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sh groan Ryan dropped his head onto her shoulder, his breathing dragging in his throat. ‘Are you OK?’
‘No, I don’t think so.’ Weak and shaky, Jenna stared up at the ceiling, shell shocked, stunned by the intensity of what they’d shared. ‘It’s never been like that before.’
‘That’s probably because you’ve never made love on a wooden floor.’ Wincing slightly, Ryan eased his weight off her and rolled onto his back, his arms still round her. ‘I need to buy a different floor covering. This was designed for walking on and aesthetic appearance, not for sex. Do you want to move to the bed?’
‘I don’t want to move at all.’ She just wanted to lie here, with him, staring up at the blue sky and the clouds above them. It seemed a fitting view. ‘It’s perfect here.’
‘Perfect, apart from the bruises.’
‘I don’t have bruises, and even if I do I don’t care.’ She turned and rested her cheek on his chest, revelling in the opportunity to touch him. ‘This morning I was wondering whether I ought to kiss you again—’
‘And what did you decide?’
‘You interrupted me before I’d made my decision.’
‘If you want my opinion, I think you should definitely kiss me again.’ His eyes gleamed with humour and he lifted her chin with his fingers and kissed her lightly. ‘And again.’
Jenna shifted until she lay on top of him. ‘I’ve never done this before.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘You have a child.’
‘I mean I’ve never been so desperate to have sex I couldn’t make it as far as the bed—never lost control like that.’ She kissed the corner of his mouth, unable to resist touching him. ‘I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you. Ever since I arrived on the island I’ve wanted you. I thought I was going crazy—’
‘I was going crazy, too.’ He sank his hands into her hair and kissed her. ‘Believe me, you’re not the only one who has been exercising will-power.’
‘I wasn’t sure this was what you wanted.’ She was conscious that she still knew next to nothing about him, and suddenly a stab of anxiety pierced her happiness. ‘Can I ask you something?’ Through the open window she could hear the crash of the waves and the shriek of the seagulls, reminding her how isolated they were.
‘Yes.’
‘Are you married?’
He stilled. ‘You think I’d be lying here with you like this if I were married?’
‘I don’t know. I hope not.’
‘And I hope you know me better than that.’
‘Now I’ve made you angry.’ Suddenly she wished she hadn’t ruined the mood by asking the question. ‘I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have—’ She broke off and then frowned, knowing that her question was a valid one. ‘You have to understand that I thought I knew Clive, and it turned out I didn’t.’
‘Jenna, I’m not angry. You don’t have to talk about this.’
‘Yes, I do. You thought it was an unjust question, but to me it wasn’t unjust and I need you to understand that.’ Her voice was firm. ‘I lived with a man for sixteen years and I thought I knew him. I married him and had his child, I slept in his bed—we made a life together. And it turned out he had a whole other life going on that didn’t involve me. He had three affairs over the course of our marriage, one of them with a friend of mine. I didn’t find out until the third.’
Ryan pulled her back down into the circle of his arms. ‘You have a right to ask me anything you want to ask me. And I’m not married. Not any more.’
‘Oh.’ Digesting that, she relaxed against him, trailing her fingers over his chest, lingering on dark hair and hard muscle. ‘So it went wrong for you, too?’
‘Yes.’
She waited for him to say something more but he didn’t, and she lay for a moment, listening to his heartbeat, her fingers on his chest.
Obviously that was why he’d come here, she thought to herself. Like her, he’d found comfort in doing something, found a channel for his anger. He’d built something new.
Ryan sighed. ‘I’m sure there are questions you want to ask me.’
But he didn’t want to answer them; she knew that.
‘Yes, I have a question.’ She shifted on top of him, feeling his instant response. ‘How comfortable is that bed of yours?’
