Island Affair (Escape Into Romance) (7 page)

It was well after midnight when they finally rolled away from each other, lying side by side in her narrow bed. They were both completely naked. Sweat gleamed on their skin. Lacey's legs were weak and her breathing was just now calming down. "Wow." The smile on her face made her forget that she was putting herself in the same predicament she had back when she had agreed to go to Whitsundays.

His hand rested gently on her belly, rubbing in slow circles like he knew she liked. His fingers brushed lower than they had to. She didn't mind.

"I love you." She felt like a little girl repeating it to him. But she did. She knew it now. There was no denying it.

She waited for him to say something; he was silent. Turning onto her side to face him she poked him in his ribs. "Hey. I said I love you."

He looked at her. His eyes were sleepy. "Hmm."

Anger flashed through her sudden and quick. "You can't say anything more than that?"

He turned away from her. "Lacey, this is perfect again. Just like it was. Let's not ruin it, okay? Can we just be happy with each other?"

"Is this all I am to you? Just sex? Is that it?" She sat up, pushing at him. "Get out of my bed! Get out of my room!"

Jonathan sat up now too. He was such an idiot. He had ruined it again. Just when he'd been able to get back what he'd had with Lacey, he had ruined it again. When was he ever going to learn?

"Lacey…" He reached for her and tried to think of what to say.

"No. Not this time. Get out of my room! Just get out!"

She was angry and she started to cry. The tears blurred her vision. She wanted him gone. This time, for good.

Picking up his clothes, throwing them at him, she continued to yell at him as he dressed. "Get out of my room! Out! In fact, get out of my life!"

Jonathan dressed slowly. And then he walked out of her room, closing the door behind him.

Lacey sat down on the edge of her bed and cried into her hands.

The next morning Lacey awoke still naked with Jonathan's scent still on her skin. She squeezed her eyes shut and wished the morning away. She felt so stupid. She had had Jonathan again and this time she pushed him away.

He was a proud man. She knew that. And obviously he had little experience with expressing his feelings. Instead of helping him open up she had pushed him away. Literally, pushed him away. If only she had held him and told him it was okay, maybe he would have said those words that she had been looking for.

She was really beginning to hate Christmas all over again.

Dressing quickly she made her way down the halls of the B&B to where Jonathan's room was. There were a few people already up and about and she said hi to them in passing. She was in a hurry to get to Jonathan and tell him she understood and that it was her turn to be sorry.

She knocked on his door several times and got no response. Turning the handle she found it wasn't locked. Her heart sank as she looked inside. "Jonathan?"

He wasn't there.

She was too late. He had done exactly what she had told him to do. He had left her alone. Tears stung her eyes all over again. No. She couldn't let it end this way. She wouldn't.

Going back to her room in a rush she packed up what few belongings she would need for a trip. Clothes. Money. A few other essentials. The rest of it could stay here. Her dad wouldn't mind.

She went downstairs carrying her two bags and found her dad sitting at the kitchen table with Isobella again. Lacey hadn't seen much of her dad's friend in the past few days. This time, her dad had his hand stretched across the table to Isobella, holding her hand.

"I'm not interrupting am I dad?" He looked up at her with a smile and didn't try to move his hand away from Isobella's.

"No. Not interrupting at all. Isobella and I were just talking."

"Just talking? Well. For the record, I approve." Lacey set the bags down. "Dad, do you know where Jonathan went?"

Her dad shook his head. "He left before I was up this morning. Something happen between you two?"

"Dad, did you say anything to him last night?"

Her dad smiled and shrugged. He was obviously pleased with himself. "I just told him to talk to you, that's all." But then his smile disappeared when he saw the look on his daughter's face.

So. She had her dad to thank for Jonathan coming to her room last night. And then she sent him away. All the world could see how they were meant to be together. Why couldn't they make it work?

"Dad, I have to go after Jonathan. I…said some things to him last night that I shouldn't have. He's a proud man and I can't expect him to come after me again for a second time. I can't waste this chance dad. Do you know what I mean?"

Her dad squeezed Isobella's hand harder, and the woman smiled at him lovingly. "Yes. I know exactly what you mean. But why did he leave?"

Lacey sighed. "I told him to, that's why. I was stupid, dad. I was mad at him, but I shouldn't have been. I see that now. I love him, dad, so much. I just want to be with him and I have wasted so much time already that we could have spent together. I just need to find him and tell him that. So I am going after him and when I find him I don't know when I'll be back."

Her dad was smiling a very big smile and she couldn't figure out why until he pointed behind her. "Well, don't tell me that. Tell him."

Lacey turned. In the doorway, standing and watching her, was Jonathan. She squeaked and put a hand to her mouth. "What are you doing here? I thought you left!"

"I did. I had something I had to do. Did you mean what you just said?"

"What?"

"Did you mean that you love me and want to be with me?" He stepped closer to her as he asked her the question.

Lacey could hardly speak. She could hardly breathe. She nodded her head to him. "Yes. Yes, I meant it, Jonathan. I should have told you that instead of trying to resign. I should have told you that when your mom had her stroke and you were so worried. I have wasted so much time. I do not want to waste any more."

Her hands were trembling as he took them in his own. And then, to his surprise, he knelt down in front of her. "Lacey, it isn't just you who has wasted time. I fought against my feelings for you for a very long time. I wanted to tell you all about what I felt. But I was your boss, and you were my friend, and I didn't want to lose you. Turns out I almost lost you anyway."

From his pocket, Jonathan took out a felt-covered box and held it up to her. "This is what I had to leave early this morning to do. I had to buy this for you. I wanted to do this right. I do not want to waste any more of our life, Lacey. I love you."

She was surprised to hear him say those words. She was even more surprised to hear what he said next.

"Will you marry me?"

In the open box that he held in his hand was the most beautiful diamond ring that she had ever seen. It was a silver band with a heart-shaped diamond on it, and two smaller diamonds to either side. She felt her heart swell. She couldn't catch her breath.

Jonathan waited for her answer with his heart in his throat.

"Yes," she whispered the word. Then she looked him in his eyes. "Yes, oh yes Jonathan, I will marry you."

He stood up and held her tightly to him, kissing her deeply and passionately. It was the sweetest kiss she had ever had.

When Jonathan put the ring on her finger he could feel a new beginning starting for him. It had taken him a long time to get to this moment. A long time denying himself the one thing he truly wanted. Love. He had fought so long to keep from becoming his parents that he had forgotten to become his own person. With Lacey, he knew he could become that person.

Lacey felt her legs grow weak and she was glad that Jonathan was holding her up. This Christmas had almost been their last together. She had tried to run away from him. Instead she had found herself running right to him, and him to her. She was very much looking forward to what Christmas would be like next year with Jonathan finally in her life. Next year, and many years to come.

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Strongly influenced by authors like James Patterson, Dick Francis, and Nora Roberts, Kathrine Emrick is an up and coming talent in the writing world. She is a new Kindle author/publisher and brings a variety of experiences and observations to her writing.

Based in Australia, Kathrine has wanted to be an author for the majority of her life and can always be found jotting down daily notes in a journal. Like many authors, she loves to be surrounded by books and is a voracious reader.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering at the local library.

Her goal is to become a best selling author, regularly producing noteworthy content and engaging in a community of readers and writers.

To find out more please visit the Kathrine's website at
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