This Time (18 page)

Authors: Ingrid Monique

BOOK: This Time

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Sean sat on the beach under a coconut tree, staring out into the calm, crystal blue waters. It was a peaceful soothing sight and he wished his emotions were as such. Kelee's words kept replaying in his head. She couldn't be with a man like him because she feared for her life. She wanted to forget everything, including him. It hurt to know she felt that way. Yet he had no one but himself to blame; he had put her in danger and almost gotten her killed. He wasn't sure how he could take her fears away. He loved her and he wanted her in the worst way, but he also loved his work. He made a difference here. Because of him, crime was down and tourism was up in St. Pala. The people of St. Pala needed him, but he also needed Kelee; only she wanted nothing to do with him because of his work. So why did she want to talk to him? He wanted to see her, he missed her. He wanted to take her fears away, but he wasn't sure how anymore. He thought of calling her but he stopped himself. He needed time to clear his head, and then he could better deal with her if she still wanted to talk to him.

Less than half an hour later with an overnight bag in tow, Kelee kissed Lori and the baby on her way out. A few minutes later Allan and Kelee headed towards View Coast. Kelee was a bundle of nerves.

“It's goin' to work out,” Allan reassured her.

“I just don't want him hating me.”

“Trust me, he doesn't. He's too crazy 'bout yu' to hate yu'.”

“I need to make him understood, that's all.” She chewed on her bottom lip.

“Yu' love him, right?”

Kelee suddenly realized that she was afraid of acknowledging her feelings for Sean.

“Yu' do love him?” Allan asked again.

“I haven't thought about that,” she lied.

“Yu' don't 'tink 'bout love, yu' either in love or yu' not. So which one is it?” Allan pressed for an answer.

“I'm afraid to think about it,” she admitted.

“Don't 'tink too hard an' lose him. He's a good man. Plus, Lori and I 'tink yu' two belong together.”

Kelee couldn't help the smile that touched her lips. “Yu' do?”

“Sure, an' yu' stayin' in St. Pala would mean the world to Lori,” Allan added.

“Oh, so this is about me staying in St. Pala?”

“Partially. But seriously, I know Sean an' when I tell yu' he loves yu', he does.”

“Did he tell yu' that?” Kelee asked, curious.

“No, he didn't have to; anyone can see it when he looks at yu'.”

For the rest of the ride Kelee sat in quiet reflection wondering if Sean really did love her. She knew ten years ago they had made a connection, but she didn't know how he really felt about her now. He had proved to her that he would have given his life to rescue her. She wondered how much further it went. She knew she felt a great deal for it, but she was afraid to admit it in fear that he didn't return her feelings. She wasn't sure what she'd say to him upon seeing him, but she had to get it all out in the open.

They arrived at the cabin and Kelee couldn't bring herself to get out of the car. Fear had gripped her; there was no turning back if she walked into that cabin. This was it; she would have to face what she felt for Sean and it scared her to death.

“Want me to check if he's there?” Allan asked.

Kelee looked at him, snapping out of her spell. “No, no. I got this, thanks.” She kissed Allan's cheek and got out of the car, pulling her bag from the backseat.

Kelee walked up to the door of the cabin, her heart racing. This was it. She stared at the door. This was the place that they had started and this would be the place they would either continue or end. She glanced back to see Allan still waiting in the car. She took a deep breath and knocked twice. She heard footsteps and the door opened. He stood before her in loose sweatpants and nothing else. He looked tired, but still fine. She saw the round bruise on his side where he'd been shot. Again she thanked God he was alive, that he'd only walked away with a few broken ribs.

Sean stared at her in disbelief. He looked down at the bag in her hand, then outside. He looked back at her and pulled her into the cabin, slamming the door.

Instantly she was in his arms. His mouth engulfed hers in a heated kiss. The kiss they shared seemed to last forever, neither wanting to end it or let go of each other. Kelee's heart was racing so fast she had to take a deep breath when the kiss ended. Sean was gazing at her with such intensity for a moment she couldn't speak.

“I never meant to hurt yu' with what I said. I didn't mean it that way.” She found her voice.

“Yu' showin' up here says as much.” He smiled down at her, caressing her cheek.

“I wanted yu' to know that I don't hate yu', I don't hate anything that happened between us. It's jus' that when I think of what yu' do, it scares me to death. I just didn't know how to handle it.”

“I know, but yu' must understand that it's not always like that. Goin' after Curve was dangerous, but otherwise my work never gets that dangerous.”

“It doesn't?”

“No; I can't even remember the last time I had to use my gun. I usually let the police handle the raids and busts, but when he targeted yu' I jus' couldn't leave it up to them. Yu' mean too much to me, Kelee. I'm sorry yu' had to go through any of that, I really am. But there's no reason to be afraid anymore.”

He kissed her gently, soothing all her fears. Kelee clung to him, never wanting to let him go. He hugged her close.

“Yu' scare me, Sean,” she told him.

“Why?” he asked, confused and hurt.

“Yu' make me feel things, things that I am afraid to admit to.”

“An' now?” he asked with a slight smile.

“I'm not afraid anymore.” She smiled, kissing him with all her heart.

They kissed and undressed each other with an intense urgency. Sean took her, naked and in his arms, into the bedroom. He placed her in the middle of the bed, covering her body with his. In one swift move he was inside her, loving her.

“I love yu',” she whispered against his lips. He stopped and looked down at her.

“Yu' know how long I've waited to hear yu' say that?” he asked.

“Ten years.” She grinned, moving beneath him. He smiled and kissed her deeply. She didn't want him to ever stop making love to her, or loving her.

“I love yu',” he told her, caressing her lips with his tongue. Her heart rejoiced at his words. She moaned, loving him all over again, loving him forever.

DAFINA BOOKS are published by

Kensington Publishing Corp.
850 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022

ISBN: 978-0-7582-8998-8

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

Dafina and the Dafina logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

First Dafina mass market printing: May 2006

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