eased himself reluctantly to the side, cradling her in one arm. "You and I," he said very calmly, "have a few things to discuss."
She blinked, mildly confused. "Such as?" He seemed to have returned to full awareness much more quickly than she had.
"Such as making this a habit. I think I'm already an addict."
Shannon relaxed against him. "I'm glad."
Garth yawned. "I've got to go back to San Jose in a couple of days."
Shannon felt herself tensing. "I'd rather not talk about your leaving, Garth. Not tonight."
He smiled lightly, looking both indulgent and amused. "How about discussing the subject of my return?"
Her eyes were alive with happiness. "Is the subject open for discussion?"
"You know I'm going to be back, don't you?"
"When?"
"On the weekend. And the weekend after that and the one after that and the one after that."
"You've rented the cottage for a whole series of weekends?"
"No. I only rented the cottage for a few days. The next time I come over to the coast I'll be staying here with you. Assuming I've got an invitation."
"Oh, Garth, you know you do." She snuggled against him, her happiness threatening to swamp her.
"I didn't expect this, Shannon," he said very thoughtfully.
"Neither did I."
He gave her a small shake. "I'm serious. This changes a lot of things. I'll have to make some plans."
"What sort of plans?"
"Don't worry," he said vaguely. "I'll take care of everything. As long as I know you're waiting here on the weekends, I can handle the details."
The weekends, Shannon thought. She wondered why the phrase bothered her. Of course, for the immediate future the weekends were the only times they would be able to get together. After all, Garth had his company to run in San Jose, and she had her work here on the coast. It was only logical that he should talk in terms of seeing her on the weekends. But something about the way he said it bothered her. She wasn't certain why. It was as if Garth was thinking of her as something separate and distinct from the rest of his life. Someone he saw only on the weekends.
Shannon frowned in the darkness and pushed aside the odd, uneasy sensation his words had caused. She was imagining things. Tonight was very special, and she wasn't going to ruin it with feminine paranoia. Deliberately she trailed her fingertips through the curling hair on Garth's chest.
"Hey, that tickles," he complained with a small chuckle.
"What, this?" She traced a circle around one flat, male nipple. "Or this?" She drew her nails light down across his stomach. He clamped a hand over her roving hand.
"Didn't your mother ever warn you about what happens when you tease a man?"
"I don't think so. My mother left most of my sex education to the schools. My teachers stuck to little charts and diagrams. I don't recall them discussing teasing."
"Then allow me to complete your education." He rolled over, sprawling on top of her and pinned her wrists above her head. "Women who tease men are liable to find themselves in just this sort of situation." Keeping her hands locked above her head, he began dropping a string of small, nipping kisses across her shoulders and down to the peaks of her breasts.
Shannon shivered. "I can see my mother and the teachers all overlooked something very important."
"It's all right. I don't mind the fact that you've had a limited education. I'm a very patient man, and I'm willing to teach you a few things myself." He used one hand to maintain his hold on her wrists and then began to use his other hand on her body. When he caressed her from her breast to her hip, Shannon gave another small shiver.
"I get the feeling teasing brings its own rewards," she taunted, her hazel eyes full of sensual laughter.
"You think so?" He drew delicate, tantalizing circles on her hip until she moved a little under him. Then he began weaving the same patterns on the inside of her leg. Shannon shifted again, her senses bubbling back into full awareness.
"Garth?"
"Hmm?" He was drawing
She blinked, mildly confused. "Such as?" He seemed to have returned to full awareness much more quickly than she had.
"Such as making this a habit. I think I'm already an addict."
Shannon relaxed against him. "I'm glad."
Garth yawned. "I've got to go back to San Jose in a couple of days."
Shannon felt herself tensing. "I'd rather not talk about your leaving, Garth. Not tonight."
He smiled lightly, looking both indulgent and amused. "How about discussing the subject of my return?"
Her eyes were alive with happiness. "Is the subject open for discussion?"
"You know I'm going to be back, don't you?"
"When?"
"On the weekend. And the weekend after that and the one after that and the one after that."
"You've rented the cottage for a whole series of weekends?"
"No. I only rented the cottage for a few days. The next time I come over to the coast I'll be staying here with you. Assuming I've got an invitation."
"Oh, Garth, you know you do." She snuggled against him, her happiness threatening to swamp her.
"I didn't expect this, Shannon," he said very thoughtfully.
"Neither did I."
He gave her a small shake. "I'm serious. This changes a lot of things. I'll have to make some plans."
"What sort of plans?"
"Don't worry," he said vaguely. "I'll take care of everything. As long as I know you're waiting here on the weekends, I can handle the details."
The weekends, Shannon thought. She wondered why the phrase bothered her. Of course, for the immediate future the weekends were the only times they would be able to get together. After all, Garth had his company to run in San Jose, and she had her work here on the coast. It was only logical that he should talk in terms of seeing her on the weekends. But something about the way he said it bothered her. She wasn't certain why. It was as if Garth was thinking of her as something separate and distinct from the rest of his life. Someone he saw only on the weekends.
Shannon frowned in the darkness and pushed aside the odd, uneasy sensation his words had caused. She was imagining things. Tonight was very special, and she wasn't going to ruin it with feminine paranoia. Deliberately she trailed her fingertips through the curling hair on Garth's chest.
"Hey, that tickles," he complained with a small chuckle.
"What, this?" She traced a circle around one flat, male nipple. "Or this?" She drew her nails light down across his stomach. He clamped a hand over her roving hand.
"Didn't your mother ever warn you about what happens when you tease a man?"
"I don't think so. My mother left most of my sex education to the schools. My teachers stuck to little charts and diagrams. I don't recall them discussing teasing."
"Then allow me to complete your education." He rolled over, sprawling on top of her and pinned her wrists above her head. "Women who tease men are liable to find themselves in just this sort of situation." Keeping her hands locked above her head, he began dropping a string of small, nipping kisses across her shoulders and down to the peaks of her breasts.
Shannon shivered. "I can see my mother and the teachers all overlooked something very important."
"It's all right. I don't mind the fact that you've had a limited education. I'm a very patient man, and I'm willing to teach you a few things myself." He used one hand to maintain his hold on her wrists and then began to use his other hand on her body. When he caressed her from her breast to her hip, Shannon gave another small shiver.
"I get the feeling teasing brings its own rewards," she taunted, her hazel eyes full of sensual laughter.
"You think so?" He drew delicate, tantalizing circles on her hip until she moved a little under him. Then he began weaving the same patterns on the inside of her leg. Shannon shifted again, her senses bubbling back into full awareness.
"Garth?"
"Hmm?" He was drawing
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