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Sebastian's big hands smoothed up anddown her back, and twice she felt the light touch of a kiss to her temple.
When she lifted her face from his chest, he surveyed her, then with a grim look, said, "Come on," and started them
down the street, his arm tight around her waist. She went with him gladly, not even protesting when he pried her
shopping bag out of her numb fingers to carry it for her.
Taking them slightly off the main drag, he urged her toward a low stone fence and then lifted her up to sit. Pink-
and-white azaleas bloomed all around them, their sweet scent heady in the air. Sebastian stood in front of her, his
legs braced apart, his expression enig­matic. "Tell me what happened, Brandi."
Oh, God, she couldn't. She closed her eyes and shook her head. Sebastian stepped forward until her knees brushed
against the front of his body. She didn't dare look down to see exactly where they touched.
"Brandi, you're as pale a ghost."
"And every bit as vapid," she said in disgust.
"You want to tell me what that means?"
"Not particularly." She'd acted the fool, once again. She might as well have been eighteenagain, the fear had come
back that strong. She was ridiculous and stu­pid and...
"Brandi? Talk to me, honey, right now. I don't like this one damn bit."
She could hear the genuine concern in his words. Reaching out, she took his hands and held them. "I'm sorry. I
overreacted, that's all. Sometimes I can be very silly and foolish."
"Overreacted to what?"
Uh-oh.He sounded ready to do bodily harm to someone. Eight years of military training and hardness sounded in
his tone. The barbarian warrior was back.
But no real harm had been done. The men hadn't even been all that brazen. "It's nothing, really. Two men got a
little friendly, that's all. And I...well,it frightened me just a bit. I behaved like an idiot, run­ning off like I did."
He didn't look convinced, but he did correct her. "You didn't run off. You ran to me."
"Well...yeah, I guess I did."
"You felt safer with me."
"I know you, for crying out loud! I didn't know these men. Don't make more of it than it is."
"What did they say to you?"
Now that she was away from them and the panic had ebbed, she couldn't bear to repeat it all. "They were just two
men flirting the way men do. They said a few things, and I should have answered them, to put them in their place.
But instead, I just ran off."
"To me."
Brandi rolled her eyes. He did seem to be stuck on that small fact. "Yes, to you. Did you expect me to run all the
way back to the cabin?"
"I didn't expect you to be running at all or I never would have left you alone. It didn't feel right in the first place. I
was just coming to get you when I saw you dashing across the street."
Needing desperately to change the subject, she asked, "Did you get your coffee?"
"No. I saw a sign for an outdoor musical and thought that would work asgood as caffeine to wake me up. You
want to go? We could grab a hamburger or something there for dinner."
Surprised, Brandi checked her watch. It was going on five o'clock. The morning and afternoon had flown by and
they hadn't eaten since breakfast. The idea of an outdoor concert was appealing, but she preferred the privacy of the
cabin for dinner. "We can check out the concert, but there's no way I'm going to eat a greasy hamburger. I want
real food tonight."
"Fair enough.How about an hour or so of music, then you can pick the restaurant we eat at?"
"No restaurant. I want to go back to the cabin and order room service."
At first, Sebastian didn't answer her. Brandi knew how he felt about the expensive meals the lodge of­fered, but
she needed some privacy tonight, away from the crowds. And she wanted to teach him to take plea­sure in the
small things, even when they cost a bit more. She half expected an argument from him, espe­cially given his earlier
contentious mood. But then he took a deep breath and asked, "Did anyone pack you a swimsuit?"
"I think so. Why?"
"Yesterday you showed some interest in the Ja­cuzzi." His gaze dropped to her mouth and stayed there. "I thought
maybe after dinner you'd want to try it out. It might help to relax you."
Heat uncurled, chasing away the last remnants of embarrassment over her flight of terror. "Do you have a
swimsuit?"
"No. But I can just wear my briefs." His gaze held hers, his eyes bright."As long as you don't have a problem with
it."
Brandi knew in that instant exactly where her knees touched him. She felt his body stir, felt his erection grow hard
and long, and knew it was the thought of being with her that affected him so strongly. But she was in charge. She
could do this play in the Jacuzzi, indulge in the special feeling of being alone with him with no fear of being
pushed and no fear of con­sequences.
She called all the shots, and she trusted him to abide by her rules.
Knowing he expected her to refuse, or to at least look shocked, she lifted her chin and nodded."All right. We can
try out the Jacuzzi.But dinner first."
Though his expression didn't change, she saw him draw a deep breath. He lifted her from the wall, then stood there
looking down at her. "What the hell? I think I'll need to restore my energy with a good meal anyway."
5
Waiting throughthe concert had just about killed him.
Sitting in the grass with Brandi at his side, her body swaying in time to themusic, was enough to make him crazy.
But what played even more havoc with his male libido was the memory of how she'd run to him. What­ever had
frightened her and he had no doubt there was more to it than she claimed she'd run to him. Even though she
hadn't trusted him enough to share the whole truth, it still had to be counted as progress. No wonder his mood was
uncertain today. She kept throwing him off balance. It had all started with that kiss last night, a sweet little kiss that
had kept him awake tossing and turning until the early morning. Since then he hadn't been able to get his thoughts
gath­ered.
Something had happened during that brief, all too innocent kiss. And it had to do with Brandi taking con­trol. He'd
suggested it as lark, hoping to encourage her. But it had gone beyond that. Somehow, they'd crossed some invisible
boundary. He only wished he knew what it was. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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