Just Hold Me: Carrington Cousins

by Summers, Amy

  "They never give up, do they?"

  Something in Rafe's voice stopped her. Slowly she turned and looked back.

  He was crushing the card in his hand, turning it into a tiny blue ball of paper.

  "I swear if a helicopter came over right now, I'd expect to see Jacqui Blatts, or this harpie, or another one of them with a camera, snapping away."

  His mouth held the ghost of a smile. Could that really be? He seemed to be thinking with reluctant affection about the foibles of these people rather than with the hatred and bitterness she'd expected.

  He walked toward her as he stuffed the little paper ball into his pocket. "I'm sorry. I guess you'll have to put up with that sort of thing from now on."

  He stopped a few feet from her. She stared up at him, too surprised to speak. There was no blame in his eyes, only a raw vulnerability that twisted her heart.

  "What can I offer you, Thawn?" His voice was husky with emotion. "What can I do to convince you to love me?"

  Her hands went to her face. She wasn't sure if she was hearing him quite right.

  "I know you think my love for you isn't deep enough. You don't trust it." His gaze moved hungrily over the planes of her face. "I know you hate the sort of life I lead. The people..." He reached for her. "What can I do to make you love me?" he whispered.

  "Oh, Rafe..."

  "I need you so much, my lovely lady." He began dropping short burning kisses on her eyes, her cheeks, her lips. "Please say you'll stay with me."

  His voice was strangely hoarse, as though the effort to say these words was contorting it. All at once she knew she couldn't leave him, that she would hold on to what they had, for as long as she could, no matter what the future held.

  "I will. Oh, Rafe, I'll stay as long as you want me to."

  His fingers tightened and he held her face away, glaring down at her. "Can't you get it through your skull that this is for keeps?" he growled. "What I feel for you isn't temporary. I want to marry you. And I've never said that to another woman. Never."

  He pulled her against him and held her tight, rocking with her to the rhythm of the gurgling stream. "I knew you were different from the first time I saw you. The longer I stayed, the more you trapped me, nature girl. I'll never be free again."

  Thawn pulled back and stared into his eyes. He'd never put it quite so plainly before. He really did want to marry her. Suddenly she found herself laughing.

  "Is that a complaint or a compliment?" she said with a chortle. She was happier than she'd ever been. Rafe's face was warm where she touched it, and she rubbed her cheek lightly against his.

  "Neither." He hugged her tightly. "It's a statement of fact. I'll never be free again, no matter what you decide to do. I'll never feel this way with anyone else."

  She closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat. It was steady, strong, something to rely on.

  "Well?" He pulled roughly away and gazed at her, the questions still burning in his eyes. "What are you going to do?"

  She looked up at him, her lips parted hesitantly. "Marry you?" she whispered. That was what he meant, wasn't it?

  "No, damn it," he growled. "I don't want to hear that as a question. I want to hear you shout it like you mean it!"

  Her grin answered his. "I'm going to marry you!" she cried.

  "All right!"

  As he lowered his dark head to kiss her, she felt laughter bubbling up and heard it echo in him. But the laughter soon died as his lips moved over hers. There was a fire burning between them now, and they both felt it and knew it would be difficult to quench.

  "Thawn, darling," he breathed upon her skin as his mouth left hers to explore the pulse that throbbed behind her ear. "You've tortured me for so long!"

  She sighed and pressed herself against him, luxuriating in the hardness of his long body. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I was so afraid..."

  His tongue was making lazy circles along the hairline at her temple. A lovely, languid feeling was overtaking her. She closed her eyes and arched her neck, presenting it for more of his golden touch.

  "Don't ever be afraid with me, darling." His breath stirred the tiny hairs along her skin and sent the blood surging through her veins. "I'm putty in your hands. You can do what you want with me."

  As if that were a cue, she found herself pulling at his shirt, loosening it and slipping her hands in underneath to capture the heat of his chest. He groaned as her fingers gently tickled his crisp hair.

  "You can especially do that," he muttered, reaching down to pull his sweater and shirt off, giving her free access. She splayed her fingers across his chest, marveling at how beautiful flesh could be.

  "And now it's my turn," he whispered as he deftly tugged free the fastenings of her silky blouse. Instinctively she tried to pull the cloth back against her breasts, but he tore it firmly free, then dispensed with her lacy bra.

  The breeze was cool on her skin and her nipples tightened in the evening air, but she didn't try to cover herself. She could trust him now. She was sure of it.

  They lay back in a bed of ferns. Sunlight fell through the trees in dappled spots of color on their naked skin. Spray from the water hitting the rocks beside them cooled the air they breathed. Birds chattered in the treetops, and the gurgling stream made its own music in the background.

  Rafe slowly explored Thawn's body, taking his time, running his fingers across the slope of her breast, circling the dip of her navel, lightly teasing the tiny hairs that covered her thighs.

  She leaned back lazily, watching him with eyes half-closed, holding back the involuntary moans that rose in her at his touch. Finally she became impatient and arched up at his hand, reaching to pull him against her.

  "Do you want me, Thawn?" he asked huskily. "Tell me."

  "I want you," she groaned obediently. "I want you

  now."

  "Oh no, nature girl." He laughed softly as he evaded her attempt to draw him closer. His fingers nipped at the tips of her breasts, but he wouldn't let her feel his body hard against her. "We have to take this slowly. We want to do it naturally."

  She opened her eyes and stared at him, slightly confused. "What? What's natural about slow?" she demanded foggily.

  He grinned. "You've heard the song. 'Love comes slow, can't be rushed, you've got to hold on...'"

  She knew he was teasing her, and she didn't stop to evaluate her next move. He'd built the fire that burned in her and only he could deal with it now. She twisted quickly, pouncing on him so that he fell back against the ferns and she was on top. With her palms pressing his shoulders down, she moved against him, twining her legs with his, stretching up so that she could look down into his face.

  "Now tell me about how love comes that slow," she murmured, glorying in the instant response in his eyes. "Tell me about how we just have to hold on."

  He growled and covered her hips with his hands, pulling her to him, and he reversed positions again, and the wait was over.

  As they came together, she cried out his name and he groaned out his love for her, urging her on until they found the center of the tempest together and rode it to exhaustion.

  Afterward they lay so still for so long that Thawn began to wonder if they'd lost all power of movement. It felt so wonderful to be with Rafe, to feel his warmth on her skin, his breath in her hair.

  "You're still going to marry me, aren't you?" His voice was a rough intrusion into her dreamlike state.

  "Of course." She twisted around so that she could see into his eyes. "I'm going to do everything I can to make you happy." She came up on her elbows. "Rafe, about... the movie-making business. You said you could tell I didn't feel comfortable with those people. And you were right. But I can learn. With you to help me, I'll find a way."

  He lifted a lazy hand to push back her hair as it fell down over her face in a golden curtain. "It may not be as difficult as you think," he said slowly.

  "You don't think I'll distract you?" she asked hesitantly, thinking of what Terry had sai
d. "You don't think I'll keep you from making a total effort?"

  He laughed softly. "I'm becoming a new man, Thawn. I'm learning all about moderation. I've been obsessed at times, but that was when I was working my way up, when I was unsure of my direction. I know what I'm doing now. I can relax and live a more normal life." He smiled at her. "Besides, I've come up with some of my best ideas this summer while spending lazy time with you. When we go back home, I'll show you some of the plans I've set up for future projects."

  "I'd like that." She grinned back at him. "Who knows? Maybe I could give you some ideas myself."

  He nodded seriously. "You already have. Talking with you helped me develop a theme of man's impact on the changing landscape for the Western." He paused, then went on almost apologetically, "I'm going to be involved in my Western epic from start to finish. And for that I want you with me." He shifted his weight and moved to join her in a half-sitting position. "But after that's finished, I'm thinking of making a few changes."

  She frowned. "Rafe, you can’t change the work you love because of me!"

  He stilled her protest with a finger on her lips.

  "I'm not. Believe me, this is something I've been thinking about for a long time." His smile was tender. "I've always enjoyed the conceptual work a lot more than the line production, coming up with ideas rather than implementing them. And that's what I'll be doing from now on—blocking out concepts, writing scripts. But the location production will be done by collaborators. Jeff Corwin will be doing some things with me. And I hope Mark will be working with me on some adventure films I'm thinking about."

  Thawn gazed at him, fascinated. "You mean you won't be on the set while they're shooting?"

  He nodded. "I'll be in our house on the coast, working on new ideas."

  She opened her mouth, shut it, then opened it again. "But that means..."

  "That means we won't have to live in Hollywood. That means you can keep your job. That means we won't have long separations while I'm off on location somewhere."

  Her heart swelled with love for him. "Oh, Rafe. It'll be perfect!"

  "Perfect." He kissed the tip of her nose.

  She caught hold of him and forced his mouth down to meet hers. "Wow," he breathed when she let him go. "You nature people never get enough of that stuff, do you?"

  "Not when it's such quality stuff," she teased, feeling wicked.

  He leaned back, sighing with contentment, and she smiled. "So you really are going to do more work with Mark," she murmured speculatively. "That was why you wanted us to make up."

  "Yes." He hesitated, then added, "That and more."

  His eyes held hers and she searched them, wondering at the shadows there. "I had to be sure it was really over between you."

  She hadn't considered that possibility. "Oh, Rafe..."

  "You don't know what it cost me to watch you with him today," he said hoarsely. "When he put his arm around you..."

  "You thought we might renew what we had?" It seemed an incredible idea to her, but she could see how he had viewed it. "Never. Don't you know how much I love you?"

  His head snapped around. "What did you say?" he demanded.

  She looked at him, puzzled. "I love you," she said softly.

  Were his eyes misting, or was it the hazy evening light filtering through the trees?

  "Thawn," he rasped, his voice thick with emotion, "that's the first time you've said 'I love you.'"

  How could that be? She'd been thinking it for so long. With tears in her eyes, she reached for him. "I promise you, darling," she whispered against his chest, "it won't be the last."

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  Also by Amy Summers

  The Destiny Bay Romances available from my website: AmySummersBooks.com

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  Destiny Bay Romances~The Carringtons

  Box Sets - 6 novels each - All The Carringtons Stories, bundled together!

  The Carringtons~Volume 1, 6 Originals

  The Carringtons~Volume 2, Baby Dreams

  The Carringtons~Volume 3, The Ranchers

  The Carringtons~Volume 4, The Islanders

  Destiny Bay Romances-Forever Yours-Sweet Editions

  Sweet and wholesome versions of the Forever Yours novels, 1-6.

  The Carringtons Chronicles

  Tne Individual Novels!

  The Carringtons - Forever Yours

  Book 1-My Little Runaway

  Book 2-Wife For a Night

  Book 3-Too Scared to Breathe

  Book 4-Make Believe Wife

  Book 5-Promoted to Wife

  Book 6-Not the Marrying Kind

  The Carringtons - Baby Dreams

  Book 1-Husband Wanted:Will Train

  Book 2-The Baby Invasion

  Book 3- Waiting for Someone like You

  Book 4-Just In Time

  Book 5-Jilted

  Book 6-Dream A Little Dream

  The Carringtons - The Ranchers

  Book 1 - Native Silver: Wait for Me

  Book 2 - Destiny Ranch

  Book 3 - Sweet Desperado

  Book 4 - Stealing Shane’s Girl

  Book 5 - Luck Be A Lady

  Book 6 - Don't Tell Me You Love Me

  The Carringtons - The Islanders

  Book 1 - Saved by You

  Book 2 - Found by You

  Book 3 - Tempted by You

  Book 4 - Rescued by You

  Book 5 - Charmed by You

  Book 6 - Blessed By You

  Book 7- Amazed By You

  The Carrington Cousins

  Just Kiss Me-A New Guy in Town Novel

  Just Trust Me, A Brother's Best Friend Novel

  Just Until Morning, An Enemies to Lovers Novel

  About the Author

  Amy Summers is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than 100 romances published under various pseudonyms with Harlequin, Silhouette, Loveswept, and others. She is currently revamping and rewriting much of her backlist--some available in the US for the first time--to present on Kindle.

  Most of her current stories feature the Carrington family who live and love on the California Central Coast. Try them all! You just might enjoy the journey!

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental. All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

  Copyright © 2018 Amy Summers

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