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if I’d wanted you forever.” His lips replaced his fingers on her cheek. “Forgive me. I never meant to hurt you.”
    “No, no, you don’t understand.” Alycia moved her head restlessly. “It wasn’t your fault. It’s been so long... There’s been no other... not since the divorce ...” The sob broke from her throat. “I lost control!” Burying her face in the curve of his neck, Alycia let the tears of shame and embarrassment flow freely.
    Murmuring, “Alycia, don’t,” Sean groaned and wrapped his arms around her slender form, cradling her protectively, absorbing her shudders into his own body. With his broad palm, he stroked her shoulders, the nape of her neck, her spine, soothing and gentling her while the storm of tears raged, wetting his shirt and skin. When the worst was over and the tearing sobs had subsided to short, harsh gasps, he brought his hand up to smooth the damp hair from the side of her face.
    “All right now?”
    Feeling even more foolish than she had before, Alycia buried her face in his shoulder and nodded her head. “I feel like an idiot,” she muttered.
    Lowering his head, Sean pressed his lips to her dewy forehead. Alycia sighed with his tender kiss and shivered as the tip of his tongue tasted her saltiness.
    “You’re not an idiot, and there’s no reason for you to feel like one.” Though soft, his tone was strong with conviction. “There is absolutely no reason for you to feel either shame or embarrassment because of what happened.”
    “But I—” Alycia began.
    “If I understand your half-sentences correctly” he went on, ignoring her attempted outburst, “I gather you were once married—right?”
    “Yes, but—”
    Again he interrupted. “And the marriage ended in divorce?”
    Alycia nodded and mumbled something into his tear-dampened shirt.
    “Can I take that for a yes?” Teasing laughter colored his tone.
    Alycia moved her head up and down.
    “And you haven’t been—ah—intimate with a man since the divorce?” he persisted.
    “No!”
    “Well, that’s certainly clear enough.” His long fingers stroked her temple. “Alycia, listen to me,” he said, gliding the tips of his fingers over her face, as if reading her features in Braille. “If I’m reading this right, it has been some time since you’ve been with a man, and under the circumstances, what happened to you is perfectly normal.” Sean paused a moment, then exhaled a quick burst of humorless laughter. “Hell, considering the circumstances, what happened to you is perfectly normal regardless of how long it’s been since you’ve been with a man.” He drew a deep, unsteady breath. “I came pretty damn close to losing control myself, and it hasn’t been all that long a dry spell for me.”
    Sean’s confession instilled conflicting emotions in Alycia. In one respect her conscience was eased by his admission of how close he had been to sharing the shattering experience with her. Yet, at the same time, she felt a flaring stab of jealousy of his previous lover. Unused to the destructive emotion, Alycia burrowed deeper into the concealing folds of his shirt.
    “Did you hear me?” Urgency made his voice sound taut.
    Unwilling to come out of hiding, Alycia muttered yes to his now thoroughly rumpled shirt.
    Her garbled response elicited a sigh from Sean. Lacing his fingers through her hair, he tugged gently. Although she muttered a soft protest, Alycia raised her tear-ravaged face and gazed into his concerned eyes.
    “That’s better.” His smile was so tender it brought a fresh film of tears to her eyes. Then Sean’s smile was replaced by an expression of stark longing. “Oh, Lord. Don’t do this to me.” His tone was as stark as his expression.
    Alycia blinked against the mist clouding her vision, and frowned at the man whose statement clouded her mind. “Do what?” she said blankly. “I haven’t done anything.”
    ‘That’s what you think.” Sean tried a smile then gave up in