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Authors: Nora Roberts
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better that way.”
“I’m beginning to think that, too. Damn if I can figure out why I want to so much.”
“Give it a little time. It’ll pass.”
“Why don’t we test it out?” He lifted a brow as he looked down at her. “We’re on a public beach. The sun hasn’t set. If I kiss you here, it can’t go any further than that, and maybe we’ll figure out why we unnerve each other.” When he drew her closer, she stiffened. “Afraid?” Why would the fact that she might be, just a little, arouse him?
“No.” Because she’d prepared herself she almost believed it was true. He wouldn’t have the upper hand this time, she told herself. She wouldn’t allow it. Deliberately she lifted her arms and twined them around his neck. When he hesitated, she pressed her lips to his.
He’d have sworn the sand shifted under his feet. He was certain the crash of the waves grew in volume until it filled the air like thunder. He’d intended to control the situation like an experiment. But intentions changed as mouth met mouth. She tasted warm—cool, sweet—pungent. He had a desperate need to find out which of his senses could be trusted. Before either of them was prepared, he plunged himself into the kiss and dragged her with him.
Too fast. Her mind whirled with the thought. Too far. But her body ignored the warning and strained against him. She wanted, and the want was clearer and sharper than any want had ever been. She needed, and the need was deeper and more intense than any other need. As the feelings drummed into her, her fingers curled into his hair. Hunger for him rose so quickly she moaned with it. It wasn’t right. It couldn’t be right. Yet the feeling swirled through her that it was exactly right and had always been.
A gull swooped overhead and was gone, leaving only the flicker of a shadow, the echo of a sound.
When they drew apart, A.J. stepped back. With distance came a chill, but she welcomed it after the enervating heat. She would have turned then without a word, but his hands were on her again.
“Come home with me.”
She had to look at him then. Passion, barely controlled, darkened his eyes. Desire, edged with temptation, roughened his voice. And she felt…too much. If she went, she would give too much.
“No.” Her voice wasn’t quite steady, but it was final. “I don’t want this, David.”
“Neither do I.” He backed off then. He hadn’t meant for things to go so far. He hadn’t wanted to feel so much. “I’m not sure that’s going to make any difference.”
“We have control over our own lives.” When she looked out to sea again, the wind rushed her hair back, leaving her face unframed. “I know what I want and don’t want in mine.”
“Wants change.” Why was he arguing? She said nothing he hadn’t thought himself.
“Only if we let them.”
“And if I said I wanted you?”
The pulse in her throat beat quickly, so quickly she wasn’t sure she could get the words around it. “I’d say you were making a mistake. You were right, David, when you said I wasn’t your type. Go with your first impulse. It’s usually the best.”
“In this case I think I need more data.”
“Suit yourself,” she said as though it made no difference. “I have to get back. I want to call Clarissa and make sure she’s all right.”
He took her arm one last time. “You won’t always be able to use her, Aurora.”
She stopped and sent him the cool, intimate look so like her mother’s. “I don’t use her at all,” she murmured. “That’s the difference between us.” She turned and made her way back across the sand.
4
T here was moonlight, shafts of it, glimmering. There was the scent of hyacinths—the faintest fragrance on the faintest of breezes. From somewhere came the sound of water, running, bubbling. On a wide-planked wood floor there were shadows, the shifting grace of an oak outside the window. A painting on the wall caught the eye and held it. It was no more
“I’m beginning to think that, too. Damn if I can figure out why I want to so much.”
“Give it a little time. It’ll pass.”
“Why don’t we test it out?” He lifted a brow as he looked down at her. “We’re on a public beach. The sun hasn’t set. If I kiss you here, it can’t go any further than that, and maybe we’ll figure out why we unnerve each other.” When he drew her closer, she stiffened. “Afraid?” Why would the fact that she might be, just a little, arouse him?
“No.” Because she’d prepared herself she almost believed it was true. He wouldn’t have the upper hand this time, she told herself. She wouldn’t allow it. Deliberately she lifted her arms and twined them around his neck. When he hesitated, she pressed her lips to his.
He’d have sworn the sand shifted under his feet. He was certain the crash of the waves grew in volume until it filled the air like thunder. He’d intended to control the situation like an experiment. But intentions changed as mouth met mouth. She tasted warm—cool, sweet—pungent. He had a desperate need to find out which of his senses could be trusted. Before either of them was prepared, he plunged himself into the kiss and dragged her with him.
Too fast. Her mind whirled with the thought. Too far. But her body ignored the warning and strained against him. She wanted, and the want was clearer and sharper than any want had ever been. She needed, and the need was deeper and more intense than any other need. As the feelings drummed into her, her fingers curled into his hair. Hunger for him rose so quickly she moaned with it. It wasn’t right. It couldn’t be right. Yet the feeling swirled through her that it was exactly right and had always been.
A gull swooped overhead and was gone, leaving only the flicker of a shadow, the echo of a sound.
When they drew apart, A.J. stepped back. With distance came a chill, but she welcomed it after the enervating heat. She would have turned then without a word, but his hands were on her again.
“Come home with me.”
She had to look at him then. Passion, barely controlled, darkened his eyes. Desire, edged with temptation, roughened his voice. And she felt…too much. If she went, she would give too much.
“No.” Her voice wasn’t quite steady, but it was final. “I don’t want this, David.”
“Neither do I.” He backed off then. He hadn’t meant for things to go so far. He hadn’t wanted to feel so much. “I’m not sure that’s going to make any difference.”
“We have control over our own lives.” When she looked out to sea again, the wind rushed her hair back, leaving her face unframed. “I know what I want and don’t want in mine.”
“Wants change.” Why was he arguing? She said nothing he hadn’t thought himself.
“Only if we let them.”
“And if I said I wanted you?”
The pulse in her throat beat quickly, so quickly she wasn’t sure she could get the words around it. “I’d say you were making a mistake. You were right, David, when you said I wasn’t your type. Go with your first impulse. It’s usually the best.”
“In this case I think I need more data.”
“Suit yourself,” she said as though it made no difference. “I have to get back. I want to call Clarissa and make sure she’s all right.”
He took her arm one last time. “You won’t always be able to use her, Aurora.”
She stopped and sent him the cool, intimate look so like her mother’s. “I don’t use her at all,” she murmured. “That’s the difference between us.” She turned and made her way back across the sand.
4
T here was moonlight, shafts of it, glimmering. There was the scent of hyacinths—the faintest fragrance on the faintest of breezes. From somewhere came the sound of water, running, bubbling. On a wide-planked wood floor there were shadows, the shifting grace of an oak outside the window. A painting on the wall caught the eye and held it. It was no more
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