Eternity Springs having established a comfortable, compatible relationship going forward. As long as she kept her emotions and expectations under control, they should be able to make this work.
Nic stretched like a cat, then snuggled back into her pillows. She awoke ten hours later to find the down comforter spread over her, a plate of cookies, and a small carton of milk chilling in an ice bucket beside the bed.
“Well, shoot,” she grumbled. She’d missed both the sunset and the bath she’d craved. But on the positive side, she hadn’t spent a single second sulking over the circumstances of her wedding night. All in all, she’d come out ahead.
For the next five days, they played. The weather cooperated, giving them blue skies, sunshine, and unseasonably warm temperatures. He rented a Ferrari and they drove Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast. They played golf, making sure to have their picture taken together at the famous eighteenth hole at Pebble Beach, then she made an e-postcard with the photo and sent it to old friends in Colorado Springs by way of a wedding announcement. She felt a shameful bit of glee in knowing the news would get back to Greg. They toured the famous aquarium in Monterey and wandered through the quaint shops in Carmel. Gabe played more golf while she indulged in some serious pampering at the spa.
It was a lovely trip, and Nic told herself to be happy. She was a guest in a gorgeous hotel in a part of the country whose beauty rivaled the Colorado Rockies. She’d been pampered and spoiled, her every whim indulged.
Well, not every whim. He’d said no sex, so of course all she thought about was sex.
It was hard not to think about it. She was on her honeymoon, after all, and her husband was drop-dead gorgeous. But he’d gone out of his way to avoid any hint of romance on the trip: no candlelit dinners, no dancing cheek to cheek to soft music, no moonlight walks on the beach. Nevertheless, she couldn’t seem to look at him without imagining him naked.
Her hormones were obviously running amok.
When he downshifted the Ferrari and shot her a grin, or sank a six-foot putt and gave her a cocky wink, or threw a stick for a sandy dog on the beach and laughed, Gabe Callahan exuded sex appeal. She found herself wanting to touch him, to sink her fingers into his hair. To fit her mouth to his, her body against his heat.
Gabe, on the other hand, showed no sign of suffering a similar desire. He was casual with her, relaxed. Friendly. She told herself to be happy for it, to be glad that the awkwardness and tension between them lessened every day. She warned herself not to expect too much too soon. The goal had been for them to return to Colorado at ease with each other and their situation, and in that respect the honeymoon had been a success.
She just wished he didn’t turn her on with a glance.
Pesky hormones.
Gabe needed to run. Or swim. Or run and swim. And lift weights. And do sit-ups. Or take a cold shower. Or jump in the very cold ocean. Or do all of the above.
Something, anything to distract him.
Well, except for the obvious anything.
This honeymoon had been a disaster. Oh, he and Nic got along better. Their conversation never got much beyond small talk, but the awkward moments weren’t happening as often. Over the past few days they’d learned to get along more like friends than like enemies. She didn’t seem as angry at him, didn’t appear to be so sad. Their time together this week had made Gabe feel better, too. His heart was lighter, his outlook more positive.
But he had to quit noticing her jiggle and swish. The object of this trip was to create friendship, not destroy it again. Bringing sex into the situation now would do just that.
Now being the operative word.
Someday, he knew, he’d be ready to resume that part of human existence. The day would come when having sex wouldn’t make him wallow in guilt, but that day wasn’t here yet. He had already damaged Nic because of it. He couldn’t, he wouldn’t hurt her again that way.
He couldn’t give her his heart, but he could give her his respect. He wouldn’t take her to a bed where another woman’s ghost still lingered.
Nevertheless, as he waited for her to join him on the balcony of their suite so they could