LITTLE MISS INNOCENT?
Page 16
Lace, swamped in pleasurable sensation, struggled to pull her thoughts together enough to form coherent words. “I love you.” Her voice rasped and she threw her head back, her body arching up high against his.
Daniel kissed her throat. “That’s it, Lace. That’s it.”
She sank her fingertips deep into his shoulders. When the pleasure finally abated, she forced her eyes open and stared up at him. “Why didn’t you join me?”
“I’m having fun just watching for now.” He pulled her legs higher around his waist and rested. “I can’t believe you love me.”
“It defies logic, I know, but it’s true.”
“Witch.” He thrust, a slow, even stroke, and Lace gasped, giving Daniel reason to smile in satisfaction. “When can we get married?”
“I’d marry you now, Daniel, if you could manage it. I love you. Believe me, nothing will change that. You’re the most incredible man I’ve ever known.”
“You don’t think I’m too conservative and boring?”
“I think you’re too sexy for rational womankind, and intelligent beyond measure, and so caring and loving and good—”
“Stop!” His laughter gave her pleasure and she tightened herself all around him. “Next thing I know, you’ll be trying to canonize me.”
“No, I want you alive and healthy and hearty,” she said, moving beneath him, watching his expression shift, his gaze grow hotter, “so you can finish what you’ve started.”
“You always did present a convincing argument.”
A few minutes later Lace grumbled a complaint when she couldn’t find a blanket on the bed. They were all on the floor and she was getting cold now that they weren’t quite so active. Daniel, mostly dead to the world and any problems in it, pulled her close and threw one leg over hers. Lace snuggled up to his side.
Lace thought he was asleep until his low voice filled her ear. “Will you use me as data for the next book?”
She snorted, then smoothed her hand over his hairy chest. “Maybe, but not in the way you hope.”
“You plan to ignore my awesome lovemaking techniques? Wasn’t, that you who swore I was the greatest lover alive, who touted my every move, who—”
“Stop bragging, Daniel. I intend to be the sole beneficiary of your expertise.” She levered herself up on an elbow and stared down at him. “But I do think I’ve learned a great deal about love. I understand now that it comes in various disguises, and that love can’t be second-guessed.”
He eyed her serious expression. “Because I feared it and you didn’t believe it existed?”
“Exactly.” It still unnerved her just a bit to discuss it, to realize how close she’d come to losing Daniel out of sheer stubbornness. “We both believed love, in whatever context, was to be avoided. But no matter how hard we both tried, we fell in love anyway.”
“I didn’t stand a chance. You berated me and wore me down and flaunted your charms until I lay helpless and unable to defend myself.” He began toying with her breast, his expression enthralled. “I think of all those wicked things you did to me at the cabin, and I…”
Lace tightened her fingers in his chest hair, challenged him with a look, and waited.
Daniel took the precautionary method of holding her wrist and then kissed her nose. “And I fell in love.”
Lace laughed. “A smart man always knows when to quit.”
His arms went around her waist. “Ah. But an even smarter man always knows when to begin again.” So saying, Daniel flipped her onto her back and grinned down at her. “Now, where were we?”
Lace touched his face, his shoulders. She loved him so much, she knew there couldn’t be anything threatening in her feelings, only happiness and contentment. She kissed his grinning mouth and whispered, “We were about to begin the rest of our lives.”
“Hmm. Then we should definitely start things off right.”
Lace found out exactly what he meant, and she had to applaud his decision. Making love with Daniel, holding him close and hearing his whispers of love was the very best beginning she ever could have imagined.
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