“Hang on there, hon. I guess I should have showed you how to get down from there,”hesaid.
As her feet found purchase, she twisted in his arms. The rush of his masculine scent intoxicated her. She leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his back. His hands spanned her waist as he pulled her tightlyagainsthim.
“Tell me you feel it too,” hewhispered.
“Feelit?”
She knew what he meant, but she was afraid to acknowledge her feelings for him out loud because that would make them real. And if they were real, she’d have to deal with them. And if she had to deal with them, she couldgethurt.
He reached for her face and cupped her cheeks in his hands. The intensity in his gaze sent a flood of warmth straight to her core. She trembled as he angled his head down. He gave her a questioning look. With only a breath of space between them, their magnetic attraction was enough to pull themtogether.
When his lips met hers, she melted against him. He moaned as she slid her hands down to cup his bottom. She pulled him hard against her, emboldened by a rush of overwhelming need. As his tongue slid across the seam of her lips, she parted them to accept his hot, insistent kiss. Her breath caught in her chest. She couldn’t do anything but cling to him as he claimed hermouth.
Their tongues danced against each other, swirling slowly, tasting and retreating as their passion ignited their hearts. When she couldn’t hold her breath another second, she pulled back slightly. She gasped and met his sultry gaze. She tried to think of something to say but couldn’t. Instead, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lipsagainsthis.
But nagging fears invaded her mind. She couldn’t afford to get caught up in their undeniable attraction. Her brother was depending on her to help get him to Canada. If she failed, he’d be shipped across the ocean to hisdeath.
She broke the kiss and pushed away from Greg. She turned her back to him and wrapped her arms across her chest. What right did she have to think about anything other than saving herbrother?
“Are you all right?” Greg askedsoftly.
“I’mfine.”
“I know something’s wrong,”hesaid.
“We can’t do this,”shesaid.
“What?Kiss?”
“Yes. And we have to stop looking at each other as if there could be something between us. Ihaveto get my brother to Canada. I know you don’t agree with what we’re doing, but I can’t let him go to war,”shesaid.
Greg gently touched hershoulder.
“I understand why you’re doing it,” he said. “Every night when I watch the news, I look for my brothers. Every time the phone rings, my heart stops. I wonder if this will be the call telling us that one of my brothers is dead. Anytime someone comes to visit us, I want to fall over in relief when I see that they’re in civilian clothes and not military uniforms. I know why you’re doing it, and if it was up to me, I would have helped every one of mybrothersflee.”
“Why didn’t you?” sheasked.
“Because someone has to fight for our country. We can’t let communism take over the world. I don’t want anyone’s brothers to die either, but we have to win this war. There’s too much at stake to turn our backs on thedraft.”
“The draft isn’t even fair,” she protested. “Do you ever see politician’s kids heading off to war? No, you see poor people who can’t pay off the draft officials to savetheirsons.”
“It’s not fair,” he said. “But Nixon says he’ll work to make itequal.”
She laughed. “He’s aliartoo.”
“He’s our leader and if he thinks we should be at war, then I trust his judgment. You have to give him time; he’s only been in office a few months. Making changes to something as big as the draft will take time,”hesaid.
“My brother doesn’t have any time left. He already got his draft card, so we have nochoice.”
As Greg gently squeezed her shoulders, she forced backtears.
“Hey,” he whispered. “I don’t fault you for wanting to save him. That doesn’t affect the way I feelaboutyou.”
“I’m leaving in a few weeks,” she said. “We’ll never see each other again, so why start something we know we can’tfinish?”
He slid his hands down to cup the side of her arms. When he didn’t say anything, she considered the discussion over. So she was surprised when he eased her back against his hard chest. His lips pressed against the top ofherhead.
“I don’t want you to go,” he said. “We’re just starting to get to know eachother.”
