Page 14 (1/2)

"Doesn’t Australia seeether under the stars Thewas spookily quiet - as if the whole world were asleep

Except for the closer into the heat of his hard chest, she replied, "Doesn’t sound as if you’re in a hurry to get back"

"I feel strangely at ease" His lips nuzzled her hair "Wonder why"

Because they’d just made love But even in her mind, that sounded way too simple Yes, their bodies had joined, but she felt as if their spirits hadwith so Co how she’d ever find the ithal to move froled in more

Whether Cole felt as moved by the experience as she did, Taryn couldn’t say Nor would she ask Sheall wistful and in love with the universe But more than instinct said Cole, or any man for that matter, didn’t want to cos co unbelievably fulfilled on every level Rather he ht like to broaden the discussion Probably not such a bad idea

"There’s another reason you’d feel more relaxed Your father’s troubles are sorted"

He was quiet for a long tiers

"I was thinking about my mother earlier today," he finally said "Do you know she used to call me special?"

Taryn smiled "I’m sure you were"

"She said I was so brave and clever, I was bound to grow into a man everyone could rely on"

"And you’re living up to her prediction"

"Yeah I’uy"

"What do you think would happen if you didn’t run yourself ragged trying to fix everything all the tiue away from the office, unburdened like this, she couldn’t help but wonder

"If I didn’t keep an eye on Hunter’s dealings in the States as well as back ho it all fall apart"

"Is it really that bad?"

"Let’s just say, it’s a full-time job"

"And the price you pay is a coronary"

"I got the impression you were a ’dot every i’ type, too I’m still not convinced you didn’t order one bedroom, even subconsciously"

She knuckled his ribs "You’re not that good"

"Aren’t I?"

He drew her up so that she lay on top of hiin a way he hadn’t kissed her before And all the problems and doubts in the world faded clean away

When they cah then lay her cheek on his shoulder

"Well, on second thought," she said, "ood"

When Taryn woke in bed the next , the sun had just peeked over the horizon and the sheet-ru up with a start, she pushed back hair fallen over her brow then relaxed, re with Cole had ended Thelove again on the beach and co to terms with the fact that no baby turtles were likely to hatch, they’d alow Sandy and sticky, they’d showered together - soaping each other up then taking their sweet ti off, they’d ju warm air over their heads, had continued to talk and kiss and more

What time had she fallen asleep? Didn’t matter She’d never feltup with Cole thiswhat had unfolded atop that blanket the night before, and possibly exploring other pleasure points, toofinding ain, she couldn’t envision feeling any more satisfied The problem was she wanted htened her a little

As she found her negligee wrap, Taryn wondered Perhaps she would live to regret this coether Cole Hunter was first and fore on from that, he was committed to his co or anyone else in his life Any woh to entertain flowery notions about a lasting relationship with a htful, she knotted her wrap’s sash and wandered out to the main room

Trouble Yes, Cole was certainly that But he was also exciting and sexy and, da to take this unexpected, wonderfulone-off Once they were back ho screith a girl’s career otiate an office affair

A good friend had walked down that long dark road and had co on the other side - job, self-respect, pretty much her sanity Taryn had quietly deemed herself too smart to fall into that trap

But this slip with Cole didn’t need to be fatal It was like having one bad day on a diet Coet back on the bike and wean herself off him Difficult, but doable

Frorabbed a banana and, peeling the skin, alohich invited in a panora into the fruit, she surveyed the near surrounds but Cole was nowhere to be seen Perhaps he’d hooked up with that sweet boy

She crossed over to the kitchenette While pouring so on the counter Those pictures and videos she shot yesterday aiting to be downloaded Roman had made her promise she’d take loads He wanted to see them all

Roman was an intuitive type, Taryn decided Would he pick up on the changed vibe between her and Cole? What would he think of the situation - of her - if he discovered she’d slept with the one man who decided whether her show ripped her stoood She wanted to remember the way Cole’s mouth and hands hadsensations and bringing out e here alone, naked beneath this filmy wrap, she felt helpless not to close her eyes and conjure up ain aze landed on an ite on the main table - a flower Massive and scarlet in color, it looked so perfect, Taryn wondered if it were fake Crossing over, she ran two fingertips across a satin-soft petal She could check on the video she’d taken of this roo after they’d arrived, but she was certain it hadn’t been here then And no one else had been inside this rooe

Had Cole brought this flower ho? Beneath it all, was he that romantic?

She’d assumed Cole would want this interlude to be short and sweet He was an astute businessman with little time for R & R, not a ? He had dropped a hint once, hadn’t he? Was Cole Hunter truly looking for the right person? The right woman?

Not that she wanted to be that woman necessarily She was a career person Foremost, at this time in her life, she wanted her show to air and succeed

But maybe this island truly could work miracles Make people rethink who they were and why they were here on this earth

Outside, footfalls sounded on the steps The next minute, Cole’sa towel down his face, over his slick dark hair His bare chest pu up from the beach, he saw her and broke into a s all the eous flower now?

Moving forward, he brushed a cool kiss across her cheek and stayed close to drawl, "I was hoping you’d still be in bed" He drew back a little "I couldn’t resist the idea of a swim"

"I can’t resist you"

Bouncing up on her toes, she snatched a kiss a reen eyes Dropping the towel, he wound his big cool arms around her

"That felt like an invitation"

"I figure it’s too early for work"

His focus had dropped to her neck, to the slope of flesh that led to one shoulder The cold tip of his index finger eased her wrap away frohed as his ain

He ood"

"And I have it on good authority that’s not the best part"

She tugged the tie at her waist, shucked back her shoulders and the wrap joined his towel on the floor

With firm intent, his hands slid lower, over her backside, as his wet shorts pressed unashaainst her belly He was already hard and she was keen to make him harder

"I’d better warn you," he said "I’"

She coiled her arry"

His playful gaze darkened to a more serious hue as he concentrated on her lips "So feed me"

He carried her back to that bed where they stayed, and played, until well after ten when his cell on the dresser beeped He hesitated, clearly wondering as after hi her nipple with the tip of his very skilled tongue

Bodily exhausted, but passions still switched on to high, she ran a hand over the back of his head, through his tousled dark hair

"You don’t want to see who that is?"

He switched to her other breast "Nope"

Sighing, she arched up as his tongue twirled one way around the peak then the other

"It ht not be work related," she said dreaht be faht be Tate"

She felt him smile "Tate isn’t allowed to use the phone"

"Guess he is a little young"

"But smart He knows his own ho up, he curled an arm around her head and asked, "When did your aunt trust you with a phone of your own?"

"I got one when I started a part-tih school It was the first thing I bought with a wage No Second I’d had my eye on a cream silk dress for weeks"

"What was the third thing?"

"I saved up and gave soency to help find so on his side, he rested his weight on his elbow Finally he asked, "Your father?"

"Mother My father abandoned us before I was born My mother bowed out later when I was a tot If it hadn’t been for Vi, I wouldn’t have had an opinion on fa, and she savedworse about my childhood than I should

"I remember," she went on, "when I waseyes and a belly laugh that filled the house I thought they’d be together forever and I’d get the mob of brothers and sisters I wanted But they broke up I re to cover her tears" Taryn had spilled a few tears of her own

Cole seeency find her?"

"Yep I even went to see her She was living with a bunch of people on the coast of Northern New South Wales My aunt said she’d come with me, but I wanted to do it on my own"

"Was it a happy reunion?"

"Actually it was a huge letdown She tried to lad to see me, then she came up with a ton of excuses why she’d needed to leavecornered Just one of those wolad I went We even swapped emails for a time When she died a few years later, I went to the funeral Paid for a headstone Would you believe she wanted to be buried with a bottle of ruaze with his "Sheto have flowers put on her grave each anniversary of her death, but I can’t bear to think of the there, week after week, all withered and brown I should probably go plant a rosebush or so Not sure if that’s allowed"

But she’d talked enough about the past She wanted to get back those other, happy feelings