Free Moonlight Man by Judy Griffith Gill

pleasures they could generate together. This time, she had to be certain. A small voice reminded her that she had been certain with Ellis, but she argued back that then she had been young, inexperienced.
    And yet, how experienced was she now? She had known one man in her life. Ellis. What kind of man was he to base all her decisions upon? The question she had to ask was what kind of a man was Marc Duval?
    As he stood and drew her up into the loose circle of his arms, gazing into her eyes with a depth of understanding and longing that stunned her, she knew she was in deeper trouble than she had ever thought. Dimly came the tinkle of golden bangles. Oh, yes, Grandma Margaret had struck again. Sharon just hoped she knew what she was doing.
    “Good night, sweet Sharon,” he said, placing a tiny kiss on her nose.
    “Will you come for breakfast?” she asked, feeling suddenly shy and awkward. What if Grandma Margaret’s magic wasn’t as potent as she thought it was? What if Marc was leaving now because he really didn’t want her all that badly? He could have pushed. One more kiss, another few strokes of his tongue over her rigid nipples, and the overture would have finished; it would have been time for the full symphony to begin. She had been ripe for seduction, and yet … he was leaving. Could he, somehow, sense her inadequacy? “The … the kids would like it.”
    “Would you?” He smiled, his golden eyes agleam with a tenderness that shook her deeply.
    She nodded. “Yes. I’d like it too.”
    “That’s what counts with me. I’ll be here by seven-thirty if that’s not too early.”
    “Okay. See you. Good night.”
    Suddenly, he snatched her into his arms and kissed her with such force that it drove her head back. She, clung to him, her fingers digging into his shoulders as if she couldn’t bear to let him go.
    “Oh, Lord!” he moaned, lifting his head and setting her away from him. “I must be out of my mind!”
    She knew she was, as she watched him close the door behind him, because suddenly she recognized him for the kind of man he really was: He was the one man in the world who could do what Ellis, for all his cruelty, had failed to do. He was the man who could destroy her utterly.

Chapter Five
    “HI EVERYBOD—MARC ! What a treat!” As Zinnie opened the door to the chalet, she came to a halt, arms laden with bags that Marc leaped up to take. “So Sharon invited you along too. What a great, idea.”
    “No,” he said, setting the bags down on the counter near the stove. “I invited myself along. I saw her and the kids loading skis on their car and decided that this was likely where they were headed. I’ve got my camper set up over in the campgrounds. They invited me for breakfast, though. We’re running late this morning. I guess we were all tired after yesterday’s skiing. Uh, is Harry out there with more stuff to bring in?”
    At Zinnie’s nod, he stuffed his feet into his boots and went out, leaving Sharon feeling as if he’d deserted her, left her open to an interrogation.
    “We had dinner in Marc’s camper last night,” Roxy said, hopping down from her seat at the breakfast table. “And I fell asleep on his bed. I’ve never eaten in a camper before or slept in one. I really, really want to go camping,” she said earnestly. “Marc says sometimes you can even feed squirrels right at your picnic table.”
    “Well, maybe one day you will,” Zinnie told her, then turned to pat Sharon’s cheek, saying softly, “You wear such a pretty blush my dear. Did you think I was thinking things you wouldn’t want me to be thinking?”
    Sharon had to laugh. “Well, actually, yes.”
    Zinnie’s blue eyes danced with amusement. “I’d never believe such a thing about you.”
    That made Sharon stand back and look at the older woman questioningly. “Why not?”
    “Because you told me yourself that you’re too old to go looking for excitement, and I think Marc Duval is probably one of the most