galaxy, who cares where he came from? Just so he goes away. And soon. Until then, you don't know me."
A smile lingered on Leigh's mouth. "What a fair-weather friend you turned out to be."
"You guessed it. Thank goodness you're smart as well as beautiful. See you in school."
Eve turned and left, the green silk fluttering around her legs. Leigh watched her go, her mouth lifted in a wry smile. Eve was her own woman, and you had to take her as she was.
After saying "good morning" to several of the parents and a few of her students, Leigh turned for home. She hadn't bothered to drive; she had walked to church, and now she set off, her heels clipping rhythmically on the sidewalk. The breeze died down, and she took off her hat and enjoyed the feeling of walking in the warm sunshine. The blue sky and the hills mottled with splotches of red and orange maple leaves and dark green pines gave her a feeling of well-being. She strode along purposefully, and it was almost with a sense of regret that she reached the house and climbed the four steps to Viola's porch.
The sight of her punched the breath from Ty’s lungs. She was a vision of grace and movement, clad in yellow, her honey hair flying free around her face and shoulders. There was a freshness about her, and a studied grace in the way she walked up the stairs that was utterly feminine, utterly destroying. The sensible thoughts, the cool decision to put her out of his mind fled. All that remained was a driving compulsion to talk to her, to be with her, and to possess her.
Stunned, Leigh stood and stared at their merging reflections. Her hair disheveled by the breeze, her cheeks flushed from the fresh air, the yellow suit she wore made a ghost image over the glass-distorted view of him. It was as if their two separate bodies, male and female, were merging on another plane. Her skin prickled with a fey sense of alarm.
Framed in the oval of wood, the dark, beautiful face and well-cut, controlled mouth hardened, and the black silky lashes dropped down. Whatever it was he was feeling, he didn't want her to see it. What was it? Disappointment that she hadn't succumbed to his charm?
Bitterly aware of an inner struggle of her own, she stiffened and took an instinctive step backwards away from the door. He stepped out onto the porch. Deke followed, looking sleepy but familiar in his blue denim jacket, jeans, and leather boots.
Ty said, "Good morning."
His voice rumbled in a low timbre that was disturbingly sensual, too much a reminder of the words he had muttered in her ear and the kiss they had shared in the dark before the dawn.
"Hello." The word seemed to stick in her throat.
“Morning, Leigh. Beautiful morning, isn't it?" Deke's voice had a cheerful, nonthreatening sound about it. She relaxed slightly and smiled at him. "Yes, it is." The breeze freshened, and she reached up and brushed back a strand of hair that floated across her cheek.
Ty took a step away from her and thrust his hand into one of his pants pockets, as if he were anxious to go. Deke shot him a sidelong glance and then turned to Leigh. "I left my tobacco pouch in your apartment last night. We were going out to buy me another, but if you're going right up…"
"Yes, yes, I am. I did find it, and I came down with it before I went to church, but your apartment was quiet. I didn't want to disturb you."
“We slept late this morning, at least, I did." To Ty, he said, “You were up working though, when I got up."
Ty said coolly, “I had some ideas I wanted to get saved in a file."
There was an odd silence. Self-consciously, Leigh pushed another errant strand of hair away from her face. Ty made a restless movement, and Leigh felt her temper flare. He couldn't wait to be on his way. She said crisply to Deke, ''I'll go up and get your pouch."
"I'll come with you," Deke said quickly. "You coming, Ty?"
"No. I'm going to go take another look at the car. You can catch up with me later."
Leigh
A smile lingered on Leigh's mouth. "What a fair-weather friend you turned out to be."
"You guessed it. Thank goodness you're smart as well as beautiful. See you in school."
Eve turned and left, the green silk fluttering around her legs. Leigh watched her go, her mouth lifted in a wry smile. Eve was her own woman, and you had to take her as she was.
After saying "good morning" to several of the parents and a few of her students, Leigh turned for home. She hadn't bothered to drive; she had walked to church, and now she set off, her heels clipping rhythmically on the sidewalk. The breeze died down, and she took off her hat and enjoyed the feeling of walking in the warm sunshine. The blue sky and the hills mottled with splotches of red and orange maple leaves and dark green pines gave her a feeling of well-being. She strode along purposefully, and it was almost with a sense of regret that she reached the house and climbed the four steps to Viola's porch.
The sight of her punched the breath from Ty’s lungs. She was a vision of grace and movement, clad in yellow, her honey hair flying free around her face and shoulders. There was a freshness about her, and a studied grace in the way she walked up the stairs that was utterly feminine, utterly destroying. The sensible thoughts, the cool decision to put her out of his mind fled. All that remained was a driving compulsion to talk to her, to be with her, and to possess her.
Stunned, Leigh stood and stared at their merging reflections. Her hair disheveled by the breeze, her cheeks flushed from the fresh air, the yellow suit she wore made a ghost image over the glass-distorted view of him. It was as if their two separate bodies, male and female, were merging on another plane. Her skin prickled with a fey sense of alarm.
Framed in the oval of wood, the dark, beautiful face and well-cut, controlled mouth hardened, and the black silky lashes dropped down. Whatever it was he was feeling, he didn't want her to see it. What was it? Disappointment that she hadn't succumbed to his charm?
Bitterly aware of an inner struggle of her own, she stiffened and took an instinctive step backwards away from the door. He stepped out onto the porch. Deke followed, looking sleepy but familiar in his blue denim jacket, jeans, and leather boots.
Ty said, "Good morning."
His voice rumbled in a low timbre that was disturbingly sensual, too much a reminder of the words he had muttered in her ear and the kiss they had shared in the dark before the dawn.
"Hello." The word seemed to stick in her throat.
“Morning, Leigh. Beautiful morning, isn't it?" Deke's voice had a cheerful, nonthreatening sound about it. She relaxed slightly and smiled at him. "Yes, it is." The breeze freshened, and she reached up and brushed back a strand of hair that floated across her cheek.
Ty took a step away from her and thrust his hand into one of his pants pockets, as if he were anxious to go. Deke shot him a sidelong glance and then turned to Leigh. "I left my tobacco pouch in your apartment last night. We were going out to buy me another, but if you're going right up…"
"Yes, yes, I am. I did find it, and I came down with it before I went to church, but your apartment was quiet. I didn't want to disturb you."
“We slept late this morning, at least, I did." To Ty, he said, “You were up working though, when I got up."
Ty said coolly, “I had some ideas I wanted to get saved in a file."
There was an odd silence. Self-consciously, Leigh pushed another errant strand of hair away from her face. Ty made a restless movement, and Leigh felt her temper flare. He couldn't wait to be on his way. She said crisply to Deke, ''I'll go up and get your pouch."
"I'll come with you," Deke said quickly. "You coming, Ty?"
"No. I'm going to go take another look at the car. You can catch up with me later."
Leigh
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