Finally, he scrambled down and reached into a pocket to hand her a hammer and nails. “Here. Start nailing the sides and bottom to the house. Don’t drive the nails in far, just enough to hold the plastic in place. This should keep it from raining into the house.”
“Sure.”
“I’m surprised the boys aren’t out here.”
“They’re asleep. I checked on Josh and Quin.”
“They can sleep through all this?”
He didn’t wait for her answer, but began hammering down the plastic once more and she turned to help.
Lightning zigzagged across the night sky in a crackling streak and he glanced at Juliana. She was pounding in a nail near the ground. She was bending over, and in the brilliant streak of lightning, his gaze ran over the length of her long legs. She straightened to get another nail and in the next flash of lightning, he looked at the wet T-shirt that molded her body and revealed her curves. For a moment, Cal for- got the rain drenching him or the high wind or the need to get the smashed windows covered. His body responded to the sight of her. He watched as she began to drive in another nail. She worked fast and efficiently and he felt again that she was a unique woman. Elnora had been right.
He had a chance here for happiness and he wanted to grab and hold on to it. And even though Juliana was wearing his ring and she was his wife, he suspected it wasn’t going to be easy to get her to trust him completely, until the year was over and’she saw that he didn’t pack and leave them. But maybe it wasn’t impossible. And maybe in the meantime, he could have the time of his life trying to win her trust.
He turned to hammer, going back to work and trying to focus on the nails so that his wayward thoughts wouldn’t cause him to smash his thumb.
It took another quarter of an hour, but finally, they had the broken windows covered and the house protected. Cal took the tools from her and they went inside.
Lightning flashed as she faced him in the solarium. He was wet, water glistening on his chest, the mat of dark hair a black shadow, a thin line of dark hair running down and out of sight beneath the waist of his jeans. Another silvery flash came and his gaze swept over her. Suddenly, she real- ized that she was wearing only the old T-shirt and cutoffs and the T-shirt was wet, molding to her body like a second skin.
“Thanks for your help,” he said. “We made a good team.”
“For house repairs.”
“We make a good team for a lot of things.” Then gazing at her steadily, he said, “Juliana, I want more than what we have now.”
Ten
Startled, she stared through the darkness at him. In the next flash of lightning, she glimpsed his face. He looked sol- emn, waiting for her reply.
“I can’t give you more.”
“I think you can and you want to.” He stepped closer, his strong arms going around her. “Let’s give it a whirl and see if we should make a lifetime arrangement out of this whim of Elnora’s.”
Juliana’s head spun. His offer was temptation and delight. Yet fears assailed her. Life as he proposed was un- certain, at best. And she found it difficult to trust him. He had said repeatedly that he was a confirmed bachelor, set in his ways, not ready for a family.
“I can’t give it a whirl. Too many are involved.”
“This will involve only you and me. This doesn’t include the boys. I’m here for the year, whether we become lovers or not. And this won’t affect my relationship with them.”
“It might,” she protested.
“Stop worrying,” he said in a husky voice, drawing her to him to wrap her in his arms. Her insides knotted, and she lost her breath as her hands flew up against his shoulders. She wore only the thin T-shirt and his skin was warm, wet and bare. Desire uncoiled in her, excitement and danger making her pulse drum.
“Will you trust me?” he asked, the words hovering in the air between them.
Was he trustworthy? She suspected that she would never be able to forget him, that she would always be vulnerable where he was concerned if she opened herself completely to him.
His dark eyes were on her and she gazed back as she nod- ded and saw the flash of satisfaction. His chest expanded as he inhaled. “I want your hands on me as much as I want mine on you.”
He held her tightly, bending his head, his dark gaze bor- ing into her before she closed her eyes and he lowered his head to kiss her.
The kiss was insistent, demanding. She was torn between pushing him away or pulling him close and taking what he offered. She had intended to keep more distance between them, to protect herself and the boys, yet Cal’s kisses made her shake with longing and excitement. Never had she known a man like him and she wanted to say yes, to be drowned in the passionate love that his kisses hinted at. At the same time, doubts besieged her.
“Cal, wait. Not so fast.” She started to twist away and his arm tightened around her waist to hold her.
“You’re not going to resort to force,” she snapped, peering up at him.
“Not in the next million years. I want you calling my name in passion, never fear or anger.”
“Then let me go. I’m not ready for this.”
“You’re more than ready,” he drawled, his fingers trailing along her throat. “I feel your pulse racing, Juliana,” he said,
