Page 16 of Blessings in Disguise

“Did. She died of leukemia at 13.” A yawning emptiness filled Gemma every time she thought of Jade.

He reached out and grasped her hand. “Oh, Gemma. How awful for you and your family.”

“Mom and Dad passed three years ago. We were close up until the end.”

“Do you want to talk about this more?”

“No, not now.” She stood and pulled off her coverup. She saw Caleb’s eyes light up. “Let’s go in the water.”

She crossed to the deep end and dove from the side. When she surfaced, she saw Caleb whip off his shirt and execute a perfect dive. The water was warm and soothing. His hair was slicked back and his face was wet. But he looked pretty damn good. They swam some laps then stopped in the deep end holding onto the side of the pool.

He said, “I forgot how swimming felt on a hot summer night.”

“You didn’t have access to a pool in Binghamton?”

“No, I lived in a parsonage owned by the church. After all that happened, everything was sold to a lay person.”

She leaned over and kissed him. A light, soothing kiss. He grabbed her around the waist to hold her there. When he felt them starting to sink, he let them go under.

They came up laughing. Then she sobered. Her attraction to him heightened. She’d kept it at bay but now, she didn’t want to control it. She whispered, “Let’s go upstairs, Caleb.”

He hesitated. Then, “No more just friends?”

“I don’t know about the future. All I know is what I feel right now. What I hopeyou’refeeling now.”

“I am. Let’s go upstairs.”

* * *

Caleb cherished the feel of her climbing on top of him, both of them naked. She stretched out fully, covering his whole body. It had been so long that he’d forgotten the sensations of being with a woman. The feminine curves fitting to him, the sexy scent all came back to him.

He circled his arms around her and went with his gut. “You are so lovely, Gemma,” he whispered in her ear. “So feminine.”

Coming up on her elbows, she said, “Thanks, I guess.”

“You guess.”

“Femininity is sometimes equated with fragility. I’m not fragile.”

He brushed his hand down her hair. “We’re all fragile in some ways.”

“Kiss me again. I didn’t get enough in the pool.” She looked directly into his blue eyes. “I want you.”

“Oh, man, I want you, too.”

She kissed his lips but didn’t linger. She went lower and stopped at his neck. His pecs. His abdomen. Caleb reveled in herattention. When she got to his groin, he grabbed her arms and pulled her up. “Can’t do that, honey. It’ll be over before it began.”

“I—”

He flipped her and pressedherinto the bed. Covered her withhisbody. Mirth rumbled inside her. He took her mouth. Laved her neck. When he got to her breasts he lingered. She let it go on for a bit then said, “No more.”

“Hey, I never got to the jackpot.”

She laughed out loud. Humor while making love was new to him.

He laid on his side and eased her leg over his. Holding her gaze, he entered her slowly. She was wet and ready for him. He savored the moment. Then he pushed in, drew back, pushed in again. On the third time, her spirals triggered his. He let it come and come and come until he spun out of control, the world bursting with pleasure he forgot existed.

* * *

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