She didn’t respond. Her mind was racing as she considered his demand.
“What are you thinking? What’s making you hesitate?”
“It’s the what-ifs. What if you ask for more? What if I change my mind? What if you change your mind? What if you meet someone prettier and smarter? What if—”
“Whoa!” he chuckled. “How do you not have a massive headache? Is there always that much stuff going on in your head? Do you worry all the time?”
“It’s not funny. Don’t you see all the things that could go wrong? Someone is bound to get hurt.”
“But I’m willing to take the risk. Anyway, it couldn’t hurt any worse than it did when you broke up with me. I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t hungry. I was awful to my friends.”
“You’re right. I was pretty miserable, too. Even my sisters didn’t like me.”
“And I’m not going to meet someone prettier and smarter.”
“But Dr. Dickson—”
“Kara isn’t prettier or smarter than you, Grace. I promise I was never attracted to her.”
She bit her lips to hide the pleased smile that sprang to her face at his words. Even though she wasn’t really jealous of Kara, she couldn’t help feeling insecure in comparison to the tall, striking doctor. She could tell by the fervor of his answer he meant what he said. Still, she was nervous about the idea of a future commitment. “But I can’t forget you said the M-word, and I’m not ready for that.”
His moan was so loud that the carriage driver looked back over his shoulder. “Look Grace, I’m sorry. The M-word slipped out of my mouth, but I won’t say it again. In fact, when you decide you’re ready to discuss it, you’ll have to bring it up yourself.”
“But I’m planning to get my master's in education, and that’ll take a couple of years.”
“I promise not to push you, but I don’t promise not to tempt you.” One corner of his mouth twitched into a crooked grin, and he lifted her hand, turning it over to kiss her wrist, sending tremors down her spine.
“But that’s another thing. I can’t control myself with you. I don’t think I can stop you when I need to.” Even as she spoke the words, she made no effort to withdraw her hand from his ministrations.
“I know.” He moved his lips a bit further up the soft skin of her arm.
“But I don’t wan
t to go too far. I mean, I want to, but I don’t want to—”
“I know, but I can stop.” He kissed a little higher up.
“But I’m the girl—I’m supposed to be the one who puts the brakes on.”
“Says who?” He lifted his head away, frowning.
“Everybody knows that’s the girl’s job, and I’ve always done it before.”
“But that was before you met a man who drove you wild beyond the extent of your willpower.” His smug expression was too much for her.
“Exactly! And you’re proud of yourself for it. But when we slip and go past the line, I’ll be devastated.”
“We won’t slip—I’ll be responsible. Not that it’s easy for me, but I can handle it. For one thing, I’ll make sure we don’t have too much privacy. After all, you test my willpower, too.”
“But how do I know I can trust you?”
His smile dissolved, and his eyes narrowed. “I would hope I proved myself to you by now.”
“You’re right, Brad. I’m sorry I said that.”
His hands gripped her shoulders, pulling her into his arms. “Look, I’m prepared to prove myself to you every day.”
He rubbed his hands on her back, and she automatically melted in his tender embrace. She wrapped her hands around him, snuggling in his warmth. It felt so right—like she belonged there.