The romance of the evening extended past dinner, and as they drove home together in her small car, Erin was overwhelmed by just how desperately she had grown to love the man sitting next to her. She couldn’t deny to herself that she loved him with an unspoken passion that was consuming in its intensity. For the first time in weeks she wondered if, indeed, she and Kane and Krista might have a future together. Everything seemed to be falling into place. Perhaps someday, given enough time and affection, Kane could learn to love her. The little car climbed the hill that supported the Victorian apartment house. Its broad-paned windows winked cheerfully in the night.

As she shut off the engine, Erin felt the warmth of Kane’s hand when it covered hers. “Let’s not go in, not just yet,” he suggested in a husky voice.

“But Krista…” The protest was feeble. Already she could feel the heat of desire beginning to warm her.

“She’s fine,” Kane assured her, and pushed a wayward wisp of her hair back into place. “She and Mrs. Cavenaugh planned to sit up and watch old movies all night long.”

“But don’t you think we should check on her?”

“In a minute,” he insisted, and his face moved closer to hers. The warmth of his breath, laced with the clinging vapors of champagne, whispered over her face. “I’d just like to spend a few more minutes alone with you…” His fingers reached out and traced the curve of her cheek, the length of her throat, the neckline of the dress. Erin’s breath began to constrict in her chest, it became ragged as she breathed. His hand found the slit in her dress and moved gently, heatedly against her inner thigh.

“Kane,” she gulped, seeing the undying passion in his gaze. “I…we…can’t possibly, not here….”

“Shhh…” he commanded, and rimmed her lips with his tongue. She was melting in his embrace, feeling herself begin to blend with him. “Walk with me,” he suggested intimately. “The night’s warm, and so am I.”

His lips found hers, and he nibbled at them gently, persuasively. His hand moved in sensuous circles against her thigh. “Well,” she agreed, her eyes closing, “a walk…a short one…”

He was right, she thought raggedly as they walked together in the clear October evening. Was it the night itself or Kane’s presence that made it seem so special, so eternal? The cool nip of fall was in the air, and yet, under the stars winking in the ethereal moon glow, Erin was warm despite the season. Even in the half light, she could see the spiraling vapor of Kane’s breath as it mingled with the chilly night air.

He held her hand tightly, as if he were afraid that his grasp would slip and that he might lose her in the shadows. It was a wonderful, exotic feeling; his magnetic touch and the magic of the night wound together. Erin felt drugged as together they made their way to the gazebo in the backyard. It was old and in sad disrepair. But against the backdrop of the clear night, its flaws hidden by the darkness and the stand of fir trees near the worn steps, it seemed intimate and regal with its undisturbed beauty of another era. Silently Kane helped her up the two weathered steps, and she felt herself begin to tremble.