Part Five
He scarcely dared to breathe. She felt too good in his arms. If this was the last time he'd ever hold her..he wanted to make it last. Her golden hair tickled his chin with every breath he took. Her hand lay over his heart. Appropriate, he thought as he stared up at the ceiling. Willing his mind to overrule his heart. Because if he followed the yearnings of his heart, there'd be no turning back. He trailed his fingertips up and down her silky back in feather-soft strokes. Stilling his movements when she sighed contentedly in his arms. Snuggling deeper into his embrace. How had they ended up in this predicament, he wondered as he remembered the night before. Her tears. The distance she'd put between them. He didn't know what to make of the woman in his arms. He wanted so much to understand her. Erase all her past hurts. With a pang, he realized he wanted to do this. Hold her in his arms. Every day for the rest of his life.
Without thinking, he placed a kiss to the top of her head. Breathing in the scent of her hair with a sigh. Give it up, Luis, his mind reasoned. You've finally met someone more stubborn than yourself. But his heart wasn't listening when he found himself gazing into her sleepy blue eyes. Devoid of all the hurt. The pain. For the time being. She said nothing. Only stared at him. And he could no more fight what happened next than he could stop the sun from shining. He traced the contours of her beautiful face. As if memorizing them. Lovingly. He felt the breath leave his lungs as he watched her blue eyes change hues right before his very eyes. Her lips were a whisper against his as he delved his hands into her hair. Pulling her closer.
He rolled them over. Never breaking the tentative connection they shared. Brushing his lips along the line of her cheek. Feathering kisses tenderly across her brow. Her closed eyes. "Sheridan," he whispered as she slipped her arms around his neck. "Sheridan. Look at me," he pleaded. Threading his fingers through hers. "I have to know," he said softly. Her eyes were cloudy with confusion and something else as she tried to make sense of his request. No, dammit, he cursed inwardly as he realized she was doing it again. Shutting herself off to him. And her feelings. Whatever they were. "Please, don't do this again," he whispered. His brown eyes shut tight against the reality. She didn't trust him. That's what it boiled down to. She slid her hands from his grasp. Turning her back on him. Again. He pounded his pillow in frustration as she silently left the room. Startled when he heard a tiny curious voice. "Do you love Sheri?"
He looked up. Beckoning her forward. Catherine's green eyes studied him warily. She clutched her rugged old teddy bear in her arms like it was a talisman. Luis couldn't help it. He couldn't stop the laughter that was bubbling up within him . "I thought you decided you liked me," he teased. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Catherine giggled. "Oui," she answered. Coming to a stop right in front of him. "Does it hurt anymore?" she asked. Reaching out a tentative hand and touching the white bandage. "Oh, that," Luis said. "Not too much. Your Papa made it all better." The smile on Catherine's sweet face faded and her entire face fell. "Hey," Luis said. Tipping her chin up with his fingers. "That's a great looking bear you have there. What's her name?" "HIS name," Catherine giggled at the feigned look of astonishment on Luis's face. "He has lots of names," she said. "Well.aren't you going to tell me one? What? No?!?! Why not?" "Okay," she said. Leaning up on tiptoe and whispering in his ear. "But you got to promise not to tell anyone," she said solemnly. "You promise?" "Promise," he swore. Grabbing her and tickling her tummy. Making her squeal helplessly.
"You didn't answer my question," she said sometime later. As they lay back against the pillows watching the rising sun make patterns on the wall. He was amazed she remembered. He was just amazed with her. Period. "Well.are you?" she singsonged. And it was funny. He could lie to everyone else. Hell, he'd even lied to himself. But he couldn't look into her green eyes and deny it. Not outright anyway. "I don't know," he settled. Tugging at one of her dark curls. "You do," she giggled with an impish grin. Bolting off the bed and running down the hall. He just held his head in his hands and groaned. Muttering under his breath. "Am I THAT transparent?" Cursing when another voice intruded on his private thoughts. "It's clear to everyone but the one you love," Marie sighed. Settling down on the bed beside him. "Wipe that shocked look off your face, Monsieur. Don't even try to deny it. Especially after what happened this morning." "She told you," he said. "Why so surprised, Luis? I am her friend. And she needs one terribly right now. Our Sheri is so confused. And it's all because of you." "She isn't the only one," Luis laughed. Mirthlessly. "I don't think I'll ever understand what makes Sheridan Crane tick."
He scarcely dared to breathe. She felt too good in his arms. If this was the last time he'd ever hold her..he wanted to make it last. Her golden hair tickled his chin with every breath he took. Her hand lay over his heart. Appropriate, he thought as he stared up at the ceiling. Willing his mind to overrule his heart. Because if he followed the yearnings of his heart, there'd be no turning back. He trailed his fingertips up and down her silky back in feather-soft strokes. Stilling his movements when she sighed contentedly in his arms. Snuggling deeper into his embrace. How had they ended up in this predicament, he wondered as he remembered the night before. Her tears. The distance she'd put between them. He didn't know what to make of the woman in his arms. He wanted so much to understand her. Erase all her past hurts. With a pang, he realized he wanted to do this. Hold her in his arms. Every day for the rest of his life.
Without thinking, he placed a kiss to the top of her head. Breathing in the scent of her hair with a sigh. Give it up, Luis, his mind reasoned. You've finally met someone more stubborn than yourself. But his heart wasn't listening when he found himself gazing into her sleepy blue eyes. Devoid of all the hurt. The pain. For the time being. She said nothing. Only stared at him. And he could no more fight what happened next than he could stop the sun from shining. He traced the contours of her beautiful face. As if memorizing them. Lovingly. He felt the breath leave his lungs as he watched her blue eyes change hues right before his very eyes. Her lips were a whisper against his as he delved his hands into her hair. Pulling her closer.
He rolled them over. Never breaking the tentative connection they shared. Brushing his lips along the line of her cheek. Feathering kisses tenderly across her brow. Her closed eyes. "Sheridan," he whispered as she slipped her arms around his neck. "Sheridan. Look at me," he pleaded. Threading his fingers through hers. "I have to know," he said softly. Her eyes were cloudy with confusion and something else as she tried to make sense of his request. No, dammit, he cursed inwardly as he realized she was doing it again. Shutting herself off to him. And her feelings. Whatever they were. "Please, don't do this again," he whispered. His brown eyes shut tight against the reality. She didn't trust him. That's what it boiled down to. She slid her hands from his grasp. Turning her back on him. Again. He pounded his pillow in frustration as she silently left the room. Startled when he heard a tiny curious voice. "Do you love Sheri?"
He looked up. Beckoning her forward. Catherine's green eyes studied him warily. She clutched her rugged old teddy bear in her arms like it was a talisman. Luis couldn't help it. He couldn't stop the laughter that was bubbling up within him . "I thought you decided you liked me," he teased. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Catherine giggled. "Oui," she answered. Coming to a stop right in front of him. "Does it hurt anymore?" she asked. Reaching out a tentative hand and touching the white bandage. "Oh, that," Luis said. "Not too much. Your Papa made it all better." The smile on Catherine's sweet face faded and her entire face fell. "Hey," Luis said. Tipping her chin up with his fingers. "That's a great looking bear you have there. What's her name?" "HIS name," Catherine giggled at the feigned look of astonishment on Luis's face. "He has lots of names," she said. "Well.aren't you going to tell me one? What? No?!?! Why not?" "Okay," she said. Leaning up on tiptoe and whispering in his ear. "But you got to promise not to tell anyone," she said solemnly. "You promise?" "Promise," he swore. Grabbing her and tickling her tummy. Making her squeal helplessly.
"You didn't answer my question," she said sometime later. As they lay back against the pillows watching the rising sun make patterns on the wall. He was amazed she remembered. He was just amazed with her. Period. "Well.are you?" she singsonged. And it was funny. He could lie to everyone else. Hell, he'd even lied to himself. But he couldn't look into her green eyes and deny it. Not outright anyway. "I don't know," he settled. Tugging at one of her dark curls. "You do," she giggled with an impish grin. Bolting off the bed and running down the hall. He just held his head in his hands and groaned. Muttering under his breath. "Am I THAT transparent?" Cursing when another voice intruded on his private thoughts. "It's clear to everyone but the one you love," Marie sighed. Settling down on the bed beside him. "Wipe that shocked look off your face, Monsieur. Don't even try to deny it. Especially after what happened this morning." "She told you," he said. "Why so surprised, Luis? I am her friend. And she needs one terribly right now. Our Sheri is so confused. And it's all because of you." "She isn't the only one," Luis laughed. Mirthlessly. "I don't think I'll ever understand what makes Sheridan Crane tick."
