“You weren’t unwilling. You weren’t ready.” He reached up to caress her face and then wrapped his hand around her nape, giving a gentle tug to bring her down to him, pillowing her head on his arm. “What you said about this being the first time it mattered?”

She nodded, breathless as she waited to hear what he would say.

“It’s the first time it’s mattered for me in a very long time, too. I had a girlfriend in DC when I lived there. I thought she was the one, until she let me know she wasn’t going to wait around for me to work out my family issues.”

“She actually said that?”

“In so many words. But the funny thing was, I barely gave her a thought after we broke up. I guess it wasn’t what I thought it was.”

“She hurt you.”

“She disappointed me more than anything.”

“I heard what you said about this being a bad time for you to start anything—”

“It is a bad time. Probably the worst possible time, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s already started.”

Jenny rested her hand on his face. “For me, too.”

He curled his arm and brought her in close enough to kiss her.

“Don’t you want to finish your lunch?” she asked over the racing beat of her heart.

“I’m ready to move on to dessert.”

“How about I put the rest of this away and then we talk about dessert?”

“Hurry up about it. Dessert is my favorite part of the meal.”

He made her laugh when she’d expected to cry. He made her smile all the time. He embarrassed the hell out of her sometimes, but even that was charming. Most important, he made her feel again after twelve years of numbness that she’d once thought was permanent.

With the remnants of the picnic back in the bags and set off to the side, Jenny said, “We’ve got cookies for dessert.”

He held out his arms to her. “I had something sweeter in mind.”

Jenny snuggled into his embrace.

“I don’t want to get you all dirty.”

“I don’t care. I’m going home after this.”

“That sounds like a green light for dirty,” he said with a sexy grin.

“Wait. What did I just agree to?”

“I’ll show you.” He kissed her long and hard, his tongue demanding and persuasive.

That he now knew her story but still wanted her and still kissed her the same way he always had was a huge relief that had her relaxing in his arms. His lips and hands were everywhere, or so it seemed, and then he was on top of her, their bodies aligned for sensual pleasure. “I want you right here,” he whispered, his lips soft and his whiskers rough against her neck.