Such grandiose ideas didn’t leave much time for relationships. And it wasn’t fair to ask any man to sign on for a difficult journey not of his choosing. Larkin lived a life that had begun with unspeakable tragedy. But he had survived, thrived even, and had grown up to be an honorable man, a dutiful son and a caring brother. Certainly he deserved peace and happiness.
Winnie deserved those things, as well. She had allowed one egregious mistake in her youth to impact her life far more than it should. Like Larkin, she had survived certain challenges as a child, but she had become a decent, empathetic adult…at least she liked to think so.
Living like a nun was a choice she had made consciously. But now…in Larkin’s presence, she understood what she had been missing. Her sexuality had been stunted, back-burnered. She still wasn’t sure she had the erotic know-how to please a man like Larkin Wolff. But he wanted her here and now, and the opportunity to revel in a man’s passion might not pass her way again.
Even if it did…the man wouldn’t be Larkin. In the event that another handsome, charismatic guy crossed her path, she was pretty sure the temptation would not exist…not like now. Because Larkin touched something inside her. In a way no one ever had. He wanted her.
Her silence might have lasted ten minutes or thirty. In the midst of her soul-searching, Larkin had stood mute, a sentinel surrounding her with warmth and security.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said softly. “It’s impressive.”
“Not beautiful?”
“More like awe-inspiring. As if I can see the whole universe and my place in it.”
“Most people say views like this make them feel small or insignificant.”
“Not me. I think this vantage point from your mountain reminds me that my little light shining down in that valley or up in that sky is important to someone. Somewhere. I make a difference. And that’s important to me.”
“Which makes what I told you about not wanting responsibility sound pretty shallow and selfish.”
She rubbed his hand. “Not at all. You’ve built a company that helps people in important ways. And you’re an integral part of a close, loving family. But you’ve chosen to protect your heart. There’s nothing wrong with that. Especially in light of your history.”
“I’m amazed that someone hasn’t taken advantage of that Pollyanna attitude of yours. Do you ever see the bad in people?”
A knot formed in her chest, composed of searing regret and embarrassment. “Yes,” she croaked. “Believe me, it happens.”
Without warning, one of his hands slipped beneath her sweatshirt and slid up to capture a breast. When he jerked in surprise, she could tell he hadn’t expected to find naked flesh. But then again, when she’d decided to leave off her bra, she hadn’t anticipated fooling around in the forest.
She stood rigid in his embrace, jailed by two big arms encircling her and the chest of warm steel at her back. Larkin teased her nipple, sending a blast of heat from her chest to her belly. He weighed the fullness of her breast in his palm, caressing…lifting.
“God, you’re so soft,” he groaned.
As though he could decipher her incoherent thoughts, he moved back enough to bring a second hand into play, now holding her aching flesh in both hands, grinding his pelvis into her lower back. Her knees went weak, and she lost the ability to speak.