Chapter 21

Nolan looked incredulous. “It does?”

It did? “Michelle, are you okay?” Candace asked,

“Huh?” Her gaze snapped into focus. “Oh, sure. Yeah, fine.”

“That phone call…?”

“A friend.” She sounded exasperated. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

Candace refused to let the dart hit. “Right. I know. Okay. You just seem a little—”

“I’m fine.”

“Good to hear, Michelle.” Nolan shrugged at Candace and shook his head nearly imperceptibly. “Candace and I were just standing here discussing her need to—”

“Stop.” Candace pushed past him, and threw a firm “good night” out the door before she closed it.

In the bathroom her eyes were bright and wide, her face flushed. She looked alive, slightly manic, but…pretty. She hadn’t looked like that in a long time. In fact, she’d started to think her bloom of youth was on its way out prematurely.

Not today.

Oh, brother. She really did not need to have this big of a crush on Nolan. Damn good thing she was leaving, even if it didn’t feel good all the time. At any rate, she wouldn’t see him again, so there was no point thinking about him further. If that was possible. In five minutes, she’d taken care of her bedtime routine and stepped out again into the hall.

Where Nolan waited, toothbrush in hand, having changed into sexy soft-looking shorts and a T-shirt which hugged his shoulders, skimmed his chest and fell loose around his waist.

“You’re quick.”

“Oh. Thank you. Or whatever.” She was not going to blush again. Nor was she going to hesitate in the hallway any longer and gaze her fill of him. She was going into her room and closing the door.

C’mon, feet, move.

She managed it, closed the door behind her and breathed a huge sigh of relief. This would be the last time she’d see him. Nothing had changed. She’d sleep, get up, leave a note for Michelle and go. Then she’d call from the road and apologize for leaving without an appropriate farewell. Michelle wouldn’t care. Both of them hated goodbyes anyway, because the ones they’d said to their mother had been so uncertain. When would they see her again? The next day? The day after? Not for a week? Never? So not comforting for little girls to have to wonder.

In bed, as predicted, Candace couldn’t sleep. Every possible worry crawled out of whatever shallow crack had partly concealed it during the day and tormented her. Worry over Michelle, over Gran’s health, tension over the long drive, even worry over all her furniture and belongings being trucked down toward the storm. And, yes, about Nolan.

The longer she tossed and turned, the closer the clock crept to the hour she’d decided to get up, the less she realized she’d sleep and the more agitated she became. Honestly. Finally, she felt her body relax as exhaustion took over. She could survive. Just a few hours of sleep…just a few… It was time to get up. Her alarm was beeping, but she couldn’t get to it.

Couldn’t make herself move. Someone was here in the room with her. Nolan, taking her picture over and over again, then climbing into bed with her. Why couldn’t she wake up? She hadn’t taken a pill this time. She needed to wake up before his tongue and fingers and hands made her surrender again, before she fell so in love with him that she couldn’t leave at all.

No, Nolan. Stop.

He didn’t, surrounded her with his body, undressed her, touched her everywhere. He was clothed, then naked, his chest hot against her, his thighs insistently parting her legs.

No, no, no.

He chuckled softly. No means yes when you’re with me. Then he was inside her, and her body caught fire from the inside out while his stayed cool and solid, urging her upward toward a climax that hovered just out of her reach.

In Rosehill, Gran and Grandad were trapped by a fallen tree, calling for her, calling while she was in bed with the man of her dreams. I love you, Candace. Stay with me. I can’t live without— Candace woke up, breathless with panic, wildly aroused…and alone.

“Oh my God.” She rose to her elbows, pushed her damp hair back from her face. Or more appropriately, “Oh, thank God.”

Just a dream. Nolan wasn’t with her. Gran and Grandad were safe. Candace had time to get to them and make sure they stayed that way, though with her shaky and sick from not enough sleep, the drive loomed impossibly long and lonely ahead of her. A crazy undertaking.

Why had she dreamed Nolan was in love with her?

More crazy. And crazier still to feel warm and blissful and cared-for and desirable when her dream thought he did. She laughed to illustrate how gosh-darn wacky it was, but something in her heart refused to smirk along and the laughter never quite convinced her. Did she mention crazy?

She dragged her eyes to the clock. Three-thirty. She’d planned to get up at four, might as well cut her losses and do it now. Yawning, she stumbled to the bathroom, not thinking about Nolan standing there hours earlier, not thinking about his warm body in the dream, not thinking about being unaccountably sad leaving him, not thinking about him, not thinking, not, not, not.

She showered, shivering from lack of sleep, towel-dried her hair, then threw the towel sleepily around her and went back out into the hallway.

“Hi.”

She couldn’t believe it. She absolutely could not believe it. Had he been listening for her? Had he somehow known he could find her damp and naked except for draped terry cloth? “What are you doing up?” she whispered.

“I couldn’t sleep. You?”

“I’m…me, neither.”

“So you thought a shower would help?”

Candace sighed. “I figured I’d just leave now.”

“Sneaking out, huh?” He took a step toward her as he had earlier, but this time darkness made the wide hallway seem even more intimate, and this time Candace doubted Michelle would burst out of her room to interrupt; she was a reliable and heavy sleeper. So this time Candace had to deal with him all by herself, and rely on her common sense and her strength and— “Mmm, you smell good.”

“Um. Well.” She backed up. “Strawberry shampoo. Could you not stand so close?”

“Why?” He was barely making tone, but the silence in the house was so profound his voice traveled easily.

“Because…you’re too close.” She edged toward her room, hugging the wall at her back.