The Fires Within by Beverly Clark

Author:Beverly Clark
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-58571-557-2
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2007-08-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Pandora tossed and turned most of the night. When she finally dozed off, erotic dreams of her and Julian making love invaded her sleep, taking control of her body, and causing it to tingle and her femininity to moisten and throb. Julian wanted her to think about him and she had. He wanted her to burn for him, and, oh, how she had burned. This definitely wasn’t how she wanted to feel.

You’re lying to yourself, girl. You want to feel these things for him, all right. You want to feel the pleasure he promised to give you when he makes love to you.

She got up and threw back the covers, then walked over to the window and looked out as the sunlight began to spill over the mountains. What was Julian feeling this morning? Had he lain awake all night thinking about her?

* * *

Pandora noticed how uncharacteristically quiet Destinee was at breakfast.

“Are you feeling all right, honey?”

“Yes,” she said sullenly.

Pandora didn’t believe her and waited for her to elaborate.

“Mama, is it serious between you and Julian? You know what I’m trying to say.”

“I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t know where this relationship, if you can call it one, is headed.” She paused. “I know you like him, but…”

“If he asks you to marry him, will you?” Destinee asked.

“He probably won’t. He knows my feelings on the subject of marriage, Destinee, and so do you.”

“My father hurt you; I know that, but Julian’s not anything like him. Can’t you change your mind about marriage and…”

“Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself, young lady? Julian hasn’t asked me to marry him.”

“I want him for my father, Mama.”

“There’s more to consider than just having Julian for your father, honey.”

“You like him; I know you do.”

“Yes, I like him.”

“I don’t understand. If you like him, then why can’t you two get together?”

“Desi, honey, I…”

“May I go for a walk down by the pond? Please.”

Pandora hugged her daughter. She saw the shimmer of tears in Destinee’s eyes when she walked away.

Destinee was subdued during lunch. Pandora longed to tell her what she wanted to hear, but couldn’t.

“Honey, I know that you want a father and think Julian is the perfect person to assume that role, but you have to understand that your feelings aren’t the only ones to be considered.”

“I know, and I’m sorry for acting like such a brat.”

Pandora didn’t know whether she wanted to kiss Julian Palmer or kick his butt for so thoroughly disrupting her life.

“Do you want to just sit and talk for a while?” Pandora asked her daughter.

“What I want to talk about, you don’t, so what’s the use?”

“We could go swimming or exploring the way we used to.”

“Not right now, Mama. Okay?”

“Destinee, we…”

The sound of a car engine intruded.

When Destinee saw Julian pull his Escalade behind her mother’s Navigator, her expression turned from sullen to happy instantly and she ran from the cabin to greet him, Selena and Talaya.

Julian saw the distress on Pandora’s face and wished they were alone so he could work on soothing it away.

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