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“I feel… whole…” he breathed silently a few minutes later, his voice aching with disbelief and wonder.
“That’s it. Now just let it flow and feel… let it wash over you and truly feel that presence all around you, in the air, in your soul.”
She closed her eyes once more, ignored the feeling of a tear tracking down her cheek into her hair, as she realized just how wondrous it felt to have him beside her, here in this moment, recognizing what she felt too just being near him. It was like he’d zeroed in on that sensation with a lightning-fast recognition that ricocheted in her heart.
“Have faith…” she repeated softly and felt his fingers lace with hers.
“I do…” he breathed reverently. “This is…”
She sighed gently in dawning understanding of just how stunning it was when it hit you. There were no words for what this sensation was. A miracle? A recognition? Two beings on the same wavelength?
Nicolette didn’t need to be entertained, wooed, dated or toyed with, because she felt that sense of home, that resonance of wonder, that understanding that this is where she felt whole. There didn’t need to be anything fancy between them… because she had looked into his eyes one summer afternoon, felt that sensation of heaven, and recognized her home, her happiness, and all her dreams lay in the boy she’d known forever.
Luke.
“This feeling… isus,” she confessed faintly, her voice a hushed whisper of awe and understanding beyond her years.
CHAPTER3
Luke heard her words, relished this sensation, and felt such a sense of completion within him that was staggering. Instead of Nicolette’s crazy statement scaring him, making him nervous or antsy?
He felt recognition.
Understanding.
He wanted to look at her, to see those beautiful eyes, but didn’t want this feeling of perfection to disappear yet. Remaining there, he heard the brook in the distance, felt the breeze carry the scent of green grass and flowers, smelled her shampoo from where her head was resting on his shoulder… and marveled at the feeling of her hand in his.
This was crazy.
Valkyrie was going to kill him for even thinking about his daughter like this—which was enough to draw him rightoutof that feeling.
Luke turned to look at Nicolette beside him, to suggest that they go ahead and eat, talk, or do whatever this ‘date’ was, so he could drop her back off at the office to get her car… and…
He looked into her eyes.
Everything went completely blank in his mind in that moment as something snapped deep within his soul. There was a feeling of falling, a humbling peace that he felt during his most soulful moments of prayer, flying, or on a perfect summer day when the world was serene.
Her beautiful blue eyes, framed with those tawny lashes, were holding his and he knew he was lost in that moment. He couldn’t even see anything else around them… just her.
His hand was suddenly there, touching her cheek, as he leaned forward to brush his lips against hers, unable to control any of this anymore.
There was an achingly sweet sensation of ‘finally’within his soul as they kissed. Her hand was touching his jaw, pulling his head closer to hers, as the innocent embrace suddenly deepened with a flare of awareness that was incendiary between them.
He pulled back, looking at her with wide eyes and understanding.
“How…?” he swallowed nervously.
“I hoped…” she admitted, biting her lip, and he felt his eyes drop to watch, before yanking his eyes away from her.
“I thought you were hungry…” he began anxiously and hesitated. “For food – I mean. Oh mercy! This is not what I expected in the slightest, and…”
“Relax,” she laughed nervously beside him. “You can kiss me again when our date is over. That should give you time to recoup… and yes. I am hungry…for food.”
It was that gentle teasing that he remembered, causing him to laugh nervously as he glanced at her. Nicolette looked away and scooted back over to her side of the bench seat, reaching for the cooler once again.
“I brought sandwiches, chips, and…”
“Thank you,” he replied softly, realizing that while it was intimidating to be actually out on a date with the woman that he was hopelessly attracted to? He wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her being so pushy with him.
