Part 16 (1/2)

Now, they lay nestled together atop her comforter on the floor in front of the fireplace, the game board and pieces scattered around them. The flames cast a warm glow throughout the room, but it didn't come close to capturing the radiance around her.

His suns.h.i.+ne on a rainy night.

He lifted up onto an elbow and gazed down at her. Her blond hair tumbled around her shoulders in a s.e.xy mess. Scratch marks from his stubble marred her neck, collarbone, and swells of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

She cupped his cheek. ”I loved your B.S.” The affection in her eyes and in her tone belied her claim she had no interest in relations.h.i.+ps.

Fall in love. The last item on Payton's list sprang to mind. He and Honor had talked about everything else and while he'd gotten over his initial hurt at discovering Payton might not have loved him like he'd thought she did, he wondered how the request affected Honor. She'd been mad about the tattoo. Was she angry about that, too?

He drew lazy circles on Honor's chest. ”Can I ask you about the last wish on Payton's list?”

Honor's eyes widened and she quickly sat up, reaching for the blanket haphazardly lying at their feet to cover herself up. ”What about it?”

He rolled onto his back and laced his hands behind his head, hoping his relaxed position would unknot the tension rolling off her in waves. ”It's a big deal, and I'm a.s.suming Payton knew how you felt about it.” Had Honor ever been in love? Had someone hurt her and triggered the guard she rarely let down? Did they also have that in common?

”She did. I confided in her about everything.” Honor's gaze settled on the orange-red flames in the fireplace.

”Do you want to fall in love?”

”No.”

He wasn't really surprised, but he was curious. ”Why not?”

She looked away. ”Because I'll fail at it.”

And therein lay the reason she hated to let her guard down. Bryce didn't let the risk of failure stop him from going after what he wanted. But if Honor didn't believe she deserved success, she'd never stop running from it.

Honor cracked open one eye. Suns.h.i.+ne seeped through the slats of the window shutters, but the last thing she wanted to do was wake up. Muscles that had never been sore before smarted in the best possible way-the multiple o.r.g.a.s.m way. Bryce had wors.h.i.+pped her body from head to toe and she'd responded like never before. He'd loved her thoroughly. Completely. Naked in each other's arms, every fear, doubt, barrier between them, had ceased to exist. For a little while longer she wanted to enjoy lying on the floor wrapped up in those delicious memories.

She didn't have to roll over to know Bryce was gone. She felt his absence in the stillness, the chill at her back. They'd had their one night stand and he'd slipped away. A flutter filled her stomach and head. Best night ever, even if she'd been hoping he'd stick around for coffee.

Better he hadn't.

Her back cracked as she stretched her arms above her head. Gah. Is this what it felt like to have s.e.x over and over again? Maybe she'd just lay here a while longer to hold on to the sensation.

Turning to her side she tucked her hands under her cheek. A tiny ember glowed in the fireplace, Scrabble pieces littered the floor, blankets, and pillows strewn about brought a small smile to her face.

A long stretch of Sat.u.r.day lay before her and she had nowhere to be, but she got up and went through her morning routine. Shower. Dress. Coffee. Sitting at the kitchen table, she palmed her yellow smiley face mug and tried not to think about Bryce. She hadn't been overly talkative last night when the conversation turned to love, so afraid he would see she wasn't capable of it.

Not in the way he deserved.

The sting of rejection flared in her chest, which was stupid. She'd gotten what she wanted out of last night. No strings s.e.x so she could cross if off Payton's list. Only the accomplishment shouldn't hurt. It shouldn't feel like she'd lost something when she never had it in the first place.

Or wanted it. She'd made sure her head knew the night meant nothing, hadn't she? Focused on Bryce's warm skin, lean muscles, perfect mouth, deft hands.

Not the man.

She finished her coffee and got to her feet. She needed to swim, needed to drift in the ocean and let the current carry away all her stupid thoughts.

Halfway down the hall to her room so she could change into her wetsuit, the doorbell rang. Her heart stopped. It wouldn't be him.

It was.

”Hey, can we come in?” Bryce said, his eyes eating her up, his smile the one she pretended he kept just for her.

”Uh, sure.” She opened the door wider and let ”them” in. ”What are you doing here? I thought...”

He looked around her living room before walking to the kitchen to put the small aquarium in his arms down on the counter. Once his hands were also free of the white plastic bag he'd carried, he turned and almost knocked her on her b.u.t.t with the pure, unfiltered joy on his face.

”First off, you were sound asleep when I woke this morning and looked so peaceful I didn't want to disturb you. That's why I left without saying anything.” He took her hand in his. She had no choice but to move closer.

”And second, I did leave with every intention of driving home.” His thumb stroked her knuckles. ”But I can't stop thinking about you. I wish I could, but I can't. So, what I have here is a gift.” He drew her to the countertop. ”This is a puffer fish.”

The pentagon shaped tank stood about two feet tall. Blue rocks filled the bottom. A plastic plant and treasure chest sat atop the jagged stones. The cute little fish had big eyes and a rounded body with black polka dots and fins on either side of him that fluttered like hummingbird wings.

”He's staring at me.”

”He knows a beautiful thing when he sees it.”

She had no answer for that. No idea what to think or feel about his admission. For the moment, she'd go with the flow.

He slid the tank closer to the wall to plug it in. The treasure chest yawned, tiny bubbles floated up. ”The filter should be good for a while. Can I have a clean gla.s.s?” Honor grabbed one. He filled it with water from the tap and poured it into the tank, continuing to fill-and-pour until the water level in the tank had risen almost to the top. Next he added a couple of clear drops of liquid from a tiny plastic bottle.

”Have you ever had a fish before?”

”No. You seem pretty knowledgeable, though.”

”I had my own tank for a few years when I was young.” Bryce held up a small container. ”This is his food. He only needs a flake or two once a day.”

”Got it.” She leaned closer with her elbows on the counter, her nose almost touching the gla.s.s. ”I should name him.”

”You should.”

”What do you think of Jaws?”

Bryce laughed. ”I like it.”

They watched Jaws for a couple of minutes in comfortable silence. Bryce's gesture overwhelmed her and she didn't know what to do or say next. Finally she decided on, ”You bought me a pet.” For some reason it seemed necessary she acknowledge that aloud.

”He's more than a pet.”

She puzzled over that as she lifted up and faced him.

”He's who you can fall in love with without worry.”

Her legs shook. Bryce caught her around the waist before she collapsed to the floor in a heap of love and longing and devotion.