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and stumbled over to where Tom stood, piloting the
contraption.
    "You
ready to fly it?" Tom held out the spool of thread. "Got a good wind
going."
    She
hesitated. "I might make it fall."
    He
pinched the extra material of her sweatshirt, pulled her over in front of him,
and wound his arms around her. He leaned close to her ear. "You won't let
it fall. Trust me, huh?"
    Trust
him. Huge words in her vocabulary, and she held them close to her heart knowing
he wasn't talking about the kite flying.
    "Okay,
but stay by me. I don't want it to crash and break." She laid her hands on
top of his. "Give me a minute to make sure I can keep it in the air. Don't
let go."
    The
motion of his nod against the back of her neck tickled. She shivered.
    "Are
you cold?" He gathered her closer, and tucked her body into his, her head
protected by his chest against the wind.
    Contentment
came swift and hard to Charlise. The roar of the waves breaking on the shore
hid the tremble that came from the closeness. She blinked and a lone tear fell
down her cheek.
    The
masculine hands under hers blurred, and she moved her thumbs over them to make
sure this whole day wasn't something she dreamed up. Last night, those same
hands stroked her back better than any lover had, and he asked nothing from her
in return.
    Tom
never threatened or scolded, and the way his eyes followed her made her think
something about her still appealed to a man. She tilted her head to the sky,
closed her eyes, and let the cool wind dry her cheek. Tom's strong heart
thumped against the back of her head. He had no idea what kind of gift he'd
given. She'd never be able to repay him.
    "You
ready to try this on your own?" he asked.
    She
nodded her head. He helped her believe she could do anything.
    Tom
transferred the spool to her hands. She held on tight with both hands, and the
kite dipped. The pressure on the string slacked off.
    She
ran a few steps to the left. Quickly darted sideways and backward in an attempt
to keep the kite elevated in the air. She yelped and hurried to turn the spool
in her hand to wind the string up.
    Tom
appeared behind her and wrapped his arms around her. This time, he linked his
hands around her waist and coached her with his words.
    "Relax.
Let your hand feel the direction the kite's going." He kissed the side of
her neck. "Pull a little. Let it go." He moved his head to the other
side, and trailed his lips down the other side of her neck.
    "Left."
His tongue came out to taste her skin. "There you go."
    He
thrust his hips forward, pulling her back. "Good. Hold it."
    She
lost all concentration on the kite and focused on the warm air on her ear, his
words, and the delicious way he sucked on her neck. Her stomach fluttered.
    "Look
up Charlie's girl." Tom's hands moved in little circles over her stomach.
"You're flying a kite."
    Still
swimming in a fog of desire, she gazed up. The child's toy hovered in the sky
with barely any help from her. The kite gently pulled on the string, seeking
permission to fly farther away.
    She
turned her head to smile at Tom. "It's beautiful."
    With
one last kiss on her check, he stepped away from her, and she flew her very first
kite. She studied the colorful spot in the cloudless sky, and the minute she
realized the kite wasn't going to fall, she laughed.
    "Tom?"
Charlise glanced over to show him how good she flew the kite.
    Tom
faced away from her, his attention drawn to the dunes. Oh, no.
    She
hurried over to him, the string of the kite grasped in her hand. There were
harsh lines around his eyes, and the hair on the back of her neck gave that
tingle of impending bad news.
    From
the depth of her soul, she knew what was coming. She scanned the distance.
Somewhere out there, Jared might have a gun trained on her, or Tom.
    "What
do you see?" She hooked a finger through one of his belt loops. The need
to connect with him strong, and knowing she wasn't alone gave her the courage
to face whatever danger threatened them. Besides, she was