Her Secrets Read Online Free

touch of his finger sent a jolt of need through her body. “Let me help you.” He stood and held out a hand.
    Her ass was wet and she was shivering with cold, but she didn’t want his goddamn help. “I don’t want your help. I don’t need you.” Willow spat the words angrily, fighting back the tears that threatened.
    He sighed and kneeled. “It’s cold. At least come back to the fire.”
    She turned away; watching the waves crash over each other and roll toward us, then pull back. The tide was coming in. A cloud covered the bright moon and the world went dark. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust. When they did she saw Austin still kneeled in front of her, his hands on his thighs, his face serious.
    He moved closer so she could feel his breath on her mouth. It was minty fresh. She held her breath, shocked. He wouldn’t dare. Then his mouth was on hers. Soft. Tender. Willow wanted to resist him, tell him to get the fuck away from her, but she couldn’t. She’d missed his lips. So, so much.
    Slow ly she kissed him back. His fingers gripped her sweater and he pulled her to him. She wrapped her fingers in his hair. He deepened the kiss, opening her mouth, and every feeling she’d pushed away over the past fifteen months came flooding back like he’d never been gone. Suddenly she couldn’t get close enough to him. She wanted him to make her feel, the way he’d always made her feel before. She needed it, even if it was just one more time.
    Austin stood and pulled her up with him, then lifted her in his arms. She lay against his chest, her hand near his heart. It beat rapidly. He carried her back to the cave and set her down next to the fire. Then he grabbed his suit coat and wrapped it around her.
    It wa sn’t the same as his arms, and she missed him, more than she cared to admit. But then again, she knew she’d been lying to keep herself from sinking into a pit of depression. Looking at him, seeing the way he looked at her, she knew he still cared. “Why did you leave?” she whispered, her bottom lip trembling.
    He brought over a bottle of wine, two glasses , and a blanket and sat down. Willow waited while he wrapped the blanket around the two of them, opened the wine, and poured them each a glass.
    Willow was still wet, but she was beginning to warm up.
    Finally he spoke, a deep timbre that warmed her even more. “I’m from Texas. Did I ever tell you that?”
    “No, but you always wore that cowboy hat. I guessed either Texas, Colorado, or Wyoming.” Willow took a large gulp of the red wine.
    He smirked. “Yeah, my mom and dad are from Austin, but I live in Dallas.”
    She nodded, forcing herself to stay quiet.
    He cleared his throat and shifted in the blanket. “I was married,” he finally whispered.
    Her mind screamed. No. No. No. No. No. Married? He said ‘was.’ Did that mean he wasn’t married any longer? “Was?” she asked, finishing off the wine, grabbing the bottle, and refilling her glass. She had a feeling she’d need it.
    “Yes. We married right out of high school , attended college together. Started our careers together.” He smiled and her heart shattered.
    “What happened?”
    He gulped down the rest of his drink. “She died,” he finally said.
    That surprised her, tore at her heart. “I-I’m sorry, Austin.” She took another drink. Is that why he left suddenly? Had he left her and she died? Was it her fault?
    He stared into the fire, the flames dancing in his faraway eyes. “She was the love of my life. I knew with absolute certainty there would never be another woman for me…” He trailed off.
    Willow stopped breathing.
    What did that make her and their time together ? A booty call? Had he come back to try and forget her? That seemed like a lot of work. The man was extraordinarily handsome. Willow had no doubt droves of women wanted him. So maybe it was guilt. He came back to tell her he was sorry he’d left abruptly.
    But she didn’t want to hear that. She realized