ineffectually to shake him.
"Don't look at me like that," she ordered.
"Like what?"
The question was an honest inquiry. He wasn't teasing her, Devon realized. He was unaware of the blatant evidence of his own masculine contentment and possessive-ness. It radiated from him like an aura but he wouldn't know that. "Never mind," she whispered, not knowing how to put her rebuke into words. How did you tell a man to stop looking like a conquering hero?
"Devon?" "Hmm?"
"Are you finally through running from me? Will you stop fighting me now and come home where you belong?"
Some of her sweet lassitude began to evaporate under the intensity of his gaze. There was no point looking for loopholes and she knew it. Still, she felt obliged to point out the obvious before she finally gave in to the inevitable.
"It won't be easy, Garth. Do you realize that? We're different, you and I. I can't give you my word that I'm going to be able to be the kind of wife you want."
He stopped her gentle warning with his mouth. When he lifted his head again he was smiling faintly. "You are exactly the kind of wife I want."
"I've changed, Garth," she told him earnestly. "You knew a different version of me when I lived in Hawk Springs."
"You couldn't possibly change so much that I'd no longer want you."
She shook her head. "I'm not so sure about that. You like the traditional, practical things in life and you take them so seriously. Meat and potatoes at dinner and four-wheel-drive vehicles. When was the last time you had a party or took a vacation? Have you ever gone to Hawaii and sat on a beach and done absolutely nothing? Have you ever bought a pair of sexy black briefs for yourself?"
His eyes widened and some of the lazy satisfaction went out of him. "Devon, you're not making much sense. There's no point trying to convince me we're not going to make it together, because I know we are. Stop looking for an exit, honey. There isn't one."
Devon let out her breath and closed her eyes. "I hope you know what we're doing."
"I usually do," he reminded her with totally unconscious arrogance. Then he kissed her again and rolled reluctantly off of her. "Good Lord, we've got a lot of packing to do."
Devon's wistful mood vanished in the face of yet another example of Garth's boundless pragmatism. Trust him to start worrying about something as mundane as packing right after he'd finished making shattering love to her.
One last possible way to avoid the unavoidable leaped into Devon's brain. She voiced it before giving herself a chance to think about the consequences. "There's one alternative to marriage that we haven't considered," she said quickly.
He sat up, running his fingers through his hair before reaching for his pants. "What's that?" He didn't seem particularly interested.
Devon gathered her courage and plunged in with her suggestion. "We could try things out between us, Garth."
He swept a glance down the length of her, his mouth tilting slightly in amusement. "We've already tried things out twice and they work better each time. I'm looking forward to trying them out again as soon as I get a ring on your finger."
"That's not what I meant."
"What did you mean?"
Devon bit her lip and then said baldly, "I'm suggesting we have an affair before we get married."
He was halfway to his feet. His head came around, an astounded expression on his face. "You're suggesting what?"
"You heard me," she said mutinously. "I think we should become lovers. Get to know each other before we make the commitment of marriage. Marriage is a big step, Garth. You, of all people know that. Surely you don't want to make another mistake?"
"Lovers? You want to have an affair? In Hawk Springs?" He was on his feet now, but he seemed to have forgotten his pants. He stood in front of her, towering over her with his feet braced slightly apart, his hands on his hips. He seemed totally unaware of his own magnificent nudity. His eyes had gone very cold and very cloudy and there
"Don't look at me like that," she ordered.
"Like what?"
The question was an honest inquiry. He wasn't teasing her, Devon realized. He was unaware of the blatant evidence of his own masculine contentment and possessive-ness. It radiated from him like an aura but he wouldn't know that. "Never mind," she whispered, not knowing how to put her rebuke into words. How did you tell a man to stop looking like a conquering hero?
"Devon?" "Hmm?"
"Are you finally through running from me? Will you stop fighting me now and come home where you belong?"
Some of her sweet lassitude began to evaporate under the intensity of his gaze. There was no point looking for loopholes and she knew it. Still, she felt obliged to point out the obvious before she finally gave in to the inevitable.
"It won't be easy, Garth. Do you realize that? We're different, you and I. I can't give you my word that I'm going to be able to be the kind of wife you want."
He stopped her gentle warning with his mouth. When he lifted his head again he was smiling faintly. "You are exactly the kind of wife I want."
"I've changed, Garth," she told him earnestly. "You knew a different version of me when I lived in Hawk Springs."
"You couldn't possibly change so much that I'd no longer want you."
She shook her head. "I'm not so sure about that. You like the traditional, practical things in life and you take them so seriously. Meat and potatoes at dinner and four-wheel-drive vehicles. When was the last time you had a party or took a vacation? Have you ever gone to Hawaii and sat on a beach and done absolutely nothing? Have you ever bought a pair of sexy black briefs for yourself?"
His eyes widened and some of the lazy satisfaction went out of him. "Devon, you're not making much sense. There's no point trying to convince me we're not going to make it together, because I know we are. Stop looking for an exit, honey. There isn't one."
Devon let out her breath and closed her eyes. "I hope you know what we're doing."
"I usually do," he reminded her with totally unconscious arrogance. Then he kissed her again and rolled reluctantly off of her. "Good Lord, we've got a lot of packing to do."
Devon's wistful mood vanished in the face of yet another example of Garth's boundless pragmatism. Trust him to start worrying about something as mundane as packing right after he'd finished making shattering love to her.
One last possible way to avoid the unavoidable leaped into Devon's brain. She voiced it before giving herself a chance to think about the consequences. "There's one alternative to marriage that we haven't considered," she said quickly.
He sat up, running his fingers through his hair before reaching for his pants. "What's that?" He didn't seem particularly interested.
Devon gathered her courage and plunged in with her suggestion. "We could try things out between us, Garth."
He swept a glance down the length of her, his mouth tilting slightly in amusement. "We've already tried things out twice and they work better each time. I'm looking forward to trying them out again as soon as I get a ring on your finger."
"That's not what I meant."
"What did you mean?"
Devon bit her lip and then said baldly, "I'm suggesting we have an affair before we get married."
He was halfway to his feet. His head came around, an astounded expression on his face. "You're suggesting what?"
"You heard me," she said mutinously. "I think we should become lovers. Get to know each other before we make the commitment of marriage. Marriage is a big step, Garth. You, of all people know that. Surely you don't want to make another mistake?"
"Lovers? You want to have an affair? In Hawk Springs?" He was on his feet now, but he seemed to have forgotten his pants. He stood in front of her, towering over her with his feet braced slightly apart, his hands on his hips. He seemed totally unaware of his own magnificent nudity. His eyes had gone very cold and very cloudy and there
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