She stroked his damp hair. Boldly playing with it, twisting a few strands around her finger. She knew what he was saying. For eleven years she had tried forgetting him. Like a potent virus, he'd remained inside her, relatively dormant until now.

"I don't know if I dare say this," she began, "but no man has ever made me feel the way you make me feel." She giggled. "Sounds cliché, huh? But it's true. That's probably why there've been so few in my life."

Grant had actually been her first, she mused, thinking that it was probably her own naiveté that had gotten her into trouble in the first place. But no longer was she that naive young woman. She knew exactly what she was doing. Falling in love with a man who could again easily break her heart. She shivered at the still possible disquieting prospect. He touched her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

She struggled to sit up. "Wrong?" She tried brushing the wet sand from her legs but without good result. The more she brushed, the more the wet sand stuck to the palms of her hands. Much like the stubborn chatter going on inside her mind. "There was a time when you'd share everything with me," he reminded her.

"Grant, that was so long ago."

"I know. But time doesn't have to change that. You've got this worried look on your face suddenly. I want to know why." "You want to know why. Do you always have to know everything about a person?"

"No, I don't always have to know. But it helps. I thought we were friends. And now lovers."

The word lovers left a bad taste in her mouth, much like biting into bitter tasting fruit. Its acrid taste coated her mouth. She sensed something giving way inside. Something most women gave away too easily-their independence and control. He sat up, drew up one knee and draped an arm over it. "I don't want to be your boss, or your mentor. I want us as equals. I want to share my life with you."

She turned and looked at him. "What are you saying?" In the moonlight she could see the paleness in his eyes. A trace of fear entered her. "What are you getting at?"

His eyes bore into her. "I know I'm jumping the gun, believing I have you back."

Unable to sit still, she struggled to her feet. Suddenly, she didn't want to hear what he had to say. Didn't need to hear it now. She tried to move away but he grabbed her hand, preventing her escape.

"Damn, Syd, don't go running away from me again." He gave a wry smile. "If I asked you to marry me, what would your answer be right now?"

"Marry you?" Unbelieving, she shook her head. "You're going too fast." Her knees were shaking and she didn't think that it was because of cool breezes drifting off the ocean. This was sudden insanity. "What are you doing, Grant? Testing me in some strange way? Playing with my emotions? You know damn well if you had asked me that eleven years ago, I wouldn't have hesitated to give you my answer. But now too much has changed!"