Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Smiling softly, Sage put the items back into Mark’s memory box one by one.
It had been a bittersweet trip into the past. There were pictures, ticket stubs, a four-leaf clover they’d found on a picnic one day, the pen they’d used to sign their marriage license, little love notes they’d given each other, and a bunch of other things which only had sentimental value for the two of them.
Anyone else looking through the contents would see most of it as useless junk.
Once everything was neatly packed again, she stared at the contents for a moment before her gaze fell on the simple gold wedding band on her left ring finger.
Since Mark’s death, she hadn’t imagined ever wanting to take it off—never thought she’d meet someone who made her want to take it off.
But that had changed. Whether she and Adam had something special growing between them or not, whether he was here to stay or if he’d be moving on someday, it was time for Sage to admit she had a full life still yet to lead.
Sliding the ring from her finger, she brought it to her lips and kissed it before placing it in the box with all the other items. When they were old enough, maybe Jenna would wear it when she got married, or Matthew would give it to his bride.
That she wasn’t crying as she shut the box lid told Sage she’d made the right decision. It was time to move on.
Sage stood, placed the box in the top drawer of her dresser, then pulled on her knee-length silk robe over her matching nightgown as her insecurity battled her body’s wants and needs.
When she heard how close Adam had come to being killed today, she realized she’d fallen in love with him—not still falling, but fallen, as in a done deal, and her mind, body, and heart were all in agreement.
He really was a good man… a man she could give herself to.
And hopefully, he would give himself to her in return.
Pushing her feet into her slippers, she stepped out into the hallway and listened outside the children’s bedrooms. Jenna snored softly, and when Sage peeked into Matthew’s room, she saw he had also passed out.
Following dinner, Evan and Maddie had stayed for a while, and they’d all played some board games, trying to erase the nervous energy in the house the kids had obviously been picking up on.
Afterward, Jenna and Matthew had fallen asleep during the first ten minutes of a movie they’d begged to watch.
Adam had carried the two and put them into their beds for Sage before softly kissing her goodnight and leaving for his cottage with the rifle Evan had insisted he keep.
The older man had several other weapons at home, so he and Maddie were safe there.
What would he say if she knocked on his door and, when he opened it, slid the robe from her body?
Would he turn her down—premarital sex and all that—or would he pull her into his arms and give her everything she begged for?
Only one way to find out. She couldn’t deny what she craved anymore and just hoped he felt the same way.
Opening the back door, Sage bravely put one foot in front of the other and soon found herself on Adam’s doorstep.
Taking a deep breath, she let it out, then lifted her hand and knocked.
Seconds passed before the door swung open, and there he stood in all his handsome glory.
A five o’clock shadow covered his jawline and upper lip.
Unlike the first time she’d observed him in the cottage through the window, he wore gray cotton shorts that hung low on his hips instead of lounge pants, probably in deference to the warmer weather.
But like that first night, it was all he was wearing—no shirt, no shoes, no problem.
If he rejected her, maybe he wouldn’t mind if she just stood there all night, drooling over his muscular body.
“Sage? Something wrong?”
“Hmm?” Apparently, drooling over him was exactly what she was doing. Her gaze left his well-defined six-pack and chest to look him in the eye. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she shook the lack-of-sex-induced cobwebs from her mind. “No. Nothing’s wrong. Um… may I come in?”
The confusion in his eyes morphed into heat as he moved to the side, opening the door wider for her to enter.
Swallowing her nervousness, she stepped forward, and the door closed behind her.
A sensual shiver snaked up her spine as she spun around slowly to find him leaning against the jamb, watching her every move.
Electricity seemed to crackle about the room as they studied each other in silence. She realized she needed to make the first move and took a step toward him, letting her voice drop to a husky whisper. “Please don’t send me away.”
When she placed her hand on his bare chest, he inhaled sharply. She stared at their physical connection and let his warmth seep into her palm. His pectoral muscles twitched, and his heart rate increased under her touch.
“I need you,” she confessed.
His hand came up and covered hers. She lifted her chin until their gazes met—the desire in his eyes set her hormones in overdrive.
Reaching up with his other hand, he cupped her jaw, his fingers curving around to the back of her neck. He pulled her near. “I need you too, Sage. I couldn’t send you away, even if it cost me my next breath.”
His head descended, and he kissed her gently… tentatively.
She slid her arms around his shoulders, answering him without words. The hesitation between them disappeared as he drew her closer and deepened the kiss.
Without breaking it, Adam swept her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. When he set her on her feet beside the bed, there was no mistaking the desire in his eyes, but uncertainty was there too. His hands came up to cup her jaw, and she felt them quiver.
“Sage. I want to make this good for you. Show me how. Tell me what you need.”
Her heart squeezed. This big, strong man, who had faced more hardships than anyone deserved, was nervous about being with her.
Taking his hands, she lowered them to the tie of her robe. “I need you to stop worrying.”
His gaze searched hers. “It’s been twenty years.”
“And it’s been two and a half for me.”
That seemed to surprise him.
She gave him a small smile. “Looks like we’re both a little rusty.”
A chuckle rumbled from his chest. “You have a lot more faith in me than I do.”
Rising onto her toes, she brushed her lips over his. “Then trust me.”
This time, when he kissed her, the uncertainty faded.
Sage let herself get lost in the sensation of being held and desired again.
There had been a time when she couldn’t imagine wanting another man to hold her this way, yet with Adam, it felt natural.
Standing there with him, she didn’t want to question it or think about what tomorrow might bring.
Tonight, she wanted to follow her heart and trust that she was ready for whatever came next.
He drew back enough to rest his forehead against hers. “Are you sure?”
She looked into his eyes and knew there was nowhere else she wanted to be.
“Yes.”
Sage slowly opened her eyes to find Adam beside her, watching her as if he still couldn’t quite believe what had happened. For several moments, neither of them spoke, and she tried to sort through everything she was feeling.
She had expected guilt. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she’d been certain it would come afterward—that she would think of Mark and wonder if she’d betrayed him somehow by letting another man into a part of her heart and life that had belonged only to him for so long.
But the guilt never came. She still loved Mark.
Nothing that had happened tonight changed that.
Nothing ever could. He’d been her husband, her best friend, the father of her children, and the man she’d once believed she would grow old with.
But Mark was gone, and she was still here, still capable of wanting, feeling, and caring for someone—of being happy.
Adam reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her face. “You’re awfully quiet.”
“I’m thinking.”
“Should I be worried?”
She studied him for a moment, enjoying the hint of concern that appeared in his eyes. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“Well, that’s reassuring.”
She couldn’t hold back a giggle, and the affection in his eyes made something inside her flutter.
His smile dimmed a little as he studied her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She knew what he was worried about now. That morning would come, and she’d regret walking across the yard to his cottage. That she’d wish she could take back what they’d shared. She touched his cheek. “I’m more than okay.”
“No regrets?”
“Not one.”
Relief crossed his face, followed by something softer that made her heart stumble. For one breathless second, she could have sworn she saw love in his eyes, and her pulse skipped.
No, she couldn’t let herself go there. Not tonight. What had just happened between them was already enough to absorb without attaching a word that carried far more weight than either of them was ready to acknowledge.
His thumb brushed her cheek. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you showing up at my door tonight.”
“Maybe you should stop questioning your good fortune.”
His mouth twitched. “Is that what this is?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good to know.” His expression grew serious again. “Thank you for trusting me, Sage.”
The simple words caught her off guard. She’d trusted him with more than her body tonight. She’d trusted him with a part of herself she’d kept locked away since Mark died, a part she hadn’t been certain she would ever share with another man. And somehow, Adam seemed to understand that.
“I do trust you.”
His gaze held hers for another long moment before he tucked her against his side, and she rested her head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart.