Public Secrets Part 292

"So have you."

EMmA mD coNvINCED herself to ease back. Her relationship with Michael

was moving too quickly. She would gently pull their relationship back a

few notches. Her book was about to be published. It was time to open

her own studio, perhaps have another showing.

How did she know her own feelings in any case? Her life had been in too

much upheaval. It was easy to mistake love for grat.i.tude and

friendship. And she was grateful to him. Always would be. He had been

her friend, a constant if distant one for most of her life. Her

decision to back off was best for both of them.

She took a firm grip on her camera case as she walked through the gate.

There he was. He saw her the same instant she saw him. All of the

practical decisions she'd made over the last three thousand miles

vanished. Before she could say his name, he had swooped her off her

feet. To the amus.e.m.e.nt and annoyance of other pa.s.sengers, he greeted her

in silence, blocking most of the gateway.

When she could breathe again, she touched a hand to his cheek.

"Hi."

"Hi." He kissed her again. "It's good to see you."

"I hope you haven't been waiting long."

"I think it's over eleven years now." He turned and started toward the

terminal.

"Aren't you going to put me down?"

"I don't think so. How was your flight?"

"Smooth." With a laugh, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Michael, you

can't carry me through the airport."

"There's no law against it. I checked. I guess you've got luggage."

"Yes, I do."

"You want to pick it up now?"

She answered his grin, then settled back to enjoy the ride. "Not

particularly."

TWO HOURS LATER they were in her bed, sharing a bowl of ice cream.

"I'd never developed the habit of eating in bed before I met you."

Emma scooped out a spoonful and offered it. "Marianne and I used to

h.o.a.rd Hershey bars in our room at school. Sometimes we'd sneak them

into bed after lights out, but that was as decadent as it got."

"I always figured girls snuck guys into their room after lights out."

"No. Just chocolate." She slid the ice cream into her mouth and closed

her eyes. "We only dreamed about boys. We talked about s.e.x all the

time, looking up with envy to any of the girls who claimed to have lived

through the experience." She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "It's

better than I imagined it would be." She offered him another spoonful

and the strap of the tank top she wore slithered off her shoulder.

Reaching out, Michael toyed with it. "If you let me move in, we could

practice a lot more."

He was looking at her, waiting. Wanting an answer, Emma thought. And

she didn't know which one to give him. "I haven't decided whether I'm

going to keep this house or look for another one." That was true enough,

but they both knew it was an evasion rather than an answer. "I need

studio s.p.a.ce, and a darkroom. I think I'd like to find a place where I