stop putting you in sexual danger. My very existence puts you at risk. Sometimes I truly hate myself. Sexually. I should be stronger, I should be able to—"
I placed my hand over his mouth. "Don't." I didn't want to hear how strong he wished his thing was. No girl should have to hear that from her man.
He took my hand, moving it from his lips, but holding it to his face.
"I love you," he said. "It's a poor excuse for what I'm doing, but it's my only excuse."
It was the first time he'd said he loved me—in so many words. He might not have realized it, but I certainly did.
"Now, please try to behave yourself," He continued, and he bent to softly brush his lips against mine.
I held properly still. Then I sighed.
"You promised Charlie that you would have me home early, remember? We'd better get going."
"Yes, ma'am."
He smiled wistfully and released all of me but one hand. He led me a few feet through the tall, wet ferns and hot draping moss, along the skirts of a girthy hemlock tree; and then we were there, all the way there. Together.
We emerged from the woods on the edge of an enormous open field in the lap of the Olympus peaks. It was twice the size of any airfield I'd ever seen.
I could see all the others there; Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie were the closest to us, sitting on a bare outcropping of rock maybe a hundred meters away. Much farther out I could see Jasper and Alice, at least a quarter of a mile apart, appearing to throw something back and forth, although I couldn't tell what it was. Off to the side, Carlisle was building airplanes, but that couldn't be right. Was he really building airplanes?
When we came into view, the three on the rocks rose.

367

Chapter 17

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