Cross My Heart (A Contemporary Romance Novel)

have their two weeks, and then find a way to move on. She’d be leaving a week or two after that. And Claire would be here, so Michael would be busy, too.
    They’d found a way back to friendship after their one-night stand, and they could do it again. And maybe Michael was right. Maybe if they got this crazy lust out of their systems, it would actually be easier.
    He was kissing his way down her body like she was an oasis and he was a man dying of thirst. Need swept through her and she moved restlessly under him, her hands on his broad back and then in his hair as he moved lower.
    She felt herself surrendering to the moment, and to Michael. Whatever the future held, for right now, nothing else existed.
    * * *
    Michael wasn’t surprised at how good the sex was. The two of them were like gasoline and matches, and their physical relationship just kept getting better.
    What did surprise him was how easily they adapted to each other.
    As he’d predicted, his schedule that first week was hectic. On Saturday afternoon he was called in for emergency surgery, and he didn’t leave the hospital until three-thirty in the morning.
    On the drive home he figured he’d give Jenna a break and sleep in his own bed. He was tired, and the two of them had spent Friday and most of Saturday together. Considering that, and the two weeks they had to look forward to, he could afford to show a little restraint tonight.
    He was at his door when he paused and looked over at her house. It was dark, of course. Jenna had probably gone to bed hours ago. He pictured her curled up on her side, sleeping. Her black hair would be spread out against the white sheets, her body warm, her lips parted...
    The key she’d given him was burning a hole in his pocket. Without stopping to think he crossed the lawn to her house and let himself in quietly, making his way upstairs and standing in her bedroom doorway.
    She was even more beautiful than in his fantasy. He undressed down to his boxers, and lifted the sheet to crawl in beside her.
    He moved as quietly as he could but she stirred and woke, turning to nestle herself against him. “How did the surgery go?” she asked sleepily.
    He kissed the top of her head. “Touch and go for a while, but we pulled him through. How about you? How was your night?”
    She rested her head against his bare chest. “It was good. I’ve got all these songs running through my head, which hasn’t happened to me in years. So I decided to spend some quality time with my guitar and see if I could turn some of the ideas into music.”
    He ran a hand down her back, tucking her more securely against him. “That’s great. I’d love to hear what you’re working on some time.”
    “Mmm,” she murmured, and he realized she was falling back asleep. He stroked her hair softly until he fell asleep himself.
    They woke up making love. One minute they were sleeping and the next they were kissing, bodies pressed together and hands everywhere, his boxers and her panties cast aside. He rolled her onto her back and slid inside her, and the little sounds she made as she clutched at his shoulders made him lose his mind.
    Afterwards they lay in each other’s arms, their legs tangled together and her head cradled against his shoulder. He would have been happy to stay like that all morning, but it was only a few minutes before Jenna gave him a quick kiss and slid out of bed. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got this damn song in my head and I won’t have any peace until I get it down on paper. Do you mind if I head down to the living room and work for a while? You should probably try to get some more sleep anyway. You only got a few hours.”
    He shook his head. “No, I’m up now.” He paused. “I could bring my laptop over and do some work of my own. Or would that distract you?”
    “No, not at all. That’s a great idea. I’ll put some coffee on, if you like.”
    “Sounds perfect. I’ll be back soon.”
    It felt good to work in Jenna’s living room. He sat on an overstuffed chair with his computer, working on an article he was submitting that week. Jenna sat on the floor with her back to the couch, frowning as she scribbled words and music into a notebook, occasionally stopping to try out passages on her guitar.
    Every so often he looked up from the computer screen, and let his gaze rest on her. Looking at her focused him, made his thoughts flow more easily. Almost before he realized it three hours had gone by and he’d written two