Fairy Tale Weddings by Debbie Macomber Page B

neck. Thorne could feel her breath quicken and he knew he’d reached her.
    Cindy’s heart seemed to stop and then surged again with hurried beats. Being held and kissed by Thorne only made leaving him more difficult. She could hardly breathe past the wild pounding of her heart. She shouldn’t have come to him, shouldn’t have asked for the return of her missing comb. But she had—seeking some commonground, hoping to bridge the gap between their lives. But it couldn’t be done. His words about his cleaning woman had proven how unfeasible any relationship between them would be.
    â€œNo.” She eased herself away from him. “Please, don’t try to stop me…. I have to go.”
    â€œWhy?”
    She pinched her lips together and refused to answer.
    Thorne caressed her thick blond hair. He drew in a calming breath and released it, repeating the action several times until he could think clearly.
    â€œYou’re married, aren’t you?” he asked in a stark voice.
    â€œNo!”
    â€œThen why do you insist on playing hide-and-seek?”
    She dropped her head and closed her eyes, unable to look at him any longer. “Trust me, it’s for the best that we never see each other again.”
    â€œThat’s ridiculous. We’re perfect together.” He was nearly shouting at her. He lowered his voice, wanting to reason with her calmly. “I need to be with you. That night was the most wonderful of my life. It was like…like I’d suddenly woken up from a coma. The whole world came alive for me the minute you arrived. At least give us a chance. That isn’t so much to ask, is it?”
    A tear slipped from the corner of her eye.
    â€œCindy, don’t you realize I’m crazy about you?”
    â€œYou don’t know me,” she cried.
    â€œI know enough.”
    â€œIt was one night, don’t you see? One magical night. Another night would never be the same. It’s better to leave things as they are rather than disillusion ourselves by trying to live a fantasy.”
    â€œCindy.” He stopped her, bringing his lips hungrily to hers, kissing her until she was weak and clinging. “The magic is stronger than ever. I feel it and so do you.”
    She leaned her forehead against his chest, battling the resistance in her heart. But she couldn’t deny the truth any more than she could stop her heart from racing at his slightest touch.
    â€œOne more night,” Thorne said softly, enticingly, “to test our feelings. Then we’ll know.”
    Cindy nodded silently, unable to refuse him anything when he was holding her as if she were an enchanted princess and he her sworn love. When she did speak, her voice was hardly above a whisper. “One more night,” she repeated. “But only one.”
    Thorne felt the tightness in his chest subside and the tension seep out of him. He wanted to argue with her; he wanted a lot more than one night—but she looked so confused and uncertain that he didn’t dare press her. For now he’d be satisfied with the time she could freely give him.
    He grinned. “Where would you like to go? A play? A jazz club? Dinner?”
    â€œThorne.” She placed her hand on his arm. “You’re ill.”
    â€œI feel a thousand times better.” And he did.
    â€œWe’ll stay right here,” she countered, and breaking out of his arms, she returned to the kitchen. Catching him by the hand, she took him with her. She sat him down at the table and proceeded to inspect his freezer and cupboards.
    Thorne watched as she organized their meal. Before he knew what was happening, Cindy had him at the counter, ripping apart lettuce leaves for a salad. It was as thoughshe’d worked in his kitchen all her life. She located frozen chicken breasts, thawed them in the microwave and set them in the oven with potatoes wrapped in aluminium foil. Then she searched his cupboards,