Nine Months Part 2 (36 Hours)

by Beverly Barton

  He silenced her warning with his mouth, covering her lips with his, tasting her sweetness as he pressed his tongue between her teeth. She opened for him, like a flower to the sun, giving him free access. Accepting him, welcoming him into her moist warmth, she became a willing participant. She had fought a long, hard battle, struggled diligently not to give in to her own wanton desires, but in the end it all came down to this—this simple, desperate need to be one with the man she loved. And she did love him. Oh, how she loved him!

  Paige’s hot body melted into his, like thick liquid metal, adhering to the solid mass beneath her. He lifted her hips, shifting her up and down, rubbing her intimately over his throbbing sex. As his tongue thrust deeply into her mouth, she reciprocated, beginning a dual dance of passion. He ate at her mouth, devouring her, and she wrapped herself around him, longing for more. So much more. The frenzied kiss ended when Jared released her mouth and took a deep, hard breath. Paige licked her swollen lips.

  She felt just as she had that evening in the elevator when she’d given in to her most primitive longings. Only Jared could make her feel this way. Only Jared had the power to ignite the fires within her and set her body aflame. Only Jared’s possession could consume the blaze and render her to sparkling embers that he alone could set afire again.

  Grasping her waist, he lifted her off his sweaty chest. Paige spread her fingers through his damp chest hair. He groaned. His sex hardened painfully, her very touch taking him to the edge.

  Lifting her up so that she rested on her knees above him, he dragged her panties down as far as he could. Bracing herself with her arms, she lifted one leg at a time and finished removing the sheer lace briefs. She sat on top of Jared, her femininity resting on his silk-covered arousal.

  He looked up at her as she smiled down at him. Her cheeks flushed a seductive pink, her pupils dilated, darkening her eyes from brown to black, and her kiss-swollen lips sighed his name.

  “Jared.”

  That one word branded him, burning into his soul. There was no turning back now, for either of them. The madness had taken over, the pure animalistic need to mate.

  With trembling fingers, he grasped the silk pajama top, ripping it apart, popping the line of pearlized black buttons in his haste to undress her. He spread apart the dark, shimmery material and bared her breasts.

  She shuddered when he exposed her breasts to the air. Her nipples puckered into jutting points. Her flooded femininity ached. Her heavy breasts throbbed.

  When he grasped her breasts in his big hands, she cried out from the relief his touch gave her and from the still hungry need eating away at her insides. He massaged her breasts, teasing the nipples, until Paige thought she would die from the agonizing pleasure of his masterful touch.

  Lifting his hips, he jerked his pajama bottoms down over his hips and to his knees, then wriggled them to his ankles and kicked them off onto the floor.

  Taking her hips in his hands, he positioned her, aligning her body to his. With one quick, powerful lunge, he took her, his strong, upward thrust filling her completely. Crying out her pleasure, Paige tossed her head backward and her long red hair brushed her hips.

  “Ride me, honey. Hard and fast.”

  She obeyed his command, giving herself over completely to the pursuit of her own needs. Rising and falling, she rode him with mindless abandon, spiraling out of control as her senses ruled her, every sensation heightened by their physical union.

  She smelled the musky, earthy aroma of their hot, sweaty bodies. She heard their labored breaths and the wet, undulating rhythm of their lovemaking. She saw the taut, fast-building passion on Jared’s face and knew he saw the same in hers.

  Leaning over him, her breasts pressing against his chest, she licked a moist line up his throat to his lips, tasting the rich, hot dampness of his skin.

  When she braced herself with her arms, positioning her breasts invitingly over his mouth, Jared thrust upward into her, stealing her breath, and latched onto a nipple, sucking greedily. Every nerve in her body screamed for release.

  Paige gasped for air as Jared tormented one breast and then the other, sucking, laving, nibbling. While one hand aided his mouth, he used the other to urge the acceleration of her pace, leading her into a frenzy. She became a sizzling mass of sensations, a being completely ruled by her passion.

  When her body tightened and then released, plunging her into a maelstrom of pure sexual fulfillment, Jared allowed her time for completion before he flipped her over onto her back and took his own pleasure, hammering into her. Fast and furious, he emptied himself. His big body shivered with release. They clung to each other, their breathing ragged and harsh, their bodies sticky with sweat.

  Slipping off her, Jared pulled her into his arms, cradling her head against his shoulder. He kissed her forehead.

  “Jared—”

  He placed his index finger over her lips. “Don’t say anything, honey. Don’t spoil what we have right now.”

  She snuggled against him as he drew the covers up and over their naked bodies. He was right. Now was not the time for talking. Tomorrow would be time enough.

  Paige drifted into a peaceful sleep, draped securely in Jared’s arms.

  * * *

  Jared awoke shortly after daybreak, and for one brief moment he couldn’t believe that Paige was sleeping beside him, warm, naked and sated from their lovemaking. For the past five months he had longed for her, wanted her, needed her in a way he’d never needed another woman. What was it about this one woman that made him want her so?

  He smoothed his hand over the quilted coverlet, gripped the edge and pulled the covers away from her body. She was ripe and voluptuous, her body temptation personified. Her large breasts beckoned his mouth with their fullness. The cinnamon thatch of hair covering her mound tempted his fingers to explore the depths of her body.

  And her little round tummy protruded slightly, just enough so that he could tell his child lay nestled inside. He kissed her belly. Paige stirred, moaning softly. He licked a circle around her navel. Squirming, she opened her eyes and smiled. He lifted his head.

  “Jared?”

  “I want to make love to you,” he said, and before she could reply, he kissed her belly again.

  She grasped his shoulders, urging him to come to her. He eased upward far enough to capture one begging nipple in his mouth and clasp the other nipple between his thumb and forefinger. When he had her writhing beneath him, he lowered his head and painted a damp trail from her breasts to the apex between her thighs. Urging her legs apart, he lowered his head and sought the secret heart of her. She gasped loudly when his tongue laved her intimately. Gripping his shoulders, she held on for dear life as Jared brought her to the brink and, with one final caress, plunged her headlong into rapture. While the aftershocks rippled through her, Jared mounted her, thrusting deeply into her wet body. All the while he lunged in and out, he claimed her mouth repeatedly in quick, smoldering kisses, the musky, feminine taste of her still on his lips.

  He groaned when the force of his powerful climax hit him. Within minutes, she joined him, experiencing a second, even more earth-shattering release.

  He rolled her over on top of him and they went to sleep again, still joined, their naked bodies lying atop the covers.

  When Paige awoke the second time, she was alone in bed. A blazing fire warmed the room and morning sunshine flooded through the French doors and numerous windows. She stretched, then groaned. Her body ached from their passionately strenuous lovemaking.

  Sitting up in bed, she glanced around the room in search of Jared’s pajama top and her panties. She saw the pajama top lying on the floor, at the side of the bed. Reaching down, she retrieved the black silk shirt, slipped it on and tied it beneath her breasts in a loose knot. She finally spotted her panties, curled into a wad at the foot of the bed. Snatching them off the floor, she slipped into them quickly.

  “There’s no need to get dressed, honey.” Jared stood in the doorway, holdi
ng an open basket filled with food, while he braced his body on one crutch. Obviously he had showered, shaved and dressed. His hair was moist, his face smooth. He’d put on a pair of faded jeans and a pullover sweater. “I thought we’d spend the day in bed,” he told her.

  He brought the basket over to the bed and handed it to her. “Toast. Juice. Fruit. Cereal.” He listed the basket’s contents. “Sit back and enjoy your breakfast.”

  Paige accepted the basket, scooted back against the headboard and stretched her naked legs out across the bed. Dropping his crutch, Jared sat down on the edge of the bed, jerked off his sweater and unzipped his jeans.

  “What are you doing?” She stared at his broad, hairy chest and remembered the feel of him pressing against her, rubbing her breasts, igniting her passion.

  He unzipped his jeans. “I’m getting back in bed with you.”

  “No, don’t. I—I haven’t had a bath.” She glanced down at the basket. “I haven’t eaten breakfast.”

  He removed his jeans and tossed them aside. Paige sighed with relief. He wore a pair of black briefs.

  “Eat up, honey.” He removed the cap from the mug and lifted the juice to her lips. “When you finish breakfast, I’ll give you a bath.”

  “You’ll give me a—”

  He pressed the mug to her lips. She sipped the fresh-squeezed orange juice.

  “How on earth did you manage to climb the stairs on one crutch and carry a basket, too?” Paige asked.

  “It wasn’t easy, honey, but for you, I’d do anything.”

  She couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face when she remembered all the things he’d done for her and to her during the night. “What time is it?”

  “What difference does it make?”

  “I thought you were expecting Mr. Addison this morning.”

  “I was,” Jared said. “Greg has been here and gone.”

  “Oh, my goodness. It must be late.”

  “Only a little after ten,” he told her. “Now, eat your breakfast like a good little mother.”

  She didn’t think she could eat a bite while he sat there staring at her, his gaze fixed on her breasts. But once she took the first bite, she found she had a ravenous appetite.

  When she finished eating the cereal, Jared lifted the basket and set it on the floor, then reached out for Paige. She drew away from him.

  “What’s the matter, honey? Don’t tell me you’re shy this morning.”

  “No, not exactly.”

  Grabbing her hand, he tugged gently. “Well, come on, and let me give you your bath.”

  “No, Jared. I don’t think I’m ready—”

  “After last night, you’re ready for anything and you know it. What’s wrong, have you never let a man bathe you before?”

  “No, I haven’t,” she admitted. “Just how many women have you bathed?”

  “Ah, so that’s it, huh? You’re jealous of all the other women I’ve known.”

  “I am not jealous of all the other women you’ve known,” she said adamantly. “Just how many women have there been?”

  He fell across the bed, laughing so hard he clutched his sides in pain. Paige lifted a pillow and hit him repeatedly. Grabbing her wrists, he wrangled the pillow away from her and tossed her flat on her back. Straddling her hips, he gazed down at her and flashed her his brilliant smile. She lashed out at him, slapping his chest and shoulders. Manacling both of her wrists, he held them over her head. She squirmed, but he held her in place.

  “There’s never been anyone like you, Paige. Never.”

  Frowning, she glared up at him. He lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers. She thrashed her head from side to side. He buried his face in her neck as he rubbed himself intimately against her. Moaning softly, she instinctively lifted her hips in invitation.

  Jackknifing into a sitting position, he eased off the bed, balanced on one foot and dragged her to her feet. “You’re tempting me, honey, but I’m determined to give you a bath before I make love to you again.”

  “Jared, I do not want you to give me a bath. We need to talk. We need to…oh!” Paige pulled one hand free and placed it over her stomach. “Oh, my.”

  “What’s wrong? Are you in pain? Is something wrong with the baby?” Fear knotted Jared’s stomach and coated his palms with sweat.

  “No, I’m fine. The baby…Angela…Angela moved.” She grabbed Jared’s hand and laid it on the rounded swell of her belly. “I’ve felt her fluttering around inside me for a couple of days, but just then it was more than a flutter.”

  Tears glistened in Paige’s eyes. Jared knew he’d never seen anything as gloriously beautiful as this woman, her seductive body just beginning to show signs of ripening with his child.

  “Angela moved?” He wondered if Paige realized that she’d called their daughter Angela.

  She placed her hand over his. “Just hold your hand there for a few minutes. Maybe she’ll move again for her daddy.”

  The bottom dropped out of Jared’s stomach. For her daddy. For him. Oh, God in heaven, please let her move. Let me feel her alive inside her mother.

  “Come on, Angela, give a little flutter for Daddy,” Jared coaxed as Paige maneuvered his hand over her belly.

  As if on cue, the baby moved. Jared drew in a deep breath. “Damn!” Emotions he had never known rose from the very depths of his soul. Emotions he could not—dare not—name.

  Kneeling in front of Paige, he clasped her hips in his big hands and drew her belly forward. He kissed the tiny mound that cradled his daughter, then stood and draped his arm around Paige’s shoulders.

  “We’re going to take a shower together,” he said. “A long, hot shower.”

  On a rational, cognitive level Paige knew that she and Jared needed to talk, to discuss what was happening between them. But on a purely emotional level, heightened by physical pleasure, Paige made no protest when Jared showed her the way into his private bathroom.

  He opened the door to the enormous glass-and-chrome shower and they stepped inside. Leaning against the tiled wall, Jared pulled her close, enjoying the feel of her body against his. He quickly divested her of the silk pajama top. She removed her panties and helped him take off his briefs. Standing in front of him, she trembled with desire and anticipation. He had schooled her body in exquisite pleasure and it longed for another lesson.

  Water jetted down against their bodies from all four sides of the shower. Squealing, Paige flung herself into Jared’s arms. While rivulets of water cascaded down their bodies, Jared held her close, kissing her passionately.

  He lathered her with soap and washed every inch of her, taking his time as he concentrated on her breasts, and then her buttocks, finally parting her legs to cleanse her intimately.

  Jared pleasured her with his mouth and hands and taught her to pleasure him. The slow, sweet loving grew in intensity until passion claimed them. They emerged from the shower glowing with joyous satiation. Wrapping themselves in two of Jared’s plush robes, they went into the bedroom, gathered up Jared’s crutches and ventured downstairs.

  They spent the rest of the day together in a sexual fog, lovers with no past and no future, living only for the wondrous present. They prepared a late lunch together and sat on a rug in front of the fire in Jared’s bedroom, feeding each other, nibbling on each other’s fingers.

  “Move in with me,” he said, cupping her chin in his hand.

  “I can’t. I—”

  “Then stay for the rest of the week, as we had planned. Only sleep in my bed.”

  Jared wanted her to live with him, to be with him whenever he wanted her, and he wanted her all the time. It seemed the more he made love to her, the more he wanted her, the deeper she became entrenched in his life, possessing him as no woman ever had.

  She had given herself to him without demanding anything of him. She hadn’t been denying him sex to manipulate him as he’d feared. Paige wasn’t playing games, wasn’t trying to up the ante.

  Why h
ad it taken him so long to realize that she really was just what she appeared to be? Why had he allowed what one woman had tried to do to him seventeen years ago to keep him from trusting Paige?

  Because it had been easier to distrust her, to assume she was like most of the other women he’d known, than to accept the fact that she loved him. Being loved by Paige scared the hell out of him.

  She was hardly a suitable wife for L. J. Montgomery. But by God, she would marry him! He was not going to spend his life without her. She was a diamond in the rough, one he could polish to brilliant perfection.

  “All right. I’ll stay until Sunday.” Paige wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “And then?”

  “And then we’ll see,” she said.

  “Yes, we’ll see,” he agreed.

  Paige wondered if she could teach Jared how to love her in a week. Would she be able to open up his heart and plant the seeds of an emotion he didn’t believe existed? If she couldn’t teach him to love her, would she be able to walk away at the end of their time together and survive a broken heart?

  Jared still doesn’t get it. He can’t make Paige into something she’s not. But isn’t she trying to do the same thing to Jared: trying to show him that he has a heart and can learn to love? They are hitting an impasse. Neither side is willing to budge. If they don’t, both will end up broken-hearted and alone. Who will give in first? Read the conclusion of Part 3 to see who comes out on top…

  A pounding rainstorm hits the town of Grand Springs, Colorado, causing blackouts and mudslides. As the people of Grand Springs are forced to come together, find out who will find love, family and each other.

  Be sure to check out all the titles in Harlequin E’s first serial, 36 Hours, a story told in 36 parts, by these bestselling authors:

  When Lightning Strikes: Parts 1, 2 and 3 by Mary Lynn Baxter

  Strange Bedfellows: Parts 1, 2 and 3 by Kasey Michaels

  Ooh Baby, Baby: Parts 1, 2 and 3 by Diana Whitney

  For Her Eyes Only: Parts 1, 2 and 3 by Sharon Sala

  Cinderella Story: Parts 1, 2 and 3 by Elizabeth August