Heart of a Marine
Page 32
Yanking her foot back, she sucked in a breath. “That’s cold!”
“It’s ice.” He grabbed her ankle and pushed her foot back to his lap. “Hold still.”
She rolled her head from side to side on the arm of the sofa and whimpered, “I haven’t had more than five minutes sleep since you gave this monster spawn of the devil to me.”
“Uh oh.” He grimaced and rubbed her leg. “She looks so sweet and innocent. What’d she do?”
“She never sleeps, cries all night, pees on the floor and in the yard a hundred times a day. I’m exhausted. If you’re expecting dinner, you’ll have to fix it yourself. There’s a frozen pizza in the freezer. I’m useless.” Through narrow slits in her eyes she spoke to DD, “Stop staring, you microscopic demon.”
“I’m taking you to bed.” He lifted her leg off his lap, stood, and tugged her hand. “Come on.”
“Are you nuts?” Was that his solution to everything? “No! We have to talk, Dempsey. I’m too tired. You’re out of your mind if you think I’m in the mood for—”
“Beds are often used for sleeping, Danaher of the Dirty Mind.” Using both arms, he lifted her to her feet. “You need sleep. I’m putting you to bed.”
Marla pointed to DD, watching their every move. “But, she won’t…she…”
“Don’t worry about her. Come on. No more arguing or I might have to spank you.”
He looked like he meant it. “You arrogant jack…” His mouth closed over hers. Her knees gave way as he caught her waist and held her against him. Oh, the man knew how to kiss. She loved the way he kissed. He picked her up by the bottom and carried her to the bedroom, laid her on the bed and covered her with a fleece blanket she kept at the foot of the bed.
He kissed her cheek. “Go to sleep, that’s an order.” Snaring DD off the floor, he walked from the room and shut the door.
It took her less than ten seconds to nod off. When she stirred, she had no idea what time it was, Dwayne lay beside her, his arm across her waist, and DD twitched, dreaming on the pillow at the top of her head. Smiling smugly, she scooched back into his warmth, his arms, where she belonged and where she would stay.
Awake the instant she’d snuggled against him, Dwayne whispered, “You awake, honey?”
“Um hmm.” She shifted her hips against him again.
“You want to talk?”
“Yes.” She turned and faced him. “You start.”
Looking deep in her burnt caramel eyes, he went hard. Running a finger from her forehead, down her nose, to her chin, he dropped his leg over her hip. “I’ve already said it dozens of times.”
“Not that.” Her fingers feathered across his lips.
“I love you?”
“Is that a question?” A sassy grin blossomed on her face. “Try again.”
“Will you marry me…us…me and Amber?”
She ran her thumb over his lips, trailed her fingers across his neck and back to his mouth. “It’s a package deal, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. All or nothing.” He couldn’t take much more of this.
“Hmm. That’s a lot to think about. You. Me. Amber.” She sighed and picked up the pup and set her between them. “And DD.”
He grinned and tucked hair behind her ear. “Mustn’t forget DD.” He let his fingers trail down her arm. He wanted her so bad he ached, torture, delicious torture. Bring it on.
“While I’m thinking it over, you want to fool around?”
“In front of the baby?” He reared back and put a look of shock and horror on his face. “You dirty girl.”
She pushed herself to a sitting position and pulled her T-shirt off, then like a porno queen she teased him, running her hands over her breasts, dropping her head back, moaning. He reached for her and she pushed his hand away, shaking her head slowly, smiling wickedly. “Don’t touch.”
“Are you trying to corrupt me, Danaher?” He hoped to God that’s exactly what she was doing, because it sure as hell felt good.
She tucked her finger beneath the top edge of her bra and slid it across and back, across and back. “Is it working, Dempsey?”
“God, yes. More. Corrupt me more.” A bead of sweat tickled its way down his neck. He closed his eyes and pictured every place he’d touch her, kiss her.
Marla pushed his leg off her and rolled to straddle him, undid her bra and slowly, slowly let it slip then lifted his hands and pressed them to her breasts. “Want some of this?”
“You’re killing me, Red.” He ran a finger under the waistband of her Capri pants. “Get out of these quick or I’ll have to rip them to shreds.”
“Oh, is big bad Dwayne going to play rough? Should I be scared? Hmm?”
“That’s it.” He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a wild kiss. He bit her lip and pulled her head forward with both hands. This woman was almost more than he could handle. Almost. “You tempt me to do something you might not like.”
“I can’t wait.” She ripped open the front of his shirt and bared her teeth against his chest, slid the back of her hand deep inside the front of his pants. “Do it.”
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. He wanted to. “No.”
She went still, withdrew her hand, and raised her head. “No?”
He shook his head and his lips formed, no, no, no. Hands trailing across her breasts, he sucked in a deep breath at the sensual beauty of her body. “I’m not that kinda guy.”
Marla leaned forward, the flat of her hands against his chest. “I’ve been wrong about you?”
“Yeah, I can no longer do this nasty stuff with a woman who won’t agree to marry me. I feel cheap, soiled, used.” If he got any harder he’d rip right through his pants. “And our out-of-wedlock baby is giving me the stink eye.” He picked DD up in one hand and held her close to Marla’s face. “See?”
“I’m so ashamed. Let me correct the situation.” She threw her leg off him and scooted from the bed.
He rose to a sitting position and watched her carry the mutt to the bathroom, drop a towel in the tub, and set her on it.
“Night night, baby. Mama loves you, but she loves Daddy more.” Marla shimmied out of her pants and panties and slinked her way back to the bed. Her breasts swayed deliciously with each calculated step.
He got out of his clothes as quick as he could and lay back on the mattress. He grinned at his throbbing arousal. “See what I mean? You force me to do bad things against my will.” He crooked his finger. “Come to papa.”
Crawling slowly back on the bed, she slid her beautiful ,soft hands up the inside of his thighs and caressed him. “Bad? Shall we see?”
She yipped when he grabbed her and threw her on her back, pushed her legs apart, and entered her fast and hard. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Before she had a chance to utter a word he clamped his mouth hard on hers and slammed deeper. Again. Again. All thought of slowing down or prolonging their pleasure flew from his mind.
He was inside his woman, and he would have her like this, at least this one time. Ears ringing, blood pounding in his head, he gasped at her shuddering words when she said, “Harder, don’t stop, please don’t stop.”
Stop? There was no way he could stop. He raised his head so he could watch her face. With her eyes, she pleaded for more. He gave her more, and more. He shouted at his sudden, explosive release. Breath left his lungs, he slumped on her unable to move, gasping to breathe. Crushing her beneath his weight, he couldn’t summon the strength to move.
She wrapped her legs around him and stroked his back and bottom. “Oh, my, Dempsey. If I agree to marry you, will you do that again?”
“I’ll try my damndest, Danaher.” He went to push himself off her, but she held on. “Don’t you dare move, I want you right here for a while. I love to feel you, on me, in me.” She tightened around him, inside and out.
He groaned. “Am I dead?”
Marla dug her nails into his butt. “Feel that?”
He flinched. “Uh huh.”
“You’re n
ot dead.”
He rolled over, clasping her on top of him, careful not to disengage. “That was close though.” He felt like falling to his knees, worshiping her, finding new ways to love her endlessly, thanking God she was born, and he’d found her. Tingling grew stronger down below, he grinned and growled.
* * *
They were finally forced to get up and take their baby out for a sniff and a pee, and then bring her back in bed with them to keep her from crying all night. They lay spooned, his arm and leg holding her prisoner, his hand resting on DD snuggled against Marla’s stomach. Maybe he wasn’t dead, but heaven couldn’t compete with this.
She whispered, “I have to ask you something.”
“Yeah?” A tiny jolt of alarm clogged his throat.
“Would you be mad if I didn’t change my name to Dempsey?”
“Will you be mad if I don’t change my name to Danaher?”
She elbowed him. “Go to sleep, you impossible man.”
“Ooh rah.”
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About the Author
Patty Campbell took up writing for publication after her husband’s sudden death. It was her salvation. Kids grown and out of the house, she owned her own successful travel business and coffee bar. Life kept her busy but didn’t fill the gap left by his absence. A voracious and eclectic reader, she’s all about deep love, family and happy endings. And, oh yes—dogs.
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Also by Patty Campbell
with Satin Romance
Wounded Warriors Series
Heart of a Marine
Love of a Marine
Soul of a Marine
Always a Marine
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