“You wanna come with me?” Jacques asked before seeming to reconsider. “Maybe you should stay here. It just started rainingagain.”
“Then why are you going out?” she asked, hoping to stall him as she tried to dry herlegs.
“Because we need to eat,” he said dryly. “I’ll be rightback.”
She shimmied the towel along her back and tried a different tack. “What did Kate have to say?” she hollered through thedoor.
“I didn’t get her. I was talking toPal.”
“Oh?” she asked, rubbing down her shoulders and belly. “How’she?”
“He’s fine… Rainey, are youokay?”
She gulped. Was she okay? No, not really. She needed to talk to him, and not through a bathroom door. She needed him to know how she felt, and she needed to show him what he meant toher.
“Yes?” Two bathrobes wrapped in dry cleaner bags hung on the back of the door. Rainey grabbed the smaller one and ripped open theplastic.
“Yes?You don’t sound so sure about that. Will you be okay while I go out? I won’t be gonelong.”
“No, I-I mean, yes, I’d be fine but—” She dropped her towel and threw the robe around her shoulders. “Don’t leave justyet.”
He was silent while she yanked the tie closed and knotted it with abow.
“What’s wrong?” Jacques’s voice had softened withconcern.
The sound made her sigh. Rainey gave herself a quick once over in the mirror. Her face was flushed from the bath. Her hair, wrested in a haphazard bun, needed to be combed out, but that would have to wait. Rainey knew herself. She knew that she needed to seize this moment of courage before it slipped away, and if she let Jacques leave their room, she might lose her nerve while he went in search ofdinner.
Rainey gripped the antique crystal doorknob, took one steadying breath, and opened the door. Jacques stood on the other side wearing a worriedfrown.
“What’s going on?” heasked.
“Nothing… really…” She started, stopped, and then felt the full force of hernerves.
His eyes narrowed, and then they dropped to the robe. He blinked twice and grinned. “That’s a good look foryou.”
His teasing smile swept away some of her nerves, but Rainey still didn’t know how to find the right words. She took a step toward him and held hisgaze.
“Thankyou.”
The temptation to look away was overwhelming. Heat rushed to her cheeks, but she didn’t break her stare. His eyes, the warm, welcoming brown she’d grown to love, were still smiling, and she watched as the smile gave way to an intensefocus.
“What is it?” he whispered, his brows drawingtogether.
Her heart racing, Rainey raised both hands, took another step, and placed them on his chest. Without hesitation, Jacques’s arms closed around her, and his frowning brow lifted inquestion.
“Thank you,” she saidagain.
“You’re shaking. Are you stillcold?”
Rainey ran her hands up to his shoulders and shook her head. “No, just nervous,” sheadmitted.
Jacques blinked in surprise. “Why are younervous?”
She reached up and gently grasped the collar of his T-shirt in both hands. She tugged, and Jacques lowered his head without protest. Rainey stretched up until her lips nearly touchedhis.
“Because…” she whispered, and then she kissed him. Jacques inhaled a slow, deep breath that lifted his chest and nearly took Rainey off her feet. Or maybe it was the kiss. But he held her firmly against him and let her claim his mouth. She kissed him hard, loving the way his lips yielded, soft yet firm, against hers. Before she could advance, though, Jacquesnodded.
“Yeah,” he whispered against her mouth. “I can see why that’d make you nervous.” And then he was kissing her smile because, of course, his words made her smile. She let her tongue sweep over the seam of his lips, and he answered in kind. The tip of her tongue touched his, and she drew it into her mouth, inviting him to fill her. His sharp inhale turned into a moan as he breathed out. The sound gave her courage, and she let one hand travel into hishair.