needed to know up front and center exactly what he was getting into.
“You should know something else.”
“Oh?”
“I’m not going to fall in love with you.”
I felt his smile against the top of my head. “That so?”
“I can’t let you break my heart, Nick. I can’t risk that happening. Not again.”
He sighed, his chest expanding slightly. “Can’t say I blame you.”
“Good, then we understand each other.”
“We do.”
He ran his hand down the back of my head as if he cherished me, cherished holding me in his arms.
“I apologize if I offended you by how I reacted.”
He had at first, but his gentleness now more than made up for it. “I understand. It was a shock.”
“You said you’re not going to fall in love with me.”
I stiffened and so did his hold. “I can’t involve my heart again…not after what happened with Jayson and James.” I couldn’t help but wonder if being honest was always this painful.
“What about mine?” he asked. “What if I fall in love with you? Then what?”
I raised my head and my throat clogged. “Don’t,” I whispered. “Please, please don’t. You can’t let that…”
Nick cut me off by cupping my head, hands over my ears, and bringing his mouth to mine, kissing me as thoroughly as he had the morning he’d found me in the orchard. His mouth was warm and open, drawing me in to him as if he’d wrapped me in a cozy blanket. The taste of him filled me, and before I could help myself I was a willing participant.
By all that was right I should have pulled away. It was too late. If I’d been standing, my legs would have gone out from under me, that’s how potent his kiss was.
When he broke it off, I groaned and found it difficult to breathe. “Why’d you do that?” I managed between gasps, breathing heavily, my eyes still closed.
He kissed my forehead as if he found it necessary to maintain contact. “I figured that was the most effective way to end this argument.”
“We weren’t arguing…I was doing my best to protect us both from unnecessary heartache…”
“Listen, Em, you’ve got baggage. For that matter, I’ve got plenty of my own. We can help each other. I’ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you running through the orchard.”
I didn’t want to hear this. I needed to get away before it was too late. He wanted me, and heaven help me I wanted him, but that wasn’t going to happen.
With him looking at me, his eyes full of warmth and passion, I hadn’t the strength to resist him. “I’m going back inside now.”
“Not yet.”
“Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”
I could see the internal debate going on inside his head. After several moments he stood. I stretched up my arms as he lifted me effortlessly from the chair. Once I was in his embrace, he kissed me with the same heated passion he had a few minutes earlier.
I managed to dredge up the strength to pull away. “Please, don’t…you make me weak.”
“Good.” He responded with a cocky grin. “That’s exactly what I want to hear.”
“Don’t get used to it, because it isn’t happening again.”
“We’ll see.”
I didn’t want to argue. I’d be stronger in the morning, I decided. I’d be able to resist Nick’s addictive kisses when my head was clear.
Greg came to dinner at the inn on Wednesday night. I’d fussed over the meal, poring over my recipe books, wanting to impress him with my culinary skill. Several times I berated myself for suggesting a home-cooked meal. In the end I chose a stuffed chicken breast recipe instead of steak. I served it along with fresh vegetables from my garden, a green salad with homemade croutons, and a home-baked apple pie for dessert.
In retrospect, I could have dished up boxed macaroni and cheese for all the attention we paid to the meal. Although we’d talked every day, it was like we hadn’t seen each other in months. Our meal grew cold as we concentrated on each other. Greg brought wine and we sat on the porch after dinner. It was the most relaxed I could remember being in a long time. Not until later did I realize our time reminded me of all the evenings Mark and I had enjoyed the sunset together.
Greg left at around eleven and would have stayed longer if he didn’t need to be at work in the morning. He had close to a ninety-minute commute back to Kirkland on the