and she kicked it aside.

It was too much.

The sight of her in nothing but a pair of bikini panties destroyed the last of his control. He closed the distance between them in two quick strides and pulled her nearly naked body into his arms. She responded instantly, her arms winding their way around his neck, her legs parting and wrapping around his waist as he lowered them both to the floor.

He kissed her hard, devouring her mouth as he pressed his erection between her thighs. But he’d waited too long, put off his own pleasure too long. He pulled away, grabbing at his belt buckle and then his zipper. She came halfway up with him, tearing at his shirt, snapping buttons and yanking the cloth from his jeans. He couldn’t wait to undress. He reached for her panties, ripping them at their narrowest point on her hip and tossing them aside. Then he thrust into her. And found heaven.

She was perfect. Hot. Tight. Wet. God, he didn’t remember it being this good, this sweet. He tried to hold still for a moment, to let her adjust to his size, but she shifted beneath him, destroying his hold on reality. He spun out of control, lost in this woman, lost in the feel of her tight wet body and the echo of her sweet moans, as the world around him exploded with light.

Sarah came back to earth slowly. The sweet smell of wood and hay and the horses shifting restlessly in their stalls below surfaced in her conscious mind. She’d been here before, with this man, in a loft much like this one. A very long time ago.

“It was your birthday,” she said before she realized she’d spoken out loud. “And we created Drew.”

Maybe he’d been thinking similar thoughts, because he didn’t miss a beat. “My eighteenth. And you gave me the best present of all.”

Sarah laughed softly, remembering. “We were so young.”

“So foolish.” He kissed the top of her head.

“So much in love.”

He stiffened slightly and then relaxed again. “Yes. We were.”

For a while, neither of them spoke, but lay there in each other’s arms, listening to the drum of the rain on the roof. Sarah wished they could stay here like this forever. But she knew from experience that fantasies always ended. Rolling away, she sat up and started gathering her clothes.

“Going somewhere?” he asked. He tried to make light of it, but she could hear the edge in his voice.

“Drew and Miss Adams could be here anytime.” She pulled on her skirt and bra, and then worked at the buttons of her shirt with fingers that weren’t quite steady. “Or one of the men could come back.”

Reece brushed her hands aside. “Here, let me.” She tried not to look at him while he fastened her buttons, but it was difficult with him right in front of her. He’d zipped his jeans without buttoning them, and his shirt hung open, revealing a broad chest, wonderfully bronzed by the summer sun. She just barely resisted touching him, running her hands along the strong muscled contours of him. Everything had happened so fast between them, she hadn’t gotten a chance to—

“There you go,” he said.

She nodded her thanks, feeling the flush of her thoughts on her cheeks and afraid to trust her voice just yet. Moving away from him, she picked up her torn panties from the floor.

“I’m sorry about those,” he said.

She shoved them into the pocket of her skirt. “It’s nothing.” God, what have I done?

“What now?” he asked. “Where do we go from here?”

Sarah shook her head and sat down on one of the bales of hay. “I don’t know.” She wished with all her heart that she had an answer for him, that this was just the beginning for them. She knew better. The real world had intruded, and it was impossible to ignore. There were no more beginnings for the two of them. “Has anything really changed between us?”

He scowled and stood up, adjusting his jeans and starting to button his shirt. “Funny. I could’ve sworn we just made love.”

“Yes.” She glanced away. “But that doesn’t change who we are.” Or all the lies between us—past and present. “You’re still Reece Colby. Possibly the next new state representative of Wyoming. And I’m still half-Indian.”

He frowned but didn’t deny it.

For some reason that hurt. She wanted him to say their differences didn’t matter, even though she knew he couldn’t. “And besides, you’re …. Oh, God,” she moaned, remembering, realizing that she’d just hurt someone else. Michelle Hawthorne. “You’re engaged to another woman.”

“Damn.” He turned away, running a hand through his hair as if he, too, had just remembered Michelle.

Sarah couldn’t believe she’d let this happen. There were so many obstacles between them. Even if they could get past all the social and economic differences between them, even if he could forgive her for deserting him and Drew, there was Lyssa. He’d never forgive her for that, for keeping his daughter secret all these years. And she couldn’t blame him.

“Reece, this was just sex.” What was one more lie among so many?

He remained motionless, his back to her, not confirming her statement, but not denying it, either. Again, his silence hurt more than it should have.

“There’s always been this chemistry between us,” she continued. “Once I’m gone, we can both forget this ever happened. You can get on with your life. And I …” Her whole world felt ready to crumble around her. She had to tell him about Lyssa. Now. No matter what the consequences. He deserved to know. “Reece …”

He finally shifted to look at her.

Just then a car pulled up outside, and he moved to the window. “It looks like it might be Drew and Miss Adams.”

Sarah closed her eyes and took a deep breath, not sure whether to be irritated or relieved at the interruption. Then she remembered what they’d been doing for the past hour, and her hands flew to her hair. “Do I look all right?”

Reece crossed the space between them and pulled a piece of straw from her braid. “You look like you got caught in the rain.”

“Great.” Sarah felt her hair for more straw. “Just so long as I don’t look like I’ve been …” Her voice trailed off.

“Rolling in the hay?” he finished for her.

Embarrassed, she nodded. “Is it all gone?”

He glanced at the back of her head. “Yeah. It’s all out.”

“Okay, I’ll go on up to the house.”

“Fine. Tell Drew I’ll be there in a minute.”

Reece followed Sarah down the ladder and watched her walk away, her usually graceful gait stiff and uncertain. She’d talked a good game a few minutes ago, but their lovemaking had disturbed her as much as it had him.

And she was wrong.

He couldn’t care less about her Indian blood. It had never mattered to him. In fact, he’d been proud of her, of her own pride in her heritage. When he’d brought her home as his wife thirteen years ago, his parents’ reaction had shocked him. Oh, he’d expected them to be upset because of his age. What he hadn’t anticipated was their horror at who he’d married. They hadn’t taught him prejudice, and it had never occurred to him that they’d object to Sarah because of her Indian blood. Now he knew better. Prejudice still existed, though sometimes buried beneath the veneer of modern thinking. It might hurt his political goals to be married to Sarah—if he still wanted a political career—but he wouldn’t let that influence him. Whether he continued with politics or dropped it altogether, Sarah’s background made no difference to him.

Ifhe loved her.

That was the real question. And he didn’t have the answer. There was this crazy sexual thing between them, but he couldn’t let that sway him. He’d spent so many years telling himself he hated her for leaving. Could he put that aside now? Forget it ever happened? Forgive her? And then, would he ever be able to trust her again?

These were the real questions that concerned him, the doubts that hovered in his mind. He needed time to sort through them, but Sarah would be leaving tomorrow. He considered asking her to stay, though he doubted she would. He’d have to let her go, and maybe it would be for the best. Once she was three hundred miles away, he might be able to think more clearly.

Then he thought of Michelle and felt his betrayal to the bottom of his soul. He hadn’t considered her for a moment while making love to Sarah. Just like when they were kids, with Sarah in his arms, nothing else had mattered. Michelle deserved better. Even though their relationship was based on friendship and not love, it didn’t excuse his lusting after another woman. No matter what he decided about Sarah, Michelle was entitled to know what had happened here today.

Leaving the barn, he realized the rain had stopped. Man, was he in bad shape. Something else he hadn’t even noticed while caught up in his thoughts of Sarah. Shaking his head, he walked toward the house.

Halfway across the yard a twelve-year-old missile launched itself at him. “I passed!” Drew hollered, leaping into his father’s arms. “I’m gonna be in seventh grade!”

Reece hugged his son, grateful for this one sure thing in his life. “I knew you could do it.”

Drew wriggled free, grinning from ear to ear. “Miss Adams said I passed with flying colors.”

“And did you tell her my little contribution to your success?” Reece teased. “After all, I was the one who insisted you take yesterday off.”

“I told her.”

“And what did she say?”

“She said you must be just as smart as me.”

Reece ruffled his son’s hair. “Well, let’s go, and you can introduce me to this paragon of teaching wisdom.”

Drew laughed, and they headed up to the house where they found Sarah, Millie, and Rebecca Adams drinking coffee at the kitchen table.

“I found him,” Drew called as he and Reece entered the room.

The prim Miss Adams was about what Reece expected, small and nondescript. Sitting next to Sarah, she seemed almost devoid of color, except for her light brown hair, which she wore short, and her eyes, which she hid behind wire-rimmed glasses.

“Miss Adams.” He extended his hand. “Reece Colby.”

“Please, Mr. Colby, call me Rebecca.” She stood and tentatively took his hand, pulling away almost as soon as he’d touched her.

Odd, Reece thought. She was as nervous as a mishandled filly. But she wasn’t his concern, he reminded himself, except when it came to Drew. “Rebecca,” he said, acknowledging her request with a nod. “And you can call me Reece.”

He made the mistake of glancing over at Sarah, who was looking over a set of Drew’s papers on the table. She looked warm and beautiful and … Then he realized that Drew’s teacher was still talking to him, and he jerked his attention back to her. “I’m sorry, Miss Adams. I mean, Rebecca. What were you saying?”

She smiled tightly. “All I said was that if I’ve learned one thing in the five months I’ve been teaching in Devils Corner, it’s that no one here stands on formality.”

“You’ve got that right.” He gestured toward her chair. “Please, sit down. And tell me how Drew did.” While Rebecca did so, the thought came to him that he could no longer be around Sarah and function normally. Even sitting quietly across the table from him, she distracted him. She still had on the same clothes, dry now, but looking like she’d gotten caught in a downpour. It didn’t diminish her beauty. Or his desire for her.

He thought about the panties he’d ripped off her and wondered if they were still in her skirt pocket. Just the thought of her sitting there without underwear made him hard, and he had to force his wayward thoughts back to explanations of sixth-grade-skills checklists.

Finally, Miss Adams said her goodbyes, and Reece made his escape upstairs to get into dry clothes. He’d have thought that after their lovemaking in the barn, his desire for Sarah would have slackened somewhat. At least for a while. Long enough for her to head back home.

He’d been greatly mistaken.

Sarah didn’t know how she made it through the next few hours without going crazy. Between Rebecca Adams’s visit, Drew’s exuberance over passing his test, and her last dinner at the Crooked C, her emotions were in an uproar. She managed to talk and smile as though nothing was wrong, but she couldn’t remember a word she’d said. She’d operated on automatic pilot, some deep survival instinct taking over, while the real Sarah Hanson watched from a distance.

It just hurt too much to be part of it all.

Finally, everyone finished eating, and she retreated to the solitude of her room. Only then did she let herself feel the weight of how she and Reece had spent the afternoon and the sadness of her departure tomorrow.

After a while, Drew joined her, plopping himself down on the corner of her bed. “Do you have to leave?” he asked.

Forcing a smile, she pulled out her suitcase and set it beside him. “Afraid so.”

“Won’t you miss us?”

His simple question tore at her heart. “Yes. Of course.” She opened the suitcase and crossed to the dresser to retrieve her clothes. “But it’s time for me to get home.”

A light knock on the door brought her around. Reece stood in the doorway, looking more handsome than any man had a right to be. Her world shifted out of focus again, but she fought for control. She probably wouldn’t see Drew again for a long time, and she wasn’t going to let her feelings for his father ruin these last few minutes with her son.

“Dad,” Drew said, “help me talk Miss Hanson into staying for a couple of days. Now that I’ve passed my test, we can go out to the creek again.”

“I’d like to,” Sarah said, carrying her clothes over to the bed and placing them in her suitcase. “But school starts soon, and I haven’t seen my daughter in five weeks.”

“She can come here,” Drew offered.

Sarah smiled at him. “I don’t think so, Drew.”

“You know you’re welcome to stay a few days,” Reece said.

Looking at him, she nodded tightly. “Thank you. But I need to get home.” I need to get away from you. Then she returned to her packing.

“I understand,” he said. And she suspected he did.

“Are we ever going to see you again?” Drew asked, voicing Sarah’s biggest fear. Would she ever see her son again? Especially once she told his father about Lyssa?

Snapping her suitcase shut, she set it on the floor and sat on the bed next to Drew. She gave him a broad smile and forced a cheerful note into her voice. “You bet. In fact, I’m going to write to you. And I expect you to write back.”

Drew scowled. “I don’t like writing letters. Maybe I could come visit you, instead.”

She smiled tightly, knowing Reece would never allow it. “That’ll be up to your dad.”

Drew turned toward him. “Can I, Dad?”

“We’ll see.” Reece moved into the room and urged Drew off the bed. “But you’ve had a big day today, and it’s getting late. I think you need to call it a night, partner.”

Drew yawned. “Okay.” Standing, he headed for the door, but stopped before going out. “You won’t leave before I get up tomorrow, will you?”

Sarah’s heart contracted. “I’ll be here for breakfast. I promise.”

“Great.”

“Good night, Drew.”

“ ’Night, son.” Reece ruffled his son’s hair as he passed.

Once Drew was in his own room, Reece turned back to Sarah. “Are you okay?”

She forced a smile. “Of course.”

“Sarah, I’m—”

“Don’t, Reece.” Rising from the bed, she paced to the far side of the room and kept her back to him. She didn’t want to talk anymore, didn’t want to hear him explain away what had happened between them this afternoon. She wanted to forget it. She wanted him to forget it. “Don’t apologize.”

“I wasn’t going to.”

His statement surprised her into turning around. He’d moved into the middle of the room, his hands shoved into the back pockets of his jeans.

“You don’t expect me to apologize, do you?” she said.

“No, of course not.” Exasperation laced his voice. “It’s just that …”

Sarah walked over to the rocking chair by the window and sat down. “Is this about Michelle?”

“No.” She saw the guilt settle on his features. “I'll explain things to her.”

An unexpected jolt of jealousy shot through her, yet Sarah knew she had no right to the emotion. Michelle was the one wronged here. “Reece, I’ll be out of your lives tomorrow. There’s no reason to tell Michelle what happened. You’ll only hurt her.”

“Michelle will understand.”

Sarah doubted it, but it was obvious Reece had already decided how to handle things with his fiancée. “So, what is it then? What did you want to say?”

He hesitated and then walked over and shut the door before turning back to her. “Sarah, I didn’t use any protection this afternoon.”

How like a man, she thought, to remember after the fact. Then she realized she was being unfair. She hadn’t thought of it, either. “It isn’t the first time we’ve been careless.”

“We were young then.” He moved over and sat on the edge of the bed. “What’s our excuse now?”

There was no excuse. “It shouldn’t have happened, Reece. We both know that.”

“Sarah, if you’re—”

“I’m not,” she insisted, though the possibility had occurred to her. “It’s not the right time of the month.”

He didn’t look convinced. “That’s hardly foolproof.”

“You’re right. But—”

“Sarah, if you’re pregnant, I want to know.” He leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs and clasping his hands. “I want to be involved in my child’s life.”

Guilt washed over her, and she had all she could do to acknowledge his statement. “Okay.”

What irony. Reece was ready to acknowledge a child who probably didn’t even exist, while she’d kept the existence of another child from him.

“One other thing, Sarah,” he said, the tone of his voice drawing her gaze to him. “You really ticked me off this afternoon.” He stood and walked to the middle of the floor before turning back to her. “It never made a damn bit of difference to me who your ancestors were. Or that your family wasn’t wealthy.” He pointed a finger at her. “I resent your implying that it did.”

With that, he walked out, leaving her confused and strangely pleased.

It wasn’t until after she’d gone to bed that Sarah realized she’d missed yet another opportunity to tell Reece about Lyssa. She had no more excuses. Drew had passed his test and no longer needed her, and she was leaving in the morning.

She climbed out of bed and pulled the rocking chair closer to the window. Outside, the yard was dark and quiet. Maybe she should pull on a pair of jeans and go see if she could find Reece. She could still talk to him, still tell him the truth about Lyssa before she left.

Yet she held back.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to be alone again with Reece, to meet him under the cover of darkness. Even here in her room, she felt the pull of him, her need to touch him and be touched. Yes, she wanted to go to him. But not to talk.

She couldn’t risk it. Not and keep any part of her heart intact.

Besides, all the horses had already been moved into the barn for the night. Reece wasn’t down there. He’d probably gone to bed hours ago.

Reece sat outside in the shadows.

He saw her sitting in her chair by the window, a pale specter against the dark room. Rocking. As sleepless as he.

Sarah.

If he stepped out of the shadows, would she come to him? Would she let him make love to her again? He’d thought he wanted her before, but it was nothing compared to the desire he felt now. Now that she’d reawakened him. He could almost taste her mouth and feel the weight of her perfect breasts in his hands. A few feet into the light would be all it would take. She’d see him and come to him.

He couldn’t do it. Not and let her go.

He needed time. And space. Away from her. Away from the lure of her. Tomorrow, she’d leave, and he could begin to sort out the myriad feelings she aroused in him. Then he’d see.