Any Time, Any Place(86)

"I can help. Want me to make the coffee?" Raven offered.

"No!" yelled Morgan and Dalton at the same time.

"Wimps, both of you," she muttered, rising from the stiff sofa.

They piled into the kitchen for banana cream pie and almond cookies, spending the rest of the evening in entertaining conversation. Finally Brady announced his departure. Cal stretched and gave a motion to Morgan. "We should probably go up now. You need your sleep."

Dalton groaned. "Real subtle, bro. And we both know you're not going up for sleep."

Morgan didn't even blush, just gave her fiancé a naughty wink.

"Good night, Raven. I hope we see more of you," Cal said.

"Thanks." She remembered his strange words at the bar, warning her about Dalton's heart. Almost as if he knew his brother was more vulnerable than anyone believed.

"Hey, Dalton, we still need to clean out Dad's stuff. I swear I'll kick your ass if you cancel on me again. This weekend. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure, absolutely."

"Good. I'll tell Tristan, too." Cal and Morgan headed up the circular staircase toward the left and disappeared.

Raven realized it was time for the big talk. "We should go. Do you want to come back to my house?"

He grinned and kissed her hard on the mouth. "Yes. But first, I want to show you the stars from my telescope. Come on." He tugged on her hand and they headed left down the hallway into the other half of the mansion. She passed about a dozen rooms and just kept walking.

"How many rooms do you have in this house?" she asked in disbelief.

"About forty, I think. Dad used it as a model house as the image of Pierce Brothers. My mom didn't like the highbrow decor, but she understood it was more of a business decision. Her domain was the kitchen and their master bedroom. She liked things simpler, very different from my father."

Yes, she'd been right. Diane had claimed the kitchen as hers. Had Raven's father sat with her there, planning their escape? How had they met? How long had they been involved before they decided to run away together?

She tried to push the whirling thoughts out of her mind and concentrate on Dalton. He opened the door to his room and she tried hard not to gasp.

The masculine, almost rustic feel suited him. Navy-blue bedding covered a gorgeous hand-carved poster bed, and various woodworking pieces filled the space. Interesting treasures decorated the shelves and walls, from trophies and sports memorabilia to framed photos. She longed to have time to study every picture, learning more about his youth. Massive French doors opened up to a balcony, allowing an unmarred view of the night sky streaked with stars. The warm summer breeze blew in and cloaked them with the scent of wildflowers and pine. She walked outside, tilting her head up to take in the breathtaking view. 

His hand slid into hers.

In that moment, she felt every road had led her here. Staring at the stars, hand in hand with a man she wanted to give her heart to. Had this been how her father felt? This loosening of breath and lightening of spirit as rightness poured into all the empty spaces and filled her up with meaning and purpose?

Was this real love?

And if so, would she have done anything to protect it, even at the expense of her family?

"Here, take a peek. Saturn is visible tonight."

She closed one eye and peered through the telescope. She located the constellation Scorpius and pinned down Antares. The red star was gorgeous close up.

"What are you viewing?"

"Antares. I love the reddish sheen through the scope. It's beautiful."

"Isn't it? Okay, so point west of Antares toward that flock of stars called-"

"The Crown of Scorpion."

"You are so turning me on right now."

"Slick, it doesn't take much."

His deep laughter cut through the night air. "Only with you. Saturn should be a golden light and easy to spot."

"I see it!" She let out a breath, enjoying the sheen of gold vibrating in the sky. She feasted on the vision, then motioned him over. "Come look."

They switched places and took turns studying the night sky, diving into astronomical talk she hadn't enjoyed since her father first taught her. Suddenly the air between them crackled to life, buzzing like an electrical charge that got hit by drops of water. She sucked in her breath, still overwhelmed by the connection that seemed to belt them both with its fierceness.

"You feel that?" he asked softly. He took her hand, raised it to his mouth, and kissed her palm. Bit gently. Placed her thumb between his lips and sucked hard, his tongue swirling around until her vision fogged and her body ached. "It's always there between us, ready to flare up. Like the universe is trying to tell us something."