Hurts So Good
Page 16
"What about your flask?"
"Trashed. Gone for good. My days of drinking alone or to excess are hereby over. I vow it on my mother's grave. The only exception I'll make is if you're ever in the mood to trade body shots—alone. But even then not to excess." His hand glided over her leg and massaged the interior of her thigh, which quivered in a quick response. "Especially not then. I don't want to be numb. Not now and never again. What you make me feel, what we've got, it's too special."
"But, Neil," she said shakily, "there can't be any body shots tonight."
"What are you saying, that you want some time to think all this over? That you won't put this on?" He pulled the ring off his pinky and held it over her finger where it had belonged from the beginning, where it was meant to be forever.
"What I'm saying is... how do you feel about body shots with seltzer water?"
"Seltzer water never tasted better, just so the body I'm kissin' is yours. Even if it does feel awful skinny. I did this to you, chere, turned you into a bunch of skin and bones. Forgive me. Please forgive me, 'cause I can't forgive myself."
She released the buttons running the length of his shirt and pressed a lingering kiss to his chest.
"Make you a deal, Slick. But you must obey the rules."
"Lay 'em out and I'll abide by them till death do us part."
"In that case... First, I need to hear you say that you love me."
"Hell yes. I love you. I love you more than my music, more than any of my dumb rules or even dumber vices, Andrea. You're the only woman I've ever loved, and I swear I'll never love another."
"Very good," she murmured, and wiggled her ring finger. "Second, I would like you to propose. No 'kind of' proposal and no head games."
Neil's steady gaze held hers as he said somberly, "Andrea, will you marry me, for better or worse, especially if I promise to be the best damn husband you could ever have?"
"I will."
"Then may I place this ring on your finger?"
"Yes, Neil, you may."
She watched as the diamond heart slid down the tapered length, and she felt the warm, smooth circle of gold come to rest in a secure fit. Neil bowed his head and sealed the binding vow with a kiss.
Andrea urged his head lower until she pressed it to her abdomen. "Third," she said a little breathlessly, scarcely able to contain her joy, "how do you feel about factoring and multiplying two halves that make each other whole? That's probably not a logical math theory, but we do have a new equation. You know, one plus one makes three?"
Neil stilled, and then he was suddenly pressing her down deep into the mattress, his face eager and hopeful and anxious and hovering over hers.
"Chere, you're not telling me that—"
"Four was always my lucky number too, Neil. So maybe there's a chance we'll have twins. I'd like to seal the deal with a kiss to make up for the ones we've lost."
He possessively caressed her belly while he claimed her mouth in a searing reunion. A hungry kiss, a mad mating of lips, full of passion and fire.
"Make love with me, chere. I want to make love like we've never made it before," he whispered fiercely as his hands roved over her. "This won't do. It won't do at all. After we tear up the sheets, you're gettin' some rest while I make the best jambalaya you ever ate. I'm fattening you up."
"I'd really like that. But I won't cooperate unless you share my bowl." She stroked the shadowed hollows of his cheeks, and her voice choked. "You look like hell."
"I've never felt so close to heaven. What-say we top the night off with beignets, then meet Lou and Liza at the airport? We'll take the first nonstop flight to Vegas, then head for a honeymoon in New England before you come to your senses. Are you game?"
"On one condition."
"Name it, Mrs. Grey. A dime a dance or a quarter a song, it's yours, and I'm gladly payin'. Hmmm. Great titles. 'Dime a Dance,' 'Quarter a Song.' 'It's Yours, and I'm Gladly Paying.' You mind if I compose some on our honeymoon? Seems Simon's makin' a curtain call."
"Tell Simon that you're busy and you'll catch him later."
"Done. So what's the condition?"
"Before you fatten me up and hustle us all to the airport, I'd like to watch Father Knows Best."
"Hush," he growled against her belly. "We've got plenty of time to make our own home movies that'll outshine any old reruns, 'cause they'll be ours and they'll be real. Trust me, chere. Just like I should've always trusted you, and from here on I will, no question. I might be a slow learner, but the lessons I learn do stick."
As he kissed his way down, she sifted her fingers through his hair and sighed happily. "It would seem that tonight Father does know best."
The End
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BETWEEN THE SHEETS
Excerpt from
Between the Sheets
by
Mallory Rush
Bestselling, Award-winning Author
Shoving back her chair so fast it nearly overturned, Claire jumped up and Graham grabbed hold of her arms. Szzz. Was that a branding iron or his palms on her skin? Desperately trying to break the hold he had on her senses, not to mention the thrill transmitted to her arms, Claire exclaimed, "Mr. LeFarge!"
"Graham," he smoothly corrected.
"All right, Graham. Why did you do that?"
"What?" he asked innocently.
"Try to kiss me, that's what."
"I didn't try to kiss you. Believe me, you'd know it if I did," he said with a confidence that assured her any attempted kiss from Graham LeFarge would be too good to resist.
Claire made fast tracks toward her desk. "Perhaps you don't understand my position. I am here to listen, advise, and raise questions you need to answer yourself. As a therapist, my personal life has no place in this room. Which—which brings me to the point that you're privy to personal aspects of my life, and that conflicts with—" She took a deep breath. "Given the situation, I'm going to refer you to a colleague and end the session here."
While she waited for the expected agreement, Graham swiftly debated his options.
He couldn't agree to her suggestion any more than he could reveal his secret identity after this gut-yanking session. Deciding to educate Claire about what made him tick, he firmly stated, "I don't want one of your colleagues. I want you."
"That's not a good idea. I've explained why."
"Then let me explain something, Dr. O'Hara," he said, advancing with a slow, measured pace that had Claire looking as skittish as a rabbit dodging a hoe. "You are the best and if you refuse to see me, it's only because your social life is more important to you than my mental health."
"That's absurd!"
"In that case...if it has to be one or the other, do I take that to mean you'll withdraw as my client so I can subscribe to your services?"
"You're a very smart man, aren't you?"
He shrugged as if to say, "Maybe," but his victor's smile gave him away.
"All right," she said tightly, ungraciously giving in. "I'll see what I can work out and have my secretary contact you."
"Thank you," he said with absolute sincerity. "Tell you what, why don't we pick this up over dinner?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't," she told him, looking secretly pleased at his thwarted expression.
"But you just said you were free tonight."
"I am. However, it's professionally prohibited to mix pleasure with therapy sessions." Edging past him, Claire went for the escape. He noticed the knob slide in her grip before she thrust the door open. "And as we both know, Graham, your mental health is far more important than my social life."
Between the Sheets
by
Mallory Rush
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Between the Sheets
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with an excerpt from
JUST A LITTLE LIE
Shades of Deception
Book One
Excerpt from
Just a Little Lie
Shades of Deception
Book One
by
Mallory Rush
Bestselling, Award-winning Author
Sol fingered his black eye patch self-consciously. "When you said 'I do,' this wasn't part of the bargain."
Mariah wasn't aware of her action until she'd actually gripped his wrist. It put her hand close to his eye patch. The strip that held it in place slashed his dark, frowning brow and looped behind his white dress cap.
Sol was too still; she wanted to move from his pinpoint glare, but fought the urge. The moment was too crucial for her to back down.
"I think that patch bothers you, Sol, a lot more than it does me."
"I don't doubt it, because it bothers me a helluva lot." He gazed hatefully at his crutches. "They say I'll never walk without these."
"Do you believe it?"
"I don't want to."
"But do you believe it?"
"No."
"Then neither do I." Somehow, she found the courage to find out exactly where she stood with him. "If you want out because you married me with the idea we'd never meet, or if I'm less than what you'd hoped for—"
"I didn't say that!"
"No, but that doesn't mean you didn't think it. If that's the reason you're trying to run me off, why you'd rather spend your time glaring at me instead of... of kissing me, then fine. We both know you bought into this marriage without either of us certain what we were going to end up with, and, and—" Her voice caught on a sharp emotional chord, her doubts rolling out before she could stop them.
"Mariah, please, don't do this."
"No, you please be quiet and just listen to me." She couldn't believe her own words, but she was glad to have them said and done with. "If you want out, consider yourself out. But if you expect me to jump ship because your body's taken some abuse, then you've got a lot to learn about the woman you took as wife, Mr. Standish."
Just a Little Lie
Shades of Deception
Book One
by
Mallory Rush
~
To purchase
Just a Little Lie
from your favorite eBook Retailer,
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Mallory Rush, aka Olivia Rupprecht, has had 17 novels published by Bantam, Doubleday, Harlequin Books, and Dorchester Publishing. Her titles have frequented fiction bestseller lists and are translated into many foreign languages. She is the series developer for True Vows, the first reality-based romance line from HCI Books. Visit the author at www.malloryrush.com.
Table of Contents
Cover
Author's Note
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Excerpt from BETWEEN THE SHEETS by Mallory Rush
Excerpt from JUST A LITTLE LIE - Shades of Deception, Book 1
Meet the Author