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Authors: Cheryl Wright
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tears slowly
rolling down her cheeks.
Chapter Four
Travis reached out to Marissa, pulling her
against him.
She rested her head on his chest. He could
feel her warm tears as they continued to fall.
Why didn’t he listen to his instincts? She
wasn’t ready – he knew she wasn’t ready. But did he believe it? No – he had to
be selfish. He wanted to make love with her.
He reached over and brushed the tears from
her face. Marissa’s arm moved across his chest and around him. She snuggled in.
The fire roared beside them – it was
comforting. When all else failed, Travis would light the fire, sit and watch
it’s mesmerizing flames, and listened to the story they told.
He stared into them now. What advice did
they have to offer?
Marissa shifted her body. She wanted
comfort. What could he offer her?
He’d just destroyed any remaining peace of mind she may have gathered along the
way.
And for what?
The chance to make love
to her, the chance to be with her, the chance to love her forever.
Marissa snuggled in closer.
Travis reached up and wiped her tears away.
What had she thought – that Travis would rid her of Jeremy, simply by making
love to her? She wanted him to make love to her. She was in love with Travis.
She had to put Jeremy in the past – rid herself of him forever, and move
forward.
She looked at his face. Deep furrows etched
his brow as he stared into the flames of the fire. Had she done this to him?
Had she caused him this pain, this sorrow? She had to live with the pain, the
emptiness – she certainly didn’t want to make it contagious.
Marissa reached around his body, shifting
her position. He wouldn’t even look at her. Had he already regretted his
actions?
Marissa awoke to find herself covered in a
blanket. She could hear Travis moving about the house – in the kitchen going by
the direction of the sounds.
She sat up and stretched her arms above her
head. Jonah had positioned himself comfortably at her feet.
How long had she been asleep?
Looking out the window, she surmised it had
been ages – it was now pitch black outside.
“Ah, finally sleeping beauty awakes.”
Travis walked into the room carrying a tray of hot food. “Soup all right for
starters?”
So, he wasn’t even going to talk about it?
He dropped the tray on the counter, then headed toward her. Travis helped Marissa to her feet,
and she pulled the blanket up around herself. Despite the warmth of the fire, a
shiver ran through her.
Travis put his arms around her, and Marissa
rested her head against his shoulder. She listened to his steady heartbeat. “I
want to explain,” she started, but he stopped her by laying his fingers across
her lips.
“You don’t have to explain anything.”
Marissa heard his heartbeat quicken.
They held onto each other, and Travis
stroked Marissa’s hair. It was comforting – he was comforting. She wanted to be
with him forever.
***
“Is it the actual bed that’s worrying you?”
Travis watched as Marissa stood over his four-poster bed.
She shook her head.
It was an original, mainly black, and had
beautiful gold knobs on the top of each poster. It even had mosquito netting
authenticating its origin even more. The bed came with his inheritance.
Marissa looked at the bed, then Travis.
Then she looked at the bed again.
What
was the problem?
“Do you want to go home?” He certainly
wasn’t going to force her to stay the night. It was her suggestion, after all.
Jonah wandered in and rubbed his neck
against Marissa’s leg. She reached down and picked him up, holding him close
against her. Marissa looked a little more relaxed with Jonah in her arms. More
than she had since...
Travis wasn’t sure what to do next. Should
he climb into bed and hope she would follow suit? Perhaps he should push the
issue and make her tell him what was wrong?
Yeah,
like that’s going to work! Since when did Marissa Temple take orders from
anyone?
He shrugged his
rolling down her cheeks.
Chapter Four
Travis reached out to Marissa, pulling her
against him.
She rested her head on his chest. He could
feel her warm tears as they continued to fall.
Why didn’t he listen to his instincts? She
wasn’t ready – he knew she wasn’t ready. But did he believe it? No – he had to
be selfish. He wanted to make love with her.
He reached over and brushed the tears from
her face. Marissa’s arm moved across his chest and around him. She snuggled in.
The fire roared beside them – it was
comforting. When all else failed, Travis would light the fire, sit and watch
it’s mesmerizing flames, and listened to the story they told.
He stared into them now. What advice did
they have to offer?
Marissa shifted her body. She wanted
comfort. What could he offer her?
He’d just destroyed any remaining peace of mind she may have gathered along the
way.
And for what?
The chance to make love
to her, the chance to be with her, the chance to love her forever.
Marissa snuggled in closer.
Travis reached up and wiped her tears away.
What had she thought – that Travis would rid her of Jeremy, simply by making
love to her? She wanted him to make love to her. She was in love with Travis.
She had to put Jeremy in the past – rid herself of him forever, and move
forward.
She looked at his face. Deep furrows etched
his brow as he stared into the flames of the fire. Had she done this to him?
Had she caused him this pain, this sorrow? She had to live with the pain, the
emptiness – she certainly didn’t want to make it contagious.
Marissa reached around his body, shifting
her position. He wouldn’t even look at her. Had he already regretted his
actions?
Marissa awoke to find herself covered in a
blanket. She could hear Travis moving about the house – in the kitchen going by
the direction of the sounds.
She sat up and stretched her arms above her
head. Jonah had positioned himself comfortably at her feet.
How long had she been asleep?
Looking out the window, she surmised it had
been ages – it was now pitch black outside.
“Ah, finally sleeping beauty awakes.”
Travis walked into the room carrying a tray of hot food. “Soup all right for
starters?”
So, he wasn’t even going to talk about it?
He dropped the tray on the counter, then headed toward her. Travis helped Marissa to her feet,
and she pulled the blanket up around herself. Despite the warmth of the fire, a
shiver ran through her.
Travis put his arms around her, and Marissa
rested her head against his shoulder. She listened to his steady heartbeat. “I
want to explain,” she started, but he stopped her by laying his fingers across
her lips.
“You don’t have to explain anything.”
Marissa heard his heartbeat quicken.
They held onto each other, and Travis
stroked Marissa’s hair. It was comforting – he was comforting. She wanted to be
with him forever.
***
“Is it the actual bed that’s worrying you?”
Travis watched as Marissa stood over his four-poster bed.
She shook her head.
It was an original, mainly black, and had
beautiful gold knobs on the top of each poster. It even had mosquito netting
authenticating its origin even more. The bed came with his inheritance.
Marissa looked at the bed, then Travis.
Then she looked at the bed again.
What
was the problem?
“Do you want to go home?” He certainly
wasn’t going to force her to stay the night. It was her suggestion, after all.
Jonah wandered in and rubbed his neck
against Marissa’s leg. She reached down and picked him up, holding him close
against her. Marissa looked a little more relaxed with Jonah in her arms. More
than she had since...
Travis wasn’t sure what to do next. Should
he climb into bed and hope she would follow suit? Perhaps he should push the
issue and make her tell him what was wrong?
Yeah,
like that’s going to work! Since when did Marissa Temple take orders from
anyone?
He shrugged his
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