Chapter Seven

Woody woke to the sun streaming in the window and dancing across his eyelids. For a moment, he didn't remember where he was at…then he wondered if she was still there. That had been the nightmare in the back of his mind….that after they had made love, Jordan's old demons…her fears of intimacy….would resurrect themselves and she would bolt.

But the warm body snuggled next to him in his arms exorcised any thoughts of her past. She was still asleep, next to him, her head on his chest. She had stayed with him again…and he had needed her just as badly this time has he had months ago in his apartment after the child prostitution case. So tightening one arm around her and brushing her curls out of her eyes with the other, he kissed her awake. "Morning," he whispered in her ear, causing shivers to run up her spine.

"Good morning," she replied, returning his kisses.

"How are you feeling?"

She stretched and rolled over on top of him. "Good. You?"

"Never better." He began to kiss her neck again. "Shower?"

"In a few minutes," she said, slightly out of breath.

A few hours later, after showering and breakfast, Woody led her outside to walk on the beach. They had two more days together. Two days to continue to get to know each other on a more intimate level. Two days before they had to fly back to Boston

Two days until they were back in a normal routine.

Stifling a sigh, Woody wished that he could make time stand still. Make these two days stretch out to two months. Or better yet, two years.

For despite everything that had passed between them last night and this morning, he was afraid that once Jordan returned to her hometown, to her job, to what was normal for her, she would push him away again. That she would find an excuse to undo everything that had happened…to back step the progress they had made as a couple. He had seen it happen before. And in their history together, he had been the victim. Gently twining her fingers together with his, he pulled her to a stop and turned her to face him. Dressed in a black v-necked t-shirt, white Capri pants, and sunglasses, she was the picture of a sophisticated Vineyard beauty. Almost Hollywood in her aura. He tugged her glasses off so he could look deep in her whiskey-colored eyes.

She looked back him, the laughter in her face over a shared joke fading. "What is it, Woody?"

"Jordan…I have to know. What's going to happen when we go back home?"

"To Boston?"

"Yeah. What's going to happen to us when we go back home…to work…to normal life. Are things going to change?"

"I hope so," she said in a sober voice. "I don't want it to go back the way it was."

His heart in his throat, he managed to stammer out, "How…how do you want it to change?"

"Well…I've learned my lesson about active crime scenes. I am trying to do better with them, detective. But the most important thing is that…I don't want to be alone any longer. I'm tired of running away and pushing people away. I've wasted too much time and hurt too many of my friends doing that.

"The main person I don't want to hurt is you, Wood. I've learned I not only want you in my life, I need you in it."

"You're not going to push me away….or run away from me?"

"Nope. 'Fraid you've got me full-time now."

Woody grinned and put her sunglasses back on her face. "So…..I've got you now….for keeps?"

"All the evidence points to that, detective."

They resumed walking down the coast line. "You're sure, Jordan?"

"Definitely."

"So what do we do now?"

"Well, you're the one who months ago suggested that we take things slowly. I recommend that we still do. We've gotten to know each other very well." She gave him a suggestive look over her sunglasses. "Who knows…maybe with a little more time, even more interesting things will happen."

"Like what?" he said, feigning innocence.

"Well…right now, I'd like to experience something you did for me a while back."

"What would that be Dr. Cavanaugh?" he asked, letting his lips curl up in a leer.

"Your French toast. I'm starved."

He laughed out loud then and swung her up in his arms. Life with Jordan would be many things, but dull was not one of them. "Sure. I'll cook breakfast. But then you do the dishes."

"Deal," she agreed. "And then what would you like to do, Detective Hoyt?"

He looked down in her face, noting her smile and the light in her eyes. "Spend the rest of the afternoon in your arms, Jordan. This afternoon, evening…and many more nights to come."