Page 108 of Her Reluctant Hero
The two of them hadn’t known each other a full day before they’d started ripping each other’s clothes off. Not everyone could say their first time was at Machu Picchu. He’d never known a more passionate woman in his life, a more generous one. “How can that be?”
“I was a married woman.” She smiled wanly.
Adrian couldn’t wrap his mind around it. “And he proposed without, you know?”
She nodded, that Mona Lisa smile curving her lips. “I’m not a kid anymore. I’ve learned how to control my urges.”
“Yeah, but—” Sex had been so much a part of their relationship, he couldn’t imagine being in love with someone without it.
Which was why he hadn’t had a relationship since she’d left.
“Jonathan—he’s not like us. He’s steady and patient and reserved.”
He dragged a hand over his hair as he gathered the courage to pursue his thoughts. “You fell in love with that.”
Her expression gentled, like she didn’t want to hurt him. “I felt like I needed the balance.”
After him, she meant. They were too much alike, except when it came to what they each wanted. He knew what he wanted, what he needed, but had no idea about Mallory’s wishes anymore.
He changed the subject. “You want to go over the dive plan?”
Her look changed to one of pity, as if she had to explain something again and again to a child who couldn’t understand. “Adrian, I can’t stay.”
Was that a touch of sadness in her voice, or was he only hoping?
Her tone became brisk. “In fact, if you’ll let me use the satellite phone, I should tell him I’m coming in tomorrow.”
“The possessive sort, is he?” He tried to imagine this man who worked in an office, wore suits and didn’t go crazy because he wasn’t making love to Mallory. No picture came to mind.
“He was worried about me coming down here.”
“Thinks I’ll steal you back, does he?” It was rather pleasant being on the envied end of things.
She smiled and trailed her fingers through the sand. “No worries about that.”
“Ah. He’s heard all about me, then.”
The smile vanished. “He was my best friend after we split.”
The old confidante-to-lover ploy. “So he knows all my faults, I’m sure. That should put his mind at ease.”
“It should. Except he remembers how over the top in love I was with you, even then.”
Adrian was glad her attention had drifted to the waves because he felt all the blood rush from his head at her proclamation. The things they’d said to each other before it ended—he would have never expected to hear them from someone who loved him, and he sure as hell should never have said them to someone he loved.
If he’d known, he’d have tried harder to work things out, though she’d made it clear she wanted him gone. After he’d hurt her, he knew he needed to go.
“But that’s over now.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t be marrying him if I still loved you.” Now she did stand, brushing sand off her bottom. “If I don’t see you in the morning, thank you for letting me dive today. It meant a lot. Good night.”
A crash of thunder woke Mallory. She heard the sporadic splatter of raindrops against the roof of the tent before a gust of wind rattled the canvas walls and the sky opened up.
She lifted her head and looked around. No Linda. Big surprise. She’d probably trotted over to Adrian’s tent as soon as Mallory was asleep. Perhaps the two of them were snuggling up cozy against the rain, the way she and Adrian once had.
Pushing that picture aside, Mallory reached for her duffel on the camp stool at the end of her cot and pulled out her slicker, just in case the tent didn’t hold.
Usually she loved sleeping in the rain. Now she stretched and tried to convince herself her tent wouldn’t blow away. She’d pretend she was lying in her little house. But four solid walls and a roof that leaked when it rained hard enough was different from being in a tent with rippling walls and a sagging, though so far watertight, ceiling.
