The complete and utter decimation of a man who would have to piece himself back together again come tomorrow, when he would have to go back to real life.
After they’d snuggled a bit, Chet left the bed, giving Mina a chance to slip under the covers.
She was glad that she wasn’t obviously pregnant to the casual eye, otherwise she would’ve been cautious about having him touch or see her belly. The biggest change she’d undergone so far was her breasts, which had become so sensitized that even a brush of his fingertips had sent a blast crashing through her.
As she thought about how he’d responded to her, all fire and passion, she hugged a pillow to her chest. He’d lived up to every fantasy.
But what came next was all reality.
Was now a good time to tell him?
The most defensive part of her screamed “No!” It was still too early. Even though she’d hoped this would change everything between them, making love again hadn’t done that. It hadn’t meant his issues had disappeared and everything would be hunky-dory now.
And it didn’t erase her concerns, either.
Her heart was blipping. Nerves.
Now, more than ever, Mina needed to hear him say, “I love you.” She had to have a commitment. Maybe she could blame it on her last relationship, when she hadn’t gotten anything close to promises or vows.
This time, she wanted to know that the man she’d chosen was with her because he couldn’t imagine life any other way. And that’s why she didn’t say a word about the baby, even though she knew there would come a time when she would have to tell Chet, love or not.
But, after what had just happened between them, she was sure Chet was going to tell her he loved her. Maybe not tonight, but someday soon.
As he came back to the bed, she sighed. Looking at him always did that to her.
He had some height as well as heft, all muscle, as solid as they came. Feeling him against her had made her think that no other man would ever come close to doing what Chet did to her. There would never be another like him, and that’s the way it should be, too. The father of her child should be the end-all and be-all.
He lifted the covers, going under them, as well. A puff of air whisked over Mina, releasing goose bumps all over her body—especially when she caught scent of his skin.
Musky, manly, with a hint of sweet clover and hay.
“Hey, cowboy,” she said softly.
He paused, as if thinking something over. Then he pulled her to him, bringing her back to his chest as he cradled her.
Heart banging with this show of affection, Mina hugged his arms against her chest, closing her eyes, her throat clogged.
Yes, someday he was going to tell her he loved her.
“I was thinking,” he said, “that we should’ve tried to see more of the sights around here before we had to go.”
Joy zipped through her. He was hinting that he regretted not being with her more outside of this bedroom.
“There’re a lot of things to see around St. George,” she said, encouraging him.
“Yeah,” he said. “Zion Park’s pretty close by. Maybe next time we’re here, we can drive up there.”
Mina was normally a pretty active gal, and under different circumstances she would’ve loved the type of challenging hikes Mt. Zion could offer. But she couldn’t push herself physically in her state.
“I’d like Zion,” she said. “But only if we’d do a wimpy hike or just…I don’t know, strolled around.”
“Since when are you a wimp? Weren’t you the one who tried skydiving when we went to San Diego in April to check out that hotel property?”
“Yes, that was me. And I’ve never recovered.” Actually, being a daredevil for the first time in her life had been loads of fun, but it wasn’t something she would ever do again. “My heart barely survived the first time.”
“All right then. We could go wimpy but, understand, you’d kill my male ego.”
She nuzzled the crook of his arm. “We can build it back up again pretty quick, you know.”
“You’ll have to give me a minute on that,” he said.
Then he laughed, and the vibrations carried through from his chest into her back. It was just more proof of a connection between them, a wire that ran between him and her.
She smiled into his skin, loving the smell of him. She’d read once that scent had a lot to do with attraction, and Chet did it for her. He was an addiction.
“The other night,” she said, “you were talking about how I should take a real vacation. But what about you?”
She wanted to know where he would like to go, what he would love to do.
Who he would do it with.
“Vacation,” he said. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get one.”