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“Aye. Desperately.”
He dropped her crutches and the swimming bag and closed the small distance that remained between them, smiling at her. Georgie’s heart pounded hard when he pushed his hands into her hair, slowly lowered his head and kissed her. It was a light, gentle brush of his lips against hers that Georgie felt right down to her toes. But it wasn’t nearly enough. She slid her hands up his arms, over his broad shoulders and around his neck. Sighed when she felt his arms come around her and pull her against him. She felt him increase the pressure and opened her lips. It was all she could do not to moan when she felt his tongue tangling with hers. She pressed herself against him, glorying in the heat of the kiss. The weeks she’d spent denying how much she wanted exactly what he was giving her right now hit her all at once. She was drowning in need. She would have fallen to the ground if Ryan hadn’t been holding her so tightly against him.
He finally broke the kiss and Georgie opened her eyes slowly, smiling at him dreamily.
“Well now, wasn’t that worth waiting for?”
“Mmm.” She drifted slowly back to earth and stiffened in his arms. She pulled back, away from him.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t do that.”
Bending to pick up the crutches, she tried to gather her scattered wits. She’d allowed herself to get carried away in the moment, wrapped up in the idea of kissing him. It had already gone too far.
“Stop, mo chroi.” He took the crutches from her. “I’m not leaving this beach until you tell me what’s wrong.”
Georgie sighed. She couldn’t leave the beach without him. A fact he was well aware of.
“Sit with me.”
He helped her sit down on the soft sand and sat next to her. Georgie didn’t really know how to say what she was feeling. May as well come straight out with it. But not while she was looking at him. “This would be easier if you weren’t such a good kisser,” she said, gazing out over the ocean.
He laughed softly. “I won’t apologize for that. Tell me what’s upset you.”
“I don’t…I can’t…” He reached out and took her hand in his. “I can’t go to bed with you.”
“Ah, now, that’s a crying shame.”
She looked at him. He didn’t seem to be taking her seriously. “You don’t understand.”
“You’re right there, Georgie May. You can’t kiss me like that then tell me you don’t want me.”
“It’s not that I don’t want you.”
He ran his thumb over her palm, sending tingles up her arm. “What is it then?”
“I don’t want you…Or anyone, to see me…without clothes on.” She finished in a rush.
He was quiet for a long time. Georgie refused to look at him. He lifted his hand to her face, cupping her cheek gently and turning her face to him. “Why not?” His eyes swam with tender emotion.
“You know why not. Please don’t make me say it.”
“Is it about the scars? Do you think I care about that?”
“Why wouldn’t you care about them? I’m covered in them.”
Ryan shrugged. “It’s not an issue for me.” He looked at her. “I can see that you don’t believe me and since I can’t prove it to you, I’ll ask you this instead. Did you like the kissing?”
“You know I did.”
He shifted a little closer. Georgie took a deep breath, his scent filling her head. “Well, then, so did I. So let’s just do that.” He crooked his finger under her chin and lifted her face to his. He kissed her again. It was hot and sweet and Georgie loved every second of it. No one in her life had ever kissed her like Ryan kissed her. When he pulled back, he put his arm around her and just sat with her. Georgie rested her head on his shoulder. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Ryan got to his feet, pulling Georgie with him. “So, this is what we’ll do, since we’re both agreed on the kissing.”
Georgie looked at him, a question in her eyes.
“We’ll just kiss.”
