He was pleased by her answer, but even more so by the way she looked at him when she said so.
“There’s only another hour or two of daylight left. Would you like to stay for a bit or head back?”
“I’d like to stay for as long as possible, if it’s alright with you.”
He was hoping she’d say that. He was in no hurry to leave. Hell, if she asked him to pitch a tent and stay out here all night he would have probably agreed. He couldn’t remember when the last time was he had enjoyed someone’s company quite so much. Usually he had to choose between doing something enjoyable – like fishing and spending time outdoors – or spending time with someone else. With Rebecca, he got to do both, though he knew which one he enjoyed more.
“You got it. Mind if I fish a bit yet?”
“Not if you promise to watch the sunset with me.”
In the dappled sunlight, her hair glowed softly and her eyes sparkled. She looked so beautiful. Radiant. And happy. Truly, genuinely happy. The strangest thing? So was he. No, he was more than happy. He was content. At peace.
“It’s a deal,” he said.
*
The sunset was spectacular, filled with deep hues of fiery reds and oranges. It was the perfect end to a perfect afternoon. Away from the world, just the two of them. And she hadn’t once felt her normal compulsion to do anything besides relax, read, and glance at Kane every few minutes. Or seconds, as it was. It was necessary to convince herself that she wasn’t dreaming it all. She pinched herself often. At one point she considered pinching him as well, but her common sense prevailed.
It was with more than a little regret that she helped fold the quilt and pack everything back into the truck.
“Kane?” she asked as they made their way down towards the town. Maybe it was the wonderful day she’d had, but the twinkling lights against the velvety blackness of the night sky looked especially pretty.
“Hmm?” His quiet hum resonated through her. The truck’s cab was filled with his unique clean, masculine scent, now enhanced with fresh air, water, and sunshine. It had an almost lazy, satisfied quality to it that was completely in sync with the way she was feeling. Had she been a cat she was sure she would be purring.
“Do you think maybe we could do this again sometime?”
Kane glanced over at her. “I’d like that.”
“Me, too.”
When he dropped her off that night, she was still beaming. She briefly considered kissing him again, but decided against it. He hadn’t minded the last time she’d snuck a quick peck to his cheek, but she could tell by the way his eyes followed her every movement he was wondering whether she was going to make another attempt.
“Goodnight, Kane,” she said softly, fighting off the urge to do just that. “Thank you for a wonderful afternoon.”
“Goodnight, Rebecca. And you’re welcome.”
Rebecca slipped inside Aidan’s townhouse and closed the door, sighing heavily. She was proud of the restraint she had shown. The next time they kissed, if they ever did, it would be because he initiated it.
Chapter Nine
Spending time with Rebecca, Kane quickly decided, was addicting. She took pleasure in the simplest of things. They made it back to the falls once more, but it became more difficult for him to keep his distance when the weather took a decided turn for the colder. One look at Rebecca shivering conjured up all sorts of inappropriate ways to warm her.
One evening they stayed in and watched a movie, though he couldn’t have told anyone the first thing about it; he’d been too intent on watching her, on feeling the brush of her legs against him every time she shifted on the sofa. Sometimes it was simply a matter of him offering her a ride to the home center, the book store (her favorite), or the farmer’s market. It didn’t matter – not to her and not to him. The plain fact was that they enjoyed each other’s company no matter what they were doing.
He loved that she didn’t seem to want anything from him besides his company. When he did bring her something, some small little token, she reacted as if Christmas came early. She didn’t expect conversation, though in truth she was probably the only person he’d ever met who tended to talk less than him. That was okay; the silence between them was a comfortable one.