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“I’VE BEEN THINKING,” I said. “That apology you gave me at the bar meant everything in the world to me. And I realized that I’m going to kick myself if I don’t give you one more chance after a speech like that. Especially, after what you just said to me about seeing us together and having a family. I love you so much.” I pulled him close as I wrapped my arms around him. “I want us to have that second chance.”
It was like no time had passed. In fact, it was like nothing terrible had passed between us at all. Our bodies came together naturally, passionately—picking up right where we had left off.
There was no talking, no gloating, no warnings. I walked right into his arms, and he picked me up and kissed me. One hand reached out and stroked back my hair as we simply stared at each other. It was such a magical and emotional moment. Then he bowed his head and brought us together.
I leaned up on my tip toes and placed my lips sweetly against his. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I deepened the kiss, moaning against his mouth. His arms snaked around my hips and pulled me tightly against him, his fingertips caressing up and down along my sides, his actions only causing me to moan harder into his mouth. Our tongues were swirling together, exploring the tastes of the other.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you too.”
He returned his lips to mine, crushing them against me in a deep, forceful kiss. His hands wandered down my body to my hips. My fingers trailed down his muscular chest, then over the defined lines of his perfect abs. He kissed me as my hands ran over his bulging biceps. I moaned as he planted a trail of soft kisses down my neck.
“I can’t—” I gasped, “I can’t believe we’re kissing.”
“I can.”
My eyebrows raised dangerously. “If you say, I told you so...”
“I won’t,” he grinned, “even though I did.” I paused hesitantly, and he took my hand, kissing my knuckles. “Jenna...it’s all I wanted. That’s all I meant.”
We lay there for a moment, both catching our breath before he turned to me with a seemingly innocent smile.
“Poor Eric. I wonder what he’d say...”
Thank goodness for the dark because my face flushed bright red. I cast him a sneaky glance from beneath my lashes before saying, “Well...that’s a good... I mean, I don’t know. I’m guessing he’d be just furious—”
Tom’s raucous laughter stopped me short. I sat up higher on the bed and finally hit him with a pillow when he wouldn’t stop.
“And what exactly is so funny?” I demanded haughtily.
“Nothing,” Tom tried to get a hold of himself, “it’s just...well, I guess he can’t hold it against you...seeing as he’s making out with some guy right now on the beach.”
For a split second I almost denied it, then I slipped beneath the covers in shame, covering my face with my hands. Of course he was.
Tom’s head joined me a second later in my little blanket cave, grinning like a little kid.
“Come on, you can’t get mad at him. Even I have to admit he did a rather fantastic job under the...circumstances.”
I chuckled in spite of myself, still covering my face. “How long have you known?”
“Well,” he paused guiltily. “I found out that his mother wasn’t actually in town visiting—she was still back in Texas. And then...well, he’s not exactly the most discreet. I saw him flirting with another guy at the pool. When he started putting sun lotion on him, I really had my suspicions.”
I pulled back the covers and shook my head woefully at the ceiling. No, he most certainly was not. He’d better enjoy himself tonight. Tomorrow, I was coming for him.
“It didn’t matter, though,” Tom continued suddenly. “To see another man touching you, dancing with you, kissing you... It was torture.”
“Operation Thundercats is a success,” I mumbled under my breath.
Tom frowned. “What was that?”
“Nothing,” I said quickly. “Well, fine—you caught me. What do you want me to say?”
“I don’t want you to say anything,” he smiled, “I just want us to stay right here, just like this, for the rest of the trip. I could stay here forever.”
I bit my lip, mulling this over as he leaned back on the pillow with a blissful smile.
“That felt like...” He considered how to phrase it, before suddenly rolling over and kissing me full on the mouth. “That felt exactly like before. Exactly like how we were. Perfect.”
His eyes practically glowed with the force of his smile, but something about his words made every bit of my body cringe suddenly away in fear.
Perfect. Exactly how we were before. Right before he crushed me.
“I need some time to sort out my emotions,” I said quietly.
He pulled back in alarm, half-thinking I was joking. “What?”
“I need to think about us. You told me you love me. And I believe you. But you’re going to be the CEO soon, and what’s going to happen to us? Because I don’t want to be hidden in the shadows once again. Are you planning to hide me?”
“Can’t we just enjoy the moment?” he asked.
“I can’t...I can’t do this. I can’t go down this road again. I know where it leads.” Hot tears pooled in my eyes, and I looked quickly out the window to hide them. “I don’t know what I was thinking...”
His mouth fell open in shock. “Jenna, you were thinking you wanted to be with me.”
“Yeah? So?” I fired back heatedly. “You know what I want, Tom? I want to not get hurt again—that’s what I want. Can you promise me that?”
He froze still as a statue, his eyes flashing silver in the moonlight.
I didn’t want to keep going, but I had to. This was bigger than just how I happened to feel in the moment. This was us. This was the future. I had to get it all out once and for all.
“If it came down to it—would you be with me?” My voice shook, but I forced myself to keep talking. “Would you choose me, instead of giving me up?”
His face paled, and his eyes fell to his hands. “Jenna, please don’t—”
“It’s a simple question, Tom.”
“It’s not! It’s the most complicated—”
“I need to know,” I said firmly. “If this is what we’re getting into...then I need to know.”
“I love you with all my heart. I just poured out my heart to you.”
“Please answer me.”
“I can’t...” his eyes begged for absolution, “I just can’t...”
I left in one swift motion. A rush of cold air swept in between us as I ran out of the cottage, determined to get out of this room before the tears started to fall.
“That’s all I needed to know.”