Part 29 (1/2)
He wanted to feast his eyes over every inch of her, become familiar with every little detail until he knew her as no one had ever known her before him.
He whispered in her ear, ”I want to kiss every part of you, claim every nook and cranny and make you mine.”
He moved his lips to her mouth, and the palm of her hand greeted him.
He didn't like the sadness he saw in her eyes. ”What's wrong?”
”I thought I made it clear that I could never be yours. This is but a brief interlude, no more.”
Why did the idea disturb him? He had had interludes before, and it had never bothered him to say
good-bye to the women. Why did the thought of bidding Storm farewell weigh so heavily on his mind?
He could tell her he had meant just for this night, for this time they would spend together, and yet he couldn't bring himself to say it.
”I can't give you more, Burke.”
He thought, or perhaps he imagined it because he wanted to, that she sounded regretful, almost as if she
were on the verge of tears. Did she want more herself but know it wasn't possible? Did it hurt her to believe so?
”Nothing has to be decided tonight,” he a.s.sured her, leaving possibilities open to them both.
”Yes, yes it does,” she said, pus.h.i.+ng him gently off her.
He reluctantly moved away and she reached for a pillow to s.h.i.+eld her naked b.r.e.a.s.t.s as she sat up.
”Why?” he demanded a bit more forcefully than he had intended.
”Because it is the way of things, and nothing will change that. You will return to America and I will remain
in Scotland.””What if we fell in love?”Storm's blue eyes widened considerably. ”We cannot.””What if we did?” he asked, the force of his query remaining adamant.”It's not a possibility. We barely know each other.””If I remember correctly, you and Daniel hadn't known each other long before you fell in love.””That was different,” she said.”Why?”She looked puzzled, as if the answer hadn't come as easily as she had expected.”No answer, Storm? That's because there is no answer. Love is love, and it comes in its own good time to unsuspecting people.”
She bounced off the bed holding the pillow to her chest. ”Are you claiming to love me?”
”No,” he said, though the thought plagued him. Why fight her on this if he wasn't in love? ”I just feel we
should leave fate to deal with it, not throw obstacles in its path.”
”I know my fate and I know my feelings. I will not love again.”
”You are a stubborn one,” he said on a laugh and shook his head.
”Much like you,” Storm said with a toss of her chin.
He folded his arms across his chest. ”So where does this leave us?”
Storm sighed softly, and Burke could see her shoulders droop along with her guard.
”You look for something I cannot give.”
Burke raked his fingers through his hair and came close to muttering an oath. ”I don't know what I lookfor, but...” He paused and stepped closer to her. ”I'd like to find out.””I don't know, perhaps...”He pressed a finger to her lips, preventing her from objecting. ”We owe it to ourselves.”She gently pushed his finger aside. ”Why?””We're attracted to each other and have a small time frame of opportunity here, which”-he emphasized -”if we ignore, we will live to regret.””You can't be sure of that.””You can't be sure we won't, so why take the chance? Why not see what awaits us? Why not delve into the unknown and let fate deal with us? But then you know your fate,” he said. ”So what have you got to
lose?”
He didn't wait for an answer. Instead he walked over to the chest near the chair and pulled out a white silk nightgown and handed it to Storm.
”Here, for you. Tonight I want nothing more than to hold you in my arms as we sleep. Can you give me that much?”
She looked bewildered and took a moment to answer him. ”I would like to sleep in your arms tonight.” ”Good, then change while I disrobe and join me beneath the blankets.” He turned his back to give her privacy, and then shed his clothes and climbed beneath the covers naked.
It took only a few minutes for Storm to join him. He held back the blankets for her to slip beneath, and when she did, he took her in his arms and rested her body against his.
She cus.h.i.+oned her head on his chest and rested her arm across his midriff.
He rested his chin on top of her head and held her snugly against him and whispered, ”Good night, Mrs.
Longton.”
Chapter 23.
S torm led the way through the woods, the sky overcast and the air chilled. She and Burke had left the s.h.i.+p before dawn and had traveled by horseback until late morning, when they once again returned to journeying by foot.
They had maintained silence throughout most of their travel, though not due to necessity. It seemed they both favored their thoughts, for which Storm was grateful.