Her eyes widened. “It’s true. How did you know?”
“Because we’re soul mates.” He pressed a kiss to her eyelid. “And these eyes. Others only see eyes so green, they put the waters of Lake Michigan to shame. But I see old pain in their depths, along with honesty. Integrity.”
He’d seen her pain. The truth of that statement pierced her heart.
He brushed his lips over her forehead, the curve of her cheek. “Your skin is so flawless, makeup would be an insult. And this mouth.” He covered it with his own and murmured, “I love kissing your mouth, Sidney. I’ll never have enough of it. Or of you.”
On a sigh he took the kiss deeper, then deeper still. And then there were no more words needed between them as he showed her, with soft sighs and tender touches, all the things that he was feeling.
At a movement beside her, Sidney stirred. “Did I fall asleep?”
“Only for a few minutes.” Adam gathered her into his arms and carried her to the sofa. “You’re cold. I’ll get a fire going.”
She seemed surprised to discover that she’d been lying naked beside him, with only their clothing and a rug to cushion them.
He settled her on the sofa and wrapped her in an afghan before crossing the room to stir the coals on the hearth and add a log. Instead of returning to her side he rummaged in the refrigerator. A short time later he set two mugs of hot chocolate on the coffee table and handed one to her before sitting down beside her.
She offered him part of the afghan, draping it around his shoulders. “I’m not accustomed to being waited on.”
He shot her a grin. “I can see that. You’re used to doing things for yourself.”
“Do you think there’s something wrong with that?”
He shook his head. “Not at all. It’s been my rule of thumb for most of my life.” He gave her a sideways glance. “We’re a lot alike, Sidney. Loners, content with our own company. Workaholics, with no sense of time or place.”
She smiled. “I hadn’t thought of that. And here I was thinking how different we are.”
“In what way?”
“You’re at home anyplace in the world. I’m only happy when I’m here in Devil’s Cove. You willingly put yourself in harm’s way for the sake of your job. I’m the biggest coward in the world. I can’t imagine having the courage to face down danger, not just once but over and over again.”
“You’re talking about guns and bombs and land mines. But what about the perils of everyday life? There are different degrees of danger, Sidney. You never know how much courage you have until you’re called upon to face a challenge.”
She was already shaking her head. “My life here in Devil’s Cove seems like a piece of cake next to yours. I’ll take the dangers of living here over wars and rebel uprisings in some faraway country any day.”
He took her empty mug from her hand and set it down beside his before gathering her into his arms. Against her lips he muttered, “Enough talk about how alike or different we are. Here’s one thing we can absolutely agree on.”
Whatever she’d been about to say was gone from her mind in an instant. With one kiss, one touch, she welcomed the tug of sexual desire as she lost herself in the pleasure he offered.
Sidney lay very still, wondering for a moment where she was. Then it came rushing back to her. The night of loving, the whispered words of endearment, the passion, the tenderness.
Sometime during the night she and Adam had tired of their cramped quarters on the sofa and had run, holding hands and laughing like loons, to her bedroom. Without bothering to turn on a light, using just the faint glow of the fireplace, they’d tumbled into bed. Afterward, there had been little time for words. Lost in the wonder of their newly discovered passion, they’d been insatiable.
Sidney yawned and stretched, then went very still as she realized she was alone in bed. She fought a wave of disappointment, until she heard the outer door open and close and heard Adam’s deep voice. In reply, the cabin was filled with Picasso’s yelp of pleasure and Toulouse’s answering meow.
Moments later the bedroom door opened and Adam stepped in, carrying a tray.
“Oh, Adam.” Sidney sat up, shoving a tangle of hair from her eyes. “Is that coffee I smell?”
“It is. I was hoping you were awake.” He set the tray on the night table and settled himself on the edge of the bed before covering her mouth with his. Though he kept the kiss light, they both felt the familiar jolt and moved apart reluctantly.
“What’s this?” He grinned at the way she was holding the sheets almost to her chin. “It’s a little late for modesty, don’t you think?”
She laughed. “I suppose so. But I don’t see you walking around in your birthday suit.”
“That’s because it was cold when I woke up. I pulled on my shirt and pants for warmth until I could get the fire going. Besides, one of us has to be sensible. Poor Picasso and Toulouse were desperate to get outside for a morning run. And while I was up, I decided to make breakfast.”
She glanced at the tray. “Careful. I may start to like being pampered.”
“I’m not being entirely selfless.” He wiggled his eyebrows and lowered his voice to a mock villain’s purr. “I’m hoping you’ll be so grateful, you’ll throw yourself into my arms and let me have my way with you.”
She lowered her head and batted her eyelashes. “Would you like my gratitude before I eat, or after?”
“I’ll wait until you’re fed, so you have more stamina.”
“A very smart man.”
“I do my best.” He climbed into bed beside her, then settled the tray between them.
As Sidney helped herself to scrambled eggs and bit into cinnamon toast, she couldn’t hold back her little sigh of approval. “I believe you’ve just earned a very special debt of gratitude, Mr. Morgan.”
His grin was quick and dangerous. “Eat faster, Ms. Brennan. I’m not sure I can wait much longer to see what you have in mind.”
After several more bites, their food was forgotten as they fell laughing into each other’s arms. Within minutes the laughter had been replaced with ragged breathing and hot, hungry kisses as they took each other on another breathless roller-coaster ride.
Adam opened the bedroom drapes and peered out at the leaden sky. “Looks like rain.”
Sidney sat back against the pillows, feeling pleasantly sated. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d enjoyed such a lazy morning. “Then I guess I won’t be working outside today.”
“Me, either.” He turned to her with a wicked grin. “But I’m sure we can find something entertaining to do indoors.”
“You’re incorrigible.” She was laughing as he moved around her room, seeing it in the light for the first time.
It was nearly as big as the rest of the cabin combined, with a stone fireplace dominating one wall. The furniture was simple. Besides the bed there was a small sofa and footstool positioned near the fire, and an antique desk and chair beneath one large window.
Adam studied the framed picture that stood on the mantel and carefully schooled his features before turning to her. “Is this a wedding photograph?”
Her gaze flew to the picture and then to his face. “Actually, it’s an almost wedding photo.”
“Almost?” He picked it up to study it closer. It was then that he realized the man in the tuxedo and the very young Sidney in her wedding gown were seated on a bed.
She spoke slowly, haltingly, as though measuring each word for fear of choking on it. “His name is Curt Mayhue. We met in college and were instantly attracted. I was a student and he was revered as the finest, and youngest, art instructor on campus. When we learned that his health was seriously deteriorating, we decided to move ahead quickly with our decision to marry and follow our dreams, foolishly believing, I suppose, that love would conquer all and be enough to give us our happy end
He heard the thread of pain beneath the words. “He didn’t rally?”
She swallowed hard. “Curt died
before we could actually speak our vows.”
“Oh, baby.” He set aside the picture and crossed to her. Gathering her close he pressed his mouth to her temple. “I can imagine how it hurt.”
She couldn’t hide the tears. They spilled silently down her cheeks. “I’ve never talked about it out loud before.”
“Not even to your family?”
She shook her head. “At first it was too painful. And then, when I returned to Devil’s Cove, we all tiptoed around it, afraid of opening up old wounds.”
He held her as gently as fragile glass, allowing her to weep against his chest. When at last she took a long, deep sigh, he held her a little away. “You mentioned a return to Devil’s Cove. Is that after you lived in Tuscany?”
She nodded. “I tried to live out the dreams we’d planned together, until I realized they wouldn’t work for me. So I came home to pursue my own.”
He framed her face and brushed soft kisses over her eyes, her nose, her lips. “Has anyone told you what a smart woman you are?”
“Yeah.” She drew in a shuddering breath. “That’s me. Smart Sidney Brennan, who has to learn everything the hard way.”
“And what have you learned about Sidney Brennan?”
She thought a minute before saying haltingly, “That she can be alone and like it. That immersing herself in her work can make time pass, even if it sometimes moves at the pace of a snail.” Sidney took a deep breath and spoke quickly, before she could lose her nerve. “That she can have her heart broken and survive.”
“You’re not only gorgeous and talented, Sidney Brennan, but also exceptionally smart.” He kept his hands on either side of her face as he lowered his mouth to hers. “Maybe things learned the hard way are remembered longest. I know I’ll never forget this night. Or the woman I spent it with.”
This time he drew out the kiss until they were both struggling for breath.
“I think,” he muttered thickly, “we’re about to skip lunch and dinner completely and go right to dessert.”
“You don’t talk about your family, Adam.” Sidney looked at their linked hands, enjoying the pleasant glow from their lovemaking. “Do you have any?”
He nodded. “A kid sister. She’s married, living in Georgia with her husband and three kids now.”
“Your parents?”
“My dad died when I was ten. My mother passed away six years ago. I lived with her for a couple of years after my dad’s death, until she decided that I needed a father figure and sent me to live with my uncle, my father’s brother.”
“Did you mind?”
“Not really. I felt closer to him than I did to the man my mom married shortly after that. When they sold the family house in Florida, nothing ever seemed like home again.”
Sidney tried to imagine being without a home. It would be like finding herself without a port in a storm. Without a safe refuge from the slings and arrows of life. It was simply impossible to contemplate.
“Is that why you took a job that sends you all over the world?”
“Could be. I’ve never really thought about it. I’ve always been driven to see new places, try new things. But I suppose it’s easier for someone like me, who’s not constantly yearning for something safe and familiar back home.” Because old habits were hard to break, he switched the topic of conversation as easily as he would a light switch. “Tell me about your days as an art student.”
Sidney sighed. “Those were glorious days. I was finally beginning to see the long road toward my goal.”
“You always knew you’d be an artist?”
She nodded. “It’s all I’d ever wanted. My family encouraged me. And then, with Curt’s prodding, I started to blend my goals with his.” She found it so liberating to finally be able to speak of those days, and her life with Curt. After holding it all inside for so long, the words came tumbling out. “I was young and impressionable. He was my mentor, my teacher, as well as the first real love of my life, and I was overwhelmed, not only by his attention but by his amazing talent.”
“Pretty heady stuff for a college student.”
“It was.” She found herself relieved that Adam understood. “It all happened so quickly, there was never time to sort it out. And then, just as quickly, Curt was gone, and I was alone before I’d even had a chance to live as his wife. I was grieving, but not as a widow. I was still Sidney Brennan, aspiring artist, with her whole life ahead of her. And yet, I felt as though I had nothing left to look forward to. Gradually I realized that you don’t get over something like that. You just move on.”
“A hard lesson.” He lifted her hand to his mouth. “And yet you survived.”
She traced a fingertip along the scar that ran in a jagged line across his shoulder and down his torso. “We’re both survivors. This had to be a nightmare.”
He attempted to shrug it off. “At least I lived. The ambassador and his assistant weren’t as lucky.”
“Can you tell me about it?”
He was silent for so long, Sidney thought he might refuse to speak of it.
“Understand, some of it is still a blur. There are bits and pieces missing from my memory.” He took a breath, as though gathering his recollection. “I wasn’t supposed to be there. Another photographer for WNN was supposed to be covering the arrival of the ambassador, but at the last minute he called in sick, and since I was in New York anyway, I dashed across town to cover it. I was just turning away after videotaping their departure from the UN when the car bomb exploded. It was so powerful, I could feel the street shuddering. I knew I ought to get as far away, and quicklys I could. Everyone else was smart enough to do just that. But my mind had gone into autopilot, and instead of running, I stayed and snapped as many photos as I could until a second explosion erupted. That time, I wasn’t so lucky. I was hit by the debris, and the next thing I knew I was being rushed by ambulance to a hospital.” He gave a dry laugh. “I was still snapping pictures until I lost consciousness.”
“Oh, Adam. How terrifying.” Sidney pressed a kiss to the scar. “I can’t bear to think about the pain you must have suffered.”
“It’s over, Sidney. At least most of it.” He drew her into the circle of his arms. “And to think I fought against taking sick leave. I’d convinced myself that spending time in Devil’s Cove would drive me around the bend.” He kissed her, slow and deep. Against her lips he whispered, “Now it’s the beautiful woman in my arms who’s sending me around the bend.”
She sighed. “I’m happy to oblige. Just doing my part to assist in your therapy.” Her sigh turned into a little moan of pleasure as he moved his mouth lower, then lower still.
Then there were no more words between them as they slipped away to another world.
“What are you painting?” Adam was standing in the center of the room, his camera focused on Sidney, who was above him in the loft.
In the background, her grandmother’s album was playing. The score from Camelot. When he’d first heard the old, unfamiliar songs, he’d thought them far too sugary. Now, as the words played softly, he found himself humming along. It was a grand and heartbreakingly sad and complex love story.
“A hawk.” She stood at her easel, palette in hand, mixing paints and dabbing them on the canvas. She was dressed in a pair of faded denims and a candy-striped shirt that had seen better days. Her hair hung long and loose to her waist. Her head was tipped up, her eyes focused on the hawk gliding in slow, even circles just above the treetops visible outside the skylights.
“You’re a photographer’s dream, Sidney.”
She glanced down at him absently. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing. Go on about your business, and I’ll do the same.” He studied her through the viewfinder, and waited for her to return her attention to the canvas.
It didn’t matter what she wore, or how she fixed her hair, or in this case, didn’t fix it. Whether dressed in elegant clothes, as she’d been for her family’s Sunday brunch, or in today’s paint-spattere
d work clothes, she was the image of classic beauty. It was simply impossible for her to look anything but spectacular in a photograph. Which was why he continued snapping until he’d completed another roll of film. He was driven to capture her in all her many moods, just as the song expressed. How could he leave her in spring, summer, winter or fall, when each of them seemed to bring out another hidden facet of her beauty?
He set aside his camera and stowed the used film in his duffel. A glance at his watch had him looking out the window in surprise. Where had the day gone? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so distracted that an entire day had come and gone without a desire to leave the confines of four walls.
Seeing that Sidney was still absorbed in her canvas, he walked to the kitchen and began checking out something to fix for dinner.
An hour later, after cleaning her brushes in the shed out back, Sidney stepped inside the cabin and breathed deeply. “What is that wonderful smell?”
“I’m roasting a chicken with sage dressing.”
“You’re…” A wide smile curved her lips. “You’re going to feed me again?”
“I love feeding you.” Adam caught her hands.
“Only because you like the way I show my gratitude.”
“There is that.” He drew her close and brushed a kiss over her lips. “If you’d like to do so now, I believe we have time. The chicken needs at least another hour.”
“Bless that chicken.” She was laughing as she led the way to her bedroom.
In the doorway she paused. The bed linens had been turned down invitingly. A cozy fire burned on the grate.
She turned to Adam, standing behind her, who’d been watching her reaction. Without a word she went to him.
As she reached for the buttons of her shirt he shook his head and lifted his hands to hers. “Let me.”
He took his time undressing her, and let her do the same with him. Together they slipped into bed. With long, unhurried kisses they took each other, feeling the need gradually build from heat to inferno. Like two old lovers who had all the time in the world, they drew out each pleasure, lingered over each kiss, each touch, until at last they came together, warmed not only by the fire that blazed on the hearth, but also by the flame that burned hot and bright in their hearts.
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