name.”
“Um, never thought about that. How about Snooky ?”
She chuckled. “Snooky? That’s a silly name.”
With a light-hearted, juvenile tone, he said, “I am silly.”
As they continued to pet the bear, their fingers touched, and Brandon froze. She looked into his eyes longingly, and swallowed hard. In the midst of such a beautiful moment, she drew closer to him, but he eased away. It was the same reluctance he’d shown on the night he’d rescued her, and it confused her. “What is it, Brandon?”
He turned away. To Belinda, it looked as though he was turning away in shame. “I don’t mean to pry, and please tell me if it’s none of my business, but . . .” She paused as she summoned the courage to ask the desperately personal question. After all, he wasn’t wearing a ring, so what else could it be? “Are you gay? Or . . .” She closed her eyes, praying his response to her next suggestion was a negative. “Is there someone else?”
He slowly turned back to her. “No. It’s nothing like that.”
She sighed with relief, but she could see he was painfully distressed. “Is it me? Something’s wrong, isn’t it? Please tell me.”
“I don’t know if you’ll understand. It’s really rather difficult to explain.”
“Just say it.” She noticed perspiration on his brow. He was becoming such a contrast to the courageous hero of the night before last. She wondered how a man could stare death in the face, and act with such tremendous efficiency, only to suddenly collapse under the weight of a simple question.
She also noticed something about him that seemed to occur only when he was distressed. She’d seen it the day before when he was preparing to abandon the cabin to take her back to Denver. The star-shaped scar on his forehead seemed to become deeper and more pronounced as the blood pounded in his temples.
“I’ve never . . .” He closed his eyes, his cheeks flushing a bright shade of crimson. “I’ve never been with a woman like that before.” As the final word fell from his mouth, he lowered his head.
She looked at him dumbfounded. He wasn’t joking. His perspiration, flushed cheeks, and agonized expression were evidence enough for her. But how could it be? He was so handsome, so fit—so astonishingly attractive. “OK. I don’t really know how to respond to that.”
“I guess the circumstances for me to meet the right girl just never happened. I sure didn’t wanna wind up acting like my army buddies, or my dad and grandfather. It’s been bugging me for a long time, but it’s just down to a set of circumstances. I don’t know what else to say.”
She took her hand away from the bear and placed her arm around his shoulders. It was difficult to know what to say, but she knew she should try to ease his distress. “You don’t have to do anything with me that you don’t want to, and I have no expectations of you, all right?”
He exhaled, clearly relieved.
She decided to see how far she could take the moment. Their lips touched and she attempted to guide him through the experience. First the passionate tasting of him, and then slowly, she inserted the tip of her tongue between his lips. Cautiously, he followed her lead as they gently explored one another. She extended her tongue deeper into his mouth and he awkwardly reciprocated, their respiration increasing in unison.
However, he broke away from her abruptly.
“It’s all right,” she said, trying to disguise her disappointment.
“I’m not ready. Not yet. Please, just give me some time. I know this must seem strange, but it isn’t because of you, I swear. I’m dealing with a lot right now.”
She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her gnawing passion, and gently caressed his cheek. “I think I understand.”
They looked across to see the bear staring at them. After a few moments, it turned away toward the trees.
“Come on. Let’s get back inside,” Brandon said.
Belinda walked ahead of him and
“Um, never thought about that. How about Snooky ?”
She chuckled. “Snooky? That’s a silly name.”
With a light-hearted, juvenile tone, he said, “I am silly.”
As they continued to pet the bear, their fingers touched, and Brandon froze. She looked into his eyes longingly, and swallowed hard. In the midst of such a beautiful moment, she drew closer to him, but he eased away. It was the same reluctance he’d shown on the night he’d rescued her, and it confused her. “What is it, Brandon?”
He turned away. To Belinda, it looked as though he was turning away in shame. “I don’t mean to pry, and please tell me if it’s none of my business, but . . .” She paused as she summoned the courage to ask the desperately personal question. After all, he wasn’t wearing a ring, so what else could it be? “Are you gay? Or . . .” She closed her eyes, praying his response to her next suggestion was a negative. “Is there someone else?”
He slowly turned back to her. “No. It’s nothing like that.”
She sighed with relief, but she could see he was painfully distressed. “Is it me? Something’s wrong, isn’t it? Please tell me.”
“I don’t know if you’ll understand. It’s really rather difficult to explain.”
“Just say it.” She noticed perspiration on his brow. He was becoming such a contrast to the courageous hero of the night before last. She wondered how a man could stare death in the face, and act with such tremendous efficiency, only to suddenly collapse under the weight of a simple question.
She also noticed something about him that seemed to occur only when he was distressed. She’d seen it the day before when he was preparing to abandon the cabin to take her back to Denver. The star-shaped scar on his forehead seemed to become deeper and more pronounced as the blood pounded in his temples.
“I’ve never . . .” He closed his eyes, his cheeks flushing a bright shade of crimson. “I’ve never been with a woman like that before.” As the final word fell from his mouth, he lowered his head.
She looked at him dumbfounded. He wasn’t joking. His perspiration, flushed cheeks, and agonized expression were evidence enough for her. But how could it be? He was so handsome, so fit—so astonishingly attractive. “OK. I don’t really know how to respond to that.”
“I guess the circumstances for me to meet the right girl just never happened. I sure didn’t wanna wind up acting like my army buddies, or my dad and grandfather. It’s been bugging me for a long time, but it’s just down to a set of circumstances. I don’t know what else to say.”
She took her hand away from the bear and placed her arm around his shoulders. It was difficult to know what to say, but she knew she should try to ease his distress. “You don’t have to do anything with me that you don’t want to, and I have no expectations of you, all right?”
He exhaled, clearly relieved.
She decided to see how far she could take the moment. Their lips touched and she attempted to guide him through the experience. First the passionate tasting of him, and then slowly, she inserted the tip of her tongue between his lips. Cautiously, he followed her lead as they gently explored one another. She extended her tongue deeper into his mouth and he awkwardly reciprocated, their respiration increasing in unison.
However, he broke away from her abruptly.
“It’s all right,” she said, trying to disguise her disappointment.
“I’m not ready. Not yet. Please, just give me some time. I know this must seem strange, but it isn’t because of you, I swear. I’m dealing with a lot right now.”
She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her gnawing passion, and gently caressed his cheek. “I think I understand.”
They looked across to see the bear staring at them. After a few moments, it turned away toward the trees.
“Come on. Let’s get back inside,” Brandon said.
Belinda walked ahead of him and
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