Page 37 (1/2)

She had clients coht Army soldiers orked the local munitions terminal She could take some time "If you can keep me dry"

"I can keep you wars disappeared, but she saw red lines like two scars curving along the inside of his shoulder blades, evidence of where they eed From earlier, she knew they would disappear, but she traced theht, she wrapped her ars to clasp his hips

"Hold on tight for this first part"

She did, and he leaped with a breathtaking flex ofthe first branch and then cliular cradle between two thick branches and the trunk He helped her dis her, and then lowered her to a seated position between his thighs, bracing his back against the rise of one of the branches, their feet against the trunk and the prop of the other branch He combed her damp hair from her face as she tilted her head back, traced the beads of water rolling down his jaw Running her fingers through his much wetter hair, she slicked it back on his skull When he leaned down to kiss her again, he stopped with just a space between their lips, registering her pensive expression

"What is it?" he asked

"I’ve never been roht sames, understood the lines and boundaries of them "But I’m certainly not romance material, and neither are you I want to knohat you think this is"

"Noa little, but she lifted her chin "I’ve had a lot of sex, Mikhael No relationships"

"Well, that ave her a direct look "No woman has ever inspired me to ith her in the rain, or crush peanuts for her sundae Whether or not we’re romance material--your words, not mine--why shouldn’t we be allowed, if only for a few days, what so many others have? Life is short, whether you live one year or a thousand"

She nodded, touched his lips "So that’s all this is?"

"It is what it is We’re attracted to one another Not just physically I like you, Raina I adue me"

He curved a strand of damp hair around her ear "I pursued Isaac here You were unexpected How that affects why I’m here or your responsibilities, I don’t know" His attention moved to herher aware of everywhere their bodies touched in their current half-reclined position "But I do knoant to kiss you"

"I knoant to be kissed"

The ht there? We’ll be like teenagers, like Bella, Edward and Jacob, believing that’s all that matters"

Her lips curved "Mikhael, we’re adults"

"Yeah, thank Lucifer" The dark gaze held her, that heat growing "That means no one can stop me from what I want to do to you Except you"

She eased back a little, not ready to lose her mind to that kiss Yet "You never smile You chuckle in that dry way, you have that cynical smirk, but you don’t smile What makes you soing to stick her feet into those tricky waters Turning over to straddle hi her bare feet hang down on either side of the tree He kept her secure in his grasp, but then she adjusted, clasping his hands to hold them palm to palm between their two bodies They twisted and turned over each other, idle caresses of fingertips as he thought over a response Since she tilted her head back, eyes closed to catch the stray raindrop on her face, his words hit her from the quiet darkness inside her head