When the Heart Falls

Now she's crossing her arms over her chest. "You don't think we can make it work."

I prop a pillow under my head and close my book, holding the page I was on. "I don't know. But I wonder… with every touch, every future promise, I wonder… if we can’t make it work, is it better for our relationship to die a slow death, or a fast one?"

"A fast one."

"You decided that a little too quickly."

She rolls her eyes. "I'm sorry. Are you hurt?"

I hold up my thumb and index finger with a sliver of light between them. "Un petit peu." A little bit.

Jumping up from the desk chair, she flops on the bed next to me, smiling. "Cade. You spoke French! This means anything can happen."

The air between us sizzles with sexual tension that never seems to leave. "Even us?"

"Especially us." She kisses the tip of my nose. Not exactly what I had in mind. "Don't worry," she says, "I'll carry your heart forever in my pocket, and we'll always be together."

"That's romantic." I scowl. "And creepy. Definitely creepy."

"You're right," she says, scooting closer to me as her hands run up my abs. "Remind me to edit that out of my novel."

"Will do. Am doing. There, you've been reminded."

She sticks her tongue out. "Screw you."

"Is that a thank you? Because I can think of better things to do with that tongue." My pants tighten in response to that thought, not to mention her hands on me.

She scowls, trying to look tough. "Just screw you."

"Screw you again? Are you trying to seduce me, Winter Deveaux?" I grab her, pulling her onto me as I lay flat on my back.

Her little fists pound into my chest. "You wish."

"With all my heart. I'd make a thousand cranes—"

She stops her futile punches and props herself up on her elbows. "Why cranes?"

"An ancient Japanese legend," I say. "If you make a thousand paper cranes your wish will come true."

Moving off of me—and my hard on—she stands and crosses back to the desk in our hotel room. "You should do that," she says.

"Too lazy. Sorry."

"I found an architecture contest for you to enter." She hands me a piece of paper.

I take the application, but don't read it. "Thanks, but I'm not ready."

"Of course you are. I've seen your work. You're brilliant."

I set it on the dresser next to the bed. "Not as brilliant as you think. Trust me. I'm the one studying this stuff."

A few minutes later she hands me another sheet of paper. "How about this one? It's only for students."

"Cause the pros are too good."

Now she's cocking her hip to one side, her skirt hiking up a fraction. "Don't be like that. If you win, you'll make some good money. And once we save up, we can get a place together."

"I can't enter," I explain. "I'm a novice."

"You studied."

"General Ed."

She points at me. "And on your own time."

"My dad didn't exactly encourage my pursuits."

Her mouth puckers in frustration. "It doesn't hurt to try."

I skim the application. "It costs money to enter."

"Then I'll pay," she says.

"No. You won't.” I crumple up the paper and throw it in the trash.

"You should recycle."

"Dag nab it." I retrieve the application and toss it into recycling.

She slides back into bed on her knees, her cleavage tempting. "You know, things do work out sometimes. Good things do happen."

"I don't deserve good things. I don't deserve you."

"Of course not." She grins.

I reach for her. "But I want you."

She pulls away, wagging her finger with a teasing smile. "Better start folding cranes."



Winter's warm body next to me is the first thing I notice when I wake the next morning. "Howdy."

She looks up from her laptop, a beautiful smile on her face. "I finished my rewrite."

I shift and sit up, ignoring the desire to throw her computer off the bed and reenact the dream I was just having of her. "Let me read."

"Later. I'm sending it to Monsieur Bellugue first."

"Is he my competition?"

Winter kisses me, and I taste her toothpaste. "You have none," she says.

"Let's go on a road trip,” I say, the idea sudden and perfect. “We can travel over Northern France and fill these days with memories, amazing memories, wonderful memories. And then, when we think back on this time, we'll remember a lifetime of adventure. And we'll never forget." And if this is all we have, if all of our planning doesn’t lead to the outcome we want, then we’ll have this, and it will be the best memories of our lives.

She smiles, no longer shy about her nakedness around me. "Let's go.” She puts down her laptop and leans over me, her breasts grazing my chest and making other parts of my body stand at attention. She notices and kisses me again. “We need more memories together."