Chapter 29

For a few seconds they remained that way: arms around each other, foreheads touching. Keira heard his words echoing in her mind. You’re the one I've never been able to shake. She wanted to believe him, but she couldn't. He was the professional songwriter and performer who always knew the exact words to use to his advantage, and she wasn’t the young, naïve girl that she used to be.

She released her grip on him and sank back in the water, not taking her eyes off of his.

“What?” He asked, trying not to show how frustrated she was making him.

She shook her head. “Don’t make shit up, Jon. Yeah, we’ve always been attracted to one another, but you don’t have to act like I’m ‘the one who got away’.”

“You are the one who got away.” He said. “And this time I’m not gonna let you get away so easily.”

She crossed her arms and snapped, “What is it you want from me, exactly? Is it because I’m a challenge to you? You’re so used to women saying yes that when you finally find one who says no, you have to have her?”

His eyes darkened. Finally, she was making him angry. For some reason this satisfied her. She moved closer to him again and said heatedly, “Yes, I’m attracted to you, and yes, I might even go home with you today, but let’s not pretend this is about anything more than sex. If we do end up in bed together, just know that I’m a big girl and I understand the difference between making love and fucking.”

"If I have my way with you, we'll do both." He said, reaching for her, but she backed away and glared at him. He held his palms up to her placatingly. "Or we could just have angry sex. That'll work too."

She grabbed a clump of seaweed out of the water and threw it at him. Laughing, he caught it and tossed it aside. Damn him and his quick reflexes. "So you admit that it's just about sex then?" she demanded.

He shot her an exasperated look. "Kathryn, you're makin' me tired. I tell you that I've always had feelings for you and you get mad. Then I joke that we can just have sex and you get mad. What is it that you want me to say?"

"How about sorry?" she burst out, not even realizing the words were there before she said them. Immediately, she regretted them. She knew she was being hot and cold with him, and it wasn't fair.

Jon just stared at her, not sure what she wanted him to apologize for. The only thing he was sure of was that he'd never understand women as long as he lived. Finally he said, "Okay. Sorry."

"You don't even know what you're apologizing for!" Keira shouted.

"Then maybe you could enlighten me," he replied, his eyes flashing. She was about to get the fight that she'd been asking for.

She felt tears stinging her eyes and she tried to hold them back. "Say that you're sorry for giving me up without a fight. Sorry that you didn't care enough to try harder to make me stay." Her voice broke with emotion, but she looked at him defiantly, daring him to deny what she was saying. Instead, the anger in his eyes was replaced with remorse, and he reached for her again. This time she didn't pull away as he drew her against him. He put his hand in her hair and held her cheek against his chest, resting his chin on her head. She could hear his heartbeat and she wrapped her arms tightly around him, wishing she could literally melt into him. She closed her eyes, embarrassed when she felt the hot tears escape from beneath her lids. Oh God, please don't let me end up doing those big, heaving, snotty, unattractive sobs.

He kissed the top of her head and murmured, "I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry."

She struggled to regain control of her emotions. When she felt as though she could speak without her voice breaking, she said, "I'm sorry too, Jon. It happened so long ago, it shouldn't even matter anymore. It's just that...you hurt me."

"I know, baby. You hurt me too. You walked away from me, don't forget that."

"I know I did. I was young and scared, and I never imagined that you'd just let me go like that. You just...let me go." She shook her head like she still couldn't believe it.

"I was in love you with, Kathy. I was just too young to be in love like that. We were too young."

Once again, the lyrics to the song he'd sung for her echoed in her mind. We had wonderful times, but terrible timing. She squeezed her eyes shut again. "I was in love with you too," she said quietly. "You've always been in my heart."

"You've always been in mine too. C'mon." He pulled away from her and took her by the hand, leading her towards the dry sand of the beach. "Enough emotion for today. Let's go do lunch..and each other." He winked at her and she threw a soft punch at his side.