Thrusting her hips to meet him, she gasped as she held him, closing her eyes while he slowly entered and filled her.
“Will,” she whispered his name again, always stopping before she voiced her feelings aloud. She was afraid if she said even the slightest hint of loving him, all the pent-up longing would tumble out. Her admiration, her desire for Will had become constant in her life.
Desire heightened. They moved together, united and she was one with him. A moment shared in total intimacy that she could remember as long as she lived.
He was beaded with sweat, slowing to pleasure her, taking his time. She cried out, clutching him tightly.
As his control slipped, they became frenzied, driven, hungry for each other. Stars exploded behind her closed eyes and her pulse roared, drowning out all other sounds. Her faint moans seemed to come from a distance.
She climaxed, rapture carrying her away, losing all sense of reality, as if Will was her entire world. She soared in ecstasy, feeling him shudder while he held her tightly, pumping with his release. “Ava, my love!” he cried.
The endearment was from passion. Words she shouldn’t count on to hold meaning, yet joy poured over her. If only the relationship between them could have a future.
Holding each other, they slowed. She still felt wrapped in intimacy with him, clinging to him as he rolled them on their sides. He stroked long, damp strands of her hair from her face while he showered her with light kisses. Encompassed in euphoria, she treasured the moment, so briefly feeling her love returned by him.
“My love, you’re perfection. I want make love to you now more than ever. You fulfill dreams and desire. You can’t know what you do to me or how exciting you are. You’re special in so many ways,” he said.
With their hot bodies pressed tightly together, their touching, kisses and endearments, she felt cherished. Her sentiments for him were reflected in his outpourings and caresses for her.
“Will, this is paradise, but it’s also a dream that will disappear,” she whispered.
“Not for a time. I’m not letting you go anytime soon, so forget that, Ava,” he whispered, his tongue following the curve of her ear.
His body was hot, damp, covered with a sheen of sweat, yet she relished the feel of him, the hard planes, the smooth bulge of muscles, the crisp short hairs on his chest and legs. Stubble was beginning to grow slightly on his jaw. Everything about him was a marvel to her, unique, unforgettable.
She had been in love with him before. Now after passion and sex, she was rapturous, sinking deeper into love, finding him all the more appealing after making love. Will had her heart now—she had given it to him along with her body. This is what she had worried about, but it was too late to turn back.
His dark brown eyes conveyed a warmth that imbued more pleasure. They smiled at each other, the moment of happiness shared.
“I want to hold you close to my heart.”
She bit back the words she wanted to say, knowing she couldn’t. Instead, she held him quietly, caressing him, kissing him lightly.
He stood and picked her up to shower together. As soon as they dried, they loved again. Afterward, she rose up on one elbow to look down at him while her fingers played lightly across his chest.
“Will, we have to get back to Dallas tonight.”
“We could call and fly in tomorrow.”
His tempting suggestion hung in the air.
Nine
She shook her head. “No. We said we’d be back and I have to be. This has been a moment, something that happened tonight only. I have to get back and you should, too. We need to return and be there for Caroline.”
Smiling at her, he pulled her down to kiss her. Her heart drummed. She longed to wrap her arms around him and forget everything else, but she couldn’t. She had had her moment and it was over. It had to be. To prolong what they’d shared would only make her want things she couldn’t have.
She sat back to look at him and swung her legs out of bed, pulling a cover up over herself. “I need to get dressed.”
He drew her close to look into her eyes and smile. “We made promises, but I would rather stay here for days to make love to you.”
“We can’t do that. That leads to complications neither of us want. We stop now. Our moment is over, Will. We can’t go back there.”
“Shh. You don’t know that. It was paradise, something special. Don’t deny that. I know you felt it.”
“Yes, I did, but there are factors and responsibilities. I can’t get deeply involved while you don’t want to.”
“Don’t rush to conclusions,” he said, smiling at her. “We didn’t plan this, yet it happened and the night has been wonderful. You’re marvelous. Don’t close doors on joy.”
She moved away from him, gathering her things. “I’ll shower first.” She faced him and could see the desire that his brown eyes revealed unmistakably. She half expected him to stop her, but when she shut herself in the shower she was alone.
When she came out, he was nowhere in sight. She finished dressing, combing her long hair and letting it fall free rather than putting it up again.
She wanted him more than ever. Tonight she had crossed a line that would complicate her life for the rest of the summer. Now when she left him at the end of August, it would be a bigger tug on her heart, yet she was beginning to be willing to take chances. Maybe being with Will was changing her.
Leaving Caroline would be another tug on her heart strings.
After a knock, Will entered. Her heart thudded as if she hadn’t spent the past hours in his arms with his naked body pressed against hers.
He walked up to her. “You look gorgeous,” he said. He ran his fingers through her hair while he leaned close to kiss her lightly in the V of her dress, his tongue stroking her bare skin.
Heat flashed in her, an instant fire. She placed her hands on his arms, holding him, inhaling deeply as she raised her mouth to his and he kissed her.
When he began to caress her, she stepped away. “Will, we can’t make love again tonight.”
His eyes declared otherwise, giving her a smoldering denial of her statement, but he took her arm, lacing it in his as they left the cabin.
“I’ll feed you. I’m not taking you back with no dinner. Perhaps now we’ve worked up appetites. Hunger for food. I definitely have a craving for love.”
“We’ll eat dinner, dance and return to Dallas as we planned and told everyone we would.”
Would she ever see Will the same way she had before they had made love? He looked even more handsome as they took the elevator to the top deck.
At their table she held her wrist in the candlelight so she could see the time. He looked amused and took her wrist and pressed a button on her watch. The face was illuminated in a pale green. Startled, she glanced at him. “It’ll be 1:00 a.m. in an hour.”
“We have time to eat, dance a little and fly back. While we eat, tell me about your plans for your school.”
As she spoke about her hopes and dreams for the school, he listened so intently. He was truly interested and that touched her.
“You’re so passionate about this,” he said. “Your green eyes sparkle. I would like to put this look in your eyes.”
“Maybe you did tonight and you’re misconstruing the cause,” she answered lightly, flirting with him. Something flickered in the depths of his eyes and creases bracketed his mouth.
“I’ll see if I can’t keep the sparkle in