He hadn’t been expecting that. No wonder storms put her on edge. But he remained quiet, letting her finish.
“The tree burst into flames. I didn’t know what to do. I think I tried to scream but nothing came out. The boom of thunder woke my parents. Just as they got to my room, the tree split down the middle. And then one half fell into the house.”
He couldn’t even imagine what that must have been like for a scared little girl. He didn’t move as he waited for her to finish her story.
Lea’s voice grew soft. “The limbs broke through my windows, sending glass flying through the room. After that the memories are a bit of a blur. I know my parents rushed me outside and a neighbor called the fire department. Luckily they were able to put the fire out before the whole house was damaged.”
“And what about you? Were you hurt?”
“I had some cuts from the glass, but it could have been much worse. It’s not like...”
And then she stopped. She was leaving something important out. They were finally getting somewhere. He willed her not to shut down now.
“It’s not like what?” His tone was soft and coaxing.
“It’s not like...like I was burned like my father.” She glanced down at her hands that were clenched in her lap. “He was burned by a falling branch while he was trying to use the garden hose to put out the flames.”
“That must have been horrible for all of you.”
She nodded. “It was. My father’s scars are a constant reminder of that night and how close we came to losing him. Every time I see his scars, I’m hit with a fresh wave of guilt.”
“Why should you feel guilty?” Xander didn’t understand. It was all due to Mother Nature and that was something no one could control.
“Because I was enthralled with the storm. I wished for more lightning. I’d willed it closer to my house so I could see it better.”
At last he saw where she was going with this. “And so you feel like you wished the harm on your father.”
“In a way. And I guess that’s why I let my parents manipulate me for so long.” Her gaze didn’t quite meet his. “But learning the depth of the secrets they’d kept from me ended all of that. You probably think I’m silly for letting it go on for so long.”
“I don’t think you’re silly.” He reached out to her, placing a finger beneath her chin. He guided her face around until their eyes met. “I think you’re a very caring person, who loves her father very much. I’m sure he never would have blamed you, so you should stop blaming yourself for something you had no control over. If wishes could control the weather, I guarantee you that it wouldn’t be storming on Infinity Island right now.”
“I don’t know why I told you all of that.”
Their gazes connected. He noticed how her eyes were more green than blue. It didn’t seem to matter what color they were. He found them captivating.
And then his gaze lowered to her lips. There was no lipstick on them. No gloss or any other makeup. It was just her pink flesh and he was taunted by the memory of her sweet kisses.
He swallowed hard. “Do you know how much I want to kiss you?”
When she didn’t say a word nor did she pull away, he took that to mean she wanted the same thing. He wondered if it could be as good as he remembered. He’d heard it said that you could make of your memories what you wanted. He’d been telling himself that he’d exaggerated the sweetness of her kiss because no kiss could be that good.
But when his lips pressed to hers, his heart pounded so loudly that it echoed in his ears. He’d never wanted something so much in his life. Her lips were soft and smooth. And in that moment, he regretted that they were seated on the couch. He wanted to pull her closer—much closer. He wanted every soft, curvy portion of her body pressed to his hard planes.
He slid closer until the length of his thigh was pressed to hers. The softest moan reached his ears as she opened her mouth to him. Their tongues danced together in the most provocative way. His hand moved until his fingers were combing through her silky hair.
His memory of their time together hadn’t been an exaggeration. In fact, it wasn’t as good as the real thing. Not even close.