by Romes, Jan
Libby thrust her tongue in; tasting Max, enjoying his warmth, reveling in the joy that they were together at last. She lowered her hand to wrap his velvety power, slowly stroking, making him swell and buck against her touch.
Libby felt a hard tremble wrack Max’s frame. He stilled her hand and parted them just inches. He lifted Libby’s chin so they were eye to eye. “I love you, woman.”
“I love you too, Max.”
The moments that followed became a whirlwind of touching, tasting, discovering. Max moved to her jaw line and suckled his way to her collarbone, trailing his tongue to the swell of her breasts. He flicked her nipple but soon went at it with a vengeance. He elongated it with his lips, and made Libby vault into him. His hand strayed between her thighs and every nerve in her body came alive. She inhaled sharply when he dragged his thumb across the bud of her desire. He toyed with her warmth until she thought she’d go crazy.
“Max, please,” she said, her breath coming in choppy pants, “make love to me now.”
There were no further words.
Max guided her onto the bed and towered above her. He smiled even though his face was tight with need. In one swift, intimate move, he connected them.
Libby twined her legs around Max’s, taking delight in the closeness, moaning from pure joy. This was the man she loved. The man who knew her so well. The man she could give everything to. Her heart. Her soul. Her body.
Max moved slowly at first and Libby moved with him. Passion and love guided them with unhurried rhythm, but the turbulence of ecstasy soon took over. They kissed and clutched like two people who couldn’t get enough of each other. Libby dug her fingers into Max’s back as she yielded to the searing need that had been building over the past month; the month that had been almost unbearable without him. In that moment, she felt vulnerable and wild. Loved and cherished.
Their thrusts caught fire, driving them toward that burning sweetness. Libby was the first to experience the explosion of bliss. She cried out and let the powerful sensations spiral her to paradise. Max bucked and shuddered until he reached the same glorious pinnacle. He collapsed on top of her, straining to breathe, but the corners of his mouth tipped into a contented smile.
“Marry me, Libby,” he said between labored breaths.
Libby hadn’t expected a proposal this soon, but she wasn’t the least bit frightened by it. “Yes. Yes. Yes,” she squealed against his mouth. She kissed him with all the happiness of a woman in love. “I’ll marry you, Max.”
Max rolled to his side and propped himself on his elbow. “Soon, Libby.”
“Whatever you want is fine with me. I’d like to meet your parents first, if that’s okay,” she teased.
Max ran his thumb back and forth across her chin. “I know women need months to plan and prepare, to get everything just right, but this can’t wait, sweetheart.”
“You want to make an honest woman of me, huh?” She toyed with the curly hairs on his chest.
“I do. And…” He threw his legs over the side of the bed and raised his index finger. “I’ll be right back.”
Libby watched him descend the stairs and then buried her face in her hands. It had been an exhausting but wonderful day. She’d finally accepted that she was in love with Max, drove a hundred miles to tell him, and now was going to become his wife. Plus, she and Amanda mended their rift. Life couldn’t get any better.
Max returned in all his naked glory with his hands behind his back. “Don’t get mad, but I have something for you.”
Surely he hadn’t bought an engagement ring ahead of time. Did he? “How could I be mad?”
“You might be, but please know that my heart is in the right place. Okay?”
Libby sat up and pulled the comforter around her. Max seemed unsure of himself and nervous. In turn, she was getting a little anxious too. “Okay.”
He slowly brought his hands to the front. In them, a small, vibrant pink rectangular box. Libby’s eyes widened. “Max?”
Max knelt by the bed. “Don’t be upset.”
“I’m not.” Tears gathered in her eyes and her heart clenched. “But I don’t understand.”
Max smoothed a lock of hair from her forehead.
Libby tried to hold back the tears. Unsuccessfully. Salty pain leaked from the corners of her eyes and she felt sick to her stomach. She snatched the box, rushed down the stairs, and locked herself in the bathroom.
She sagged against the bathroom door, falling to pieces, a thousand tears at a time. Bile inched up her throat. She’d promised not to be mad. Truthfully, she was beyond mad. She was furious. Libby ripped open the box, worked herself to the toilet, and pee’d on the stick.
Max was beside himself for doing something so stupid. What the hell had he been thinking? He acted on a hunch, a stupid, brainless hunch and in the process screwed up in the worst way by buying the pregnancy test. What prompted the lunacy was something Steph had said about Libby having a window of opportunity to get pregnant but only with a special surgery. He tucked the information away until he was on his way home from Columbus. From out of nowhere it came back and he’d wondered if maybe, just maybe, that Libby’s throwing up wasn’t from the flu. He didn’t know jack about fertility, or rather infertility, but he’d latched onto hope that his sperm were tough, kick-ass, swimming ninja’s that could maneuver their way past Libby’s endometriosis. It had been ridiculous to consider the possibility.
He braced against the bathroom door with one hand and put the other across his eyes. God, August, if you had a brain you’d be dangerous. “Libby, honey,” His voice quivered. “I’m an idiot. And I’m so, so sorry.” He reminded himself that he wasn’t a crier as he choked back tears. “I love you so much.”
No noise came from the other side of the door. Libby was either ignoring him or had passed out. “Please, Libby, say something.”
Again, not a peep.
Max hit his head on the door three times, blasting himself for being so stupid.
He jerked at the sound of the door being unlocked and he watched the door open, almost in slow motion.
Expecting Libby to dash past him with steam coming out her ears, he was stunned when she threw herself into him and buried her face in his chest. Sobs racked her thin frame and he could no longer hold it together either. Tears fell unrestrained down his cheeks. He loved Libby and one small, careless act hurt her more than anything he could have ever done.
Finally, Libby pulled away and blinked through her tears. Her voice shook with the rest of her. “H-How did you know?”
Max’s eyes widened. “You mean…?”
Gulping sobs racked Libby again when she held up the pregnancy test. “It says I’m pregnant.” She shook her head. “There’s no way. It has to be a mistake.”
Max enveloped her in his arms. “Maybe it’s not a mistake, Libby.” He swallowed hard. He vowed earlier to tell her how he felt, and dammit, if this relationship was going to have a chance he had to say what was on his mind. Tiptoeing around a serious issue would do more harm than good. “I’m a blockhead, Libby, but even I know that no one throws up for two weeks due to the flu. Okay, maybe the flu lasts a full two weeks but generally the symptoms don’t.” He shrugged. “Everyone is different, but I still think there’s more going on than the flu. And I convinced myself to buy the pregnancy test just in case.”
“Yeah, I wondered about that too. I could only entertain the possibility in small increments; mostly because I was throwing up but also because I was afraid I was wrong.” Libby clutched the pregnancy test like a beloved friend. “I’m not holding my breath. My doctor made it very plain that the chances of me getting pregnant were slim to none.”
Pain etched her expression and Max wanted to kiss it away.
Libby’s phone rang. She didn’t rush to answer it. “It’s probably Doctor Shively with the results of the blood test. I can’t bear to hear what he has to say.”
“Would you like me to get it?”
Libby closed her ey
es, shook her head, and swallowed hard. “No. I’m not a wimp. Well, I am, but I don’t want you to be the one to give me the bad news.”
****
It took Libby a week of sketching, erasing, revamping, using the computer-aided program and eventually starting over to get the design just right, and another two days to put it all together—a form fitting, floor length, sleeveless gown with a smidgen of lace. To complete the ensemble, four inch ankle-strap heels, and a thin, white beaded choker. Libby turned every which way, checking her look in the mirror.
“Libby?” Steph peeked around the door of the small church dressing room. “Are you almost ready?”
Libby couldn’t contain her joy. In the last few months her world had been turned upside down. First by Amanda. Then by Max. Life was like that. Sometimes everything had to fall apart before the right things could fall into place. A smile lifted the corners of her mouth…and her heart. “I think I’ve been ready since the day I met him, Steph.”
“Aww, Libby,” Steph put her hand to her heart. “I’m so happy for you.” She shook her head as though she was thoroughly amazed. “I knew it had to be love.”
Libby cocked her head. “How so?”
“The minute you said you took your clothes off to warm him, I knew you were a goner.” Steph looped her arm through Libby’s. “Come on, Lib. Your man and his furry sidekick are waiting.” From Libby’s place at the back of the church, she searched for Max. She found him doing the same thing from the front. Their eyes connected over the short aisle that separated them. Libby smiled. Max smiled. Love zinged between them. In a few short minutes she would marry the grouchy man from next door, the guy who drove her crazy and caused her lots of sleepless nights, her heart of hearts, the man who helped her defy the odds, the father of the miracle growing in her belly—Mr. August.
A word about the author...
Jan Romes grew up in northwest Ohio with eight zany siblings. Married to her high school sweetheart for more years than seems possible, she is also a proud mom, mother-in-law, and grandmother.
She likes to read all genres, writes about characters who give as good as they get, is a part-time fitness trainer, and enjoys growing pumpkins and sunflowers.
Contact Jan at:
www.janromes.com/
Twitter - @janromes
www.jantheromancewriter.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/people/JanRomes/1418424489
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