Moonlight in the Morning (Edilean 6)

He caught her hand in his. “Jecca, I have no claim over you. If you and Reede want to get together I won’t stand in your way.”

Jecca knew his statement was very PC and it’s what he should say, but part of her wanted him to declare that he’d slay a dragon for her—in this case the dragon being another man.

She shook her head to clear it. There were no dragons and there was nothing solid between her and this man. “That’s very kind of you,” she said as she stood up. “I think I should go back now. If Lucy sees that I’m gone, she’ll worry.”

“Lucy?” Tris said as he got up. “Not Miss Livie?”

“She’s . . .” Jecca hesitated. After all, he was friends with the woman.

“Distant? Like part of her lives in another world?”

“Exactly.” When his hand took hers, she smiled.

He kissed her palm, then started to lead her through the woods. “Miss Livie hasn’t had an easy life and she doesn’t share much with people.”

“Except you,” Jecca said.

“She and I have spent a lot of time together. But you and Lucy are hitting it off?”

“She’s an interesting woman,” Jecca said, and for the rest of the walk, she told of the hours she’d spent with Lucy and her sewing machines. “Seeing what she could do made me wish I had studied more about fiber arts.”

“It’s not too late,” Tristan said.

As he spoke there was the slightest tightening of his hand on hers, and she knew what was in his mind. “Maybe I should go back to school and learn how to make fabulously artistic quilts at home.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said, his fingers holding on to hers tightly.

“Good try,” she said, “but no thanks.”

She could tell by the grass under her feet that they were near Mrs. Wingate’s house. She knew it was late and that she should go inside, but she didn’t want to leave him. Her intuition told her that this would be their last secret night together. Tomorrow he’d board a plane and be gone for days. When he returned she knew that they’d see each other and they’d become like every other “couple”—except that she was leaving at the end of the summer.

She stopped walking and turned toward him. “I hope you have a good trip and—”

She broke off because Tristan pulled her to him and his mouth came down on hers with all the passion she was feeling. His tongue touched hers, her head tilted as she tried to get closer and closer to him.

She wanted to sink down into him, to lose herself in the moment. She never wanted to leave this man and this night. The air, the sounds, the smells, and being so close to this man, feeling the strength of him, the warmth, all of it worked together to make her want it to never end.

“What’s your cell number?” he asked as his lips nibbled at her ear.

“What?” She couldn’t understand his words. Her entire body seemed to be a mass of desire.

He moved his head away. “What’s your cell phone number so I can call you?”

Jecca couldn’t help laughing. “Here I am, thinking that this is the most romantic moment of my life, and the sweet words you’re whispering to me are ‘What’s your cell phone number?’”

Tris pulled her back to him. “You want sweet words?” He put his lips to her ear. “Jecca, I’ve never desired a woman as much as I do you. I like everything about you, from the feel of your body against mine, to the scent of your hair. But what I like most is you. I enjoy your humor, the ease of talking with you, your sense of adventure. I like your kindness to two ladies, and the way you so easily say you’ll help my niece. I even like that my cousin Kim turns into a warrior when she thinks you might be hurt. To

engender such friendship says a lot about you.”

He kissed her neck. “Jecca,” he whispered, “I don’t want to scare you, but I think I’m—”

She kissed him quickly. “Don’t say it,” she said.

“All right,” he answered. “I’ll keep it light, and you can keep your belief that I’m just a small town guy who is enraptured with a big city girl.”

As he stepped back from her, he released her hand.

She called out her cell number to him. When she started to repeat it, he told her he’d remember it always. Laughing, she went back to the house.