Page 120 of Turn the Tide

Sarah shook her head as he plugged it in and turned it on, flashes of light filling the room as it started to spin on its base. He turned off the lights, then reached for his cell phone, and the song “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” flowed through the speakers. He held out his hand as the haunting melody fromDirty Dancingfilled the room.

Heat spiraled in her belly as he pulled her up and into his arms, his eyes twin flames in the darkened room. He was wearing a soft polo shirt and well-washed jeans, his hair still damp from his shower. The familiar scent of soap and man filled her senses as he pulled her close and nuzzled her neck.

Sarah burrowed into him, amazed again at how right it felt to be held by him. The music flowed around them as they swayed together, finding their rhythm, despite her knee. She clutched his shoulders and moved closer, reveling in the feel of him pressed against her. Their tongues mated, danced.

“Give me another chance, Sarah. Give us another chance,” he murmured.

When he pulled back to look at her, she held his gaze, her voice firm. “Don’t hurt me again, Marco.”

Regret mixed with resolve moved through his dark eyes. “That’s not part of the plan, Princess. Not ever.”

When his lips closed over hers, Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into the kiss, into the safety of his embrace, and decided to take the chance. “Let’s get it right this time, then,” she murmured.

He looked into her eyes as though afraid to hope, but he must have decided to take her at her word because the kiss went from coaxing to no-holds-barred claiming between one heartbeat and the next. Suddenly, she couldn’t get close enough either, so she held his face for better access to his mouth. He growled low in his throat, and she could feel his smile against her lips as his hands roamed over her back and cupped her backside, pulling her closer still.

“I love you, Sarah. I won’t let you down,” he growled. “Not ever.”

The words she’d longed to hear for so many years filled empty places she hadn’t known she had. “I love you, too,” she whispered and realized she’d loved him since the day they met.

Grinning between kisses, he scooped her into his arms and walked into her bedroom, following her down onto the bed. He tugged her blouse over her head and whispered, “This is way more comfortable than that cabin,” between kisses.

She tugged his shirt over his head and ran her hands over his chest, enjoying the feel of the crisp hair under her palms. “Probably won’t have a tree fall on the place either,” she teased.

He smiled into her eyes, and then no more words were necessary as their hands roamed and touched, learning tastes and textures, fitting hard and soft together. Sarah’s breath came in gasps, matching his, and she realized she couldn’t wait anymore. “Marco, please,” she muttered. In answer, he threaded their fingers together as he rose over her, all the love in his heart reflected in his face as he looked at her. “Stay with me, Sarah. Always.”

They flew together until the stars exploded, and later, as their heartbeats settled and they lay curled together, Sarah realized what she should have realized before. Home wasn’t a place. For her, it was Marco.

Just as it always had been.