His surrender was complete, body, heart, and soul. He collapsed on top
of her but couldn't find enough strength to move.
She was quietly crying. He felt her hot tears on his shoulder and
finally lifted his head to look at her.
'I hurt you, didn't I, sweetheart? ' He was filled with self-loathing,
condemned himself for being too rough, too savage in his own desire.
It was her first experience, and he should have been more careful, much
more tender . . .
'Jessie, say something.' His anxiety pulled her out of her daze. She
opened her eyes and. looked into his, and the warmth she saw there
made her tremble with a burst of love.
'Oh, no, you didn't . . . Well, you did, but it didn't . . . It was
.
. . amazing.' He grinned with arrogant satisfaction. God, he loved
her face. Her eyes were still glazed with passion, her mouth was red
and swollen from his kisses. She looked thoroughly sated and pleased
with herself, and how could he not love such a woman?
'Yeah, it was pretty amazing.' He reluctantly moved away from her.
'But . . . ' She put her hand over his mouth. 'Don't, ' she
whispered.
'No regrets.'
'No regrets, ' he agreed.
She rolled into his arms then and laid her head on his shoulder.
Nothing lasted forever.
She squeezed her eyes shut so she wouldn't cry. How she wanted to
believe him. No, he did love her, she knew, until tomorrow or the day
after or the year after, but eventually, inevitably, he would leave.
'I love you too, ' she whispered. Until forever.
She had seduced him. Jessica stood by the water's edge and let the
truth sink in. The acknowledgment was promptly followed by another
truth just as shocking. She wasn't sorry. For the rest of her life
she would have the memory of his touch and his loving words to cherish
and hold dear. It would have to be enough.
