desire for her, though she had felt that desire and knew only too well how powerful it was.
Vaguely aware of faint sounds and movements as the park was readied for the day’s visitors, she struggled to come to terms with her own feelings. Could she accept the passion between her and Skye without looking further? No. She knew herself too well. It wasn’t in her to give her body without giving her heart as well, and she was afraid of the very idea of giving her heart to Skye.
And she didn’t know what he wanted. Another chance? What did that mean?
Because I’ve never been able to forget you. Even when I wanted to.
She was beginning to realize, partly due to Dane, that she had never really known Skye. She hadn’t looked deeply enough six years earlier. He wasn’t a tender man, or even a gentle man; he was too forceful to be either for very long, and she no doubt would have discovered that years before if they’d had more time together. He was hard in many ways, and he could be cruel. His life had taught him to be suspicious, and probably to expect the worst. His temper was as quick as the remorse he felt afterward, both expressed hastily and in blunt words.
But she hadn’t seen that six years earlier.
Startling herself by speaking wryly aloud, Katrina murmured, “You fell in love with a beautiful face.” She shook her head, no longer surprised that Skye had gotten her totally off balance this time, because now she was looking underneath that beautiful face, and the unexpected force of him was shocking in its intensity.
How could she have been so blind all those years before? So shallow that she had never even tried to understand him? Even though they’d had little time, she should have
seen.
And now…Now she was older, and wiser, and always strove to see beneath the surface. She was a woman, and the instincts that had never stirred at twenty-two were torturing her.
He was complex and often rough, and his impulsive temper had already cut her more than once. But the strength and force in him tugged at her like nothing she’d ever felt before, and the sheer primitive passion he aroused in her left her weak and shaking in his arms.
She didn’t hear him then, but looked up anyway as Skye approached her rapidly. His expression was stony, and there was so much leashed violence in his pantherlike stride that for a moment she felt a thrill of fear. But then he yanked her up from the bench and into his arms, and his muttered words chased the fear away.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it, Trina, I swear I didn’t.” His head was bowed, and he rubbed his cheek against her hair. “God, I keep saying that to you, don’t I?”
She lifted her face from his shoulder and smiled, wondering dimly what had happened to her anger. “It’s probably good for you,” she said.
His eyes moved restlessly over her face and his mouth twisted in self-contempt. “I don’t know what I’m saying half the time around you. You make me feel like some horny teenager with sweaty hands. I keep hurting you.”
“I’ll keep your temper in mind from now on,” she said a bit ruefully. “But what you said didn’t hurt me, it made me mad.” Her chin came up. “You had no right to say that.”
“I know.” He hesitated, then asked, “Will you tell me something honestly, Trina?”
She felt wary, but nodded.
“Has there been anyone since me?”
Katrina couldn’t look away, and she couldn’t lie to him. Not about this. “No.”
“Once burned?” he suggested in an obviously false light voice.
She wasn’t ready to be that honest. “I’ve been very busy,” she said evasively, stepping back and feeling both relief and disappointment when he instantly released her.
His eyes gleamed. “So I shouldn’t imagine you’ve been eating your heart out for me all these years, huh?”
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” she returned dryly, grateful that he was treating this casually. Then he shook her up again by refusing to let
Vaguely aware of faint sounds and movements as the park was readied for the day’s visitors, she struggled to come to terms with her own feelings. Could she accept the passion between her and Skye without looking further? No. She knew herself too well. It wasn’t in her to give her body without giving her heart as well, and she was afraid of the very idea of giving her heart to Skye.
And she didn’t know what he wanted. Another chance? What did that mean?
Because I’ve never been able to forget you. Even when I wanted to.
She was beginning to realize, partly due to Dane, that she had never really known Skye. She hadn’t looked deeply enough six years earlier. He wasn’t a tender man, or even a gentle man; he was too forceful to be either for very long, and she no doubt would have discovered that years before if they’d had more time together. He was hard in many ways, and he could be cruel. His life had taught him to be suspicious, and probably to expect the worst. His temper was as quick as the remorse he felt afterward, both expressed hastily and in blunt words.
But she hadn’t seen that six years earlier.
Startling herself by speaking wryly aloud, Katrina murmured, “You fell in love with a beautiful face.” She shook her head, no longer surprised that Skye had gotten her totally off balance this time, because now she was looking underneath that beautiful face, and the unexpected force of him was shocking in its intensity.
How could she have been so blind all those years before? So shallow that she had never even tried to understand him? Even though they’d had little time, she should have
seen.
And now…Now she was older, and wiser, and always strove to see beneath the surface. She was a woman, and the instincts that had never stirred at twenty-two were torturing her.
He was complex and often rough, and his impulsive temper had already cut her more than once. But the strength and force in him tugged at her like nothing she’d ever felt before, and the sheer primitive passion he aroused in her left her weak and shaking in his arms.
She didn’t hear him then, but looked up anyway as Skye approached her rapidly. His expression was stony, and there was so much leashed violence in his pantherlike stride that for a moment she felt a thrill of fear. But then he yanked her up from the bench and into his arms, and his muttered words chased the fear away.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it, Trina, I swear I didn’t.” His head was bowed, and he rubbed his cheek against her hair. “God, I keep saying that to you, don’t I?”
She lifted her face from his shoulder and smiled, wondering dimly what had happened to her anger. “It’s probably good for you,” she said.
His eyes moved restlessly over her face and his mouth twisted in self-contempt. “I don’t know what I’m saying half the time around you. You make me feel like some horny teenager with sweaty hands. I keep hurting you.”
“I’ll keep your temper in mind from now on,” she said a bit ruefully. “But what you said didn’t hurt me, it made me mad.” Her chin came up. “You had no right to say that.”
“I know.” He hesitated, then asked, “Will you tell me something honestly, Trina?”
She felt wary, but nodded.
“Has there been anyone since me?”
Katrina couldn’t look away, and she couldn’t lie to him. Not about this. “No.”
“Once burned?” he suggested in an obviously false light voice.
She wasn’t ready to be that honest. “I’ve been very busy,” she said evasively, stepping back and feeling both relief and disappointment when he instantly released her.
His eyes gleamed. “So I shouldn’t imagine you’ve been eating your heart out for me all these years, huh?”
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” she returned dryly, grateful that he was treating this casually. Then he shook her up again by refusing to let
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