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shoving her over the edge of the pleasure cliff. His name,
part sob/part scream, tore from her throat. Aftershocks of pure bliss made her
body shudder. Seconds later he tensed below her and ground his cock deep inside
her one final time.
    Boneless, she lay over him, their slick bodies covered in
perspiration. She tried to regulate her breathing. She was content, and for
some reason knowing she was leaving soon made her happiness dwindle.
    “You’re amazing,” he said softly.
    She smiled, puffing for air. “You’re pretty incredible yourself.”
    “I can’t believe tonight worked out so perfectly. I guess I
am ready to move on and date after all.”
    She frowned. Was he already thinking of seeing other women
right after they’d had sex? “I guess you are. Your family will be happy.”
    “You have no idea. I bet they’ll try to set me up on a bunch
of dates again.” He chuckled. “But I think I’ll set up my own dates from now
on.”
    His words had been like a slap in the face. Her plans had
been to leave in the morning, but with her instant attachment to Ryan, she
thought it best to leave sooner. In fact, it sounded to her like he was ready
to go take on the dating world by storm.
    Kayla bit her lip and thought about asking if they could
continue seeing each other. In the end, she decided she’d just look needy and
desperate. She wasn’t normally this insecure, but he’d not only rocked her
world with amazing sex, he’d also made her feel for him. He was a nice guy. She
could tell. She wanted to show him that just because he lost his leg it didn’t
make him less of a man. He was a guy that she could see herself wanting to see
on a long-term basis, but only god knew what he wanted. Her stomach clenched
with each soft caress of his hand up and down her back. This was it. She
couldn’t stay there until morning or she might do something stupid.
    While he was in the shower, she arranged for the helicopter
to pick her up earlier than scheduled. He finished showering and joined her in
the bed. This situation was much harder than she’d imagined. She hadn’t thought
she’d like him this much. It was a while before the hands holding her slackened
and his breathing deepened. He’d fallen asleep.
    Snuggling into him, she dreamed of starting something
longer, enduring and committed with Ryan. If only. A sad sigh escaped her.
Careful not to wake him, she slipped out from between the covers and his arms. Then
she stood there like a fool and watched him sleep. Strands of his sexy blond
hair fell across his forehead, and a delicious five-o’clock shadow covered his
jaw. Her pussy throbbed again. No man had ever made her this hot in her life.
    Since she’d arranged her clothes on a sofa while he
showered, she was able to dress quietly. Once all was as it should be, she
grabbed her sandals and her bag and reached for the bedroom door. One final
glance at the man who’d rocked her world for the night and she walked out.
Emotions she’d never felt on a first date coursed through her. Loss, sadness,
and the urge to go back twisted her stomach in knots. She bit her lip and struggled
with the emotions in her chest as she headed toward the lobby. Just like her to
get attached to a man she just met. She was going to need her own therapist
soon. Stupid woman.

 
     
     
    Chapter Six
     
    Ryan woke to a sense of loss. Where was she? He knew before
he even looked around that she’d left. The sun peeked through the shades
covering the balcony door. After everything they’d shared and done, she’d still
left? Insecurity wormed its way into his thoughts. Had she left because she didn’t
want to go out with him again? Of course she doesn’t want to see him again.
He’s a gimp. She wants a man, not a piece of one. No woman wants to spend the
rest of her life being nursemaid to a needy soldier with post-traumatic stress
disorder. He needed to know, and the only way to do that was to see her. Now.
Right now.
    Unwilling to waste