62
" He hoped it didn’t show on his face that just looking at her in the dim firelight was a treat, a delight. Her hair all mussed from bed, her feet bare, her cheeks pinked up from anxiety, she almost took his breath away. He knew she was skittish around men to the point that she couldn’t even go to a coed gym to work out, and he didn’t delude himself that he was exempt from that category, not even after all the time they’d had together. Oh, perhaps at the moment, as they shared a couch with a couple of feet separating them. But if he tried to get too close right now, she would freak. Bolt. Melt down. “Maybe "
― Robyn Carr , Whispering Rock (Virgin River, #3)
67
" Not much time had passed when he opened his eyes to find her standing over him. “Umm,” she said nervously. “Can you…? This is awkward. I’m still very squeamish about a man even seeing me on the treadmill, but could you share the bed, in your clothes, and manage not to do anything? I mean, even in your sleep?” “I’m okay right here, Brie. Don’t worry about me.” “I’m not worried about… I just thought, that couch isn’t big enough. And there’s a bed in the loft, but I just don’t want you way up there. And I… Could you lie beside me on the bed without—” “I’m not going to try anything with you, Brie. I know you can’t handle that.” “I don’t think I can sleep unless you’re…closer,” she said very softly. “Aw, honey…” “Then come on,” she said, turning back to the bedroom. He didn’t move for a moment, thinking. It didn’t take long. He wanted to be next to her, but he didn’t have to be. But if she needed him, he was there. He stood and got rid of his belt because of the big buckle, but everything else stayed on. And he went to the bedroom. She was curled up under the covers, her back facing out, leaving him room. So he lay down on the bed on top of the covers, giving her that security. “Okay?” he asked. “Okay,” she murmured. It wasn’t a big bed, just a double, and it was impossible to keep a lot of space between them. He curved around her back, spooning her, his face against her hair, his wrist resting over her hip. “Okay?” he asked. “Okay,” she murmured. He nestled in, his cheek against the fragrant silkiness of all that loose hair, his body wrapped around hers, though separated by layers of clothes and quilts, and it was a long, long time before he found sleep. By her even breathing, Mike knew she rested comfortably and that made him feel good. When he woke in the morning, she had turned in her sleep and lay in the crook of his arm, snuggled up close to him, her lips parted slightly, her breath soft and warm against his cheek. And he thought, Oh damn, she’s right—this is going to just break the hell out of my heart. * "
― Robyn Carr , Whispering Rock (Virgin River, #3)
69
" He speaks to me in Spanish, in low, sexy Spanish, and then he lies about what he’s said, thinking I don’t know.” “What does he say?” Jeannie asked her. “He’ll say something like, ‘I want to hold you and make love to you,’ and pretends he has said he would like to kiss me.” “Do you think you can have this in your life again? Intimacy of that kind? Are you ready for that?” “I’m very nervous, but I long for it,” she said. “I want him.” “You trust him enough?” “When I’m with him, I feel completely safe. Nurtured. Protected. He doesn’t hurry me—he’s very kind. Very cautious. He’s the only kind of man I could deal with right now, and he knows that.” She shivered and said in a low breath, “But there’s a fire in him. I can feel it. "
― Robyn Carr , Whispering Rock (Virgin River, #3)
70
" Would you take a chance on me? Let me make promises that I swear by the Virgin I can keep?” She laughed at him. “Do you really want to get the Virgin involved in this?” “Before the babies come, mija,” he said. “Because there will be babies.” “There is that talk about the water in Virgin River….” He covered her lips in a steaming kiss, pulling her hard against him. “It’s not about the water with us, mi amor,” he said. “If we disappeared for a while, would we be missed?” “Yes,” she answered, laughing. “When I woke up in the hospital, I thought to myself, why did I make it? When I was discharged and struggling for every step, unable to lift a glass from the cupboard, my constant thought was that I had misspent my life—carousing, living in the moment, acting carelessly. What every man wants, what my friends had found—that one woman they would give up everything for—had eluded me completely. And when you came along…angry over your divorce and determined never to give a man, especially a man like me, a chance, I knew I’d been cast into hell for sure, because I was feeling that for you.” He gave her a kiss. “How did this happen? I know I don’t deserve this.” “It started with a promise to break your heart,” she said. “Somehow I got distracted.” “Will you marry me, Brie? I want you to be my wife. I want to be your husband, your partner for life. Can you trust me with that?” “Sí, Miguel. I trust you with everything.” * "
― Robyn Carr , Whispering Rock (Virgin River, #3)
71
" He was as tall as Jack; as broad shouldered with a wide, hard chest. Looking at his back, she realized it could almost be Jack, and for a split second she wondered if she had married him because he resembled her brother in so many ways. That sandy-brown hair, square jaw, long legs, powerful physique. Mike wasn’t anything like the Sheridan men—he was six feet, quite tall to her five foot three, but not towering like her brother and father, like Brad. His shoulders and arms were strong, but he was lean. There was that soft, coal-black hair, high cheekbones, black eyes, tan skin, his teeth so white they were almost startling. His hands were soft and his fingers long and graceful. She hadn’t seen him without a shirt, but she knew his chest and belly were muscled and hard, almost hairless. She found herself imagining that below his waist was more of that black hair, swirling downward. His legs were the strong, sculpted legs of a runner—she remembered the feel of his thighs as she lay across his lap to be kissed. She "
― Robyn Carr , Whispering Rock (Virgin River, #3)
72
" If you’ll give me a chance, I’d just like a chance to show you that I—I’m sorry, Brie. Can’t we—? Can’t we try again? See each other? See if we can rekindle some of what we had? I know it’ll take time…. If we can’t, I have no one to blame but myself, but can we just—” She gave a huff of laughter. “Poor Brad,” she said. “You went from two women who couldn’t get enough of you to no one. You’re not getting laid, are you? You’re pathetic!” “I know you’re angry—you should be. I’ll make it up to you somehow. Just give me time, give us time—” “No!” she yelled at him. “No!” And then she started to laugh again. “God, you don’t know how long I waited to hear you say that! Even while I was hating you, I might have taken you back!” She shook her head in disbelief. “Jesus! Thank God you didn’t pull this sooner.” “Brie—” “For God’s sake, do I want anything to do with a man who can cheat on his wife because there’s some kind of physical thing? Something you can’t even explain? Forgive me, but I thought we had something physical!” “We did. We will again.” “No. No. Go. Get out of here. You left me for my best friend and now you’d like to see if we can rekindle something? Oh, you are such a fool. What did I ever see in you? Why didn’t I know this about you? Go!” “No, Brie, there’s more.” “I can’t take any more,” she said. “They found him.” She was stunned for a second. She couldn’t breathe. “What?” she asked. “What did you say?” He took a deep breath. “They found him—Jerome Powell. He’s in Florida. They have him in custody there. They’re working on the extradition. I think you’ll get a call tomorrow from the D.A. I heard it at work.” She took a step toward him. “Why didn’t you tell me this first?” she asked in a furious whisper. “Because I wanted you to know that I love you. I’d like to be with you through this. With you when they bring him back. I want to take care of you.” “Oh, my God,” she said in a breath. “You thought I’d take you back out of fear? Helplessness? You’re an idiot, that’s what you are! A big, stupid, goddamn idiot!” He hung his head. “Don’t you think I feel pretty terrible about what happened? Haven’t I been around since it happened? Don’t you think it’s killing me? Hell, Brie—that’s probably what broke me and Christine apart.” She started to laugh again, but tears smarted in her eyes at the same time. “It’s all about you, isn’t it, Brad?” There was a sweet voice in her head. There will be no taking, mija. Only giving. “I want a chance to try to make it right,” he said. “Well, you can’t. No one can make it right, especially you. You made your choice, Brad. You’re stuck with it. "
― Robyn Carr , Whispering Rock (Virgin River, #3)
76
" What’s going on, man?” he asked. “I have to get that house finished.” “Mel getting impatient?” “No. Mel’s got another one cooking.” “Oh?” “She’s pregnant again, Preach.” “Oh! Wow, that’s great, man!” he said, sticking out his hand. “Thanks. But just so you’re warned, she’s not too thrilled yet. Watch your step.” “Oh? Why not?” “David’s still a baby, and she feels like she just finished being pregnant. Plus she’s moody, she’s exhausted, she’s puking and she thinks I did it to her on purpose.” “Ohhh,” he said. “Okay. But you? You okay?” “Hey.” He grinned. “I’m great. I’d have five more. But I wouldn’t live to tell about it.” “This ever make you feel… You know. Old?” “Oh hell, no. Every time I get her pregnant, I feel about ten years younger. And if you tell her I said that, we’re both gonna die.” “Okay then, we go easy with Mel. But hey. Good for you, man.” * "
― Robyn Carr , Whispering Rock (Virgin River, #3)
78
" He loved being around her, went nuts with her effervescence and buoyancy. The problem was that he found her just as sexy and distracting pregnant as he had that very first night Matt put the moves on her. He wondered if he was just setting himself up for a lot of long, troubling nights of thinking about her and feeling sorry for himself because he would never, under pain of death, touch his friend’s woman. He felt guilty that he even wanted to. But this would be his secret, that he desired her, worshipped her. And while Matt was at war, Paul would look in on her from time to time, be sure she was holding up. He "
― Robyn Carr , Whispering Rock (Virgin River, #3)
79
" Mike sat with his legs stretched out in front of him; Brie curled her legs under her and braced herself on an arm, close to him. “Here,” Mike said, gently pulling her back to recline against his chest. “Be comfortable.” Leaning against his broad chest, she felt herself relax in a way she hadn’t in months. With this interlude coming at the end of day like this, she was as close to carefree as she’d been in too long. Feeling the strength of him behind her was like a foundation. It didn’t hurt that she’d slept beside him for two nights and he had been perfect. And she began to think, I was wrong about what I can feel. I can feel things. Closeness and trust, for one thing. Security. He made her feel safe, and not just safe from danger. She had absolutely no worry that trusting him was foolish. The "
― Robyn Carr , Whispering Rock (Virgin River, #3)
80
" I’m so bad at surprises,” she said. “Yeah. I know. You should work on that. Where’s Doc?” “He’s around here somewhere.” “Well, find him and tell him you’re stepping out. I’ll get David. Let’s take a ride. I think you’re going to like this.” “Jack,” she said, standing up, “I hate when you do this.” “I haven’t given you one bad surprise yet,” he said, lifting his son out of the playpen. When she glared at him he said, “I haven’t! I make excellent babies and if you’re surprised, I think that’s your fault!” “Yeah, you don’t have to rub my nose in it.” It "
― Robyn Carr , Whispering Rock (Virgin River, #3)
