“We’d better head back before it gets too late,” she said quietly. Then he smiled openly, for no apparent reason. It took her breath away.

            “W-Why are you smiling at me?”

            “I just had a vision of you alone in your apartment, relaxing with a book. Probably a sappy romance.”

            Her eyes popped open in surprise. “So?” she replied defensively, taking a step back and stiffening her spine. Nathan’s smile grew even wider, irritating her beyond belief.

            “I knew it!”

            “What’s wrong with a little romance?” she asked, indignantly. “If men were more romantic, women would be less inclined to prove themselves worthy of their attention!”

            “Ahh, well then….”

            Turning toward the dirt shoulder, Nathan searched through the greenery for…something. Squinting, she saw him pick a few wild flowers. Candice smiled in contentment. Nathan was a true romantic at heart, if only he’d stop fighting it so much. Her heart felt light and giddy, reveling in the camaraderie and friendship developing between them. For the first time in her life, she had someone in her life that she could talk to, open her heart to.

            But the door to her heart stayed firmly shut for the time being. If Nathan broke her heart, she feared she would never open that door again.

            Candice watched closely as Nathan continued to search through the thick greenery. He found a small, purple blossom in mid-bloom. He bent over from the waist to pick it. With a mischievous grin, Candice ran over and gave his backside a good push, laughing with glee as he tumbled head first into the foot-tall grass. It immediately swallowed him.

            “You brat!” came the disembodied voice.

            Although he’d growled it, she could easily hear the laughter in his tone. It made her smile.

            “That’s what I get for being romantic,” he mumbled, leaping to his feet.

            Nathan quickly turned toward the sound of her echoing laughter. She was running in her full, knee-length skirt, treating him to enticing glimpses of her shapely legs. So, she wanted a chase, did she? He smiled wickedly. So be it.

            Waiting to give her more of a head start, he counted to five, then launched himself forward, running like the wind.

            Nathan kept a sharp eye open when she ran off the dirt road and into the tall standing thick foliage that was more wildly unkempt, in an effort, he guessed, to lose him. His smile grew. Her head of thick blonde curls stood out like a beacon.

            Pushing his speed a bit more, he came close enough and dove at her back, bringing them both down with a whoosh.

            Candice gasped for breath, laughing in abandon. “I’ve never done anything so foolish in all my life,” she said in between fits of laughter.

            Never had Nathan heard anything so beautiful, seen anything so beautiful, than Candice laughing and happy beneath him.

            Struggling to catch his own breath, he said, “It’s great, isn’t it?”

            Unconsciously, he threaded his fingers through the hair covering part of her face and combed it back, searching for her eyes. In the span of a heartbeat, their laughter faded. All that remained was a spark of excitement and the mix of their labored breathing.

            Her conscious said this was wrong, but she ignored it. A moment like this one would never come again. Raising her hand, Candice sampled the texture of Nathan’s lips, watching as they parted on a passionate gasp. Candice found his blue eyes. They’d darkened with desire and she welcomed it. The same burning need flowed in her own veins. Slowly, his head descended.

            The kiss wasn’t forceful or demanding. It was tender; it was beautiful. Nathan’s lips and tongue were exploring her mouth, teasing her senses. Pouring her heart and soul into the kiss, she was surprised to feel his hand kneading her breast gently and with great attention to detail: how it was shaped, its fullness, the location of her nipple at the crest. His touch drove her senses wild and she arched her back, encouraging him to do more.

            A moan worked its way past Candice’s parted lips when his hot mouth followed the trail of her neck, down to her aching breast. Feeling a coolness against her skin, she realized he must’ve undone the buttons to her blouse without her knowledge. She gasped and arched like a cat when his callused fingers reached under her bra and scorched her skin with his touch.

            It wasn’t until she felt the pressure of his firm thigh, sliding between her legs and up against her womanhood, that she snapped herself back into reality, leaving behind the wonderful haze of desire.

            “Oh, Nathan, please. I-I can’t--”

            “You want me, Candice. Don’t try to deny it. I can feel it here,” he touched her erect nipple. “And here,” he finished hoarsely, replacing his thigh with his large hand, cupping her apex and rocking against her slowly. Candice groaned and unconsciously moved against his hand, merging into the rhythm he’d created.

            He leaned down to whisper huskily in her ear, “You want me inside of you, filling you, making wild love to you. Even if your mind is saying no.”

            Her mind? Her engagement….

            Henry. Oh, God, how could she have forgotten?