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Jesse felt as if he’d been holding his breath “Good,” he said gruffly “Because we’re going home”

“Home?”

“To Montana It’s where I really belong And where I here I want you to be with me”

“Are you sure? I et a job here, you know? Find a place to live—”

Jesse silenced her with a kiss It was a long, tender kiss; he felt her holding back, and then, gradually, her lips softened, clung to his, and when he finally lifted his head and looked into her eyes, he felt as if a blindfold had been torn from his eyes

Somewhere between the sacred stone in the wild beauty of Blackwolf Canyon and this very unsacred high-rise in the sophisticated beauty of San Francisco, everything in hied And Sienna was the reason

He was in love Deeply in love, for the very first time in his life

Was it too soon to tell her that? Would she want to hear it? She’d gone through so much in such a short time…

“Jesse” Her voice was a husky whisper “Do you mean it? Do you want me to—to be with you?”

He threaded his fingers into her hair, lifted her face to his Maybe she needed so her a safe place until she decided what to do next—

But lying to her was impossible

“Yes,” he said gruffly “I want that more than my next breath”

She rose on her toes and kissed him It was a kiss filled with all the proainst him, returned the kiss, took it slow and deep and hot until she moaned into his mouth

Then he undressed her Touched her Drew her onto a chaise longue where he followed each stroke of his hand with a stroke of his tongue and when they were both half crazy with hunger, he entered her

And kneanted her to be his, forever

They flew back to Montana that evening

Home, Jesse had called it, and that was the way it felt to Sienna, but then, as it someone had once said? Home here the heart was And her heart was here, with Jesse The year could be 1975 It could be 2075 It could be anything, just as long as she was in his arms