change in him made their relationship take on a whole new meaning.
But she refused to let her mind go that far. She'd let things progress beyond what she was ready to handle once already. She wouldn't do that again. For the time being they were just two very good friends who really enjoyed each other's company.
"What do you want to do today?" Ron asked. "The limousine and I are at your disposal."
"Are you sure you don't want to fly back by yourself? I can lease another plane."
Ron had asked the same question several times, and each time she'd tried to assure him she didn't want to return alone. They were taxiing down the runway, both strapped in until the pilot felt it was safe for them to get up and move around. Ron had offered to bring the chef and a couple of flight attendants, but she had refused. They'd eaten dinner at a wonderful restaurant with a view of the mountains. She wasn't hungry, and she didn't need anyone to wait on her.
"I've apologized for my behavior last night every way I know how. I don't know what got into me."
"I shouldn't have forced you."
"You didn't do anything I didn't enjoy." The plane was in the steep climb that comes immediately after takeoff. She felt glued to her seat. "Letting you make love to me seemed like a very big step when I wasn't sure what you wanted."
"What do you want?"
"Lifelong commitment. A husband and a family."
"Isn't that what you've always wanted?"
"Yes, but for a while I thought I might be willing to settle for something less." She hooked his gaze with her own. "I'm not any longer."
"I get the feeling it's my turn to say what I want."
"It's the only way I'll know what kind of future our relationship has."
She didn't know what she'd do if he said he only wanted a temporary relationship, something he could conveniently slip into and out of when he happened to be in town and had a free evening. Well, she did know what she'd do. She just didn't know how she'd survive doing it. She was gradually falling in love with him, might be in love with him already. It was stupid, but there was little point in denying her feelings were very strongly engaged.
"My wants are more complicated," Ron began. "Regardless of what I might want for myself, I have to consider Cynthia, the baby and their future first. I can't let anything I want interfere with that."
"What would you want if you didn't have them to consider?" Kathryn asked.
"Nothing extravagant. Just a woman who could love me."
"Why would that be so difficult to find?"
"Because she'd have to love me for who I am, not for my money or the power and position she thinks I could give her. I told you before I was after social success, that I needed to have people accept me because I'd been denied acceptance before and because their acceptance signified my success.
"Looking back, it seems ironic that for you and Cynthia it was my success that got in the way. When I walked into that boardroom today and faced those two men, I realized I felt successful. I could turn my back on them and survive. Once I knew that, I could see what I really needed."
Kathryn was glad he didn't have that pressure on him any longer. She'd seen the struggles and anguish of people who felt they couldn't be happy unless they achieved social acceptance.
"I don't think you'll have any trouble finding a woman who can love you for yourself if you'll just give her a chance," Kathryn said. "Though you don't seem to realize it, you're quite a catch. And I'm not referring to your money or prestige. You're caring and sensitive. I know, men don't like it when you say things like that about them, but it's important to women."
"I didn't say I didn't like it. I'm just surprised. You didn't used to feel like that."
"I made assumptions based on other men I'd known, but I know better now. You wouldn't have arranged the weekend in the mountains if you didn't care about people. And you wouldn't have understood Kerry just needed somebody to believe in him, to be willing to support him, before he could stand up to his Dad. I've known him ever since Lisette came to the shelter, and I didn't figure that out."
"It's hard for women to understand men. We don't think like they do."
"And