Kitabı oku: «Where He Belongs», sayfa 3

Until now.

Now she had this one night to make those fantasies come true.

Hardly breathing, she reached up and ran her hand across his bristled jaw. His rough skin burned beneath her palm; the erotic texture thrilled her.

But he grabbed her wrist and blocked her. “Erin,” he warned, his deep voice flat.

She nearly lost her nerve then, and she flushed. But the heat in his eyes gave her courage. She sensed that he wanted this, wanted her, but wouldn’t let himself touch her. That somehow, in his need to protect her, he’d placed her firmly off limits.

Her heart stuttering hard against her rib cage, she shook off his hand and inched closer. Much closer, until her breasts skimmed his chest and his ragged breath heated her face.

“Wade,” she whispered. “Kiss me.”

His jaw turned rigid. His fierce gaze burned into hers.

“Please,” she whispered again, her urgency rising. She couldn’t bear it if he turned away.

“Erin…” His voice sounded strangled, tortured.

“Just a kiss. Just…” His gaze scorched her lips. Cicadas screamed in the air.

Then he lifted his hands and her breath stalled. And he blazed a trail along her jaw, stroking her neck, her throat with his thumbs, sending ripples of excitement splintering through her.

The air around them stilled. Her pulse ran wild in her throat. And then he tugged up her chin and angled his head, and moved his mouth over hers. Slowly, tenderly. As if she were something fragile, something precious.

As if he loved her.

Her lungs seized up. Her eyes fluttered closed and her heart refused to beat.

But then he probed the seam of her mouth with his tongue and she parted her lips on a gasp. And his tongue swept through her mouth, bold and sure, and insistent, until shivers blazed over her skin and hot blood pooled in her veins.

He widened his stance and pulled her against his arousal. The sensation shocked her. Excited her. Her heart nearly leaped from her chest.

And then he groaned and tightened his arms, and seemed to lose all control, devouring her in a deep, carnal kiss that blasted away every thought. Jolting her, flaying her, reeling her in deeper and harder. Until a fever of need scorched her nerves and her body quivered with pleasure.

She moaned against his mouth, feeling dazed, drugged, obsessed. She craved his big, rough hands on her skin. His hard body fused with hers.

But he pushed her head to his neck and clamped her tightly against him. Her heart thundered inside her chest. His breath rasped loud in her ear.

“Wade, make love to me,” she whimpered.

“No, Erin.” His voice was jagged, hoarse. “Don’t do this.”

“Please.” Desperate, she pressed herself against him. She’d die if he left her now.

“You don’t know what you’re asking.” He was trembling, sucking in air, as if he’d run ten miles.

“Yes, I do. I want you.”

She pulled her head from his grasp. His eyes were stark. Emotions warred in his face. Resistance. Frustration. Hunger.

“Wade, please,” she pleaded, her voice breaking.

“I’ll hurt you. Don’t you understand? I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t. You can’t.” She burned for him, ached for him to fill that void inside her. “I need you.”

He tipped back his head and shuddered. He made a deep, rough sound in his throat.

And then he hauled her against him and crushed his mouth over hers, ravaging her, scalding her, until need overcame thought. Until their senses burned and their bodies merged, and she knew what it meant to love.

It had been exquisite, the most thrilling night of her life. A perfect moment in time.

But reality returned with the dawn and he’d closed down that glimpse of his heart. And she’d realized that it hadn’t been enough, that she couldn’t convince him to stay. And she’d stood there alone on her porch, her heart shattering, her entire world collapsing, as the Harley’s rumble receded and the man she loved rode away.

Her deep sigh cut through the night. And now he was back in her life. Not by choice, of course. And nothing had really changed. He didn’t want a relationship. And he certainly didn’t want her love. All she could offer was friendship, for however long he stayed—which wouldn’t be long now that Norm had died.

She sighed again, heavier this time. She didn’t envy him the days ahead. Attending the funeral. Settling the estate. Dispensing with Norm’s belongings.

Then another thought occurred to her and a dull dread crept through her heart. With Norm gone, she had to repay the loan. Norm had never pressed her for payments, but now she didn’t have a choice.

But where could she get the money? She’d already taken out one bank loan and she had nowhere else to turn.

She also had to tell Wade. He would probably inherit Norm’s estate, so she’d owe him the money now.

She frowned at that complication. Wade had enough to contend with without burdening him with her problems. But she could hardly avoid telling him. She’d do it the first chance she had.

Uneasy now, she gently released his hand. She tucked the quilt around his legs, then rose, hoping in sleep he’d find the peace he deserved. A peace that would elude her until she found a way to repay Norm’s loan.

Chapter Four

Cars and trucks lined Norm’s street when Wade pulled up the next morning. He took one glance at the throng of vehicles and nearly kept on going.

But he’d already ridden for hours and it hadn’t done any good. After a miserable, restless night, he’d dragged himself out of bed, jumped on his Harley, and hurtled down the country roads—just opened the throttle and unleashed the V-Rod’s raw power. But the grief still clamped down on him, crushing him, like a huge vise squeezing his chest.

And the last thing he wanted to do right now was to deal with people. He didn’t want condolences and he sure as hell didn’t want pity. But he couldn’t leave town yet. He’d promised Norm he’d stay and he would, until they buried him in the ground.

A sharp ache knifed through his chest, but he sucked in a ragged breath. Then, before he could change his mind, he parked the bike, strode up the short cement walkway and pushed open the door to the kitchen.

As he’d expected, the house overflowed with neighbors. Max waved from across the kitchen to get his attention, and worked his way to him through the crowd.

“Wade, thank God you’re here.” Max clapped his hand on his shoulder. “Ed from the funeral parlor called. You need to call him back.”

Wade spotted the coffee machine on the counter, flanked by cakes and rolls. “Why does he want to talk to me?”

“He needs to know what you decided about the funeral.”

“What do you mean, what I decided? Why couldn’t you handle that?” He moved to the counter, tugged a foam cup off the stack and poured himself some coffee.

“Because you’re next of kin. And I wasn’t sure if you’d want a viewing or just the service.”

Viewing? Service? What the hell did he care? He wanted to bury Norm and leave town.

“They’ll send the obituary to the newspaper, too,” Max added. “As soon as you confirm the details. Norm left everything you’d need with the will.”

“Everything I’d need for what? What are you talking about?”

Max scratched his head. “You didn’t know? Norm told me it was all set.”

He slugged back the coffee, then narrowed his eyes at Max. “Exactly what am I supposed to know?”

“That you’re executor of the will.”

“Executor? You’re kidding.” How could he do that? Didn’t an executor have to file papers? Pay taxes? Jump through hoops of red tape? “I don’t even live here anymore.”

Max shrugged. “It shouldn’t take long. A few months maybe.”

“A few months!”

“Maybe longer. They can tell you at the courthouse.”

He stared at Max. He couldn’t stay here for months; he could barely tolerate days. And Norm knew that. So why had he saddled him with this job?

Because he knew Wade wouldn’t turn him down—which meant he’d wanted him to stay. But why?

He scowled. Norm had never asked him to live in Millstown, never even brought that subject up. Besides, what would Wade do in Millstown with Norm gone?

An image of Erin’s sagging porch came to mind. Hell. Was that what this was about?

Anger flared, then slammed through his gut. Did Erin know about this arrangement? Had she schemed with Norm behind his back? Just what the hell was she up to?

He thought of her sweet body pressed to his back, her gentle voice in the dark, and his fury abruptly deflated. No, Erin hadn’t done this. She would never manipulate him that way. Norm had hatched this plot alone.

But that still didn’t mean that he liked it.

The phone trilled across the noisy room. “Hey, Wade,” someone called a moment later. “It’s Ed from the funeral home again.”

Still seething, he dumped his remaining coffee in the sink and slammed the cup in the trash. He’d deal with the funeral parlor. And the paper. And the courthouse, and anything else that he had to.

He’d been boned from the bottom. He didn’t have a choice.

But damned if he would stay in Millstown one minute longer than it took to settle that will. Not one second longer. No matter what Norm had in mind.

Early that evening, with both his knee and skull now hammering, Wade returned to Mills Ferry. He hauled himself up the stairs, intending to gulp down some painkillers and crash into bed.

“Do you have a minute, Wade?”

He stopped partway up the stairs and looked down. Erin stood in the foyer, her red hair shimmering in the light. She clasped her hands together. “I need to talk to you, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure.” He trudged back down the stairs. She probably wanted to talk about Norm. He hoped she cut it short. He didn’t want to chat after making funeral arrangements all day.

“Grandma’s watching TV in the parlor, so why don’t we talk in the kitchen?”

“Fine.” He glanced into the small front room as he passed. The older woman sat in an armchair, wrapped in a colorful quilt.

He limped behind Erin toward the kitchen. Despite the pain ramming his skull, he appreciated the view. Her tight, faded jeans hugged her lushly curved bottom and highlighted the flare of her hips.

Then she leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed her arms, and his gaze lodged on her breasts, just as it always had in high school. The corner of his mouth kicked up. She’d driven him crazy back then. He’d spent years in a haze of lust, imagining how she’d look and feel naked.

But no fantasy had matched the reality of Erin. The taste of her delicate skin. The satiny feel of her breasts. And when he’d been inside her…

He shifted, swallowed hard. “Dinner smells good.”

She flashed a nervous smile. “I made chicken enchiladas. I hope you like Mexican food.”

“I like anything I can eat.”

“It’s nothing fancy. I’m not that great a cook.”

Why did she need to apologize? “Believe me, I’m not picky. I’m a smokejumper, remember?”

“What does that have to do with it?”

“Constant hunger. Even ratted C-rations look good after a few days working a fire.” He tugged the waistband of his jeans, which had ridden low on his hips. “You can’t eat enough to keep the weight on. That’s why my jeans are so loose.”

Her gaze skimmed down his chest to his waist. And then lower. Her cheeks flushed and hot desire lashed his groin.

Thrown off guard, he pulled out a chair and sat. The abrupt movement jolted his knee but he welcomed the distraction. “So what did you want to talk about?”

Her forehead furrowed. “There’s something you need to know. Norm lent me some money a while back. Quite a bit, actually. Ten thousand dollars.

“Grandma’s accident generated a lot of bills,” she continued. “Medicare covered most of them, but she doesn’t have a supplement, so the extras added up. The drugs alone cost a fortune. And then there’s this house.” She sighed. “I love it, but it’s an absolute money pit. Everything’s breaking and rotting away. And then the roof started leaking and I had to have it repaired. It really needs to be replaced, but—”

“Erin, why are you telling me this?”

She sighed, more heavily this time. “Because I can’t pay it back. Not yet, anyway. I will, but I—”

“Forget it.”

“What?”

“I said forget it. Norm’s dead. He doesn’t need the money.”

“But—”

“Look, I read the will today and he left almost everything to me. And I don’t want the money.” Or the delay collecting the debt would cause. He stood.

“Wade, did you hear me? I said I owe you ten thousand dollars.”

“And I said I don’t need it.”

“But everybody needs—”

“Listen. I make good money at what I do, and I rake in the overtime pay.” He shrugged. “And I don’t have many expenses. Maybe I’m not rich by some standards, but I’m sure as hell not poor.”

She shook her head. “Even if I wanted to let you forget it—and I certainly don’t—you might not have a choice. I don’t know much about settling estates, but I don’t think you can just write off a debt like that.”

“So I’ll take the money out of my account and put it into Norm’s. What difference does it make?”

“It makes a difference to me.”

“Erin, Norm gave the money to you.”

“He lent the money to me. There’s a difference.”

“Well, I don’t want the money, so just forget it.” He started toward the door.

“Oh, no, you don’t.” She stalked into his path and put out her hand to block him. “Stop right there! Just stop! You are not going to do this. I absolutely won’t let you.”

He frowned down at her. “Not do what?”

“Riding in here like some knight in shining armor, throwing your money around to solve my problems, and then bolting away again.”

Her green eyes blazed at him. She was actually angry. Because he didn’t want her money? Or because he was going to leave?

Dread spiraled through his gut. “This is about that night at the river, isn’t it?”

“What?” she gasped.

“You’re mad because I left.”

“I am not!”

He plunged his hand through his hair. “Erin, I couldn’t stay in Millstown.”

“And I never asked you to.” She planted her hands on her hips. “I knew all along you were leaving. You’d talked about it for months. So don’t you dare put that guilt on yourself. Don’t you dare! I knew exactly what I was doing.”

She sure did. She’d excited him out of his mind and he’d fantasized about it ever since.

Color rode high on her cheeks. “I was the one who suggested it, if you recall. And I got what I wanted.”

“What? A night of sex?”

“That’s right.”

His own temper flared. It had been a hell of a lot more than that and she knew it.

And it had scared him to death.

He stilled. Is that why he’d rushed off? Because he couldn’t deal with his feelings for Erin? Or had he been protecting her from himself, as he’d convinced himself all these years?

He’d been a rough, scrappy kid from the trailer trash side of town, not the kind of man she should marry. He’d had no skills, no way to earn a living. Of course he’d been right to leave.

The telephone rang in the tense silence. A second later it rang again. He motioned toward it with his hand. “Aren’t you going to get that?”

“The machine can pick it up.”

The phone rang again and the answering machine beeped on. “Erin, this is Mike,” the machine recorded. “I wanted to know if you’d like to go to the symphony tomorrow night. I’ve got the bank’s box, if you’re interested. I thought we could have dinner first, maybe around seven?”

Erin lifted a shoulder, her face still flushed. “Mike Kell,” she explained. “He teaches with me at St. Michaels.”

Mike Kell. Sure, he remembered. Class president and valedictorian. His father owned the bank. Wade’s jaw clenched.

“…so give me a call when you get in,” Mike finished. The machine clicked off, paused, then whirred as it rewound.

“I take it you’re dating?”

“Not really.”

He scowled. “Dinner and the symphony sounds like a date to me.”

“We’re just friends.”

But Mike wanted it to be more, he guessed. And Mike was exactly the type Erin belonged with. Classy, educated. Irritation surged in his gut.

His gaze settled on the shadows under her eyes, the fatigue lining her face, and his temper rose. So why wasn’t Mike taking care of her? He wouldn’t let her suffer if she belonged to him—teaching rowdy kids all day, slaving over her grandmother at night, scraping by on borrowed money while her house rotted apart. Why didn’t Mike grab a chain saw and cut up those limbs in the yard or pick up a hammer and fix the porch?

Erin’s gaze caught his. “Look, I’m going to pay back the money. I just need time to organize things, that’s all.”

“And I said I don’t want it.”

Her chin came up. “Well, that’s too bad because I’m still going to pay it back. This isn’t your problem.”

“Norm made it my problem.”

She crossed her arms, her pride apparent in the tilt of her head. But another emotion flitted through her eyes. Worry. Anxiety. And suddenly she looked vulnerable, lost, like that abandoned kid she’d once been.

The kid with rejection haunting her eyes from a mother who didn’t want her. The kid who’d flashed him that sweet, shy smile, despite his bad reputation. The one who had accepted him.

A hard fist twisted his heart. He didn’t mean to trample her pride, and he sure didn’t want to hurt her. He never could stand to wound Erin.

But she obviously couldn’t solve this alone. Even if she paid off the loan, the house still needed attention. And who knew what other debts she had, or what she’d do in the future?

Which meant he had to get involved, whether she liked it or not. She had no one else to help her.

“You don’t mind if I stay here, do you?” he asked slowly. “While I’m going through Norm’s things, I mean.”

“Of course not. You can stay as long as you want.”

“Good.” That would give him time to fix the house and solve the rest of her problems. He turned and strode toward the door.

“Wade.”

He paused and turned back. Her green eyes narrowed on his. “I’m serious. I said I don’t want a savior.”

But she sure as hell needed one. And it appeared it was going to be him.

Chapter Five

The early morning sunlight filtered through the third-story window, casting weak, dust-laden rays across the room. Wade clicked on his flashlight and aimed the beam at the sagging ceiling. Pooling water had stained and damaged the plaster and buckled the wood floor beneath.

Disgusted, he turned off the flashlight and crossed to the deep-set window. The old bubbled glass was still intact, but the wooden sill had rotted, letting cold wind whistle through. He shook his head. No wonder the house was freezing. Every window in the whole damned place leaked.

He propped the flashlight on the sill, tugged his notepad from his back pocket and added to his growing list. The house was in far worse shape than he’d expected. Chimneys had cracked. The exterior stone needed repointing. The foundation had settled, causing the ground floor to warp.

And the interior was even worse. He could paint, plaster, sand and refinish every day for the rest of his life and never run out of work. And he hadn’t even looked at the heating or plumbing.

He braced his hand on the window frame and scowled out at a sprawling oak tree. So much for repairing Erin’s house while he settled Norm’s estate. No way could he finish these jobs in the short time he’d be here.

So what could he do? Erin couldn’t afford to hire out the work, and she would refuse to let him pay. But he couldn’t leave Millstown with her house in this condition.

He straightened. There was only one solution and Erin wasn’t going to like it. She had to sell Mills Ferry.

“So here you are,” she said from behind him. “I wondered where you’d run off to. Max called to see if you have time to sort through some boxes.”

He turned as she crossed the room. His gaze swept her high, full breasts, down the length of her shapely thighs, then jerked back up to her eyes. Her gentle, knowing eyes.

His heart rolled in his chest. She had the damnedest effect on him, making him want to ravish and protect her.

She stopped beside him. “So what are you doing up here, anyway?”

He eyed the fiery hair smoldering in the soft morning light, the familiar set to her jaw, and knew that she would resist this. “I thought I’d check out the house, see about fixing some things while I’m here.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Wade, I told you—”

“Yeah, I know. That you don’t need my help. But I’ll be bored just sitting around filing papers. Besides, I’m good with my hands.”

Her cheeks flushed and she looked away. The memory slammed into him again, that vision of his hands sliding over her bare, ripe breasts, her naked skin shimmering pale in the moonlight.

He forced himself to breathe. “I just want to help, okay?”

She looked back at him and a frown creased her forehead, her practicality warring with pride. After a moment she sighed. “Fine. Feel free to hammer away. Lord knows the place needs work.”

Did she have any idea how much? He rubbed the back of his neck. He wanted to repair her beloved house and make her happy, but as every smokejumper knew, you couldn’t catch every fire. Sometimes you just had to let one burn. And it wasn’t practical to fix Mills Ferry.

“It needs more work than I expected,” he admitted. “And it’s going to be expensive. Have you considered selling the place?”

“Selling it?” Her soft mouth sagged. “Oh, I could never do that. It’s been in my family for ten generations. It was on the Underground Railroad, you know.”

“And it was a hospital in the Civil War, and there are bloodstains on the floors to prove it. You gave me that tour in fourth grade.”

The edges of her lips curled up. “That day was the highlight of my life until then. I couldn’t believe everyone wanted to see my house. It was the first time I felt important.”

“Yeah.” It had been the highlight of his life, too. The two motherless kids had forged a bond that day that had endured for years.

Of course, Erin had a mother back then; she’d just cared more about her jet-setting lifestyle than making a home for her daughter. She’d dumped Erin off in Millstown so she could flit around the globe.

Erin leaned against the wall. “I was stunned when my mom dropped me off here. After all those years of traipsing around the world, getting pawned off on strangers, I suddenly had a home, a history, a place where I really belonged.”

Her eyes met his. “I’d feel like a failure if I had to sell. My family’s kept this house through all sorts of disasters—the Civil War, the Depression… I’d feel awful if I lost it now. Besides, I love this house. I don’t want to live anywhere else.”

The place had character, all right. It had fascinated him as a kid—the slave quarters under the house, the ruined mill along the river, the bunkers from the Civil War…

But it was the turret off the third floor that really fired his imagination. He still remembered when Erin had grabbed his hand and led him to the top. He didn’t know which had impressed him more: the fairy-tale house or the princess who’d chosen him for her friend.

“It’s a great house,” he agreed. “But it needs a lot of work.”

“I know the roof still leaks.”

“The roof is just the start. We’re talking major repairs here. Foundation joists. Sagging floors.”

“Is it really that bad?” Her exquisite green eyes searched his.

He handed her the list he’d compiled.

Her forehead creased as she studied it, then she turned her gaze to the window. After a moment her shoulders slumped.

She looked defeated suddenly, vulnerable, and he wished that he could protect her. He wanted to kiss the worry from her wrinkled brow and shelter her from the harsh side of life. But this was her house and she had to know the truth.

His gaze roamed the smattering of freckles across her nose and the soft, lush curve of her lips. Then she shivered in the unheated air, and his gaze dropped to her breasts.

His body instantly hardened, which came as no surprise. He’d responded to Erin for years. And not just physically. Even when they were kids, he couldn’t resist her. He’d do anything to make her happy.

He’d sure as hell tried. He’d given her the night she’d wanted, then left so she could find the man she deserved.

She handed him back the list with a sigh. “It looks like a mess, all right, but I’ll figure something out.”

“What’s there to figure out? You have to sell.”

“And I told you I can’t do that.”

He jammed the notepad into his back pocket. “I know you don’t want to, but—”

“I can’t. So let’s just drop it, okay?”

“Drop what? Erin, you have to face facts. This place is falling apart.”

“And I said I don’t care.”

“But—”

“I’m not keeping it just for my sake. Oh, I love this place, and it’ll kill me to let it go. But I can’t sell now, not while Grandma’s alive. I owe her everything for taking me in. And I could never put her out of her house.”

He tried for a reasonable tone. “I’m not saying you should dump her on the street. But you could buy a condo, or maybe put her in a nursing home. It would be cheaper than maintaining this place.”

She shook her head. “I tried that. Well, not a nursing home exactly, but a day-care place for the elderly. It was after she got out of the hospital and I had to go back to work.

“It was awful. She didn’t understand where she was or why she had to go there. She cried when I dropped her off. And when we came home at night, she just sat in the sunroom for hours, rocking and clutching her quilts.

“She couldn’t cope with the change. Maybe because she’s always lived here, but mostly because of the accident. She doesn’t remember much anymore.”

She let out a heavy sigh. “Thank goodness for Lottie. I was so lucky to get her. I don’t know what I’d do if she left.”

Frustration knotted his gut. He understood her problem, but where did that leave her? Living in debt, in a dilapidated house, taking care of two old ladies?

That was typical of Erin, always helping everyone else. But who took care of her?

She shivered again and goose bumps rose on her arms. He jerked off his sweatshirt. “Here. Put this on.”

“Oh, no. Thanks, but—”

“For God’s sake. Put it on.” He pulled it over her head. Her hair caught under the sweatshirt and a few short wisps floated loose.

“But, Wade, I—”

“Just stick your damned hands through.” Did she have to argue everything? Couldn’t she let him help her for once?

She pushed her hands through the sleeves, then reached back to free her hair as he tugged the sweatshirt over her chest. His hands grazed her breasts and he heard her suck in her breath.

Their eyes locked and for several heartbeats neither moved. Tension drummed between them. The blood pulsed hard in his ears.

He dropped his gaze to her lips, her soft, full lips, and suddenly he wanted to kiss her. To weigh her breasts in his palms again, to feel her silky skin.

But he didn’t have that right. She didn’t belong to him and never would.

But was it wrong to seek her warmth, even just for a moment?

Reaching up, he traced the curve of her cheek with his hand and stroked the tender slope of her neck. Her eyes darkened and he swallowed hard. Surely one kiss couldn’t hurt.

He angled his head as her lashes closed, and brushed his lips across hers. She was so gentle, so sweet. When her arms tightened around his neck, he instinctively gathered her closer.

He traced the seam of her mouth with his tongue and entered when her moist lips parted. He felt her welcome, her acceptance. Desire surged with an intensity that shocked him.

But this was wrong. He shouldn’t touch her. He forced himself to pull back.

His breathing rasped loud in the silence. He knew he should drop his hands, step away. Stop clutching her hair and breathing her warm, sweet scent. Stop feeling her full breasts brushing his chest and her hips cradling his growing arousal.

But then she stroked his neck, sending pleasure shocking along his skin, and he found it hard to think.

“Wade,” she whispered with her siren’s voice. “Kiss me again.”

And he was lost. He couldn’t deny Erin, couldn’t resist her gentle plea.

With a groan, he lowered his head and gave in to his mounting hunger. He kissed her thoroughly this time, lengthening and deepening the kiss. Delving her warm, soft depths and losing himself to sensation. Exactly the way he’d longed to, the way he’d dreamed.

After an eternity he broke away. His heart rocketing, his blood slamming through his veins, he rained kisses along her neck and tasted the seductive heat of her skin.

“Wade,” she gasped, and the soft sound tore at his heart.

And his crumbling resistance shattered. He kissed her again, feverishly, while stark need clawed at his chest. Longing consumed him, a fierce and desperate yearning. A need only she could ease.

She was his home. Where he belonged. And God, it had been so long.

With hunger pounding his brain, he moved even closer and fitted himself to her warmth. A moan escaped her and he shuddered, knowing he was losing control.

And he finally answered the question that had plagued him for years. Teenage hormones hadn’t made that night fantastic; it had been Erin. Only Erin. He couldn’t delude himself ever again.

With hot need knotting his gut, he raised his head and looked around. He eyed the floor, the wall.

But this was Erin. He couldn’t treat her like that. But damned if he wasn’t tempted.

That thought stopped him cold. She wasn’t the type for casual sex. Hell, she wasn’t the type for him.

He was wrong for her and always had been. He couldn’t give her what she needed or what she deserved—a decent, settled man who’d stay in Millstown and raise a family.