Page 42 of Always

“Not until five p.m. I’ve got a car meeting me at the hotel at two thirty.”

“Okay. What would you like to do until then?”

I burn my gaze into her, knowing she can read my mind.

“Not here,” she says under her breath, though she doesn’t need to be so cautious. Her mother escaped the kitchen as soon as she served breakfast. Maggie seems off this morning, though how would I truly know? I’d bet she and Skye had words earlier, but what about?

About why Skye is here?

About why I’m here?

I don’t know when I’ll be able to return to Skye’s stomping grounds, so I want to learn what I can while I’m here.

“Show me around,” I say.

“Why? You’ve seen the house. And the cornfields are huge, but if you see one acre, you’ve seen them all.”

I reach toward her, trail a finger over her forearm. I know what I want to see. Will she take me there? “Show me a certain part of it.”

“What part?”

“The part where you got lost.”

Her jawline tenses.

This is getting to her, clearly.

But that time in her childhood obviously affected her, and it may be part of what she needs to face about herself. Part of what I need to learn about her.

And maybe about myself.

She swallows. “All right. I’ll take you there.”

I touch her hand. “You’re frightened.”

“Not frightened exactly. A little apprehensive.”

“Why?”

“Why do you think?”

“You’ve never gone back there, have you?”

Her eyes widen. “How did you know that?”

“You got rigid. Tense at the mere thought.”

“You can tell that by looking at me?”

“Of course. I know you, Skye. Sometimes I think I know you better than you know yourself.” I look toward the entry and then lower my voice. “I have to know my partner. I have to be able to read her body when she can’t speak to me. It’s part of the lifestyle. Part of how I keep you safe.”

“Will we ever get back there, Braden?”

“I hope so,” I say, “because I don’t think I can exist without that part of my life.”

“You mean last night didn’t mean anything for you?”

“Last night meant everything to me. It was completely new to me, and I wanted it with you. But I can’t deny I still crave the darker side of sex. I always will. And if you and I can’t go there, I’m afraid there’s no future for us.” Sadness sweeps through me at the mere thought.

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