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‘I like you, Jo. I like you a lot. And, yes, I want to make love with you. But you deserve more than that.’
Yeah, right. Blah, blah, blah.
‘I want more than that.’
She frowned. That wasn’t part of the usual routine. Where was he going with this?
He bumped her shoulder gently with his. ‘I want more than that with you, Jo.’
She blinked. She blinked at the beach, at a flock of seagulls, at the field of native grass.
‘Are you ever going to look at me?’
She turned to meet his gaze—his deadly earnest and vulnerable gaze. She had to swallow before she could speak. ‘You’re saying... Are you saying you want to pursue a relationship with me?’
‘Yes.’
Something inside her started to sing.
‘But...’ he added.
The singing stopped. A weight dropped down on her. She swung back to face the front.
‘For heaven’s sake, Jo, I’m not trying to blow you off. I’m trying to tell you how I mean to go forward from here. I...I understand that I might not figure in your plans for the future, and that just because a relationship with you is what I want, it doesn’t mean you’re going to fall in line with me.’
She had to look at him. She couldn’t help it.
He was glaring down at his clenched fists, the pulse at the side of his jaw was throbbing, and his mouth was pressed into a thin line. This man... Her heart gave a giant kick. This man was tied up in knots. Over her!
She swallowed. ‘You know I want you, Mac.’
Blue eyes lasered into hers.
‘And I suspect you know that I like you too?’
He gave a cautious nod.
‘So keep talking—because, believe me, I’m all ears.’
He straightened, and then he smiled, and it pierced through to the centre of her.
He reached out and took her hand, wrapped it between both his own. ‘There are some things I need to clear up before I’m free to follow my heart.’
‘Ethan?’
‘I need to make sure he’s okay. I need to help him in any way I can.’
He wouldn’t be the man he was if he didn’t want that. She wouldn’t like him half so much otherwise. Like? Oh, yes, she liked him a lot. A whole lot. And in this particular moment that thought didn’t scare her.
‘I have to go see him.’
Wow. She straightened.
‘I mean to leave tomorrow. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone.’ His hand tightened about hers. ‘I’m not sure...’
‘You’re not sure...?’ she pressed when he hesitated.
‘If you’re prepared to wait.’ He stared at their interlaced hands. ‘I don’t know if you’re prepared to wait until I return from seeing him. I’m not sure you’re prepared to wait and see what my life and career may or may not develop into.’ He lifted his gaze to hers, his eyes dark. ‘Before the accident I could’ve offered you the world. But now, Jo, I don’t have anything solid to offer you.’
She didn’t need anything solid. ‘I’ll wait until you return from seeing Ethan.’ A grin broke through her. ‘I mean someone needs to keep an eye on Bandit. After that we can take it step by step.’
Once Mac and Ethan had settled on a plan of action, then she and Mac could look to the future. Their future.
He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss into her palm, his lips firm and warm. ‘Thank you.’
Something inside her soared free then. She had a feeling the only thing that kept her anchored to the ground was Mac’s touch.
They should go inside and start cooking. Knowing Mac, he’d have chosen something that would take ages to prepare, but she didn’t have the heart—or the strength—to break the spell that wove around them. She imagined that in years to come she’d remember sitting here with him like this, holding hands in the mild winter sunlight, with the sound of the surf in her ears and the promise of their future in front of them.
‘What are you hoping will happen with Ethan?’ she finally asked.
‘That he’ll work on a couple of projects with me when he’s ready to.’
‘That sounds nice.’
‘I’ll move back to the city so we can do that. And so I can see you.’
‘That sounds even nicer.’ She tightened her hand in his. ‘So far it sounds as if we’re on the same page.’
He pressed another kiss into her palm. She wished he’d kiss her properly, but she knew why he didn’t. If they kissed they’d lose control.
‘I bless the day you came here, Jo. You’ve made me see possibilities I hadn’t considered.’
She leaned against him, relishing his warmth and strength. ‘You were grieving. You were mourning the life you’d had that was suddenly snatched away, and you were mourning for Ethan and his life too. Grief is a process, and you’re finding a way through it.’
