“Why else would someone named Rosalind Smith be getting mail at his house? Wesawher. There’s no getting out of this.”
He noodled on that for a minute. “I know we only saw her from a distance, but didn’t she seem a little young for him?”
Jenna rolled her eyes. “Pretty typical, though. Seems like men often marry women half their age.”
He nudged her playfully. “Hey.”
“Present company excluded, of course.”
’Cause, yeah, the woman he’d married was actually a couple years older. Although that hadn’t worked out so well.
He drove in silence for a minute, leaving Jenna to sort out her thoughts. He knew just how to cheer her up. The neighborhood sported a lot of restaurants and retail shops, so he wouldn’t have tolook too far. A few blocks ahead he pulled into a coffee-shop parking lot.
She tossed him a grateful smile. “You read my mind.”
They exited the shop with steaming cups of their favorite beverages. Jenna already seemed a little less disappointed. The coffee had lifted her spirits, but he knew exactly what would refresh her mind and body. “Do you still want to head back to the island?”
She nodded. “I’ll just have a talk with Mom when she gets home from work, and hopefully I’ll be able to get through to her.”
“She’ll have to take you seriously now.” He glanced at his watch. “We have plenty of time before we have to head back, though.” After they returned to the truck he glanced her way. “What would you think about taking a little hike?”
“Um...” Jenna made a show of glancing around them. “You know we’re in DC, right? One of the most densely populated cities in the US?”
He offered a furtive smile. “It so happens I know just the place.”
Chapter 29
Jenna inhaled the calming scents of pine and earth. The forest canopy cocooned them from the city’s sights and sounds. Out here there was only the rush of Rock Creek, the sunlight dappling through the trees, and a million shades of green.
It was a full ten degrees cooler in the depths of the park. The roar of the rapids absorbed the sounds of their footfalls. The weight of her upcoming conversation with her mother seemed to have fallen off a couple miles back. This outing was exactly what she’d needed. Time in nature to soothe her mind and ease the tightness from her shoulders.
As they followed the trail, Tyson gave her the time and space to work out her thoughts. He knew her so well. Knew just what she needed—sometimes before she did, apparently. That was the benefit of knowing someone for so long. The blessing of having someone care enough to pay attention to your needs. What a gift that was, to be known and understood in such a way.
A rush of affection swelled inside, compelling her to reach out. She took his hand and threaded her fingers through his. She caught his startled look from the corner of her eye and held her breath. Then his hand tightened around hers and her lungs began functioning again.
They continued along the dirt path, linked in a way that felt so natural, even though this was a first for them. He must be wondering why she’d reached for him. It was the gesture of a girlfriend, and they’d agreed to leave the more-than-friends activities behind last night. But in this moment she simply felt so grateful for him. She wanted his touch, this connection.
Was that so wrong?
Maybe notwrongbut probably confusing. Which was apropos since shewasconfused. Confused as to why making out with Tyson Parker had affected her on a level she’d never experienced before. She thought back to last night. To his passion, tempered with gentleness. His touch, restrained by will. His words, imbued with caution. He cared about their relationship enough to stop what they were doing—as wonderful as it was—and consider the risks. Even though it also made her wonder—what would it be like to see him lose control and know she was the one who inspired that?
One touch of those lips and she’d lost all reason. She cast him a glance from beneath her lashes. Was he remembering those kisses too? Why had they made that stupid arbitrary agreement, limiting their kissing to such a stingy fragment of time? It just hadn’t been enough.
She wanted another kiss more than her next breath. She pulled him to a stop.
He turned, a question in his eyes.
She answered by rising on tiptoes. Brushing his lips with hers. When had she gotten so bold? It must be Tyson. She was so comfortable, so at ease in her own skin with him. She could hardly regret her fearlessness when he responded so fervently. The kiss lingered a heartbeat before she drew back.
His expression held surprise along with warmth and affection. Then another question flickered in the depths of his gaze. “I thought... ?”
She’d thought too. Yesterday’s kisses had opened a Pandora’s box, but she didn’t want to think about the ramifications right now. She only wanted to feel close to him again. “I just figured since we’re still in DC...”
He searched her eyes for a long, hopeful moment. “So when we go home, things go back to normal. But until then...”
“Until then... we do as we like?”
The corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly, and he leaned close enough that his breath whispered across her lips. “Is this what you’d like?”
