His hands were hot where they pressed against her, and she knew they would soon be conjuring up a heat in her that would be impossible to deny. His lovemaking was so special. He made her feel like a treasure he'd found and still wondered at. She wanted to make him feel special too, if only she knew how.
They soared together, clinging tightly to one another for the ride. White heat became fulfillment, and for Charity, the act itself was first and foremost an expression of her love. She spoke to him with her hands, her body, her whispers of incoherent pleasure. And when their bodies were spent, she clung to him and softly kissed every part of him she could reach, so full of her love for him she could barely breathe.
Would he tell her he loved her now? She wanted so badly to hear the words.
They lay side by side, and it was only then that Charity began to notice how prickly the leaves were. She laughed softly, staring at the ceiling of the cave.
He rose on his elbow to watch her. "You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he said solemnly, his hand tangled in her hair.
"You can say that even after you've seen all those koala bears?" she asked, smiling back, still missing the words. Did he love her? Did she want to know, just in case the answer was a bad one?
He grinned and showered kisses all over her face. "This was even better than my imagination," he told her. "And believe me, I imagined a lot while I was gone. Right in the middle of board meetings, sometimes." He kissed her.
She laughed softly. Relief filled her. It was going to be all right. She could feel his love even if he wouldn't put it into words. He needed her just like she needed him.
"We'd better go back," she said, stroking his hair. "Your cousin Kenny will be here any minute. He's been following me everywhere today."
His laugh was short and harsh. "Kenny won't come af ter you while I'm with you," he promised. "I've had to teach Kenny a few lessons before, and I know he isn't looking for remedial work."
She twisted to look at him. "I thought the two of you were so close."
"Kenny is a worthless parasite," he told her. "He's been foisted on me all my life." He kissed her one last time. "Brush him off like an annoying mosquito," he advised. "That's what I usually do."
Charity sat up and began to pull on her clothes again, hurrying but paying careful attention to detail. She was going to have to face all those people again, and if anyone should suspect what they'd been up to, she'd be morti fied. But her mind went back to what Ross had said. If his mother was so wrong about Kenny, might she not be wrong about other things that had to do with Ross? It was worth thinking about.