“That’s because you’re a compassionate person. Even in the midst of all the chaos and aftershocks from the earthquake in San Carlion, you treated everyone with care and empathy—even when you knew there was nothing you could do but keep them comfortable until they succumbed to their injuries.”
The only time he’d seen her lose it was when Alfredo had gotten in her face. Anyone would’ve done that.
“That can be to my detriment. You saw the outcome of that first-hand.” She grimaced, but she wasn’t trying to get away from him.
His attention drifted to her mouth. To the plumpness and pinkness of her lips, tempting him to sample them. The memory of her lips touching him all those months ago, and a few minutes ago on the couch, echoed through him.
“Isaac.” She said his name like a whispered plea. After so long since that first connection between them, he couldn’t ignore it any longer.
He lowered his head, stopping a mere millimeteraway. “Is this what you want?” he murmured, needing to hear the words, even though he knew this was what she wanted.
“Yes.”
A second later their mouths met, and all the tension that had been living inside of Isaac momentarily disappeared. He knew he wasn’t cured with one kiss from Marie, but he would take this reprieve.
As he remembered, her lips were soft and sweet, and he wanted more. His tongue teased her bottom lip, and she opened on a moan for him. A hint of peppermint still lingered from the one he’d seen her pop into her month when they’d started unpacking.
Her hands clutched at his back, and he tightened his hold on her waist. Desire flared to life inside of him, and he wanted to explore her more. To learn her curves. Feel the fullness of her breasts against his palms.
His body stirred to life, clearly liking the idea very much, and the way Marie pressed closer to him, she was on the same page.
The idea of taking her to her bedroom was tempting, but he didn’t want to rush this. He wasn’t in his mid-twenties anymore. He didn’t need to slake his desire with a willing body. What he wanted with Marie was deeper than that. He wanted something he hadn’t had before—that soul deep connection with a person.The one where they knew what each other were thinking and could speak without actually talking.
Reluctantly, he broke their kiss, pressing his lips against hers one last time before he loosened his hold on her, and Marie did the same. They didn’t separate, but they could fit a book between them whereas before it would’ve been impossible to slide a piece of tissue paper between their bodies.
They were both breathing heavily, but Isaac felt lighter than he had in years. “You good,” he asked.
Marie’s kiss swollen lips stretched into a wide grin. “Never better.” She ducked her head and played with the buttons on his shirt.
The display of nervousness and shyness confused him, especially after what they’d just shared together. Not to mention she just told him she wasnever better, but she was acting the complete opposite. A trickle of coldness began to infiltrate the warmth their kiss had generated. “Are you sure?”
She sighed, straightened her shoulders and lifted her head, as if she’d come to a decision. He braced himself for whatever that decision was. “Would you like to stay for dinner?”
For a moment he didn’t say anything, because her question and the way she was acting didn’t add up. “You were nervous about asking me to dinner?”
Marie lifted one shoulder. “Dumb huh, considering we just kissed.”
Laughter bubbled inside of him, and he couldn’t contain it. “Kind of,” he managed to get out.
Fortunately, Marie joined in, and the connection he felt with her from the kiss tightened. A tightness he welcomed.
Isaac tossedhis screwed-up napkin into the empty pizza box. “I still can’t believe you forced me to eat pizza that had pineapple on it.”
“And was I wrong that it added flavor to it?” She quirked an eyebrow, and he tamped down the need to reach across and haul her into his arms.
“It was okay,” he said, eyeing the pizza that remained in the box in front of Marie.
“Admit it, you want more.”
He threw his hands up in mock surrender. “I cannot confirm or deny your supposition.”
Marie tossed her own napkin at him which he deftly caught with one hand. “You’re not fooling me, Warner.”
There was nothing he wanted more than to keepthis banter going, but what happened earlier still lay between them. Both of them had made a conscious effort not to discuss it after Marie’s accusation of him being involved in her attempted kidnapping.
Their chatter as they’d eaten had been over their favorite foods. He’d talked about how nothing compared to the taste of freshly caught salmon from an Alaskan river. And she’d talked about how she’d fallen in love with fresh guava from the tree she’d eaten in San Carlion. On that he could agree too.
He’d almost promised he’d take her to Alaska so she could eat salmon, but he’d kept the words to himself.
