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“Let me go.”
“I’m not going to let you go. Not now. Not ever. You are far too special to me. I can’t live without you.”
He was shaking as much as I was, but all I could do was allow the tears to slide down my cheeks.
“What happened to you, baby?” Very gently he eased a finger through my tears on one side of my face then the other. Then he stroked my hair, holding me close. There was such strength in his arms, so much warmth.
“Just a horrible experience on a dark and lonely night. I’ve gotten over it.”
He pushed me back gently, cupping my face. “Did someone hurt you?”
I tried to laugh it off, but he refused to let me go. “Someone from work. That was almost two years ago. It’s no big deal.” I managed to push away from him, darting a glance at the water. I had to break away from the ugliness of the memories. I couldn’t stand fighting my demons at this point. I just wasn’t strong enough to handle anything else tonight. “I have a question for you.” I added a mischievous lilt to my tone.
As he shook his head, he let off a series of guttural sounds. “Come here, little girl.”
“Nope. Not until you answer my question. Is the water warm?”
A sly smile crossed his face. “Interesting questions. Why don’t you find out?”
I had no doubt he didn’t think I would do it. The conversation had been far too heavy for both of us. What I needed was to be set free all over again, to fly in the warm embrace of passion. I yanked off my shirt before kicking off my shoes, quickly unfastening and jerking down my jeans and panties. I enjoyed watching his face, the way he folded his arms, shaking his head in disbelief.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he suggested.
“We’re dirty. We need to get the soot off.”
“Maybe, but not this way. I’m just warning you.”
“And you can’t tell me what to do.” I backed away, moving closer to the water. That’s what he started laughing. As I jumped into the water, all I could do was scream.
CHAPTER13
Montgomery
Few people in my life had ever surprised me in a good way. Aspen was one of those. She was so vibrant and alive, resilient no matter what she went through. Whatever had occurred in her past pissed me off, more so than it should. For God’s sake, I’d almost hurt her because I remained angry with myself. She didn’t deserve my personal brand of crazy. I sure as hell didn’t deserve a woman like Aspen in my life.
But in those few minutes of fearing I’d lost her in the fire, I’d been faced with the most powerful realization I’d had in a long time. I was falling in love with her. It wasn’t just infatuation or the lust that continued to build. I’d never allowed myself to believe there could be anyone else in my life, but I’d felt a push from Carmine, as if her ghost was telling me to move forward.
I wanted nothing more than to keep Aspen close, protecting her from anything Prescott might try. How the hell was I supposed to do that?
For tonight, I refused to allow the bastard to interfere with what little joy had been allowed back into my life.
As she jumped into the water, I held my breath. The temperature had to be in the sixties at this point. When she popped up, tossing her long hair over her shoulders, the spray shimmered in the brightness of the moon.
Then she screamed, visibly shivering.
When I laughed, she splashed water in my direction. She dared to beckon me with a single finger. As if the woman believed that a little cold water could bother me in the least. I continued to watch her as I undressed, my hunger intensifying. She truly had a way about her that not only calmed me but also created such a sense of joy that I was still taken aback. I couldn’t wait to take a look at her presentation, and I was surprised by the fact I was drawn to all her ideas.
I laughed softly to myself as I took a deep breath of the crisp air, holding it in my lungs for several seconds. The view was just as spectacular as I remembered, although the location seemed more magical at this point.
That had everything to do with the woman splashing in the water.
Grinning, I walked slowly into the water; the instant chill was invigorating but was unable to dampen the heat that had already built to an explosive level. I concentrated on Aspen as I swam toward her, laughing once again as she attempted to get further away from me. She brought out the predator in me.
I dove under the water, able to hear her squeal as I powered toward her. When I broke through the water’s surface only inches away, tossing my head back and forth, she broke into a fit of giggles. The sound was like sweet music, something I hadn’t heard in one hell of a long time.
“Did you really think you could get away from me?” I asked, keeping my voice as deep and husky as possible.
“I assure you that I can run away from you any time I like.”
