|
Tasmanian Rainbow
[ from back cover ]
The road they traveled on meandered
through the mountains and down into valleys filled with lush, green ferns. When they
finally arrived, she found herself wishing they were still whizzing along the highway. It had been so warm and comfortable.
Once they’d finished hauling stuff
out of the vehicle and set up their tents, they sat around the campfire. “We’ll just
have a bite of something cold ’n’ turn in early. Tomorrow Tim ’n’ I will catch a
bucket-load of fish.”
The boy smiled, a shy, tentative curl
of lip. “Yes!”
A lump rose up in her throat. A
month ago he would never have spoken out with such enthusiasm without a trace of
self-consciousness.
The wind didn’t intrude much into the
site Marshall had picked out to peg their tents, yet it was chilly sitting around the
campfire. She looked forward to the warmth of her sleeping bag. Timmy must have felt
the same, for he said his goodnights and went into his little tent.
Flynn stood up and stretched. “Guess
I’ll call it a day, too, if you don’t mind.” As she turned toward her tent, Marshall
stepped in front of her, blocking her departure. She looked up in surprise.
“An’ here I was, thinking you’d want
to bunk with me.” His husky voice was pitched just above a whisper. “To keep warm, I
mean.”
“I don’t think so.”
His mouth settled on hers with
natural ease, his lips moving beneath hers, his tongue searching. She permitted herself
the luxury of enjoying the kiss for a little while before she spread her hands gently
against his chest.
He slid his cheek down against hers,
pushing away her hair at the nape of her neck, and then began to nibble gently, sending
sparks shooting through her body.
“You smell good.” His breath was hot
against her skin.
He did, too. Back on the farm in the
early morning, she used to stand with her door slightly ajar to inhale the scent of his
early morning aftershave.
“Is this the reason you brought me?” She had to put the brakes on her own emotions, as well as his.
She felt his body stiffen before he
dropped his hands and looked at her with dangerous calm. Then he turned on his heel and
entered his tent.
The silence he left behind was more
intense than anything he could have said to her. |