Misplaced (112 page)

Th
e
musi
c
ende
d
an
d
sh
e
opene
d
he
r
e
y
es
.
Oli
v
e
r
’
s
face
made her blush.
“
Y
ou’
v
e
pushed
me
about
as
far
as
a
man
can
go
without
a
cold sho
w
er.”

“I
w
ant to be with you, Oli
v
er. Now.”

He
looked
perplexed.
“Here?
I
thought
making
lo
v
e
w
as
off
limits.
All this time you’
v
e been saying—”

“I ha
v
e been a fool.”

Hi
s
ches
t
rose
,
a
s
di
d
hi
s
e
y
ebrow
.
H
e
sur
v
e
y
e
d
their
surrounding
s
thoughtfull
y
fo
r
a
moment
,
an
d
said
,
“I
’
l
l
b
e
righ
t
back.”

H
e
mad
e
a
quic
k
tri
p
aroun
d
th
e
fir
e
an
d
locate
d
two
sleepin
g
bags
,
whic
h
h
e
tucke
d
unde
r
hi
s
arm
.
“
Y
ou
’
r
e
sure
about this?”

What you are about to do is forbidden!

Lately
,
i
t
seeme
d
tha
t
Fa
t
he
r
Donato’
s
word
s
cam
e
t
o
her
like thoughts of her sister—without
w
arning.

God lo
v
es us best when
w
e are happy.

Sh
e
too
k
Oli
v
e
r
’
s
hand
.
Leavin
g
th
e
others
,
the
y
quickly
passed
the
tree
line,
hurrying
o
v
er
thick
beds
of
pine
needles.
Oli
v
e
r
stoppe
d
onc
e
an
d
pu
t
hi
s
finger
s
t
o
he
r
lips
.
“Shh.
Listen.”

O
v
er
the
pounding
of
her
heart,
Khara
heard
Gus’s
guitar,
fainter than a whisper. They mo
v
ed on.

“Here.
”
The
y
ha
d
com
e
t
o
th
e
outcroppin
g
o
f
gian
t
boulders
he
had
shown
her
on
their
first
ride,
and
they
again
climbed
to
th
e
top
.
Oli
v
e
r
unzippe
d
bot
h
bags
,
layin
g
on
e
o
n
to
p
o
f
the
other, while Khara bit her lip.

“What’s
wrong?”
he
asked
as
he
took
her
in
his
arms
and
kissed her forehead.

“I
must
say
something.
I
ha
v
e
lo
v
ed
you
since
the
moment
I
firs
t
sa
w
yo
u
i
n
th
e
barn
.
No—e
v
e
n
befor
e
that—becaus
e
i
t
w
as
your
voice
that
came
to
me
first.
From
that
moment
until
my
long sleep, only you will share my heart.”

H
e
close
d
hi
s
e
y
es
,
an
d
sh
e
w
a
s
no
t
sur
e
i
f
wha
t
sh
e
had
sai
d
w
a
s
pleasin
g
t
o
hi
m
o
r
not
.
Whe
n
h
e
opene
d
them
,
he
smiled
and
said,
“That
w
as
better
than
‘I
lo
v
e
you,
and
totally
worth
w
aiting for.
’
”

Oli
v
e
r
undresse
d
he
r
withou
t
hurry
,
kissin
g
firs
t
he
r
mouth,
and
then
her
neck
and
the
place
bet
w
een
her
breasts.
Soon
his
lip
s
foun
d
thei
r
w
a
y
bac
k
t
o
hers
.
Eac
h
la
y
e
r
o
f
clothin
g
that
fel
l
t
o
th
e
groun
d
too
k
wit
h
i
t
a
smal
l
piec
e
o
f
he
r
honor
,
y
et
how
gla
d
ly
s
he
ga
v
e
it!
Finally
s
he
s
to
o
d
naked
and
un
mo
ving,
relishin
g
e
v
er
y
touc
h
o
f
hi
s
hand
s
an
d
mouth
,
remembering
th
e
jealous
y
sh
e
ha
d
fel
t
w
atchin
g
hi
m
ru
b
dow
n
th
e
horses
.
He
examined
her
breasts
as
if
they
w
ere
a
delicacy
before
putting
his
mouth
to
one,
his
tongue
making
playful
circles
around
her
nipple.
W
ith
his
hot
breath
and
the
cold
night
air,
her
nipples
gre
w
rip
e
an
d
swollen
,
an
d
Khar
a
arche
d
he
r
bac
k
a
s
the
hunger inside her grew.

Droppin
g
t
o
hi
s
knees
,
hi
s
hand
s
trace
d
line
s
o
f
delight
down
her
back
that
caused
her
breath
to
race.
His
strong
hands
took
hold
of
her
bottom,
squeezing
and
coaxing
her
flesh
into
ecstasy. He kissed the inside of her thighs, the small triangle of
hair.
One
hand
mo
v
ed
gently
up
and
down
her
leg,
stopping
at
the golden cuff
around her thigh.