Patrick caught her before she fell, her body so weak he almost had to hold her up.
When Linley’s spasms subsided, and she returned to the world of the living, where things like time and gravity still existed, she became aware of the way Patrick stared at her. He knelt, suspended in half-thrust behind her, his mouth agape. Linley tossed her hair back out of her eyes, turned her head to meet his, and muttered the very first thing that came to her mind.
“Don’t stop.”
***
Linley was surprised at the lack of blood. It was her understanding women bled significantly after their first time, but except for one red smear on the inside of her thigh, there was none.
Alone in her own room, she examined her body. The water from the pump was very cold, but she hadn’t bothered to heat it. She liked the shock of the freezing water against her bare skin. She splashed some on her face, and between her legs, wincing. Her body felt sore, but as many times as they made love that night, she wasn’t surprised.
Linley felt drained from it all, but was absolutely, deliciously happy. This was the adventure she’d been waiting for! This was her one chance at really living, and she had every intention of making it count.
After all, she was no longer a virgin. She had given her innocence away and could not take it back. Not that she wanted to—Linley had no regrets about the night before. She had only sweet memories and the prospect of many more ahead of her. But she did not make light of the situation. They took a very great risk. There would be consequences, no doubt. Linley only hoped they lay further down the road.
Much further.
***
In the courtyard below, Patrick sat in quiet meditation. For the very first time, his head was clear.
Nothing like an hour or two of sex to put everything back into perspective! He must have been very bad off, indeed. But that was not why he did it. Patrick knew it was more than mere desperation that led him to abandon his principles. To do the unthinkable.
Yet he thought about it plenty enough.
There had been no finagling. No seducing. Yes, he broke his own rule—to stay away from innocent young girls who always expected more than he could offer—but Patrick justified it by telling himself she practically forced him to do it. How many times had Linley begged him?
But that wasn’t entirely true. He wanted Linley just as badly as she wanted him. She was an amazing young woman. Not beautiful. Not even his type—if he actually had one—but there was something about her…
In truth, there were so many things about Linley Talbot-Martin that Patrick could not put a finger on just one of them. She was intelligent, but she was not cunning. She was witty, yet her jokes were never hurtful. She never did anything at anyone else’s expense. And she did not lie.
Most of all, she did not lie.
And while Patrick had to admit that Linley was no beauty, he found her irresistible. He loved her tangled hair, her gangly limbs, her flat bosom, her bony hips, and those ridiculous school-girl freckles spattered all over her face—and over a good deal more of her, if his memory served him right.
Patrick opened his eyes. It was a beautiful morning. The best morning he’d seen in years. Or, at least, the best one he actually bothered to pay attention to. He’d made plans earlier to hike up to the top of the mountain with Linley. The lama had told him that he should see it. The view, he said, was breathtaking. Sometimes all one needed was a different perspective.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
“Are you sure you feel up to it?” Patrick asked, staring at the winding path leading up the side of the mountain.
Linley fixed her eyes on it as well. “I am if you are.”
“Not too sore?”
She smiled, but did not blush. “Oh, I’m sore.”
Patrick held out his hand, and Linley took it. Together, they walked up the path. The morning mist clung to the mountain, shrouding the monastery. Trees grew fewer and far between the higher Patrick and Linley climbed. They could see the place where the waterfall dumped over the edge of one of the mountains. Someone had placed prayer wheels along the dirt path, and Linley gave them each a spin as she passed by.
Did she feel purified? Was she any closer to enlightenment?
No, Linley felt none of that. She only felt tired. So very tired.
“How much farther?” she asked.
Patrick looked up to see the tip of the mountain. “Are you bored of this already?”
She walked silently for a few steps, not knowing exactly what to say. Things were very different between them now. She felt a little nervous, a little shy. “Patrick, how are we supposed to act now? How should we behave toward each other?”
He squeezed her hand. “How do you want to act?”