which would be a first. But something told me it wasn’t that.
“Hey, what’s the matter?”
“It’s nothing.” Kelsey took a handful of bubbles and formed her beautiful mouth into a perfect O and blew. I smiled but her return smile was strained.
True to our agreement neither of us talked about the future. But somewhere along the way it became more than just sex for me. Way more than a summer romance. I wanted to help her with whatever was going on in that beautiful mind of hers. Hell, I wanted to take care of her. Solve every problem. Fix anything that was broken. But I didn’t have the right. In a couple of months, I’d be thousands of miles from her. Even if the thought of her living her life without me hurt, I’d take the pain to ease hers.
“Bullshit.” I scooped up some bubbles with a finger and dotted her nose. “Talk to me.
Chapter 17
Kelsey
T alk to him? How could I? He was going off to war and I was trying to decide between the comforts of home in Georgia or going to Europe to extend my studies and my fun. Except without my friends—without Sean, the prospect of Europe held no appeal. Nothing did. I wanted this summer to last forever—for us to last forever. How foolish to think I could keep my growing love for Sean in a box and like Pandora, if I opened the lid there would be no going back.
What I couldn’t express verbally, I did with my touch. Our gazes silently communicated what we felt. What we had moved beyond sex. Or maybe my brain was weaving this into a tragic Shakespearean play when in reality it was a comedy with the joke being on me if Sean didn’t feel the same way. If that was the case, then ignorance was truly bliss.
“I can’t. The rules of our relationship—”
“Rules are made to be broken. Especially if you’re the one who made them.”
Sean’s intense gaze held mine. He seemed to be holding his breath. Had he been waiting for a signal that I wanted more? One part of me did, the other part—the one that was winning, didn’t want to end up like my mother. Worse than alone, grieving for the love of your life. I looked away. “You agreed to them.”
“I would have agreed to anything if it meant seeing you again.”
My gaze darted back to his. The candlelight wavered in his blue eyes making them appear to be same color and texture as a swimming pool lit up at night. I could surely drown in them and not care if I was rescued. I didn’t know if it was the languid feeling from soaking in the bubbles, the candlelight, the beer, or the fact that I trusted him as a lover and as a friend, but I decided at that moment to share more than just my body with Sean.
“Okay then. I don’t know what to do after the summer is over.”
“Any ideas?”
“Well, option one, I go home. Get a job.” Then find a nice but boring guy and train him to give me orgasms like you.
“Option two?”
“Go to Europe, get my MBA in architecture engineering.” Then study like mad and try to forget you.
“Architecture? Engineering? How come I didn’t know that?”
“Don’t look so surprised!” I smacked his leg, which cause a ripple of water to splash up over the side of the tub. “I’m smart.”
“Of that I have no doubt. It’s a tough field and you’re a female.”
“I don’t know which is worse, you thinking I’m dumb or that you’re a sexist.” I took a sip of beer.
“To be clear, I never thought you were dumb. And I’m not sexist just a realist.”
“Which is why you probably think Europe is a dumb idea.”
“No, you should go before you settle down.”
Did he mean settle down with a job or a man? Did he even care that after the summer I might find someone else? Would Sean be a ‘girl in every city’ type of soldier? Or would he be a one-woman man and find a girl who could withstand the lonely nights. Either scenario drove me crazy with jealousy.
“It’s a pipe dream.”
“What’s stopping you?”
“Money.” He knew I wasn’t a rich girl like
“Hey, what’s the matter?”
“It’s nothing.” Kelsey took a handful of bubbles and formed her beautiful mouth into a perfect O and blew. I smiled but her return smile was strained.
True to our agreement neither of us talked about the future. But somewhere along the way it became more than just sex for me. Way more than a summer romance. I wanted to help her with whatever was going on in that beautiful mind of hers. Hell, I wanted to take care of her. Solve every problem. Fix anything that was broken. But I didn’t have the right. In a couple of months, I’d be thousands of miles from her. Even if the thought of her living her life without me hurt, I’d take the pain to ease hers.
“Bullshit.” I scooped up some bubbles with a finger and dotted her nose. “Talk to me.
Chapter 17
Kelsey
T alk to him? How could I? He was going off to war and I was trying to decide between the comforts of home in Georgia or going to Europe to extend my studies and my fun. Except without my friends—without Sean, the prospect of Europe held no appeal. Nothing did. I wanted this summer to last forever—for us to last forever. How foolish to think I could keep my growing love for Sean in a box and like Pandora, if I opened the lid there would be no going back.
What I couldn’t express verbally, I did with my touch. Our gazes silently communicated what we felt. What we had moved beyond sex. Or maybe my brain was weaving this into a tragic Shakespearean play when in reality it was a comedy with the joke being on me if Sean didn’t feel the same way. If that was the case, then ignorance was truly bliss.
“I can’t. The rules of our relationship—”
“Rules are made to be broken. Especially if you’re the one who made them.”
Sean’s intense gaze held mine. He seemed to be holding his breath. Had he been waiting for a signal that I wanted more? One part of me did, the other part—the one that was winning, didn’t want to end up like my mother. Worse than alone, grieving for the love of your life. I looked away. “You agreed to them.”
“I would have agreed to anything if it meant seeing you again.”
My gaze darted back to his. The candlelight wavered in his blue eyes making them appear to be same color and texture as a swimming pool lit up at night. I could surely drown in them and not care if I was rescued. I didn’t know if it was the languid feeling from soaking in the bubbles, the candlelight, the beer, or the fact that I trusted him as a lover and as a friend, but I decided at that moment to share more than just my body with Sean.
“Okay then. I don’t know what to do after the summer is over.”
“Any ideas?”
“Well, option one, I go home. Get a job.” Then find a nice but boring guy and train him to give me orgasms like you.
“Option two?”
“Go to Europe, get my MBA in architecture engineering.” Then study like mad and try to forget you.
“Architecture? Engineering? How come I didn’t know that?”
“Don’t look so surprised!” I smacked his leg, which cause a ripple of water to splash up over the side of the tub. “I’m smart.”
“Of that I have no doubt. It’s a tough field and you’re a female.”
“I don’t know which is worse, you thinking I’m dumb or that you’re a sexist.” I took a sip of beer.
“To be clear, I never thought you were dumb. And I’m not sexist just a realist.”
“Which is why you probably think Europe is a dumb idea.”
“No, you should go before you settle down.”
Did he mean settle down with a job or a man? Did he even care that after the summer I might find someone else? Would Sean be a ‘girl in every city’ type of soldier? Or would he be a one-woman man and find a girl who could withstand the lonely nights. Either scenario drove me crazy with jealousy.
“It’s a pipe dream.”
“What’s stopping you?”
“Money.” He knew I wasn’t a rich girl like
Similar Books
