“I am going to get you, Devlin Calhoun,” she groused, then with a running leap she launched herself into the lake with a splash. Seconds later she surfaced and a joyous laugh rang from her. He swam toward her and she met him in the middle.
“Now was it that hard?” he asked grinning.
She tossed her head. “No, but we cannot stay long, the water is freezing!”
“We’ve been in colder.”
“Was I drunk?”
“No, adventurous,” he said huskily, admiring the way in which the sun glinted on her hair, the sensuality of her smile. He was such a fool to be indulging with her, even knowing he would lose her again the minute she left the ranch. If it was only going to be one single night and day then he would not waste a second of it in repining. He would store memories of their passion that he could cherish. Cherish he chuckled cynically to himself, they would torture him forever because he would never be able to forget her. He would never be able to be content without her. Ava would always be his dream girl.
He wanted to fight for her, knowing she had not abandoned him. For the long night as he’d made love with her, he been thanking God for granting them a second chance. But he could see from her uncertainty, her distance even as she kissed him that when she left the ranch she would not look back. Even now in her eyes there was a piercing sadness or was it wariness?
“What did you do in the year you left Benton?”
He spun on his back and floated lazily, smiling when she followed. “I went to New York.”
Ava reached over and gripped his hand. “Did you find her?” she asked hoarsely.
Relief filled him that she remembered. His mother, the only other woman he had loved so unashamedly. She’d left his father and disappeared when Devlin was ten. Though it had hurt him and his brothers, they had understood. They had watched, their faces pressed against the small grimy window of their trailer home as she snuck away into the night holding her bruised ribs. They had cheered when she’d not returned a few days afterwards as she had done several times in the past, and every day they had wished she’d taken with them. But they’d understood their gutless father would not have stopped searching, until his boys were back home. They’d learned that lesson before.
“I found her. It wasn’t hard. She sent birthday and Christmas cards every year. The addresses changed a bit, but they were all from the Bronx. Dad didn’t work. He only drank and knew how to be mean. It was Mom who put us through school. She worked several jobs and never forgot to send money.”
“I’m glad you found her. Is she doing well?”
He cleared his throat. “She’s married, and has a daughter.”
“You have a sister!”
“Yeah,” he said with a low chuckle. “She’s eight and reminds me a lot of Josh.”
His mother had rebuilt her life without them and he didn’t begrudge her. “She left when I was ten, and it took thirteen years before I saw her again. I was unsure what I would feel, but that moment when I spied her at the park, I only felt relief and happiness that she looked good, and was clearly happy. She had got away from him and I am damn glad she did.”
Ava glided her fingertips over his knuckles and the gesture was welcoming, soothing. He twisted out of the float position, and she followed suit. He tugged her closer to him and pressed a kiss atop her nose. “Thank you for staying.”
“Anytime,” she said with a grin, then shivered very hard.
“Come on, it’s time to get you out of here.”
They swan onto the shore, and hauled themselves from the water. There were no towels out and the nip in the air only had Ava shivering more. She grabbed her jeans and dashed off. “Race you to the house!”
Devlin grinned, watching as she sprint off, uncaring she was only clad in his wet shirt, bare feet, her laughter floating on the wind to him. An ache built inside his chest. He damn well wished she would never leave again, and more than anything else, he wanted her to regain her memory, so that lost look that crept into her eyes sometimes would be vanquished. He raced after her, and she shrieked when she realized how close he was. Like raucous children they clambered up the porch and burst into the house.
“Whe…where…are…t…the towels?” she burst out, shivering.
He grabbed her hands and dashed to the laundry room. He tugged the shirt from her skin, his mouth watering at her naked flesh. Grabbing a white fluffy towel from the t
op shelf he bundled her into it, shafting her skin to generate warm.
“Are you not cold?”
“No.” His blood was roaring and his cock was hard with desire for her.
The force of his need shocked him.
“I don’t trust that, come here.” She opened the towel, stepped closer to him and wrapped him inside it with her. Her eyes widened when she felt the press of his erection against her belly. Then a flush of arousal worked itself over her cheeks turning them rosy. Fuck.
He kissed her. Ava dropped the towel and gripped his shoulders and responded with shivering intensity. Devlin swung her into his arms, placing her on the washing machine. She tugged roughly at his jeans, opening his buttons quickly. His length sprang into her palm.