Abby wasn’t at all surprised by anything he’d said. They’d talked about all of his concerns at one time or another. She did think she had a perspective on that last one that he hadn’t considered.
“You know, Seth, you’re not the only one who’d be hurt if things don’t work out.”
His startled expression told her it had been all about him. He’d never once considered how she might feel if they took a chance and failed. “You don’t think I’d get hurt if you dumped me?” she pressed him.
“I’m a self-absorbed guy. It was all about me,” he claimed in an apparent effort to make light of it.
“I’m serious, Seth. I could get hurt, too.”
“Are you saying now you’re the one who thinks this is a bad idea?”
“Not at all. Rather I’ve weighed the risks and think what we have is worth taking the chance. What happened to you today to suddenly wipe out all that caution?”
“I realized that Luke and Ella Mae—”
Abby’s eyes widened. “Ella Mae?”
“I told you that woman has too much time on her hands. Now she’s using it to dissect my personal life,” he lamented.
Abby laughed at his expression. “That must have hurt.”
“Actually it got me to thinking about whether I’d be any worse off if we got together and it didn’t work than I would be if I gave up before we even got started.”
“And you concluded you didn’t want to miss out on the moment,” she said.
“Something like that,” he agreed. “I should warn you that I’m still confused.”
“Welcome to the club. Why do you think I was hiding out? And, yes, I admit it. That’s exactly what I was doing. Anyway, I think we all fret over whether we’re making the right decision, especially when it comes to getting intimate with someone and putting our hearts on the line.”
“You, too?”
“Of course, me, too,” she said. “I’ve been trying to convince myself I’d be happy with a wild, carefree fling, because I figured that’s all you’d ever go for.”
He gave her a penetrating look. “And?”
“Even though I wanted to recapture my wild and carefree youth when I came back to Seaview Key, I’m not sure I’m cut out for a meaningless fling. Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” he said, caressing her cheek. “I think that particular ship has sailed. There was nothing meaningless about what happened here tonight.”
Abby’s breath caught at his words.
“It’s too soon for promises,” he warned. “And there are a lot of things we both need to sort through, but being with you is the best thing that’s happened to me in a very long time.” He held her gaze. “And it’s about a whole lot more than the sex, which was pretty spectacular.”
She smiled at his heartfelt assurance. “It was, wasn’t it?”
She wanted to ask where they went from here, but it already sounded as if he were no more certain of that than she was. Better not to press for answers he might not have, especially when she wasn’t sure of what she wanted to hear.
Maybe she wasn’t a live-in-the-moment kind of woman, not yet, anyway. But if every moment could be as glorious as the ones they’d just shared, it wouldn’t be such a bad way to live.
* * *
Seth woke at dawn, expecting to feel a certain amount of awkwardness about being in Abby’s bed. It had been a long time since he’d wanted to wake up next to a woman. He’d become a master at finding an excuse to go home after sex, no matter how satisfying the act itself might have been. That he was still here said a lot about how deep his feelings for Abby were. It was time to stop denying that much at least. He’d put up a valiant, if foolhardy fight, and lost. He was in love with her, no question about it.
She shifted closer, her arm across his stomach, her head settling into the curve of his shoulder. He smiled at the trust she’d placed in him. She was something, all right. He brushed a hand down her back before letting it come to rest on her hip. She stirred at his touch.
“Hmmm,” she murmured.
“You awake?” he asked softly.
“Getting there,” she replied, her breath feathering across his chest.
“Any thoughts about morning sex?” he asked, his body already responding to her closeness.
He could feel her lips curve against his bare skin.
“I’m in favor of it,” she told him. “It appears you are, as well.”
He laughed. “You noticed, huh?”
“Hard to miss.” She pulled him on top of her. “We could be in trouble, Seth.”
“Oh?”
“It’s possible I’ll never get enough of you.”
“Then isn’t it a wonderful coincidence, that I’ll never get enough of you, either. Now come here and let me show you.”
It was an hour before they left her bed, showered and then wandered into the kitchen.
Abby made coffee while he pulled eggs, butter and juice from the refrigerator. For two people who’d never shared a morning routine, they functioned in perfect harmony. Seth couldn’t help wondering if that ought to scare him to death, the fact that they clicked on so many levels.
He glanced over to see Abby regarding him with amusement.
“Was that panic that just flitted across your face?” she teased.
“Not panic,” he insisted. “Just a momentary qualm.”
“It’s breakfast, Seth. There’s not a minister in sight.”
The comment made him laugh, just as she’d clearly intended.
“You have to admit, we do this part surprisingly well.”
“I don’t know about your breakfast skills, but I’ve been making coffee every morning for a lot of years long before you were in my life.”
“Okay, I’m overreacting,” he conceded. “But it does feel awfully domestic.”
“And you’re scared of domestic?” she asked, eyes sparkling. “Then I promise not to suggest you
