Free Once and Always (Women of Character) by Grace Brannigan Page B

heart pounded as she stared into his
eyes, surprised by the yearning that gripped her. She wanted to stop
remembering the way his arms used to hold her so tightly or the feel of his
mouth on hers. She swallowed, her glance darting to the door behind him.
    "Annie," he said.
"You're welcome to anything in the house. You have to know that, so don't
ask."
    "Anna," she corrected
huskily. Her fingers clenched on the plastic container and she placed her cup
of coffee on the counter. Impulsively, she reached out and gripped his hand.
"Thank you." Suddenly discomfited by her own impetuous action, she
moved back, but Tyler lightly gripped her hand.
    His head dipped toward her, the
caring in his gaze stirring an emotional need she'd kept banked and hidden even
from herself. The tang of cinnamon seemed all around her, making desire curl as
tight as a fist in her stomach. His mouth touched her cheek and then the corner
of her mouth. Confused, she pulled back and blurted, "I thought―"
and she stopped.
    "You thought what?"
    "The other day in the car,
you backed off," she said tensely, feeling the heat move up her neck.
Suddenly it was incredibly important that she understand why he hadn't kissed
her.
    His expression became guarded.
"Calling a halt was best for both of us. You were under stress and I was
disgusted with myself for taking advantage."
    Some of that earlier hurt calmed,
slid away. "I thought it was this." Diffidently, she indicated her
cheek.
    His expression showed surprise,
then a hint of anger. "Annie, whether you believe it or not, I don't see
that when I look at you. And neither will any man who cares about you."
    Anna felt her jaw go slack, and a
trickle of hope touched her. What did she want, she wondered desperately? Did
she want to pick up where they left off, or just to feel whole again? Maybe it
was all wrapped up together.
    As she stared into his eyes, she
had so many memories from their time together. Perhaps, she thought, a real
kiss would be anticlimactic, a disappointment. Surely the memories had grown
out of proportion with time.
    Perhaps Tyler had the same
thoughts, because he bent his head and she lifted her face toward his. Their
lips met for the first time in six years. Heat struck deeply in her stomach, a
sharp sensation of pleasure mingled with pain. Anna lost herself, feeling as if
she were pulled back in time as she tasted his mouth. When he straightened, she
followed him, murmuring a soft protest.
    Tyler's fingers lightly touched
her cheek and stiffly, Anna pulled back, looking anywhere but at Tyler, wishing
the sizzle his nearness produced would just go away. How could she have done
that. . . so completely lost herself―even for only a moment or so? She
felt as if she was struggling to breathe. She didn't want him to know that he
still had this power over her. Dammit, it wasn't fair. After all this time they
should have been through with each other.
    "Hello? Anna?" Sara's
voice came from the hallway. She had forgotten Sara was on her way over, and
she'd neglected to tell her to come to the guesthouse.
    "In the kitchen!" she
called, knowing her voice sounded strained, but there was no easy way to
describe her state of mind as she stepped back, still watching Tyler. She
smoothed her hands down over her shirt, running her tongue over her lips,
tasting the cinnamon again. A flash of emotion teased at her, and she wanted to
reach for him again, even knowing Sara was about to step into the kitchen.
Confused, Anna wondered what Tyler thought, but his face was blank.  Had this
been an experiment for him?
    Sara breezed into the kitchen,
carrying two white paper bags. She stopped dead in her tracks, her long skirt
swirling around her slim legs, then she placed the bags on the closest counter
and hugged Anna, laughing as she pushed her wispy blond hair out of her eyes
and looked around at Tyler, one brow raised.
    "Hello and good
morning." She looked back at Anna. "Aren't you going to introduce
us?"
    Feeling as