CHAPTER 9

	The feelings that were flooding through her startled her.  The energy that had
built up as she had clung to him on the back of the motorcycle with her arms wrapped
around him, broke through with a rush and she wrapped her arms around him again,
and drew him closer, eliciting even more hunger in his kiss, and a low guttural moan
from his throat.
	“God, Sandy, you’re killing me!” he moaned, as his lips traced a trail across her
cheek to her earlobe.
	“Kiss me!” she whispered, and the wantonness in her plea surprised even
herself.  Jonathan had kissed her, and she had thought she’d loved him, but never had
he ignited a response such as this from her.  She clung to Ty with both her arms and her
fingers, and pressed her body against him, afraid that if he let her go she would crumble
helplessly to the floor.
	He responded to her plea with a low groan, then obliged her, and claimed her lips
again with such passion that she lost any remaining sense of self. There was nothing
outside this kiss. Nothing could quell the surging realization that she loved him, and with
it, her need for his kiss never to end, no matter how dangerous the outcome might be.
	“Oh, Sandy!” he gasped, when his lips finally let her go and he stood pressing
her against him breathlessly, his face buried in her hair.  “Now do you see?  I do find you
attractive — very attractive.  If you were any other woman, we wouldn’t be still standing
here discussing it right now, we’d be upstairs making love.”
	He felt her stiffen, just slightly, at his words, then her hold on him tightened.  He
slid a hand down her back and pressed her close, as if to accentuate his words, and she
felt the hardness of his need against her body. She cleared her head just enough to ask
him to clarify his statement.
	“What do you mean if I were any other woman?” she asked him.
	He brushed his hand through her hair and softly kissed the top of her head. 
“You’re a woman of principles, Sandy, I know that, and I don’t want to compromise those
principles.”
	In other words, she thought, I’m a good girl.  Well, good girls finish last, don’t
they? the voice inside her head chided her, surprising  herself once again.  She had
insisted on propriety during her engagement with Jonathan, and look where that had got
her!  She had thought she had been in love then, but it had been easy to preach ‘wait
until we’re married’ — there had been no passion, no electricity between them that could
even come close to what she felt in Ty’s presence.  
	And Jonathan?  He had calmly agreed with her that waiting would be best.
Thinking back on it now she almost laughed. No wonder he found it so easy to wait!  If
he’d felt for her even half of what she now felt as she rested in Ty’s arms, surly he would
have put up at least a bit of a fuss.  But no, he hadn’t wanted her — he had wanted
Maggie.  He had already had Maggie, as a matter of fact. And as Ty softly placed
another kiss on her hair she realized that Jonathan had actually done her a huge favour.
	“Kiss me again, Ty,” she whispered, tipping her face up toward his.
	He groaned, and pressed his hand against the back of her head, making his chin
stay pressed firmly on her forehead.  “Sandy, I swear, if I kiss you one more time right
now, we will be upstairs making love.”
	Sandy took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  She had come to a decision, and
her heart pounded in her chest as she realized she never would have made this move
with Jonathan.  But then — she hadn’t loved Jonathan. She knew that now, as sure as
she knew her legs would not hold her up if Ty released her.  What she had felt for
Jonathan could not have been love, for she did love Ty, and there was no comparison. 
Even though he didn’t love her back, he did find her attractive.  Sure, it may be only a
physical attraction but it was obviously more than Jonathan had ever felt for her and she
had almost married him!
	“I know,” she whispered, as she pressed her hands against his back and tipped
her head up more, maneuvering her lips towards his.
	He groaned, and kissed her, and if she had thought there had been any sexual
tension there in his earlier kisses, he left no doubt in her mind that there was this time! 
Then he loosened his hold on her, and his hand found hers, and quickly he led her up
the stairs and into his room.  As he closed the door behind them his lips found hers
again and his fingers began the task of pulling her shirt up so his hands could find the
bare skin of her back.
	“Stop me now if you’re going to change your mind,” he said, as his hands rested
at the sides of her breasts, poised to remove her shirt. “For if we go any further, I swear I
won’t be able to stop later.”	
	She smiled.  Even in the throes of passion, he was still offering her a chance to
back out, and this act of consideration towards her just made her love him even  more.
So he didn’t love her, she told herself, but he wanted her and she was willing to accept
that with no expectations for the future.  Being a ‘good girl’ wasn’t going to get her
anywhere this time.  She had always heard it said that when the time was right, a girl
would know, and without a doubt, she knew.
	“Don’t stop,” she breathed, shaking her head gently, and the look of relief that
washed over his face sent shivers through her body.  Then her shirt was gone, and his
lips were on her neck.  His fingers slipped the straps of her bra off her shoulders and he
kissed her there next, moving his lips even lower as his hands maneuvered to unclasp
the offending garment, and then it too was gone.  She was helpless in his arms as his
kisses traveled over her breasts softly, gently, until at last he took the hardened bud of
her nipple between his lips, and she whimpered softly, her fingers clutching him.
	With an urgency she didn’t know she could possess, she gripped at his shirt and
tugged it from his jeans.  As she struggled with it he let go of her, only long enough to
pull the shirt over his head in one swift motion, and she pressed her hands over the
sculpted muscles of his bare chest.  His fingers found the button of her jeans and soon
she was shivering under his touch as the palms of his hands slid down her hips and
thighs as he slid the denim down her legs. When she stepped out of them, he lifted her
and placed her on his bed, and his lips once again began the tantalizing journey from
her mouth, down her neck, over her breasts and belly, until at last his fingers toyed with
the elastic of her panties.  She squirmed under his touch, and closed her eyes, letting
the sensations wash through her without distraction.
	Then he stopped, and his hands and lips left her, and she felt the bed lift as he
moved off of it.  She opened her eyes with a soft whimper, afraid he would be gone.  But
instead, he was removing his own jeans, looking down at her with a look in his eyes she
had never once seen in Jonathan’s eyes — a look of pure sexual hunger.
	He hesitated, and she wasn’t sure if he was just taking his time or if he was still
doubting her decision, but when she lifted a hand towards him, beckoning him to return
to her,  he sprung into action and slipped out of his shorts.  When she saw him, she
gasped, and her mouth went dry, but then he was on the bed sliding the last remaining
barrier between them along her legs and tossing them aside.  Then he lowered himself
over her.  His lips met hers once again and she felt the length of his body pressed
against her, skin against skin.
	He bathed her body with his kisses, caressing every inch of her with his fingers,
and she arched upwards to meet his every touch.  his lips toyed with her nipples and
she moaned under her breath.  Then he slid down her body and kissed the inner flesh of
her thigh and her body moved for him without any communication from her mind.  When
his fingers brushed over her, and his lips followed, she cried out for him, and when his
tongue explored her she was certain that she could stand no more.  He was no stranger
to giving pleasure to women, she was sure of that, as she laced her fingers in his hair
and pressed him into her.
	At long last he lifted, and slid his body back up over hers, and kissed her once
more. The taste on his lips excited her, and she wrapped her arms around him, drawing
him closer.
	“Ty!” she breathed, sliding her open palms along his back and down to his  hips,
in a gesture of need.  He recognized it, and lifted his hips, moving into position, then
pressing toward her. He felt her tense, and his lips froze on hers as all movement
ceased, but she pressed him urgently with her hands against his hips, willing him to
continue.  With a throaty groan he did just that, and she kissed him with renewed
passion.
	When at last they lay breathless, entwined  in each others arms a while later, he
brushed the hair from her face and studied her profile.
	“I’m sorry, Sandy, I didn’t know.”
	“What?” she asked him. “That this was my first time? Don’t worry about it.  I
knew, and it didn’t stop me.  Would it have stopped you if you had known?”
	She turned to look at him, the question still in her eyes, and he smiled.  “The way
I was feeling — the way you were acting — I doubt it,” he admitted, though he wasn’t
sure what kind of character the admission made him in her mind.  When he saw her
smile he judged that it hadn’t cost him too many points on the popularity scale — if any
at all.  He kissed her forehead softly. “But I might have taken my time a little — been
gentler with you.”
	“Well then I’m glad you didn’t know,” she said, with a sparkle in her eyes, as she
slid her hand teasingly along his body.
	“You are a wicked woman!” he groaned, as he moved in to kiss her again.
	“Am I?” she asked, as her hand continued to explore him further, sliding down
the muscular body, over his hips and between his legs.
	He groaned again. “Definitely!” and he rolled over to silence her with his lips.
	
	Sandy awoke the next morning with Ty’s arm draped casually over her as he
slept.  She studied his face for some time.  His thick dark hair and tanned,  rugged
features would turn any woman’s head, she had already come to that conclusion long
ago.  That she happened to he the one who had turned his at the moment made her feel
more feminine than she ever had.  That it wasn’t going to last, however, was a fact she
was not going to let herself lose sight of.  She would never regret her decision, but she
wasn’t going to fool herself into thinking she was anything more than a physical
attraction to him.  The time would come when he would move on, and when that
happened, at least she would have memories.
	In the meantime, she had a job she had to get to, she reminded herself.  But
when she tried to move, his arm drew her closer and held her tight.  She glanced at him,
but he still looked like he was sleeping.  Carefully she tried to lift his arm, but this time he
rolled over and trapped her under both an arm and a leg.
	“Ty!” she protested in a quiet whisper, but he snuggled his face into her neck and
still slept.  “Ty — I have to go to work!” she said a little louder, gently pushing on his
shoulder to wake him.
	“You should try sleeping with your boss, then you wouldn’t have to worry about
being late for work,” he murmured into her neck as he began kissing her there.
	“Ty McKinley!” she exclaimed, giving him a playful swat.
	“Ouch!” he said, pretending to be hurt, finally giving up the pretense of sleep
once and for all, raising himself up onto one elbow to look down at her.
	“You deserved that!” she said sternly, but there was playfulness in her eyes.
	“And you deserve this,”  he said, as he effortlessly lifted himself over her,
capturing her lips with his and resting his strong masculine length over her body.  She
was about to protest, but his lips silenced her, and soon she was lost in a passion as
heated as that they had shared the night before.  
	When he finally allowed her to roll out of his bed, she barely had time to shower
and dress before leaving for work.  There was no time for breakfast.  An hour later,
however, when she looked up from her desk to see who had come into the library, she
found Ty walking toward her with a cup of coffee and a small brown paper bag.  She was
both surprised and thankful.
	“It was the least I could do, considering it was my fault you missed breakfast this
morning,” he said, as she opened the bag and peeked inside, finding a bagel and
cheese waiting for her.
	“McKinley!” she exclaimed softly, as he winked at her.  She glanced around
quickly to see if anyone was watching.  Marie, a summer student who was working at the
library, quickly turned her attention back to her task of re-shelving returned books, but
not before Sandy caught the wide grin on the girl’s face.  Sandy straightened her back
and pretended to reprimand Ty, the look of laughter on his face made it impossible for
her to keep a smile from creeping onto her own lips.
	“Shhh — this is a library!” she pretended to reprimand him.
	“Pardon me, Ma’am,” he said, in mock seriousness, casting a glance towards
Marie.  The girl had returned her attentions to them, and when he smiled and winked at
her she giggled and quickly disappeared into one of the aisles.
	“I’d better get back to work myself,” he said.  “My boss is a real tyrant.”
	“Oh get out of here, McKinley!” she said, laughing at him as she walked him to
the door.  He looked back at her, his face very serious.
	“See what I mean!” he said, then held up his hands in self defense.  “OK, OK, I’m
going,”  he grinned, and his eyes dropped to her lips and she knew he was considering
kissing her.  But he remembered where he was, and cleared his throat, turning the
conversation to business. 
	“Actually, I wanted to ask you about the eaves troughs.  They’re in pretty bad
shape on the back porch and part of the main house as well.  I was going to get what
you needed for the front porch today and I thought while I was at it , I might as well re-do
the whole house — if you think that’s OK?”
	Sandy wrinkled her nose.  Usually she arrived home from work and found a job
done. Seldom had he asked her permission, even though she had made a big deal of
that fact over the roofing job.  This must mean the cost was going to be considerable,
she thought. “Will that be a big expense?” she asked.
	“Nope,” he said confidently.  “I’m quite sure you can handle it.”
	She sighed,  “Well then, if you think it’s best to replace it all then go ahead.” She
had become quite used to letting him make those decisions around the house, letting
him choose what needed to be done first.  It had just become the natural thing to do and
she seldom questioned his judgment at all.
	“Right then,” he nodded, looking quite pleased with himself.  “See you tonight
then,” and once again his eyes drifted lower, this time all the way down her body, and
she blushed as she watched him finally turn and walk away.  When she turned around
she found both Marie and Joyce, her regular assistant, watching her with great interest.
	“What? He’s fixing my house!” Sandy retorted flatly.  “He had to ask me
something about the job he’s working on today.”
	“Right.” The two girls nodded, then shared  speculative glances with each other. 
Sandy rolled her eyes and groaned.
	“Oh get back to work you two!” she said, trying to sound authoritative.  But when
she got back to her desk where the coffee and bagel awaited her, she couldn’t help but
smile.
	
	That night it rained.   In fact, it rained for four days straight.  Sandy went up to
one of the empty bedrooms the first night the rain started and stood looking up at the
ceiling. Outside the rain pelted down heavily, sheeting the windows and rumbling on the
roof. On the ceiling, the paint was flaking off and the plaster was chipping badly.  There
were dark water stains in several places — but everything was dry.
	“Look at that,” she exclaimed, as Ty came up behind her.
	“It is a mess, isn’t it.  I’ll have to do something about that.  I haven’t been in these
rooms while I’ve been working outside, I had forgotten how bad the ceilings were.”
	She laughed. “It’s a sight for sore eyes!” she exclaimed, then turned to look at
him over her shoulder, catching his confused look, she continued. “It’s dry!”
	He grinned at her. “That it is,” he agreed, and followed her gaze as she turned to
look upward again.  It never ceased to amaze him how such little things as this brought
her such joy.  He was used to seeing expressions like this on women’s faces when they
had been given some extravagant gift, but she looked like this just because he had
made some repair to her house.  It didn’t matter how big or how small the job — from
re-doing the roof to tapping a nail into a loose piece of tin on the back shed — the look
was always the same.  For the first time in his life it made him realize just how shallow
those other women were.  They had been impressed by his money but had never had
any interest — except for possibly distaste — in his job, and suddenly he looked at his
work through different eyes.  No longer was this just something he did to get a
paycheck.  Heck, if the truth be known he was working for her for nothing even though
she defiantly considered his room and board as his payment.  Most of the supplies, that
had been her side of the bargain, would eventually be coming out of his pocket despite
the fact that she thought she was paying for them.  There was more on his line of credit
at Long’s than she knew, and he was hoping to keep it that way, giving her just enough
bills to keep up the charade.  Once his business with Cole was settled, he intended to
pay off Long’s himself and not ask her for a penny of it.  No, money was no longer the
driving force behind his daily work.  Thanks to Sandy, he had discovered a whole new
reason to do a good job every day — pride  in one’s workmanship.
	“Did I ever thank you for doing the roof?” Sandy’s words penetrated his thoughts
and he smiled.
	“You might have to do it again,” he said, as he slipped his arms around her from
behind and leaned her back against his chest.  “I’m not absolutely certain if you thanked
me properly.”
	She giggled, and turned to look over her shoulder. “No?”
	He shook his head, and pivoted her in his arms. “No,” he said, and she laced her
fingers behind his neck, lifted her face to his and kissed him softly. 
	“You mean something like this?” she asked, when their lips parted again.
	“Mmm,” he murmured. “Something like this,” he said, returning his lips to hers
and kissing her much more deeply.  “And I’m almost positive you didn’t.  I would have
remembered something like that,”  he said when at last he let her up for air.
	“Hmmm,” she hummed thoughtfully.  “That’s not very good of me. I must
remember to remedy that fact.”
	He nodded. “Oh yes, I agree!”
	“When do you suppose I should do that?” she asked teasingly, tilting her head to
one side.
	His arms drew her closer, and she could not mistake his desire for her in his
eyes. “It has always been my experience that when you remember you have forgotten to
do something, you should take care of it right away before you forget again.” He dropped
a tantalizing kiss on her lips.
	“Mmm  — wouldn’t want that to happen, would we?” she murmured, as she lifted
her lips to his again and kissed him longer this time.
	“No, definitely not,” he agreed, at long last. “Most definitely not!”