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They never actually slept. They would doze then waken and begin to make love again.
He introduced her to things she d never known before, things that assaulted her body with
such sensations she couldn t stand it.
He taught her how to pleasure him, to bring him to the peak of arousal. She took him in
her mouth and teased him until he wanted to explode, the softness of her tongue stroking his
hard, velvet-covered penis. His groan of pleasure vibrated through his body. She tasted the
soft-as-satin tip, sucking at the moisture already there, swallowing it with evident pleasure.
His sac felt heavy in her hand, and she discovered that by lightly running the tips of her nails
over it she could torment him even more. His erection would jerk in her mouth, sending
shafts of excitement through her.
Touching him in so many ways made Sarah s heart expand. She couldn t get enough of
him. Even when they lay panting, spent, still she was drawn by the need to touch him
everywhere. She wanted to learn all the secret, sensitive places of his body, as he had done to
her. They were intoxicated with each other. Each time they thought they were beyond
arousal, a touch, a tease, and they would be in heat again.
For Sarah, it was an awakening and she reveled in it. For Reno, it was an unbelievable
experience. Nothing he had ever done before prepared him for the wonder of loving her.
The Hired Wife 93
Chapter Twenty-Four
By the time morning arrived they could hardly move. They were sore from lovemaking
and stiff from sleeping on the floor, but it was a good kind of pain. Neither would have
exchanged it.
 Now is when I can use the bath salts Lindsey sent me, Sarah said, stretching like a cat.
 Bath salts?
 Yes. Sarah laughed.  She sent me what I can best describe as a full blown seduction
kit. She described it for him.
Reno chuckled.  You should have seen Tony running me around from store to store.
I m sure he thought I was in such bad shape I couldn t make a purchase by myself.
 By the way. She sat up and looked at him.  I think everyone was pretty slick the way
they worked it all out yesterday. I mean, Nick just showing up to get Lexie and take her to the
ranch overnight. Lindsey with her gift basket.
 And Tony with the big shopping trip. He grinned at her.  They were all great
conspirators.
 They were determined to make this happen. She wrapped her arms around his chest.
 I think we re lucky to have the friends and family we do.
 I guess we should call them and tell them you haven t thrown me back out on the
street.
 In a minute. She leaned on one elbow and gently traced the line of his jaw.  I love
you more than I ever thought it possible to love someone. You make my heart full just being
with you. I want you to keep that in mind because we still have something important to
resolve. I want to talk about it right now before we start our day.
 Are you going to tell me you have me at your mercy, stark naked, so I can t say no?
 If I need to. Reno, this is serious. It s really a big deal to me. We didn t resolve
anything last night. She stopped and took a deep breath. Please let me say the right words.  It s
about Lexie.
She could feel his body tense and saw the protective mask dropped into place. He
started to roll away from her but she stopped him. She leaned over and rained gentle kisses
on his face, stroking his cheek with her hand.
 Don t do that. Don t close up on me this way. Listen to me. Please. We have to come
to some resolution  at least a compromise  or how can we ever build a life together?
 I m listening, he said, but in a flat voice.
She kept her hand on his cheek, connecting with him while she talked.  I understand
what you feel when you look at her, but what happened isn t her fault. You re the only father
she s ever known. Can you understand that? She doesn t know why you ve withdrawn from
her.
 Sarah, I& 
She touched her fingers to his lips and shook her head.  No. Last night you asked me
to be quiet and listen to you. Now I m asking you to do the same. Lexie is a wonderful little
child, a treasure. We said today is the first day of the rest of our lives. Can t we find a way to
make her part of it, too? It s so important to me.
Judith Rochelle 94
 You re asking a lot of me, he told her, his voice tight.  I look at her and I see
Maggie s face and hear her voice. I hear those bitter words. I ve tried so many times to make
it right again, and it just hasn t worked.
 But don t you see? She bit her lip, forcing out the last piece of her story.  After my
miscarriage, the doctors told me I d probably never conceive another child. Lexie may be the
only one we ll ever share. That s why this is so important to me. I want us to be a family, and
we can t if you still shut yourself away from her.
 I would do anything in the world to make you happy. But here you may be asking the
impossible.
 In a little while we re going to the ranch to pick her up. I want it to be okay that she ll
be with us. Can you at least give me that?
He was silent for so long she began to get nervous. Would it all come unraveled now?
Was she asking him to do something that he wasn t ready for? No. It was past time for that
excuse.
Finally, reaching out to wipe away the tears she hadn t even realized were trickling
down her cheeks, he said, his voice ragged,  All right. For you. I will do the best I can. He
pulled her close to him, nestling her head against his shoulder.  I want to please you, but you
have to know this is killing me.
 I know. I really do.
 I held that child every day for two weeks when she was born, rocked her in my arms
and felt her tiny heart beating against mine. She was my child, my flesh. Then, in seconds, I
found out what a cruel joke it all was. His face twisted in pain, remembering. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]