Page 144 (1/2)

He fixed his gaze onat me for the first time I had to turn away and while I did, he drew closer I felt his hand on my hair and then on my shoulder, but I didn't turn to him He sat beside me and then I felt his lips on ht His lips moved to my cheek and his hand turned ht his hand to ainst mine

The scent of his damp hair, the taste of hisunder my jacket and h me that turned the heat up in my body and s and run his other hand under ht and for a ht faint with excitement

"Is this really what you want, Olivia?" he whispered

"Yes," I said, my eyes full of determination "Yes It's what should have been"

He said nothing Instead, he began to undress me and then to undress himself Above and around us, the storainst the yacht, the ocean rising and falling to create a frenzied rhythm that I wanted to capture and hold between Nelson and myself

He made love to me with his eyes closed Despite the fact that he was really there, really holdingme part of him in the most intimate way a man and a woman could become one, I didn't feel as satisfied as I had anticipated Wild, refusing to be disappointed, I rushed into an orgas like two sprinters on the beach who had fallen into each other's arms

The rain continued to fall Neither of us spoke

"You hated every minute of that, didn't you?" I accused

"I didn't hate it, Olivia, but what you expect is not so orders and having your way, you think you can just apply the sa You can't"

I turned away from him

"I'm sorry," he said "These circumstancesit's just not conducive toit's just not" "Romantic?"

"No, it isn't," he said

"AndBelinda at soh

"It was a fling, so to distract me, just as I told you," he said "I'm not in love with Belinda I'm in love with my wife," he concluded It put a lump of lead into my throat

I sat up and began to dress and so did he Suddenly, I was feeling very cheap and foolish I hated ithim love me the way I had dreamed he would It was better to live in ht