by Ann Jacobs
“Gray, you promised you’d let me—”
“Sssh, baby. I changed my mind. Do what I say.”
She obeyed, both of them trembling as he flipped her to her back.
Taking control, he mounted her, and pushed inside her until he felt her silky outer lips caressing his scrotum. “Feel good?”
“Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yesss. Gray, I’m coming. Come with me.”
He pulled back once, twice, three times, pounding her harder with every stroke. The twinges in his back hardly registered, and when she clamped down on him and convulsed around his heated flesh, he let go and shot his load. Over and over, spurting jets of hot seed that felt different. More complete.
The afterglow stayed with him for hours as he cradled Andi in his arms. This time, his homecoming had been all sweet. No fear. And no more bitterness for what he’d lost, for he’d found his home…his heart…his love.
Epilogue
Eight months later
Andi lay back against the cushions and watched Gray and Brett playing water polo in their pool with Kristine and Tony. She’d have joined them, but Brett’s little sister was doing cartwheels in her belly and it felt too good, just lying here and feeling the sun bringing out freckles on her sensitive skin. Besides, she needed the practice of watching out for a baby, and little Anthony was definitely a good subject. He never stayed still unless he was sleeping, which he was doing now in the playpen beside her.
Gray leapt up to catch Brett’s pass, making Andi smile. Though he wasn’t a hundred percent and never would be, the surgery had gotten rid of his awful pain—and given him back enough muscle control that he’d been able to trade in the heavy braces he’d worn for lighter, more flexible ones. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d resorted to the wheelchair, and as often as not he used just one forearm crutch to steady himself.
“Are you okay?” Kristine asked, wrapping herself in a big towel and sinking into a chair beside her son’s playpen. “Anthony has a way of wearing a person out.”
“I’m fine. Just looking forward to the baby being born. I don’t recall that Brett was quite this active.”
Kristine smiled. “The last months are the hardest. I’d like to ask you something, but feel free to tell me to mind my own business. You had to have gotten pregnant awfully soon after Gray’s surgery.”
Andi laughed. “Three weeks after, if you want the exact date.”
“Oh. I’ve never known exactly when we conceived Anthony—or this one. Did you…?
“No. We did it the old-fashioned way. I found out four weeks later when we went in to have Sam Kramer do the artificial insemination with Gray’s sperm. He had a long laugh when he saw the result of the pregnancy test he always has done before he does one of his fertility procedures.”
“I bet Gray was thrilled.”
“Oh, yeah. I’d thought he couldn’t get any cockier than he’d been that week already, after beating Marcy in his first criminal trial. When he heard his surgery had resulted in restoring his fertility as well as getting rid of his chronic pain, he was walking on air.”
“Wow! Are you going back to work, or has Gray persuaded you to become a stay-home mom?”
“I don’t know. Right now we’ve compromised. I’ll be starting a six-month leave of absence next week, and we’ll decide after the baby’s born whether to make the retirement permanent. Like Sandra, I’ve been working a long time. She’s beginning to go stir-crazy staying home, even with baby number two on the way.” At the moment Andi was leaning toward retirement, but she imagined she might change her mind once she was no longer toting around thirty extra pounds with summer lurking just over the horizon.
“Sandra’s going to work for Winston Roe. Tony told me this afternoon. She’s going to work three days a week.”
“How?” Judges were notoriously unsympathetic with lawyers whose schedules had to be catered to—especially defense lawyers.
“She’s going to do research and negotiate plea agreements. That way she can keep a regular schedule. More regular than the trial lawyers keep, anyhow.”
“Tell me about it. Gray’s taken six cases to trial in the past three months. I wish he’d been able to plead some of them out.”
Tony came up behind Kristine, scooped her out of the chair and into his arms. “What are you two scheming about now?” he asked, his trademark grin as wide now as it was when he was zeroing in on an unsuspecting witness.
“Nothing. I was just telling Andi that Sandra will be joining your firm. And that I hoped her being there would give you more time for me and Anthony.”
Brett scampered into the house, signaling Andi that it was four o’clock—time for his favorite cartoon show. Gray heaved himself out of the pool, shaking off his wet hair before grabbing his crutches and joining Andi on the couch.
“What were you two talking about?” he asked.
“About Sandra coming to work with you and Tony,” Andi said, sitting up and planting a long, hard kiss on his smiling lips. “And about how much has changed since this time last year…since you came home. Have I told you lately how much I love you, how glad I am that we’re finally a family?”
“Oh, yeah. You let me know every night.” He lowered his voice and spoke close to Andi’s ear. “I love you, and our son, and this little girl who can’t seem to quit pounding her mommy’s belly.” Gray laid his hand over the mound that was their baby and looked over at Tony and Kristine. His contentment was evident in his smile. “I love my job and my life, and having good friends like you two have become.”
The lines had softened around his mouth and eye. His scars, though still visible enough to make strangers stare, were fading. Even the eye patch looked less stark, almost as though he wore it to make a statement instead of to cover the evidence of horrors that never would completely fade. Andi loved the way he smiled now, often and sincerely. The taut, fit tone of his deeply tanned skin made her want to stroke its satiny surface. She loved the forceful yet tender way he loved her—his protectiveness, attentiveness.
Andi could hardly wait to have their baby. Gray’s gentle, loving touch made her feel cherished—but she longed to see his eye darken with passion again. Hear him tell her what he wanted in that deep, mesmerizing tone she loved so well. Immerse herself in him until she existed only to serve him, to earn the exquisite pleasure he gave her as her reward for accepting his dominance.
Yes, she was lucky. Very lucky indeed. It had taken eight years of waiting, but her weekend fling had grown into a love to last a lifetime.
About Ann Jacobs
Ann Jacobs is a sucker for lusty Alpha heroes and happy endings, which makes Ellora’s Cave an ideal publisher for her work. Romantica®, to her, is the perfect combination of sex, sensuality, deep emotional involvement and lifelong commitment—the elusive fantasy women often dream about but seldom achieve.
First published in 1996, Jacobs has sold over forty books and novellas, some of which have earned awards including the Passionate Plume (best novella, 2006), the Desert Rose (best hot and spicy romance, 2004) and More Than Magic (best erotic romance, 2004). She has been a double finalist in separate categories of the EPPIES and From the Heart RWA Chapter’s contest. Three of her books have been translated and sold in several European countries.
A CPA and former hospital financial manager, Jacobs now writes full-time, with the help of Mr. Blue, the family cat who sometimes likes to perch on the back of her desk chair and lend his sage advice. He sometimes even contributes a few random letters when he decides he wants to try out the keyboard. She loves to hear from readers, and to put faces with names at signings and conventions.
Ann welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Ann Jacobs
A Gift of Gold
A Mutual Favor
Awakenings
Black Gold: Another Love
Black Gold: Dallas Heat
Black Gold: Entrapped
Black Gold: Firestorm
Black Gold: Forever Enslaved
Black Gold: Love Slave
Caden Kink 1: Lovers’ Feud
Caden Kink 2: Shotgun Relations
Caden Kink 3: Wild One
Club Rio Brava 1: Loving Control
Club Rio Brava 2: Switching Control
Club Rio Brava 3: Unexpected Control
Club Rio Brava 4: Learning Control
Colors of Love
Colors of Magic
Commitment
d’Argent Honor: Eternal Triangle
d’Argent Honor 1: Vampire Justice
d’Argent Honor 2: Eternally His
d’Argent Honor 3: Eternal Surrender
d’Argent Honor 4: Eternal Victory
Dark Side of the Moon
Gates of Hell
Gridiron Lovers: Hot for the Reunion
Gridiron Lovers 1: Naked Bootleg
Gridiron Lovers 2: Forward Pass
Gridiron Lovers 3: Hot in the Clutch
Gridiron Lovers 4: Coach Me
Haunted
He Calls Her Jasmine
Heart of the West 1: Roped
Heart of the West 2: Hitched
Heart of the West 3: Lassoed
Her Very Special Robot
Illusions
Irresistible…Again
Lawyers in Love 1: In His Own Defense
Lawyers in Love 3: Gettin’ It On
Lawyers in Love 4: Eye of the Storm
Lawyers in Love 5: Mastered
Mountain Heat
Mutual Fantasy
Necessary Roughness 1: Sackmaster
Necessary Roughness 2: End Run
Necessary Roughness 3: Best Reception
Necessary Roughness 4: Prime Defender
Out of Bounds
Pleasure Partners 1: His Pleasure Mistress
Pleasure Partners 2: Pleasure Slave
Pleasure Partners 3: Enslaving the Master
Pleasure Partners 4: Imperfect Partners
Pleasure Partners 5: Perfect Master
Pleasure Partners 6: Her Alien Masters
Pleasure Partners 7: Training the Master
Tip of the Iceberg
Topaz Dream
Wrong Place, Wrong Time?
Zayed’s Gift
Print books by Ann Jacobs
A Mutual Favor
A Shining Future
Black Gold: Another Love
Black Gold: Dallas Heat
Black Gold: Firestorm
Black Gold: Sandstorms
Bound by Love
Caden Kink 1: Lovers’ Feud
Club Rio Bravo 1, 2, 3 & 4: Controlled by Love
d’Argent Honor 1, 3 & 4: Full Circle
d’Argent Honor 2: Eternally His
Dark Fantasies
Enchained anthology
Haunted
Heart of the West
Home Field Advantage
Lawyers in Love 1 & 2: The Defenders
Lawyers in Love 3 & 4: The Prosecutors
Lords of Pleasure
Men in Motion
Necessary Roughness
Out of Bounds
Pleasure Partners 1, 2, 3 & 4: Alien Pleasures
Pleasure Partners 5 & 6: Alien Masters
Sex, Love and a Bit of Magic
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Bittersweet Homecoming
ISBN 9781843606130
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Bittersweet Homecoming Copyright © 2003 Ann Jacobs
Electronic book publication August 2003
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Gettin’ It On
Ann Jacobs
Book 3 in the Lawyers in Love series.
They walk the walk and talk the talk of a sexy, savvy bad girl and a bona fide stud, but personal trainer Casey Thompson and hunky assistant state attorney Craig McDermott are both inexperienced virgins looking to change their status—quick! Neither wants to be found out for a fraud.
Hot chemistry, advice from a helpful bad girl roommate, a colorful variety of sex toys and a quick study of some how-to sex books—from the showers at the gym to the mirrored ceilings of Las Vegas, Craig and Casey explore the sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy mysteries of Gettin' It On.
Gettin’ It On
Ann Jacobs
Prologue
Bone Gap, Texas, population 468
“Don’t see much hope for her. Twenty-four years old and nary a man in sight.”
“It’s a shame, sure as shootin’.”
An old cowboy shook his head, then swigged his beer. “Pretty little thing to have her heart broke like that, but you can’t blame Buck for runnin’ off with Daisy. A man needs his woman hot, like chili.”
“Yeah. Who’d want to crawl in bed with his best buddy?”
Guffaws erupted, then stilled when one of the guys looked toward her and whispered something to his pals.
Apparently she was everybody’s friend, nobody’s lover.
Her fiancé’s defection was sparking more comment than the spread her folks had put out to celebrate the June first wedding they’d intended to be two for the price of one.
Casey Thompson wished she could slither through the floorboards at the Bone Gap Grange. The best she could manage was a hasty retreat from the vicinity of the table with the punch bowls and the water trough where they’d iced down the beer.
Facing all these folks and pasting on a smile was tough. But Casey couldn’t have ducked out on her only brother’s wedding reception. Even if it was supposed to have been hers, too.
“It’s a shame about Cassandra, but I can understand Buck changing his mind. He’s bound to be happier with a woman like Daisy warming his bed.” The high-pitched whine and the way she dragged out every syllable of “Cassandra” left no doubt in Casey’s mind that her former sixth grade teacher had just pronounce
d her opinion of the whole damn mess.
Casey couldn’t blame folks for talking. After all, there wasn’t a whole lot in Bone Gap to talk about, and she couldn’t begrudge the homefolks their gossip. The prospect of a double wedding had set the town a-buzzing, even before Buck had dumped her and eloped with Daisy Lee two weeks ago.
Since then they’d been speculating about where on earth that sweet tomboy Casey Thompson was ever going to find a husband among the few eligible guys who looked at her like another little sister, not a potential lover.
Not in Bone Gap, that was for sure!
Casey was so over being the stereotypical girl next door. As soon as this ordeal was over, she’d be out of here. The sweet little PE teacher and rancher’s daughter who’d earned the whole town’s pity was about to break away.
In a little more than a week, she’d have become sexy Casey, personal trainer to the bunch of muscular hunks she’d be working with at Russ Green’s high-end gym overlooking the bay near downtown Tampa, Florida. Sweet little Casey, everybody’s pal and nobody’s lover, was about to disappear forever.
Casey couldn’t wait to change her image. She and her future roommate, Lisa, had plans to get her a new wardrobe. One that would showcase the sexy, fun-loving woman Casey was determined to set free—and attract the attention of those hunks she’d ogled at the gym during her interview. Even the yummiest hunk of all, a guy Russ had introduced her to while he’d been working out.
Assistant State Attorney Craig McDermott.
Well, maybe she ought not to aim for a specimen as prime as the buff young lawyer. Still…
The man had a smile that could melt Antarctica.
Casey’s fingers itched when she thought about running them over those killer pecs, feeling the rasp of his five o’clock shadow against her skin.