“I guess,” she agrees still chuckling.
“Okay, seriously, I’ve always been interested in architecture, but more to do with the exterior than the interior. I’ve been sketching for years so it’s not as though I’m new to it all, but there’s a lot to learn.”
Going still in my arms, her gaze searches the horizon and I can’t help but search it as well as though the answers to the future are on it. She squeezes my arm in a hug and then murmurs, “Let’s go back in, I’m getting thirsty.”
Without another thought, I head back toward the beach with Mara still in my arms.
“You’re back to studying again?” she asks.
I’d thought our conversation was over. In fact, I hoped that would be the end of it. It isn’t something I’ve talked about with anyone before. So it feels weird as I answer her, “Yeah, I am—only this past month though. I signed on for some online courses so I can to see what they’re like—if I can handle them with work…so far so good.”
Out of the ocean, I let her slip out of my arms and take hold of her hand, entwining our fingers together. No matter what my body is telling me, I’m not ready to take this, whatever it is, any further. Keeping her close and holding her hand should satisfy me for now. I hope!
Chapter Eleven
Mara
“Mara, are you asleep?”
“Nearly.” I pry my eyes open and watch as Donovan walks closer to where I’m lying in his hammock. On arriving back at his place, we hauled it out from his basement and put it together, which we finished about five minutes ago.
“Are you going to let me share it with you?” he asks with a slight smile on his lips.
“Since it’s yours I can hardly refuse,” I smile, “but even if it wasn’t I’d still move over.”
“Okay. Hold on.”
I grip part of the hammock and hope Donovan doesn’t send me to the floor, but with one quick move it’s all sorted and he’s tight against me.
“Turn slowly and let me hold you,” he offers.
Whom I to refuse a husky request or an excuse to be close to this man? Doing as he asked, I turn and end up half on top of him with his arm around my shoulders holding me tight. My left leg is bent at the knee, resting close to his groin, but he doesn’t seem bothered. Snuggling deeper into him, I wrap my arm around his waist and sigh. I want to stay like this forever.
“Hey, you really are tired. Do you want me to take you home?”
“Nope. I’m staying here with you,” I slur with sleep pulling me under.
Donovan sighs, “I’d like that, Mara,” he starts to weave his fingers through my hair, “but—”
“I can’t,” I finish his sentence for him.
“Mara.” He turns on his side so we’re now lying chest-to-chest, hips-to-hips. I slip my knee between his legs and move closer to him, watching him gulp as I do.
“Please kiss me.”
He looks like he wants to do nothing more, but he closes his eyes and inhales.
I know he’s told me why he won’t; that he’s frightened he won’t be able to stop, but surely we can control our urges while in the hammock. I mean one false move and we’ll both topple to the floor.
“Just a small kiss,” I whisper waiting for his eyes to open, but they stay shut and he still doesn’t make any move towards me.
Feeling hurt, I bury my face back into his chest as the tears I’ve been trying to hold at bay trickle from my eyes and on to his tee shirt. I’m not usually so emotional, but around him I obviously am.
“Babe?” he questions, putting me slightly away from him and taking my face in his hands. “Please don’t cry. We shouldn’t have spent the day together. We shouldn’t be lying here together not wanting to leave the other…but we have and we are.”
Finally!
He leans in and kisses along the trail of tears on my face before he kisses each eye in turn. The kisses don’t stop, he moves back down my cheeks and starts to kiss the side of my neck as my hands come up and slide into his hair to hold his head in position. As he starts to nibble along my jaw, I tilt my head slightly and find his lips hovering above mine.