Page 28 (1/2)

He still seeive me," he said anxiously He looked a little unco "Picked up some shell at Shiloh," he explained "Please, sit"

She realized that he wouldn’t sit again unless she did, so she perched on the edge of the chair, and he took a seat again He continued to stare at her

"All these years…kids co on…no one has ever seenift, and thanks to Nikki and Adam Harrison, she knew that all apparitions were different, that they often interacted with the living in different ways Most of the

"I see you," she said Then she asked, "Why are you here?"

"I can’t leave theabout Joe’s CD collection

"I had a march published, just before the war And then an étude But…there was soback or not--no ain "You’re froinally I’ve lived in New York many years" She didn’t have an accent, or at least only a very slight one, so how had he known?

He was looking at her warily now

"I’lad to say that we’re all one nation now," she said How could she explain to hied since the Civil War? Or that even now there were still relad," she continued earnestly "As one nation, we’re strong"

"I hid my music, but when I came back…I wanted so badly to see more of it published But I was always ill… lad He’d lost a leg at Gettysburg, but he was still a fine lad to watch the and looked at her again "May I tell you about my music?"

"Of course," she said

Joe set the article down, thinking he would pick it up again later Whatever it said that he hadn’t seen before, he wasn’t getting it now, either He’d have to try again, with fresh eyes

He ran through his e- useful He went into the bathroom that connected the office to his bedrooe of clothes, then walked out to the living room

Leslie didn’t notice hi animatedly at the sofa If he hadn’t known it was empty, he would have sworn she was deep in conversation with so there

"Leslie?"

"Oh!" Startled, she turned toward hiht?"

"Sure"

Puzzled, he pressed on "Was…someone here?"

"Don’t be ridiculous I’d never let anyone into your house"

He took a seat on the sofa, directly opposite her She wasn’t sitting back in the chair but was perched on the edge, the way she would have been if she’d been talking to so exactly where he was now He reached for her hands "Leslie…"

"I’m fine," she said very softly, then pulled one hand away and touched his cheek He felt his heart flutter She was close Her scent was alluring The light in her eyes was enchanting The dip of her scoop-neck knit dress was arousing

And she was Matt’s wo hi, elegant fingers, clean and soft despite the fact that she spent her days digging in old earth He held her pal the thunder of both his heart and his libido

It would be easy, so easy, to draw her to hiue Touch her Know her naked flesh He’d known his share of women over the years If Nancy had lived, he would have stayed in love all his life, he thought But she hadn’t There had been times after that when he would meet a woman, and he wouldn’t really want to know her name, but he would learn it, anyway, just for the sake of decency Then there had been the years when he hadn’t been quite as much of an asshole, but there had never--until now--been a ti he wanted Leslie, wanted her with every carnal i to know not just her face but her soul, the way she thought and everything she felt…

He inhaled She was close, and coers h her hair as they leaned closer, both of thee of their seats His lips touched hers They were soft, pliant andHer mouth eet fire She kne to kiss, how to ue Hot, wet, closer…it was the kind of kiss that set the blood to raging, filling the mind with visions of each step that should follow

And then…

They broke apart Moved back He didn’t knohich of thean to apologize "I…, I’m sorry I’m not ready--"

"No I’m sorry I look too much like Matt But I’m not Matt I’m Joe And I want…but not…not until you’re ready"