watched her long enough to know her shape.
So, she was on the third floor. He scanned the outside of the smooth concrete building. This wasn’t one of these wooden beach houses where someone could get a toehold.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and contemplated his options. He had no clear plan yet. He needed to see if she had what he wanted. She was going to die. Either way. But not just yet.
The cool night wind blew against his back as he watched her lean on the railing. He stiffened and dropped his head to stare at the ghostly white sand at his feet. She seemed to be looking directly at him. She couldn’t see him in the dark, could she? He held up a hand and studied it, barely able to see it in the dark himself. The lights of the building did not reach out this far onto the beach. If she could see him, it would only be his outline.
He looked up again and watched her go back inside her apartment. The living room went dark, and lights came on in the next room.
He needed to think up something special for tomorrow.
Or better yet, why not tonight? Why wait?
****
Penny nuzzled her cheek against the silky dark hair on Matt’s chest as she lay in his arms. She lovingly inhaled the familiar smell of his skin--a combination of a lightly scented soap, talc deodorant and his own uniquely masculine scent.
“I love you, Penny,” Matt whispered sleepily as he brushed his lips across the top of her head and wrapped his arms more tightly around her.
“I love you too, Matt. I’ve missed you so much.” She reached up to kiss the bottom of his stubbled chin.
“I missed you too, babe. Nothing was the same after you left. You broke my heart.” A husky note in his voice brought an ache to her throat. She lifted her head to look at him. Sadness stole the smile from his face.
“I’m sorry. I had to go. I had a contract. What was I going to do?” Even now, Penny could remember the agony of leaving him, though she never suspected it would be forever.
Matt cupped her face in his hand and stared into her eyes. “I don’t know why I didn’t go with you, honey. I thought I had to get a job here in the States, but now...it doesn’t seem to matter. I should have gone with you. We wasted so many years.”
“Don’t say wasted,” Penny murmured as she buried her face into his neck. “Don’t say wasted. It hurts too much. We’re together now, aren’t we? We have the rest of our lives to be together.”
Matt turned his face toward her and brought his mouth down on hers in a hard, passionate kiss that belied his easy going nature. He pulled her tightly against him, so tightly she couldn’t breathe, but she didn’t care. After all these years, she was finally in the arms of the man she would love for the rest of her life.
****
Penny shot up in the dark. A loud rapping sound made her heart jump to her throat. The door! Someone was at the front door. She looked at her bedside clock. Two thirty in the morning. Who would come to her door in the middle of the night?
She turned to look at the empty pillow beside her, unable to believe she had been dreaming once again. It seemed so real! The dreams had grown more vivid and poignant since she’d come to the Gulf Coast. And now that she’d seen Matt once again...
She tiptoed into the darkened living room and listened. Several sharp knocks on the door made her jump back. Who was it?
“Penny! Are you there?”
Matt’s voice. She would recognize it anywhere. It held an urgency that galvanized her into action. She ran for the door, twisted the lock on the knob and yanked it open. A very tired-looking Matt stood at the door with a short, blonde male uniformed officer behind him. At the sight of the young man with Matt, Penny hastily retreated behind the door to hide the fact she wore only a short cotton nightgown. She peered around the corner and met Matt’s unsmiling eyes, her face burning at the recent memory of her sensual dream in which he played a
So, she was on the third floor. He scanned the outside of the smooth concrete building. This wasn’t one of these wooden beach houses where someone could get a toehold.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and contemplated his options. He had no clear plan yet. He needed to see if she had what he wanted. She was going to die. Either way. But not just yet.
The cool night wind blew against his back as he watched her lean on the railing. He stiffened and dropped his head to stare at the ghostly white sand at his feet. She seemed to be looking directly at him. She couldn’t see him in the dark, could she? He held up a hand and studied it, barely able to see it in the dark himself. The lights of the building did not reach out this far onto the beach. If she could see him, it would only be his outline.
He looked up again and watched her go back inside her apartment. The living room went dark, and lights came on in the next room.
He needed to think up something special for tomorrow.
Or better yet, why not tonight? Why wait?
****
Penny nuzzled her cheek against the silky dark hair on Matt’s chest as she lay in his arms. She lovingly inhaled the familiar smell of his skin--a combination of a lightly scented soap, talc deodorant and his own uniquely masculine scent.
“I love you, Penny,” Matt whispered sleepily as he brushed his lips across the top of her head and wrapped his arms more tightly around her.
“I love you too, Matt. I’ve missed you so much.” She reached up to kiss the bottom of his stubbled chin.
“I missed you too, babe. Nothing was the same after you left. You broke my heart.” A husky note in his voice brought an ache to her throat. She lifted her head to look at him. Sadness stole the smile from his face.
“I’m sorry. I had to go. I had a contract. What was I going to do?” Even now, Penny could remember the agony of leaving him, though she never suspected it would be forever.
Matt cupped her face in his hand and stared into her eyes. “I don’t know why I didn’t go with you, honey. I thought I had to get a job here in the States, but now...it doesn’t seem to matter. I should have gone with you. We wasted so many years.”
“Don’t say wasted,” Penny murmured as she buried her face into his neck. “Don’t say wasted. It hurts too much. We’re together now, aren’t we? We have the rest of our lives to be together.”
Matt turned his face toward her and brought his mouth down on hers in a hard, passionate kiss that belied his easy going nature. He pulled her tightly against him, so tightly she couldn’t breathe, but she didn’t care. After all these years, she was finally in the arms of the man she would love for the rest of her life.
****
Penny shot up in the dark. A loud rapping sound made her heart jump to her throat. The door! Someone was at the front door. She looked at her bedside clock. Two thirty in the morning. Who would come to her door in the middle of the night?
She turned to look at the empty pillow beside her, unable to believe she had been dreaming once again. It seemed so real! The dreams had grown more vivid and poignant since she’d come to the Gulf Coast. And now that she’d seen Matt once again...
She tiptoed into the darkened living room and listened. Several sharp knocks on the door made her jump back. Who was it?
“Penny! Are you there?”
Matt’s voice. She would recognize it anywhere. It held an urgency that galvanized her into action. She ran for the door, twisted the lock on the knob and yanked it open. A very tired-looking Matt stood at the door with a short, blonde male uniformed officer behind him. At the sight of the young man with Matt, Penny hastily retreated behind the door to hide the fact she wore only a short cotton nightgown. She peered around the corner and met Matt’s unsmiling eyes, her face burning at the recent memory of her sensual dream in which he played a
Similar Books
