to look at her might stop her from speaking.
“You’re getting to know me too well,” she murmured.
The skin at the corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Perhaps.”
Sarah sucked in a deep breath. “I’m concerned about finding a place to live when we get there.”
The tip of his cigarillo glowed in the dusk and she focused on it as she continued to speak. “Oddly enough, I’ve never worried about taking care of myself. I’m not afraid of hard work, but this is a problem I hadn’t considered.”
“Understandable, but you have the advantage of having friends there.” He turned toward her. “Lucy, and myself. We both have homes, so it’s not as if you need to go without a roof over your head.”
She stared at him. “I couldn’t do that.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why not? Lucy is your friend, and I have an entire ranch at my disposal.” He glanced at the ring on her finger. “I get the impression that people in California... at least those who’ve come out for the gold... aren’t spending a lot of time worrying about social niceties. I suspect that they wouldn’t pay too much attention to a widow who visits the friend of her late husband.” He grinned. “That would be me.”
“But...” Sarah stopped, recognizing that what she said now could set the tone for the future of their friendship. She needed to word her reply carefully.
“I hadn’t thought of posing as a widow.” The water rushed past the hull, keeping time with her racing thoughts. “And thank you for the offer. It’s good to know there’s somewhere I can go if I get desperate, but...”
“...but you want to assert your independence.” It was almost dark now, but there was something in his eyes when he looked down at her. “I appreciate that,” he said, glancing away and then back, “but I’ll be there, if you ever need me.”
She laid a hand on his arm. It was an instinctual gesture, and she almost wished she hadn’t touched him, hadn’t rekindled the attraction that pulsed between them. And now... now that he knew she wasn’t married... there was nothing to prevent them from acting on that attraction. Nothing other than her need to be independent. Thankfully, it was a need he seemed to understand.
She lowered her eyes, suddenly shy. “I’ve never had a man friend before.”
He tossed his precious cigar away and she followed the glow until it fell into the ocean. Then he tipped up her chin, and her heart began to race. “Is that what we are?” he murmured, lowering his head until his mouth hovered just over hers. “Friends?”
She gazed up at him, sensing more than seeing the intensity in his eyes. Then she closed the distance between them, and settled her lips on his.
He responded with a low growl, and one arm slid around her, pulling her firmly against his broad chest. The other hand cupped her face, tilting it slightly to give him better access. His lips were soft yet hard, gentle yet demanding. Sarah’s senses spiraled giddily, and she returned the kiss with a passion she didn’t know she possessed. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she scolded herself for all those years of missing out on such a delightful experience.
He pulled back slowly, breathlessly. “I shouldn’t have done that,” he said, trying to see into her eyes. “But I couldn’t resist.”
“I’m glad you did,” she said, unable to hide her smile. “I thought it was rather wonderful.”
The wind had come up, and an escaped lock of hair blew across her eyes. Jamie reached out to tuck it behind her ear, and his fingers lingered along the column of her neck, sending shivers of anticipation throughout her body.
He gave a soft, intimate chuckle. “Sarah Howard, you’re like no other woman I’ve ever met.” He looked ahead, where the bow cut cleanly through the water, rushing them toward their destination. “You’re going to do just fine when we get there. I’m convinced of it.”
She tried to read the expression on
“You’re getting to know me too well,” she murmured.
The skin at the corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Perhaps.”
Sarah sucked in a deep breath. “I’m concerned about finding a place to live when we get there.”
The tip of his cigarillo glowed in the dusk and she focused on it as she continued to speak. “Oddly enough, I’ve never worried about taking care of myself. I’m not afraid of hard work, but this is a problem I hadn’t considered.”
“Understandable, but you have the advantage of having friends there.” He turned toward her. “Lucy, and myself. We both have homes, so it’s not as if you need to go without a roof over your head.”
She stared at him. “I couldn’t do that.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why not? Lucy is your friend, and I have an entire ranch at my disposal.” He glanced at the ring on her finger. “I get the impression that people in California... at least those who’ve come out for the gold... aren’t spending a lot of time worrying about social niceties. I suspect that they wouldn’t pay too much attention to a widow who visits the friend of her late husband.” He grinned. “That would be me.”
“But...” Sarah stopped, recognizing that what she said now could set the tone for the future of their friendship. She needed to word her reply carefully.
“I hadn’t thought of posing as a widow.” The water rushed past the hull, keeping time with her racing thoughts. “And thank you for the offer. It’s good to know there’s somewhere I can go if I get desperate, but...”
“...but you want to assert your independence.” It was almost dark now, but there was something in his eyes when he looked down at her. “I appreciate that,” he said, glancing away and then back, “but I’ll be there, if you ever need me.”
She laid a hand on his arm. It was an instinctual gesture, and she almost wished she hadn’t touched him, hadn’t rekindled the attraction that pulsed between them. And now... now that he knew she wasn’t married... there was nothing to prevent them from acting on that attraction. Nothing other than her need to be independent. Thankfully, it was a need he seemed to understand.
She lowered her eyes, suddenly shy. “I’ve never had a man friend before.”
He tossed his precious cigar away and she followed the glow until it fell into the ocean. Then he tipped up her chin, and her heart began to race. “Is that what we are?” he murmured, lowering his head until his mouth hovered just over hers. “Friends?”
She gazed up at him, sensing more than seeing the intensity in his eyes. Then she closed the distance between them, and settled her lips on his.
He responded with a low growl, and one arm slid around her, pulling her firmly against his broad chest. The other hand cupped her face, tilting it slightly to give him better access. His lips were soft yet hard, gentle yet demanding. Sarah’s senses spiraled giddily, and she returned the kiss with a passion she didn’t know she possessed. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she scolded herself for all those years of missing out on such a delightful experience.
He pulled back slowly, breathlessly. “I shouldn’t have done that,” he said, trying to see into her eyes. “But I couldn’t resist.”
“I’m glad you did,” she said, unable to hide her smile. “I thought it was rather wonderful.”
The wind had come up, and an escaped lock of hair blew across her eyes. Jamie reached out to tuck it behind her ear, and his fingers lingered along the column of her neck, sending shivers of anticipation throughout her body.
He gave a soft, intimate chuckle. “Sarah Howard, you’re like no other woman I’ve ever met.” He looked ahead, where the bow cut cleanly through the water, rushing them toward their destination. “You’re going to do just fine when we get there. I’m convinced of it.”
She tried to read the expression on
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