True North

Chapter 56

Brian stood blinking back at Stormy as his mind worked to process her words.

Did she just say...? Does she mean...?

His questions were answered by the sly little grin that spread slowly over her face, starting with the merest twitch at the corners of her lips, then spreading outward and upward until it finally reached her eyes, lighting a sparkling glow behind the deep pools of mossy green. She snaked her arms around his waist and turned her face up to his as she rose up onto her tiptoes. Her hands slid up the length of his back, pulling him closer until her mouth met his, and she kissed him with a fervency that she hadn't displayed on the two previous occasions. Brian had heard characters in movies and such say that, in a moment such as this, the world seemed to stop turning, and as hokey as it sounded, he now knew that it was true. Her tongue teased his through the opening between her teeth, and her breasts were firm and round against his torso. He could feel his desire for her rising—literally—and was nearly undone when she pulled him close and pressed her pelvis against his manhood.

"Wait!" Brian gasped, tearing his lips from hers and looking into her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," she breathed, her eyes yearning as she pulled him to her once again.

Brian braced his hands on her shoulders and held her at arms' length. He wouldn't go any further until he was certain that this is what she wanted.

"No, I mean are you really sure?" he pressed. "Because we're rapidly approaching the point of no return here, and I don't want you to have any regrets later."

"I won't," she promised, sliding her arms around his waist and propping her chin against his chest as she gazed up at him. "I'm sure. I'm really, really sure."

Brian brushed his lips over her forehead before pulling her close and burying his face in her hair. He wanted this—wanted her—more than anything else in the world, but how could he be sure that it was right? He wanted more than just a summer fling, and he didn't want to mess things up by moving too fast. But on the other hand, he had no idea how long she planned on staying in Aubry, and if he let her get away without ever knowing...   He stepped back and met her eyes once again.

"I'm sure," she repeated earnestly.

Brian swept the hair back from her face and gently tucked it behind her ear, his fingertips lingering on the side of her neck. Her lips were rosy red from kissing, and he traced his thumb over their plush contours as he considered his next move. Finally, he reached down and took her hand in his.

"Let's go inside."