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For a few moments, Daniel stood unnoticed, watching Amy. The breeze rustled her hair, and once again he felt his groin stir and harden. All he had to do was look at her and he got an erection. A kid had more control than he did. This was becoming ridiculous.
He guessed Amy must have been home to change. She wore navy yoga pants and a matching zip-up hoodie, which hung open, revealing a tight white T-shirt underneath. The pants hugged her hips and her endlessly long legs.
A somber expression haunted her face. Knowing Amy as well as he did, he figured she’d done some heavy introspection, gone over every second of the previous night in minuscule detail, and come to the conclusion that what they’d done was wrong. She’d have found a million reasons why they shouldn’t have done it in the first place and a million more why they would never do it again.
That was okay with him. She needed time to accept their relationship was changing. Hell, it had taken him years to act on his own feelings. The fact that he existed in a state of permanent arousal was something he was learning to live with.
Besides, he’d only put the first half of his plan into action. The rest of it hadn’t even begun.
Amy turned toward him as he took a step closer. Her eyes closed briefly, and when they opened, her face was a neutral mask, devoid of the pain he’d seen. She stood up.
“You looked so serious I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“Just enjoying the view.” Her words were stilted and an obvious lie.
Daniel leaned over to kiss her cheek. He found it difficult to pull away. “How are you?” His need to touch her was so great he tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear.
Color tinged her cheeks, and she stepped back. “Tired. It was a late night.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty bombed myself.” By unspoken mutual consent, they began to walk along the beachside path. “I didn’t get much sleep. I was way too wired when I got home.”
“Me, too.”
She was so detached. Guarded and reserved in a way she’d never been with him before.
Then her voice warmed up and her smile broke through, bringing the sun with it. “I’m so proud of you. The exhibition was awesome.”
Warmth curled through his stomach. Amy’s praise meant the world to him. “Thanks. Valerie phoned earlier to say she was pretty sure all of the photos would be sold by the end of the week.”
“The reports must have been brilliant.” She gave a startled cry and stopped in her tracks. “The papers. I forgot to read the reviews.”
“They weren’t half-bad.” He handed her a copy of the Sydney Morning Herald he’d brought along and pointed to an article.
Amy read the headline out loud. “‘Award-winning photographer wins our hearts.’” She gave a low whistle. “‘Daniel Tanner’s breathtaking photographs pulled on our heartstrings and our purse strings last night at the opening of his exhibition, All in Good Health. The talented photographer brought the pediatric oncology and hematology ward of the Sydney Eastern Suburbs Hospital alive in torrents of color and in subdued black-and-white. There was not a dry eye in the house by the end of the evening.’”
She finished reading in silence and then turned and threw herself at him, hugging him tight. “Oh, that’s brilliant.”
He enclosed her in his arms, returning the hug. Her breasts pressed into his chest, and need cut through him, hard and fast.
“You’re famous. You’re a star. Now everyone will think you’re amazing, not just me.”
Her guard was down, she’d lost her reserve, and she had no idea what she did to him. She was his Amy again and was wrapped around him, her body flush with his, burning him through his clothes.
“My biggest fan.” His voice was hoarse, and in the position he found himself, he couldn’t hide his response to her.
Amy jerked her arms back and shifted on her heels. She held herself stiff and composed, her face a frigid mask.
He took her hand. “Don’t pull away. Don’t cut me out like that. Not after what happened between us last night.”
She yanked her hand from his. “Last night was a mistake,” she snapped and then looked appalled. “Oh God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to come out like that.”
The expected uncertainty didn’t stop her words from slicing through him. “How did you mean it to come out?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk about, to clear up any misunderstandings.” She turned around and stared out at the ocean. “I…that is, last night should never have happened. It was wrong.”
“It didn’t seem wrong at the time.” Nothing in his life had ever felt more right.