'You like that?' Hawk lifted her slightly so that the sensitised nubs received the slightest of caresses—almost driving Leonie into a delirium of pleasure. And then he was above her once more, crushing her beneath him as his mouth ravaged hers with a sensual rhythm.
'Open your legs to me, Leonie,' he urged heatedly.
She did so instantly, feeling his weight shift as he settled himself between her thighs, the hardness of him there touching her through the thin barrier of her cotton skirt and lace briefs. And then he began to move, slowly, erotically, in a mime of lovemaking!
His fingers captured, then tugged, on her erect nipples, applying just enough pressure to cause her to cry out as he sensed her need.
Something inside her was building out of control, a need, an ache, that his sensual movements against her just couldn't assuage. She gave a whimper of desperation.
'All right, love,' he kissed his way down her throat to her breasts. 'It's all right,' he soothed as his tongue traced a moist pattern across both breasts, taking his time drawing one of the painful peaks into the moist haven of his mouth.
It still wasn't enough. She was on fire for him, she needed—Oh God, she needed—
He knew, Hawk knew what she wanted, his mouth abandoning her breasts now as his tongue dipped erotically inside her navel, drawing the skirt and panties out of his way to throw them impatiently to one side. Leonie groaned her frustration as he became suddenly still. And then she knew what had halted him; she could feel his hand tenderly caressing the scar giving birth to Holly had left on her body.
'Tell me she was worth it, Leonie!' he groaned. 'Oh God, tell me you don't regret having borne my child!'
'I don't regret it, Hawk.' She gave a fevered shake of her head. 'Holly was worth it—all of it.'
'Aahh!' He briefly closed his eyes in heartfelt satisfaction with her response.
Holly had been worth it, she was worth all the pain that was to follow too. Leonie felt she had been privileged to be Holly's mother. Her daughter. She was finally coming to realise that that was what Holly was, that her daughter was healthy and strong, that she had no reason to fear losing her except to this man. Oh God, the joy of knowing her daughter was healthy after the agony of losing Daniel the way that she had.
'Marry me, Leonie,' urged Hawk determinedly. 'Marry me, and we can share our wonderful daughter for the rest of our lives.'
She wanted to keep Holly, had to keep the beautiful child that was part her and part this man beside her!
'Yes, Hawk,' she gasped, 'I—I'll marry you.'
Relief darkened his eyes, as he moved to cradle each side of her face with his strong hands. 'You won't regret it, Leonie,' he promised gruffly. 'I'm going to make sure you never know another day's unhappiness in your life!'
From any other man it would have been an impossible promise to keep, but she knew Hawk was quite capable of doing everything in his power to make sure that promise was fulfilled.
And then she couldn't think any more as he began to kiss her once again.
He had believed the taste of her breasts was the most erotic experience he had ever known, but as she opened to him completely he knew he was in paradise.
She was so beautiful here, the soft velvet of rose petals moistened with the gentleness of dew. He kissed each of those petals until she flowered beneath his penetration.
He could feel her tension rising now, cupping her tight little bottom to offer her up to him like a beautiful sacrifice, deeper and deeper as her breathing became a fevered rasp and her thighs tightened about him in pleading demand.
The flick of his tongue made her fingers clutch into the blanket beneath them, and as he moistly laved her flowering bud he could hear the choked sobs in her throat.
She was so close, flowing against him, and although the taste of her was driving him wild, making him long to prolong her pleasure until she was insane with the need for him to give her fulfilment, he also wanted to feel her pulse against him as her desire reached its peak, to know he had given her pleasure and not pain.
She was so hot and moist against him, gasping each time he touched her now, her hips lifting off the blanket to him, pressing harder and harder against his mouth, driving him deeper and deeper, pushing her higher and higher.
And then she couldn't go any higher, as spasms of pleasure drove her against him again and again, convulsing as the heated ache became a molten flow that went on and on for ever.
She found it difficult to look at him, the warm ache that still heated her body reminding her of just how much she had 'trusted' Hawk beneath that willow tree beside the river.
She had never experienced anything like the pleasure he gave her so unselfishly, held against his chest afterwards as he soothed the convulsing of her body down to a tremble. Every time she remembered her abandonment beneath the intimacy of the willow the trembling began again.
Leonie had been completely shattered by the explosions inside her body, and she pressed her thighs together now as she ached there once again.
'Why don't you have a nap?' Hawk turned to glance at her as he sat behind the wheel of the car driving them back to the house. 'You look tired,' he sympathised.
She was agitated! She felt as if she could sleep for a week, and then still wake up feeling lethargic!
And she had agreed to marry him. She suddenly felt panicked at the thought of being that close to anyone again.
His hand suddenly covered hers as it moved nervously against her thigh. 'We didn't do anything wrong just now, Leonie,' he told her gently. 'We didn't hurt anyone,' he added huskily.
This man hadn't done anything wrong; he had done everything oh, so right. But he was wrong about the pain; he must be suffering agonies of unfulfilment. She had wanted to ease his discomfort, but he had insisted he would be all right. He obviously was all right, but the strain hadn't left him.
'All right,' he finally gave a ragged sigh, 'I took unfair advantage of you. I shouldn't—'
'Don't be ridiculous, Hawk,' she cut in sharply. 'You made beautiful love to me.'
'I'm never going to apologise for making love to you,' he shook his head firmly. 'I proposed to you at a time when your defences were down. You're perfectly at liberty to tell me to go to hell now that—now that—'
'The madness has passed?' she finished dryly.
Hawk sighed. 'I want to marry you, Leonie,' he bit out. 'I want that any way I can get it. But you'll only end up hating me if you feel I've forced you into it,' he acknowledged heavily.
He hadn't forced her into anything, nothing at all. She had wanted to marry him as surely as she had wanted him to make love to her. Oh yes, she was nervous about being anyone's wife again, she feared the closeness of such a relationship, but she didn't fear either of those things as much as she did being without Holly. She loved her daughter enough to want to give her the best, and that included having both her parents.
'I've accepted your proposal, Hawk, and I'll stick by my decision,' she told him firmly. 'Although I do think that perhaps we should wait until Hal and Laura are married before making any announcement ourselves,' she added with a frown.
His brows rose. 'Don't you think we have more reason to be married before them?' he drawled.
'I don't think another week or so is going to make any difference to Holly's legitimacy now, do you?' she said wryly.
'She's a Sinclair, damn it,' scowled Hawk. 'And anyone who casts aspersions on her birth had better remember that!'
She smiled at his protection of their daughter. 'I doubt if you'll let them forget it,' she teased.
He gave a rueful smile. 'I may be a bastard, but no one is going to call my daughter one,' he acknowledged dryly.
Michael had called Holly a bastard. But she didn't feel like talking about Michael just now, not when she had just agreed to marry Hawk.
He should never have agreed to waiting before announcing his claim on her, Hawk thought, although if Jake didn't already know that after the way he had warned the other
man off Leonie this morning then he was being decidedly obtuse!
Leonie had been so determined they shouldn't detract from Hal's and Laura's big day by announcing that they were arranging one of their own, and because she had finally agreed to marry him—some time—he hadn't pushed the point, secure in the knowledge that she would keep to her word. He hadn't realised that agreeing to that condition would leave him standing impotently by in the background while every other man in the vicinity vied for her attention!
Stephen had taken his father's place at Leonie's side now, the father and son having been avoiding each other studiously since Jake and Sarah had arrived at the house for dinner as Leonie's guests.
He couldn't just stand here nursing this glass of whisky while those two clowns—
'Calm down, Dad,' Hal drawled quietly at his side. 'I can see the smoke starting to come out of your ears!'
Hawk gave his son an impatient scowl. 'Very funny,' he snapped. 'But if Stephen makes her laugh one more time I'll—'
'Come on, Dad,' Hal chided soothingly. 'I for one think it's great that Leonie is laughing—no matter who or what's the cause of it!'
Selfish bastard that he was, he wanted all her laughter to be for him. It was what had attracted him to her in the first place, and with its slow return he was falling more and more in love with her. But so was every other man in the room!
'I know you're right,' he told Hal with a sigh. 'I guess I'm just jealous,' he admitted heavily. 'You're in love with Laura; you must know how I feel.'
'Yes,' Hal acknowledged ruefully. 'How did your picnic go this afternoon?'
She agreed to marry me! She's mine! Hawk wanted to shout it from the rooftops, but knowing how angry his little witchchild would be if he did that he wisely kept silent.
He gave the grimace of a smile. 'I moved too fast—as usual.' And he intended 'moving that fast' again, as often as Leonie would let him. Damn the frustration it left him feeling, he just wanted to be close to Leonie. And that was as close as he could get for the moment.
Hal shook his head. 'I never thought I'd see the day you didn't know how to handle a situation,' he taunted.
'If Leonie were a situation I probably could handle it,' Hawk drawled. 'It's because she's a woman, a very special woman, that I'm in difficulty.'
Hal's expression softened as he watched Laura in conversation with Sarah. 'It's when they're so special you don't mind the occasional uncertainty that goes with loving them.'
Hawk looked sharply at his son. 'You and Laura—'
'Are fine,' Hal assured him firmly, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
Hal was in love with Laura, he was sure of it. But something was obviously worrying his son. Could it have anything to do with that vulnerability he had seen in Laura before she went to meet Hal at the airport two days ago? The Brandon sisters seemed to have depths he and Hal couldn't even guess at.
'What is it, Hal?' he prompted softly. 'I know I was unreasonable about your relationship to start with,' he acknowledged ruefully. 'But I'm certain you and Laura love each other.'
His son smiled. 'Oh, there's no doubt about that.'
'But?' prompted Hawk.
Hal shook his head. 'I can't explain it. There's something—' he broke off.
'Yes?' Hawk demanded again sharply.
The younger man sighed, shrugging. 'It's going to sound stupid,' he grimaced.
'So sound stupid,' Hawk encouraged tensely.
Hal grimaced. 'Laura's wonderful, I love her very much, but—She doesn't argue with me! About anything.'
His father gave a disbelieving laugh. 'Most men would say that's a good thing!'
'Don't patronise me, Dad!' snapped Hal.
Hawk could see Hal was serious about this, that it really did bother him that Laura didn't argue with him. 'Not all women argue, you know, Hal,' he frowned. 'Especially when they're newly engaged. Give it six months or so and—'
'You don't understand,' Hal cut in impatiently.
'Then explain it to me!'
'I told you I can't,' he shook his head.
'You do still want to marry her?' Hawk probed softly. 'Because if you don't it would be kinder—'
'I told you I love her,' his son said harshly. 'She's the only woman I'll ever want to marry. Just forget I mentioned this, Dad,' he dismissed impatiently. 'It's probably nothing, as you said.'
He hadn't exactly said that. He was sure that if Hal thought there was a problem with Laura, enough to have mentioned it to him, then something was wrong. But he wasn't sure enough of Leonie yet to start asking her questions about her sister, he was sure that would only put her back on the defensive. He would just have to hope Hal could work this out for himself. It might be nothing at all, Hal could just be over-sensitive where the woman he loved was concerned.
He wasn't insensitive to Hal's problem, he just didn't know what the hell to do about it; he was having to tread so softly himself at the moment.
'I'd forgotten what it was like to eat as a family,' Sarah remarked wistfully at his side, Hal having crossed the room to be with Laura now. 'It almost makes me wish I'd stayed married to Paul and we'd had a family of our own.'
Hawk arched mocking brows, knowing that Sarah's marriage to an habitual womaniser had been a disaster from start to finish. 'How much almost?' he derided.
She gave a soft laugh. 'Not much,' she grimaced. 'But I must admit that being here, with the baby up too, makes me feel a little homesick for my own family in the States.'
Holly hadn't wanted to go back to sleep after Leonie had given her a bottle earlier and so he had suggested she join them for a while; the fact that everyone had got to hold his daughter except him made him wish he could just tell them all that she was his daughter, and he just wanted to sit and hold her himself.
But he hadn't done anything of the sort. He was enthralled at how much more relaxed Leonie was with the baby tonight. Not that he didn't know why she was, just as he knew why she had agreed to marry him; she had allowed Holly into her heart. He acknowledged heavily that he hadn't been able to get in with her.
'Would you like to take some time off and go see them?' he asked Sarah quietly, still watching Leonie holding Holly as she talked to Jake.
'Heavens, no,' Sarah dismissed ruefully. 'I've never got on with my kid brother, his wife is a pain, and their two brats are spoilt rotten. Besides that, my parents think I'm still ten years old! I only said it makes me feel homesick, not that I actually wanted to be with my family. After two days I'd be screaming to be let out!' She grimaced. 'I'd much rather be here with you.'
Hawk laughed softly. 'So that's why you've remained my secretary for the last ten years; it's a good excuse to get away from your family.'
'You guessed it!' She smiled at him.
He returned Sarah's smile, but his attention wandered from the lovely woman at his side as he saw Jake follow Leonie out of the room as she took Holly back to the nursery.
'Did you talk to him about Spencer?'
Leonie straightened from placing the sleeping Holly in her cot, having known this question was coming. 'Not yet,' she dismissed. 'I—The opportunity didn't come up,' she avoided.
Jake frowned. 'He has a right to know your ex-husband is still hanging around.'
She looked at him sharply, wondering if Jake knew Hawk had that right because she had agreed to marry him. Something in Jake's expression told her Hawk hadn't confided in this man.
'I told you I'll tell him,' she said lightly. 'There's plenty of time. Michael won't be back here for a while, at least.' He would never come back here at all if she had her way!
'Leonie, I said I'd let you handle this,' Jake spoke slowly. 'But Spencer worries me—'
'Give me a little more time.' She put her hand imploringly on his arm. 'Hawk and I are just—just starting to understand each other, please don't do anything to spoil that.'
Jake's expression was stony. 'If something happens to you or Holly because I—'
'It won't,' she rea
ssured him hastily. 'I told you, I can handle Michael.'
'Leonie, you can't handle him,' he said firmly. 'I doubt if you ever could.'
She sighed as his brows arched pointedly at her blushing cheeks. 'Maybe I couldn't,' she conceded, 'but I can now. Anyway, why should you care what Hawk thinks or feels?' she attacked. 'You're hurting him more by giving in your notice and leaving him after sixteen years than I am not mentioning the fact that my ex-husband occasionally likes to make a pest of himself!'
Jake stiffened, suddenly very distant, although he hadn't moved. 'I don't have any choice,' he said coldly.
'But—'
'I love Hawk as a brother, I always have,' he continued abruptly.
'Then why—'
'Don't ask.' He drew in a ragged breath. 'Just accept that it's better I go.'
'But where will you go? What will you do?' Leonie shook her head in puzzlement.
He gave a harsh laugh. 'Despite the state of employment nowadays, PA's with my experience are still very much in demand. I've already received several job offers that are very tempting.'
'Hawk would double any offer you received from someone else, and you know it!'
'Maybe,' Jake bit out.
'Then—'
'He's given me enough already,' rasped Jake. 'I can't ask him for anything else.' He quietly left the room.
Leonie watched him go with a puzzled frown, turning back with a sigh to feast on the uncomplicated beauty of her daughter as she slept. How untroubled life was at this age, how lacking in emotional pain! She had a feeling Jake wished he could know the same oblivion right now.
To Hawk, watching as Jake finally left the nursery, it seemed he and Leonie had been alone in there for a very long time. If Jake thought he could find one of those 'different things' he wanted to do with his life with Leonie and Holly he was going to be sadly disappointed!
CHAPTER TEN
Leonie felt conspicuous sitting alone in the lounge/bar of the Claymont Hotel, but when she had arrived at the hotel half an hour ago and been informed by the receptionist that Mr Spencer had left the hotel mid-morning but was expected back for lunch she had had little choice but to sit and wait for him. Unfortunately the lounge area was also part of the bar in this small hotel, so she sat alone at a table in the corner with a glass of fresh orange juice in front of her as the lunchtime crowd from surrounding businesses began to fill the room.
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