“We don’t have to keep walking if you’re cold,” he said. “You look cold.”
She looked up at him, her forehead even with his chin, and quickly looked back down. “It doesn’t take
much. As long as I keep moving I’m all right.” She made a move to step ahead, but still he didn’t release
her arm.
“Virginia.”
She raised her head, had to tip back to see his eyes, anticipation and questions filling her own. When he
raised a hand to her forehead she jerked back.
“What are you doing?”
“Moving these,” he brushed aside her wispy bangs with a fingertip. “So I can do this.” He leaned in and
pressed a kiss to her forehead. He heard the sigh, felt the tremble. That did something to him, something
so deep and wide and heartrending he wanted to pull her to him. But he stood still, a foot apart, his hand
still on her arm, the other at his side.
A chill sped down her back at his touch. She wanted more, didn’t want more. Wanted his touch and feared
it. Suddenly, more than anything she wanted him to hold her. Wanted to know how it felt to be tucked in
close to him. And she was afraid of it all.
A tiny moan slipped from her throat and she stepped forward, inviting herself into his arms.
“Tell me what hope looks like on a canvas.” He stepped in, kissed the top of her head, breathed in the
freshness of her hair and reached for her other arm. Something inside him sprung when she shuddered.
“I don’t know...um, yet. I…” Her words tangled in her throat as he kissed her temple, then the space in
front of her ear, his warm breath settling over it. “I haven’t...started the painting yet.”
He kissed her cheek, jaw, corner of her mouth, dipped his tongue there. “What are you waiting for?” His
hands moved across her back, up her spine, one stretched up into her hair.
“I don’t…” Her knees, suddenly reluctant to hold her up, forced her to grab his jacket for support. His
mouth was treating the other side of her face to the same delicious sensations the first side had already
been granted, making her ability to form words impossible.
“I can’t think when you’re doing that, Parker,” she mumbled, his mouth an inch from hers.
“I want to hear you say that what we have doesn’t mean anything to you. That you don’t love me, never
will be able to love me. You stand here and tell me that, Virginia, and I’m out of here. You’ll never hear
from me again, never see me again. I’ll chalk this up to the biggest damn mistake of my life. You say the
words and I’m gone. If that’s what you want, that’s all you have to do.”
All I have to do, she silently screamed. Oh, dear God. She’d already lost him, had known it would feel like a
death to say what she already had and now he wanted more. The words that would make him leave and
never return would be lies. Lies she would add to those she’d already told him.
But he had inadvertently offered her the scissors to cut the line. He would be true to his promise to leave
and never see her again. Parker Gilchrist was a man of his word. She had to do whatever it took to let him
walk away. She willed herself to look him in the eye and be convincing. No tears, no blinking, no softening.
“What we have between us means nothing to me. I do not love you.”
… Swirling smoke snatched the sound from her like a thick hand around her throat when she
opened her mouth to cry out, leaving her gasping and struggling for breath. Cold saltwater
poured over the port side gunwale completely soaking her as the houseboat began to quickly
sink. Twisting onto her side, she yanked her leg out of the hole, unaware of the splintered wood
tearing at her kneecap, before pushing off with both feet to the starboard side of the boat, which
now lay vertical to the water’s surface. Using the flooring grooves as a ladder, she hauled herself
across the slick wood, hand over head, making minute steps of progress until her body was stiff
and trembling with exhaustion. She lay her head down and tried to pull in fresh air but only sucked
in heavy blackness. Heaving for breath, her eyes fell on the charred space that had once been
their kitchen. She watched with horror as pockets of fire snatched at the pine breakfast table,
stretching like orange whips across the counter top, lashing out dangerously close to where she
lay. Fierce determination filled her and tears flooded her face as she used all the strength her
child’s body possessed to hold onto the houseboat’s deck, her fingertips and slender arms numb
and aching with the effort. Another desperate breath was like swallowing a blanket, she pulled in
nothing but a searing cloud that closed her throat and filled her mouth and nose with choking
heat. A harsh sob burst from her chest as she began to slide back to the port side of the boat, her
nightgown rising up over her stomach and cloaking her face.
opened her mouth to cry out, leaving her gasping and struggling for breath. Cold saltwater
poured over the port side gunwale completely soaking her as the houseboat began to quickly
sink. Twisting onto her side, she yanked her leg out of the hole, unaware of the splintered wood
tearing at her kneecap, before pushing off with both feet to the starboard side of the boat, which
now lay vertical to the water’s surface. Using the flooring grooves as a ladder, she hauled herself
across the slick wood, hand over head, making minute steps of progress until her body was stiff
and trembling with exhaustion. She lay her head down and tried to pull in fresh air but only sucked
in heavy blackness. Heaving for breath, her eyes fell on the charred space that had once been
their kitchen. She watched with horror as pockets of fire snatched at the pine breakfast table,
stretching like orange whips across the counter top, lashing out dangerously close to where she
lay. Fierce determination filled her and tears flooded her face as she used all the strength her
child’s body possessed to hold onto the houseboat’s deck, her fingertips and slender arms numb
and aching with the effort. Another desperate breath was like swallowing a blanket, she pulled in
nothing but a searing cloud that closed her throat and filled her mouth and nose with choking
heat. A harsh sob burst from her chest as she began to slide back to the port side of the boat, her
nightgown rising up over her stomach and cloaking her face.
Delice suddenly stopped thinking about everything they were doing and began to luxuriate in sensations. She didn’t
want to forget anything about tonight. How his body felt against hers, how he molded his hands in her hair, the light
roughness of his beard against her cheek, the wetness of his lips. She felt his hardness against her stomach and
jolted back.
Alarmed, Grant pulled back, searching her face with his dark eyes.
“What’s wrong? Do you want me to stop?”
“No, no don’t stop. I was just…you pressed against me and I felt how…I was surprised, that’s all.” She tilted forward
to kiss him again but he leaned back so she couldn’t reach his mouth. He put one of her hands under the covers and
pressed it against him, his hardness making her gasp. He moved her hand slightly and instinctively she began to
caress him, her touch maddeningly light. Feeling himself harden even more beneath her hand, the desire to have her
closer becoming even greater, but he needed to remain in control until she was ready for him. He wanted to share
the gift of true love making with her, to create that sublime bond two people who care for each other could share.
want to forget anything about tonight. How his body felt against hers, how he molded his hands in her hair, the light
roughness of his beard against her cheek, the wetness of his lips. She felt his hardness against her stomach and
jolted back.
Alarmed, Grant pulled back, searching her face with his dark eyes.
“What’s wrong? Do you want me to stop?”
“No, no don’t stop. I was just…you pressed against me and I felt how…I was surprised, that’s all.” She tilted forward
to kiss him again but he leaned back so she couldn’t reach his mouth. He put one of her hands under the covers and
pressed it against him, his hardness making her gasp. He moved her hand slightly and instinctively she began to
caress him, her touch maddeningly light. Feeling himself harden even more beneath her hand, the desire to have her
closer becoming even greater, but he needed to remain in control until she was ready for him. He wanted to share
the gift of true love making with her, to create that sublime bond two people who care for each other could share.
