She took a deep breath and slowly released it. As her body relaxed, he slipped a little bit deeper inside her. Unable to wait any longer, she lifted her hips toward him, and at the same time, she gripped his butt and pulled him downward. He was past her body’s barrier before he even realized it. Dani gasped at the slight pain and the uncomfortable feeling of fullness, but she held on tight to him, wanting him all the way inside her.
“It’s okay now, it’s okay.” He held himself still, obviously trying to keep himself in check. She slid her hands up his back, his hard flesh slick beneath her palms. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and still he didn’t move.
Dani shifted her body slightly to try and accommodate him, when Burke’s control finally snapped. She was just getting used to the full feeling of having him inside her when she felt the change in him. When he started to pull away, she feared that he was trying to leave her, and she tried to pull him back. Instead, he surged into her again. Soon she was caught up in the rhythm as he plunged in and out, faster and faster. Wrapping her legs around his hips, she hung on tight.
She was reaching for that wonderful pleasure he had given her before. She was so close. Burke reached between their bodies and touched her, stroking her nub of desire. That was all it took. Dani felt herself explode with pleasure.
As soon as she cried out, Burke drove himself deep one final time and emptied himself into her. Her inner muscles clamped down hard around him as he yelled out his release. His arms tightened round her before he groaned and collapsed onto the bed next to her. It took a few long minutes before he found his voice to speak.
“Are you okay, honey?” Levering himself up onto his elbows, he stared down at her.
The slight movement pushed him deeper and she couldn’t suppress a moan of desire. He felt so good inside her.
“Dani, did I hurt you?” He carefully pulled out of her and rolled onto his back, cradling her in his arms. “Look at me, love,” he commanded softly.
“Hmmm,” Dani answered as she snuggled her face against his chest.
Burke’s hands moved in a soothing rhythm up and down her back. “I’m sorry if I hurt you, love.”
Dani slowly looked up, opened her eyes, and smiled. “You didn’t hurt me. I may never move again, but you didn’t hurt me.”
His look of concern quickly became one of satisfaction. “Wore you out, did I?”
Dani didn’t mind if he looked a little smug. “It was wonderful. More than I had even imagined it would be. When can we do it again?” She gave him a mischievous little grin.
He laughed. “I’ve created a monster. You’ll have to give me a few minutes.”
“Wore you out, did I?” Dani asked smugly.
Burke pounced on her and kissed her soundly as they rolled around in the big bed. “I’ll teach you to tease me,” he growled.
A long while later, Dani was recovering from the pleasure of making love once again. She snuggled contentedly next to Burke’s large body. “I guess you taught me a lesson,” she yawned sleepily. “Will you teach me more later?”
“We’ll teach each other, love, we’ll teach each other.” Burke gathered the already sleeping Dani into his arms and held her close to his heart. As he drifted off to sleep, it occurred to him that she hadn’t even seemed to notice the disfiguring scar on his leg. His arms closed even tighter around the treasure he had been lucky enough to find. She was his now, forever.
Epilogue
“This is not how I imagined I’d spend the first morning of my wedded life.” Her grumble was half-hearted as she ambled along next to Burke.
“You’re not up to any bedroom activities this morning, Mrs. Black,” he teased her. “I didn’t want to hurt you, Dani. You have to give yourself time to recover,” he added more seriously.
“I know.” She knew he had wanted her as soon as they awoke this morning, but had held back in concern for her. “I just love you so much.”
“I love you too, Dani, and we’ve got all the mornings of our life ahead of us.”
They crunched through the snow, hand in hand, as they explored the land surrounding their home. They had spent so much time in the last two weeks getting the house habitable that they hadn’t really had time for the outside.
“I can’t wait to start a garden this spring.” She loved the big white farmhouse with all the land surrounding it. The house had included the ten acres surrounding it, and Dani was looking forward to spending many an hour just rambling around the place.
She was more than ready to start their life together, but there was one thing left that bothered her slightly. “Do you think we’ll have any more trouble with Cynthia?”
“Where did that come from?” Burke stopped dead in his tracks. “You’re not worried about her, are you?”
“Not worried, exactly. I just hope she’s finished with all her little tricks for good. I’d just like to get on with life and not have to worry about what she’s going to do next.” Dani scuffed her boot in the snow as she spoke.
“You don’t have to worry about her anymore, Dani,” Burke said. “If I’d known this was on your mind, I could have told you about Cynthia sooner.”
“What about Cynthia?” Dani questioned. “What’s she done now?”
“I went to see her.”
“You did!” She hadn’t expected this. “You didn’t tell me that.”
“Because I didn’t want you to worry. Listen to me, Dani. I didn’t even speak to her. She wasn’t there.”
“What were you going to say to her?”
“I was merely going to inform her that if she pulled another stunt like the last one she’d find herself in court facing charges of slander. Then there’s also the business of how she found out about the money I loaned you. She had to have gotten that from someone who worked at the bank.”
“I never thought about that,” Dani admitted as they resumed walking.
“I did. So I talked to her father instead. As the bank’s president, he understood what the consequences would be if anything like this ever happened again.” Burke thought for a moment before continuing. “Your goodness must be rubbing off on me, because I told him I didn’t want him to investigate how Cynthia found out that information. It’s over, with no real harm done.”
Dani pulled him into a big hug. “I’m glad. I just want to put it all behind us now.” She hesitated for a moment. “Cynthia came to see me.”
“She what!” Burke exploded just as Dani had known he would. “What did she want?”
She captured Burke’s face in her hands and went up on her toes so she could kiss him. He wasn’t distracted. His face was still dark with anger. Sighing, she released him.
“Believe it or not, she came to apologize.” Burke gave her a look that clearly said he didn’t believe her, but Dani forged ahead. “I think it was genuine. After the scene in the diner, a lot of people let her know what they thought of her actions. I got the feeling that for the first time in her life, Cynthia understands that there are consequences for her actions.”
Dani started walking again, and Burke reluctantly fell into step beside her. His hand reached out to hold hers, and she felt a great relief at finally having that out in the open. “Cynthia promised we have nothing to worry about from now on. She wished us well before she left the house.”
“It doesn’t matter. Cynthia has left town. She’s gone to stay with an aunt in Vermont.” Burke let that little bit of information just slip out as if it were insignificant.
Dani was genuinely shocked. “I didn’t think she would ever leave Jamesville. I could tell she was having a hard time handling the fallout from the incident in the diner, but it never occurred to me that she’d actually leave her home.” Dani felt sorry for Cynthia, but at the same time she was looking forward to some peace and quiet for her and Burke for a change.
“I don’t think we’ll have to worry about Cynthia causing any more trouble.” Burke leaned down and planted a quick kiss on her mouth, effectively closing th
at subject for the time being. “Speaking of the future, have you decided what you’re going to do about work? You don’t have to work if you don’t want to.”
She knew he was treading carefully her, not knowing how she’d react to such a suggestion. “Do you want me to stop working?”
“Not if you don’t want to. I just want you to be happy.”
“I’ve got to think about things a little more. There’s been so much happening lately that I haven’t really had time to think past the wedding.” She stopped and looked out over the snow covered ground. “How do you feel about kids? We didn’t use any protection last night.”
“I’d love to have a baby, but only when you’re ready.”
“Hmm,” Dani answered as she continued walking. “But if I worked at home, that would make having babies much easier.”
“Dani, what are you talking about? And what about having a baby?” Burke tugged on her hand until she stopped. The frustration on his face was obvious, so she took pity on him.
“I could set up a small place next to my desk for the baby, don’t you think? Then the baby could come to work with me everyday.” Dani smiled at the thought of a dark-haired baby. “I think it will work perfectly.”
“You want a baby. Immediately.” He waited as she nodded her agreement. Unable to contain himself, he picked her up and twirled her around. “Thank you, Dani. You don’t know how much this means to me.” He put her back down but didn’t let her go. “There’s just one thing.”
“What?”
“What did you mean about working at home?”
“Oh, that. Well, I’m going to write books like I’ve always dreamed of. I can do that for a few hours every day so we’ll still have lots of time for all the babies and us. I’ve got some money saved so we won’t starve. What do you think?”
“I think it’s a wonderful idea.” Burke hesitated for a moment. “Save your money for a rainy day. I think it’s time you let someone help you for a change. Besides, I don’t doubt that you’ll be successful, even if it takes a while.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “You know, there was a business associate in Chicago whose wife worked in publishing.”
Dani laughed and hugged him. “Thank you, but this is something I need to do on my own.” She loved him all the more for his support.
“Besides, you’re busy with your work, and with Patrick and Shamus moving in with us today, I can guarantee that our home will be filled with chaos. I’ll have to finish up all my scheduled work, and then I’m going to retire from my cleaning business.”
Burke looked solemn. “How do you feel about that? I know what it’s like to change careers. It can be exhilarating and scary all at once.”
Dani’s heart filled with love, and she reached out and placed her hand on his chest. Her wedding rings gleamed in the morning sun. “I know I’ll be all right, because we’re together.”
“Together,” Burke murmured as he reached down to kiss her. It was a long time before he let her go.
“Let’s go home,” Dani pulled Burke back up the driveway. “I’m feeling much better now, after a brisk morning walk. I may need a nap this afternoon though. Want to join me?” she asked coyly.
“I think that maybe a nap is a real good idea.” Burke smiled as he walked toward the house with Dani tucked safely under his arm. This beautiful woman had made his life complete. The future was no longer black. His world was now full of light.
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About the Author
N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.
www.njwalters.com
Other books by N.J. Walters…
Jamesville series
Discovering Dani
The Way Home
The Return of Patrick O’Rourke
The Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke
A Legal Affair
By the Book
Past Promises
Spells, Secrets and Seductions series
A Touch of Magick
Dreams of Seduction
Love in Flames
Blood of the Drakon series
Drakon’s Promise
Drakon’s Prey
Drakon’s Plunder
Legacy series
Alexandra’s Legacy
Isaiah’s Haven
Legacy Found
Quinn’s Quest
Finding Chrissten
Damek’s Redemption
Craig’s Heart
Hades’ Carnival series
Night of the Tiger
Mark of the Bear
Pride of the Lion
Howl of the Wolf
Heart of the Serpent
Flame of the Phoenix
Lure of the Jaguar
Salvation Pack series
Wolf at the Door
Wolf in Her Bed
Wolf on the Run
Wolf from the Past
Wolf on the Hunt
Wolf on a Mission
Wolf in His Heart
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