flame so deep and hot inside her it stole her breath away. She had been so caught up in how she felt that she hadn't been paying attention at all to Cody's reaction. And the fact that touching her this way had affected him too only made her senses burn brighter.
She shouldn't be so shocked, but she was. It wasn't as if she hadn't imagined what it would be like to kiss Cody. In truth, she had. The past three nights had seemed very long, leaving her anxious and wondering about the kind of man Cody really was. Not just now,
but before the accident, before his life had been derailed so drastically.
She had seen many people bounce back from similar tragedies, although it was never easy. It took a certain amount of inner strength that made a person put one foot in front of the other. Those whose situations made it seem near certain they wouldn't succeed were usually the ones who surprised her the most. That inner strength of character drove them beyond what was believed possible.
Cody had that inner strength. Lyssa knew it. There was something so strong about him, so determined, and yet he somehow had succumbed to the idea that his life was over.
And now here he was clearly wanting something that she herself had dreamed of these past three nights. She wanted to kiss him, wanted to feel what it was like to press her lips against his and discover the mystery, feel the engine that burned inside him roar to life.
For her this time.
He said her name again, this time louder, and it was clear to Lyssa that he was waiting, waiting for her to lean in and except his invitation.
She ran her tongue over her lips, feeling the cool breeze brush over them as the wind blew.
His hands lingered on her cheeks, touching her softly in silence. He held her face in his hands with such care it made her dizzy. Then he abruptly dropped them to his lap.
"You're a very beautiful woman, Alyssandra." His voice was so low and deep that she could barely hear it over the neighs of the horses, the distant moos of cattle, and the rustling of leaves in the trees.
Tears immediately sprang to Lyssa's eyes. Not because she didn't believe Cody. In his mind, maybe he had taken the simple, plain woman she was in reality and turned her into something beautiful in his mind. And for that moment, she did feel as beautiful as he seemed to believe.
At first, he didn't move away, and didn't say another word. He just sat there, oh, so close, opposite her on the grass. All Lyssa could think of was the way he'd held her face in his hands as if she were a fragile piece of glass.
And then he did move away, leaning back with his arms behind him, as if he was actually gazing out at the pasture beyond them.
Already she missed the feel of his hands and was disappointed the brief link they'd shared was now broken. Regret washed over her and she only hoped Cody couldn't hear it in her voice.
"Thank you," he murmured.
"For what?"
"For letting me see you. For making me feel alive for the first time in eight months."
She smiled, feeling a heat swell in her chest and creep up her neck. "You're welcome."
"Tell me what you see. The pasture, I mean."
She looked out at the field. "It's breathtaking. But you know that already."
"Yes, I do know. But I want to hear it from you. I want to see it through your eyes. It's different to sit here like I have my whole life and look at these pastures.
"People tend to take things for granted when they know all they have to do is reach out and grab something and it's theirs. It loses meaning. It's different looking at something for the first time. Don't you think?"
"I suppose you're right."
Lyssa gazed out at the rippling fields of sunlit gold and green. The hills rolled all the way across the pasture until they reached a wooded area.
"The branches of this tree stretch out and form a sort of shaded cave. A few cattle are huddled underneath a similar tree on the rise of one of the hills, but most of the herd is huddled together out in the
She shouldn't be so shocked, but she was. It wasn't as if she hadn't imagined what it would be like to kiss Cody. In truth, she had. The past three nights had seemed very long, leaving her anxious and wondering about the kind of man Cody really was. Not just now,
but before the accident, before his life had been derailed so drastically.
She had seen many people bounce back from similar tragedies, although it was never easy. It took a certain amount of inner strength that made a person put one foot in front of the other. Those whose situations made it seem near certain they wouldn't succeed were usually the ones who surprised her the most. That inner strength of character drove them beyond what was believed possible.
Cody had that inner strength. Lyssa knew it. There was something so strong about him, so determined, and yet he somehow had succumbed to the idea that his life was over.
And now here he was clearly wanting something that she herself had dreamed of these past three nights. She wanted to kiss him, wanted to feel what it was like to press her lips against his and discover the mystery, feel the engine that burned inside him roar to life.
For her this time.
He said her name again, this time louder, and it was clear to Lyssa that he was waiting, waiting for her to lean in and except his invitation.
She ran her tongue over her lips, feeling the cool breeze brush over them as the wind blew.
His hands lingered on her cheeks, touching her softly in silence. He held her face in his hands with such care it made her dizzy. Then he abruptly dropped them to his lap.
"You're a very beautiful woman, Alyssandra." His voice was so low and deep that she could barely hear it over the neighs of the horses, the distant moos of cattle, and the rustling of leaves in the trees.
Tears immediately sprang to Lyssa's eyes. Not because she didn't believe Cody. In his mind, maybe he had taken the simple, plain woman she was in reality and turned her into something beautiful in his mind. And for that moment, she did feel as beautiful as he seemed to believe.
At first, he didn't move away, and didn't say another word. He just sat there, oh, so close, opposite her on the grass. All Lyssa could think of was the way he'd held her face in his hands as if she were a fragile piece of glass.
And then he did move away, leaning back with his arms behind him, as if he was actually gazing out at the pasture beyond them.
Already she missed the feel of his hands and was disappointed the brief link they'd shared was now broken. Regret washed over her and she only hoped Cody couldn't hear it in her voice.
"Thank you," he murmured.
"For what?"
"For letting me see you. For making me feel alive for the first time in eight months."
She smiled, feeling a heat swell in her chest and creep up her neck. "You're welcome."
"Tell me what you see. The pasture, I mean."
She looked out at the field. "It's breathtaking. But you know that already."
"Yes, I do know. But I want to hear it from you. I want to see it through your eyes. It's different to sit here like I have my whole life and look at these pastures.
"People tend to take things for granted when they know all they have to do is reach out and grab something and it's theirs. It loses meaning. It's different looking at something for the first time. Don't you think?"
"I suppose you're right."
Lyssa gazed out at the rippling fields of sunlit gold and green. The hills rolled all the way across the pasture until they reached a wooded area.
"The branches of this tree stretch out and form a sort of shaded cave. A few cattle are huddled underneath a similar tree on the rise of one of the hills, but most of the herd is huddled together out in the
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