Suddenly Last Summer. Sarah Morgan
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between the two. “Grams was relieved I was there.”
If Élise noticed the omission she didn’t comment. “Where are you staying tonight?”
Pushing away the past, he turned. “Is that an invitation?”
“No. Will you stay with your mother?”
“She already has Jess staying. It’s simpler for everyone, at least while Gramps is still in the hospital and Tyler is coming and going.” He sent the stone spinning across the water and it bounced, skimmed and vanished into the darkness. “I’ll use Jackson’s spare room.”
“The whole family will feel much better having you here, even if it’s only a night or two.”
“And how will you feel?”
Her gaze skidded to his. “Of course, I am pleased, too. It is a very great stress having someone you love in the hospital and I love Walter.”
“That wasn’t what I was asking you.” He’d often wondered. Wondered whether she thought of it. Thought of him. The fact that the night had held no emotional significance hadn’t stopped it being unforgettable.
“I don’t have a problem with you being here.” Her voice was husky in the darkness. “It isn’t awkward, if that’s what you’re asking me. But it must be a great pressure for you. You need to make sure you think of yourself, too.”
“That’s good advice.” Taking it, he slid his hand behind her head and brought his mouth down on hers in a hard, demanding kiss that stirred up a raw hunger. A kaleidoscope of emotions ripped through him but the prime one was need. It spread through him, not slowly, but like wildfire burning everything in sight. Gripped by it, Sean powered her back against the railing and trapped her there.
Last time, she’d started it.
Now it was his turn.
He felt the softness of her body pressing through the thin fabric of his shirt, the erotic slide of her tongue against his, and desire escalated to a dangerous blaze. Her arms went around his neck and she purred deep in her throat like a thoroughly contented kitten.
His brain blurred.
No other woman had made him feel like this. No other woman had stirred this intense, desperate hunger that wiped all thoughts from his head.
Maybe it was because she didn’t want anything from him but this, and knowing that meant he could relax and give in to it.
Rock-hard, he felt her tug his shirt out of his trousers and slide her hands over his skin, greedy to touch him. And he was equally greedy to touch her. His fingers were on her buttons, loosening them, giving him access to the smooth creamy skin revealed by the lace of her bra.
His body craved hers. It was a visceral, physical need that drove all thought from his brain.
And then she stilled, placed her hands on his chest and drew her mouth away from his.
Sensing the change in her he stopped himself from dragging her back. “What’s wrong?”
“We shouldn’t be doing this. It’s been a tough day. Our judgment is impaired.”
“My judgment is just fine.” He held her hard against his body, leaving her in no doubt that he wanted this as much as she did, but she eased away from him and buttoned her shirt.
“You’re in the middle of a stressful experience.”
“And I was managing my stress levels with physical contact.”
“Sex should not be an emotional decision. You’re tired. You need to get to Jackson’s and get some sleep.”
He wondered if it was worth pointing out there was no way he’d sleep. “Fine, but admit to me that that kiss was the best part of your day.”
“It didn’t have much competition. It was a very bad day.” Her hand lingered on his chest as if she was still making up her mind whether to hold on or pull away. She pulled away. “Good night, Sean.”
“Wait—” he caught her arm “—I’ll walk you back to your lodge.”
“I don’t need your protection.”
“I was planning on using you for protection. For my suit, you understand. You’re the one with the flashlight. You go first. That way if something goes squelch, you step in it first.”
“Such a gentleman.” But he heard the smile in her voice.
“You said you wanted a man to perform heroics. I was planning on finding something heroic to do on the walk.” He let go of her arm and adjusted his pace to match hers. “You might want to stick around. You’re about to see a tough, macho man of the forest in action.”
“Does a tough, macho man of the forest always choose to dress in a suit?”
“A bear tore my loincloth when we were wrestling.”
“I can’t imagine you in a loincloth.”
“Mine are custom-made. I have them shipped from Milan.”
They reached Heron Lodge and she took the steps two at a time, lithe and athletic. “Sleep well, Sean.”
“Will you be all right tonight? Are you sure you want to sleep alone?” He had no idea why he’d asked that question. What would he do if she said no? Spending the whole night with a woman wasn’t something he did.
“I sleep alone every night, Sean.” She paused with her hand on the door, a quiet, wistful note to her voice. “And that’s the way it’s staying.”
ÉLISE ROSE AT dawn after a night where her only sleep had produced a nightmare in which Jackson told her Snow Crystal had been sold and the shock had killed Walter.
After splashing her face with cold water, she pulled on her shorts and running shoes, grabbed her water bottle and MP3 player and paused for a moment on the deck to breathe in the scent of the lake. The water was mirror-smooth, reflecting a perfect image of the trees crowding the shoreline. The air was fresh and clean. A cool breeze brushed over her bare arms, waking her up and driving out the dream.
It was her favorite time of day. In Paris she would have run along the banks of the Seine and through the Jardin des Tuileries in front of the Louvre, the accompanying sounds the noise of traffic and the cacophony of horns. She would have weaved through crowds of fractious tourists and breathed in air clogged by traffic fumes while her feet pounded pavements baked by the summer sun. Here, the air she breathed was fresh and clean and the only sounds came from the forest and the lake. Even days when it rained continuously didn’t detract from her love of the place.
She ran along the forest path to the boathouse and the only sounds were her breathing, the crack of twigs underfoot and the call of the birds. A family of ducks swam lazily around the edge of the lake, diving in and out of the reeds.
As she took the steps to the boathouse, she glanced at the railing, half expecting to see a charred mark where Sean had kissed her, but the wood was smooth and perfect.
The forest had kept their secret for a year and it seemed it was willing to keep it a little longer.
Her friends were already waiting for her.
Brenna was warming up, performing a series of small lunges while Kayla was leaning against the trunk of a tree, using the time to catch up on work.
“You’re late, Chef.” She spoke without looking up from her phone. Scarily efficient, she lived her life with one eye on the clock. Right now her blond hair was pulled into a ponytail but later it would hang smooth and perfect to her shoulders as she attacked her working day.
Élise had seen the effort Kayla had put into building the Snow Crystal name and