Picnic in Someday Valley (Honey Creek #2)(67)

He sat on the other side of the bed and leaned his head against the headboard. “Glad to see you’ve made yourself at home. I love these sleepovers we’re getting into.”

She didn’t say a word, so he drank the cocoa and turned out the lights. He tugged off his boots and shirt and got under the covers.

After a few minutes she pulled his arm toward her and cuddled her body around it.

“You awake, koala bear?”

“I’m awake,” she answered.

“Did you forget something?”

“No. I don’t think so.”

“Well, unless I’ve lost all sense of feeling in my arm, you forget your red pajamas.” He rolled slightly toward her and ran his free hand down her entire body. Her skin was so soft.

“I need you to hold me.”

He swallowed hard. “I’m afraid I’d like to do much more than that.”

She wiggled closer, making him groan. “I was thinking the same thing.”

Brand didn’t know what to do. His mind was telling him one thing. She was afraid. Maybe she just wanted to thank him? Maybe she was bored? Maybe she didn’t want to be alone and any man would do right now?

Then there was his body that was all in for adventure, passion.

“Are you sure about this, Marcie?”

“I wouldn’t be naked if I wasn’t. I want to sleep in your arms with nothing between us. We can go back to be kissing friends later.”

He still didn’t move. “I . . . I . . .”

She rose on one elbow. “Is something wrong? Are you broken, maybe from the army? I saw the scars on your back. Do you have scars I haven’t seen? Oh, Brand, I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not broken.” He could barely form words as he stared at her body.

She flopped on her back. “You don’t want me. I thought from those kisses that you did. I’m fine if you just want to be friends. I’ll get up and put my pajamas on.”

“I want you, honey.”

She rolled back on her elbow, her breast pushing into his side. “I give up. Why are we hesitating?”

Brand was glad the room was dark. He had a feeling he was blushing for the first time in years. “I . . . I . . .”

“You’ve already said that part,” she reminded him.

“I don’t do this kind of thing very often.”

“Sex?”

Even in the dark he could feel her looking at him as if he was an alien. “Yeah, sex.”

“When was the last time? I know you’re a quiet man, but I figured you talked sometimes. With your body you wouldn’t have to talk much to get a girl to go home with you.”

“I don’t want to talk about it now.” He tried to pull away but her grip was still around his arm.

“Why? Were you hurt badly by a woman? Did she break your heart? Believe me, you’ll heal.”

He thought of a girl in high school. They’d kind of learned about sex together. He’d asked her to wait for him when he joined up, but she didn’t. By the time he got home he hadn’t cared. He was on another path by then.

“That was part of it, but I don’t think my heart was involved at eighteen,” Brand said honestly. “Once I healed from being shot, all I wanted to do was fight, and the career I chose kept me busy. In my job in the army and afterwards, I traveled. No time to date.”

He brushed her hair back away from her face. “I’m not the kind of guy who does one-night stands. I want it to mean something. I want to care about the woman I make love to. The few times I didn’t follow my rules, the sex was great but afterwards I felt hollow inside. Or, I walked away and probably hurt someone. I didn’t like that.”

Marcie sat up. A tiny sliver of sunshine from a slit in the curtains played off her beautiful breasts. “Are you saying you don’t want to sleep with me?”

“No, I do. I just want you to know I may be a bit rusty.”

She didn’t move. “Are you saying you care about me?”

“Yes. I’ve loved you for a long time. I just didn’t know how to say it. If we do this I’m not just playing around. This is no one-night stand. This the start of something that might last forever.”

Marcie let go of his arm and jumped off the bed.

Brand watched her stomp around the room looking for her clothes. She was cussing the world and her bad luck. She was breathtaking.

Finally, she whirled at him. “I should have known better than to get involved with you, Brandon Rodgers. I knew from the start that you were too good for me. I should have seen the signs. You never felt me up or asked to borrow money. You never hinted about what we might do if you had me alone.”

She glared at him. “You probably don’t even know how to talk dirty. You even slept with me and just slept. I should have spotted the signs of crazy.”

Brand turned on the lamp by the bed so he could see her better. “You’re mad at me for caring about you?”

She pulled on her jeans, forgetting underwear, and found one boot. She thumped around looking for the other leather boot. “I’ve got along just fine for years without anyone caring for me. Every time a man says he loves me, the next thing I remember him saying is goodbye.”

She picked up her other boot and threw it at him.