Page 86 of Twice as Tempting

“I ate here last night, and the food was really good,” Damian said.

“I believe you. Everything looks delicious.”

They demolished their steak dinners in no time, but declined the waitress’s offer of dessert.

“We can have dessert when we get back to the cabin,” Damian said.

Kelly knew that he wasn’t talking about food, and the thought made her tingle all over. “But first, we have to stop at the store,” she reminded him.

They ended up at Walmart, which was just down the street from the restaurant. “Let me grab a shopping cart, just in case,” Kelly said.

Damian rolled his eyes, but he simply followed along as she went up and down the aisles, adding things to the cart. Kelly took some time selecting the requisite toothbrush and trial sizes of body wash, shampoo, and deodorant. Once they got to the “intimates” department, Damian perked up considerably. “How about if I pick out your underwear?” he suggested.

The poor man was so bored that she didn’t have the heart to argue. He proceeded to make a great show of holding up various lingerie items to see how they would look on her, and they received more than a few curious glances from nearby shoppers. After he had added three pairs of provocative panties, two see-through bras, and a silky red baby-doll set to the cart, Kelly put her hands on her hips in mock exasperation.

“All this for only one night?” she chided.

“We only have one more night here, but we’re going to have a lot of other nights together. I’m just stocking up.”

No argument there! “How about if we check out and go back to the cabin?” she said.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

They were mostly quiet on the drive back, each lost in their own thoughts yet hopefully on the same page. Kelly couldn’t wait to be alone with Damian again, snuggled up under the warm comforter with no distractions. Emma had been right. This impromptu getaway had turned out to be the best thing for them. Not that there wouldn’t be any more bumps in the road, but Kelly felt confident that their future looked much brighter. She had gained a much better understanding of the man beside her, and as long as he didn’t retreat from her again, they would be ok.

When they reached the cabin, Damian hauled in the bags containing Kelly’s overnight necessities and placed them on the kitchen counter. They had left one lamp on, which cast a dim glow in the dark room. Damian closed the curtains in the kitchen and living room, which were basically one and the same, while Kelly kicked off her shoes and took a seat on the sofa. He tried to hide his look of surprise when he came to sit beside her.

“I thought we could talk a little more first,” she explained. “But would you mind putting the heat up? It’s freezing in here!”

Damian chuckled as he heaved himself off the couch and went to adjust the thermostat on the wall. “It’ll be warmer in a few minutes,” he said. He sat back down and flung an arm over her shoulder, tucking her in close to his side. “In the meantime, you can share my body heat.”

“Thanks,” she said, leaning her head on his broad shoulder.

“So, what did you want to talk about? I could tell that there was something on your mind when we were driving.”

“There were a lot of things on my mind. All good,” she added when she noticed his look of concern.

Damian kissed the top of her head. “That’s a relief.”

She traced the outline of the words “Up North” on his sweatshirt, since she couldn’t get to his tattoo, and began to speak. “Have I ever told you how proud I am of you?”

Damian had been playing with a strand of her hair, and now he stilled. “Proud?”

“Um-hmm. Owning your own business is a huge undertaking. I know firsthand from working with Emma. A business owner never truly has time off. Even when she’s not at the bookstore, Emma is constantly working to keep her business running smoothly.”

“You deserve some of the credit for that too,” he said.

“I appreciate the compliment, but we’re talking about you. I just want you to know that I really respect what you’re doing, and I’m confident that your shop will be a success.” She glanced up at him then, and even though his face was in the shadows, she saw him swallow hard.

“Thanks, Kell,” he said, his voice full of emotion. “That means a lot to me.”

“Also, about Amanda, I’ve known other women like her, women who are more concerned with status and the size of their bank account than more important things like love and family. Please don’t ever mistake me for one of those women.”

Damian put a finger beneath her chin and tilted her face up. “No, baby. I don’t think of you like that.”

“Well, the other day, when I mentioned wanting certain things…”

Damian cupped her face with both hands and shook his head vehemently. “There was nothing wrong with what you said, Kell. It was my reaction that was wrong.”

Kelly had been trying hard to hold back her tears, but one slipped out and made a slow slide down her cheek.

“Oh, baby. Please don’t cry. I love you. Please.”

Kelly swiped the tear away, but another one took its place. “I love you too, Damian. And I need you to believe that it’s you I love and not what you can give me.”

“I do know. I can see it in your eyes and in your smile. I can feel it every time you touch me. I just don’t understand how I got this lucky. How someone so beautiful, and strong, and intelligent could love someone like me.”

Does he still not get it? Kelly had tried telling him with words, but now it was time for a new tactic, one that her man of action would surely understand. “Let me show you. Take me to bed, Damian.”

And he did.