Studying his face in profile, she thought again about the way his external calm enveloped the coiled emotions within him, and she suddenly imagined the way Colin might look as he hovered naked above her, his lips gently brushing hers, as they gave themselves over to each other. Her stomach tightened and she felt her mouth curve into a faint smile.
“Did you mean what you said to me earlier?”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he lowered his head before turning to face her.
“I meant every single word.”
Feeling a cascade of sensations in her body, she moved closer and kissed him gently on the lips. They were soft and warm, and pulling back, she saw in his expression something akin to hope. She kissed him a second time then and felt her skin begin to come alive as he slid his arms around her. He tugged softly, bringing their bodies together, and in that instant, she began to lose herself in him. She could feel the strength of his chest and arms surrounding her and the warm urgency of his tongue, and she knew with fierce certainty that she needed Colin, all of him. They continued to kiss on the balcony beneath a foggy, star-filled sky until she finally reached for his hand. Their fingers intertwined as he kissed the hollow of her neck, the sensation tantalizing and erotic. She shivered, enjoying the sensation before wordlessly leading him to the bedroom.
Moments after she woke the next morning, Maria felt the soft glare of the early-autumn sun, and the night came rushing back. She rolled over and saw Colin lying on his side, only half covered by the sheet, already awake and alert. “Good morning,” he whispered.
“Good morning,” she said. “How long have you been up?”
“About an hour.”
“Why didn’t you go back to sleep?”
“I wasn’t tired. And besides, I kind of enjoyed watching you.”
“That has the potential to sound very creepy, you know.”
“Okay.”
She smiled. “Well, since you were watching me, I hope I didn’t do anything embarrassing or make any strange noises.”
“You didn’t. You just lay there looking sexy as hell.”
“My hair is messy and I need to brush my teeth.”
“Right now?”
“Why? What did you have in mind?”
He reached toward her, using his finger to trace her collarbone, and after that, no words were necessary.
Later, they showered together and dressed. Maria dried her hair and put on makeup while Colin leaned against the bathroom counter beside her, nursing a cup of coffee.
“Are we going someplace?” he asked.
“Brunch. With my parents.”
“Sounds good. I’m going to need to change first, though. What time?”
“Eleven.”
“I take it that we won’t be riding together.”
“That’s probably not a good idea. It’s going to be hard enough to prepare them for your visit. Because this time, they’re going to ask a lot of questions.”
“Okay.”
Maria put down her mascara wand and took his hand. “Does that bother you? Or scare you?”
“No.”
“Well, it sure scares me,” she admitted, returning to her makeup. “The whole thing is terrifying, in fact.”
He took a sip of coffee. “What are you going to tell them about me?”
“Hopefully, as little as possible. Any details will just spur more questions that you should answer, not me.”
“What are you hoping for today?”
“For my mom to get through it without tears, and my father not to demand that you leave the house.”
“That’s not a very high bar.”
“Trust me,” she said. “It’s higher than you think.”
CHAPTER 13
Colin
Colin pulled up to Maria’s parents’ house just before eleven. He had no idea how the conversation with her parents had gone, and as he stepped out of the car, he figured there was no use in speculating, since he’d find out soon enough anyway.
Had Lily been around, he would have asked her what he should bring to a family brunch, but she and Evan were already at church when he got home, and in the end, it probably wouldn’t do much good anyway. Like everyone else, they were going to form their own opinions, and a basket of muffins wasn’t going to alter them.
Still, as he walked to the door, he hoped that Maria was all right. Earlier, on his way home, he’d thought about her virtually nonstop, one series of images giving way to the next, each more ravishing than the one before. That was a first for him, she was a first, and he took a deep breath, reminding himself that even though he wouldn’t shy away from any questions, his answers could be framed in a lot of different ways and still remain honest.
He knocked at the door and it swung open almost immediately, revealing Serena. He noticed again how much she resembled her older sister, though she seemed even more high-strung than usual, which probably wasn’t a good sign.
“Hey, Colin,” she said, stepping aside to let him in. “I saw you walking up. Come on in.”
“Thank you. How did your dinner go last night?”
“Awesome,” she answered. “But I should be the one asking you.”
“We had a good time.”
“I’m sure.” Serena winked. “Maria’s in the kitchen with Mom,” she said, closing the door behind him. “And I’m amazed you were able to get her to go dancing.”
“Why?”
“If you don’t know yet, I think you need to spend even more time with her,” she answered. “But here’s a word to the wise – I wouldn’t get too descriptive about last night, especially anything that might have happened after the dancing. It’s already a little tense around here. I have a hunch that my parents think you’re a terrorist.”