No matter how scared she was.
‘Yes.’
He swept her into his arms, kissing her with all the pent-up passion of three days’ absence.
She reached up and clung to him. ‘How is this ever going to work?’
‘I’ll stay here,’ he answered readily. ‘I like Australia.’
She shook her head. ‘I don’t want to trap you here. Maybe we could compromise?’
‘Spend some time everywhere?’ He smiled as she nodded. ‘Do you want to make a list?’ he teased. ‘All the places you want to go?’
‘Actually…’ She sent him a look. ‘Right now I want to make a list of all the things I want to do.’
‘Got a pen handy?’
‘I don’t need a pen.’ She reached up on tiptoe and cooed at him—ultra-Steffi Leigh. ‘I’m going to write the list with my tongue.’
‘Huh?’ He pressed her closer. ‘Where are you going to write this list?’
‘Over every inch of your body.’
‘It’s a big list?’
‘Very big.’
She caught his eye and laughed. But then he kissed her again and everything changed. All the heartache and insecurity and loss of the last few days surged. She gripped him close and gave herself over to his care—kissing and kissing and giving.
He held her so deliciously tightly she could hardly breathe. It didn’t matter. Being in his arms was the only way to go.
Slowly the desperation in their kisses eased, then morphed from assuaging pain to celebrating pure happiness… to driving sensual need.
‘I need to be with you,’ she begged. Utterly honest. Utterly undone. ‘I need you inside me.’
But he stepped back, turning to pull her down to the old sofa with him.
‘I have a list of my own, you know.’ He chuckled, that old wicked, provocative look in his eyes.
‘You do?’ Her damn toes curled at that look of his.
‘Thought it up on it on the flight over: “Ten Ways to Make Steffi Leigh Scream”. Want me to spell them out for you?’
‘Do I want?’ she repeated. Then she reached out and pulled on his tee shirt, falling backwards so he fell on top of her. ‘Duh…’
EPILOGUE
One year later
JACK SMILED AT the matron as they said their goodbyes, and then put his arm around Stephanie’s waist to lead her to the waiting car.
His girlfriend had been unusually silent as they’d toured the orphanage. He’d seen her sweet heart in her eyes—aching as she’d looked around the facility. He knew she’d barely held it together when they’d spent time with the children—some of whom he saw year after year—and he’d read one of the books he’d brought with him to add to their library.
She’d chosen some children’s art books as well, and they’d donated craft supplies.
‘You want to take them all home, don’t you?’ He melted inside as he saw the tears in her eyes as their taxi pulled away from the building.
She nodded. ‘It doesn’t seem right to be going back to that hotel…’
‘It’s okay…’ He cradled her against his side as the car pulled away.
‘How do you do it?’ She wiped a tear from her cheek.
‘I’m trying to help… that’s the one thing I can do.’ He shrugged. ‘That’s why I keep coming back.’
That was why the orphanage was where so much of his charity funding was directed.
She nodded, but was quiet as she exited the car. He couldn’t wait to hold her properly, to love her properly. But for that they needed to be alone.
He held her hand as they rode up the elevator to their hotel room. And then, thank goodness, they were there.
She turned to face him as soon as she’d stepped inside the room, reached up to hug him. He loved it that she reached out when she needed him now. That she let him comfort her.
‘Do you think we could take one of them home?’ she asked softly, her face pressed against his chest.
He wrapped both arms around her and held her closer. ‘You want to adopt?’
‘If it would help one of those guys, then, yes—of course I do,’ she said. ‘But I’m so conscious of taking someone away from their home country.’
‘I’ve taken you from yours.’
She’d gone with him to the States. Travelled with him. Updated her blog from wherever she was. She didn’t need to rely on her friends to supply her with data for her lists as much any more.
She chuckled, ‘We go back there all the time!’
That was true. They’d agreed to spend half the year in or near Australia—so she and Dan would be as close as ever, but getting on with their own lives.