by Jess Dee
Her voice was unsteady, breathless from the ferocity of his kiss. “I…came to…tell you I love you.” It felt good to be back in his arms again. She was content to stay there for the rest of her life. “And to say I’m sorry for being such an idiot and not believing in you or in our future.”
“Has that changed? Do you believe now?” Although his arms tightened around her, his tone was unforgiving.
“I believe in you. And I pray we can have a future together.”
“It’s all I’ve ever wanted, Morgan. I told you as much weeks ago. You didn’t believe me then.” The hurt she’d inflicted was evident in his voice. Her heart ached with remorse. “What’s changed?”
Everything. “I learned a few facts this morning.” She took a deep breath. “They helped me understand our relationship better. All this time I’ve been scared to get involved with you. I was convinced you’d leave me and destroy our friendship in the process. I was wrong. If anything, I hurt you. I didn’t trust you or have enough faith to believe you would never jeopardize us.”
Tears filled her eyes and spilled over. “When I told you we were finished, I was convinced it was the right thing to do. Convinced we’d be able to go back to being just friends. We’d done it before, after you…after the exhibition. I never stopped to consider you might not want to end our relationship. It never occurred to me you might honestly love me.”
She looked up into his eyes. It was too dark to see them clearly, but she could feel his gaze on her face. A huge lump formed in her throat. “I love you. Please forgive me for hurting you. I was such an idiot.”
“That you were.”
“I want to make it right. I want so much more with you. Can we take our friendship to a new level? Please tell me you’ll be my lover, my confidant, my partner. I want you. All of you.” She repeated the words he’d said to her a few weeks ago.
She raised her face to his and kissed him. A gentle kiss, filled with the promise of everything she said. She loved him but still didn’t know if he would forgive her.
He groaned against her lips and held her in an embrace so tender she almost wept again. “What took you so long, woman? I nearly gave up hope.”
“Tell me you didn’t. Tell me there’s still hope for us.”
“There’s still hope for us. I love you, Morgan. If you give me the chance, I will never leave you. Ever.”
“Is that a promise?”
“It’s a vow.”
“Can you get past my appalling behavior?”
He pulled away slightly, and the flash of white teeth told her he was grinning his devilish grin. “I’ll consider it. If you accept you have to be punished for your actions.”
A shiver of anticipation raced down her spine. “Punished?”
“You’ll need to do penance.” He kissed her. “It won’t be easy.” He worked his chest back and forth against her breasts. “It will involve a lot of time.” Her nipples pebbled and she silently blessed her earlier haste that had prevented her from putting on a bra.
“How much time?” Breath left her body as Daniel’s hands crept under her shirt and cupped her bare flesh.
“A life sentence might cover it.” He pushed her shirt up, leaned over, and drew a nipple into his mouth.
“Hmm…that is a long time.” Her back arched, allowing him easier access. She moaned as he sucked and sensation shot from her chest to between her legs, accentuating the urgent tug of arousal. “What do I have to do?”
He released her nipple and kissed her mouth again. “Marry me.”
“You want me to marry you?”
“Yes.”
Laughter pealed out of her. “So Ben was right.”
“Pardon?”
“I saw your nephew today.”
Daniel looked baffled. “He told you I wanted to marry you?”
“Yes. And that you think I’m pigheaded.”
“He said that?”
“Yeah, seconds before Sarah hightailed it out of the shop in embarrassment.”
Daniel threw his head back and laughed. “I should have known better than to say anything in front of him.” He looked at her sheepishly. “I have a confession.”
She would hear anything he had to say as long as he kissed her first. Damn, she didn’t just want him to kiss her, she wanted him to make love to her. Right here, right now. It had been a torturous month. She needed to feel him inside her, to reinforce he really was hers, once and for all.
She leaned into him, hungrily taking his mouth in a long kiss. Slightly breathless, she ran her hand over his boxers and cupped his erection. She’d forgotten how amazing it felt to touch him.
“Morgan, oh Christ…wait…” He stepped backward, pulling out of her grasp. Amy almost cried out in frustration, but Daniel closed his fingers around her wrist. “C’mon,” he growled and was already moving, tugging her along with him.
She stumbled as he half ran, half marched her around the side of the building. The thirty seconds it took to lead her to an isolated nook, hidden from possible car headlights, stretched out like an eternity. But then he was pushing her against the wall, kissing her again, and her hand was inside his boxers, palming his cock, and everything was right with the world. She was back in Daniel’s arms, where she belonged.
The moan that followed could have come from either of them, she wasn’t sure.
She drew her mouth away from his. “Your confession?” she prompted.
He nodded, breathed, and nodded again. “I, um…kind of made something up.”
“You did?” She pumped his shaft and bit her cheek as a wave of desire crashed over her.
“Know how, um…Leona was…interested in me?” His breathing shallowed. “Well…that might have been a…bit of an…exaggeration.”
“How so?” She enjoyed letting him suffer, knowing she was ethically bound by her profession and could never tell Daniel she already knew all this. The rough skin of his unshaven jaw prickled her lips as she trailed kisses along it.
“She’s not interested in me.” It was his turn to torment her, and he did so effectively, running a hand over her pants and pressing gently against her clit.
“She’s not?” She sucked her lip and tightened her grip, her urgency for him increasing a hundredfold.
“No. She has a girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend? You mean you lied?” She pretended to be horrified, but all she could really think about was his hand. She rotated her pelvis as his fingers massaged her through her jeans.
“I may have stretched the truth a little.”
It was difficult to concentrate while his tongue did crazy things to her neck.
“Cricket-bat incident?”
“Uh, I may have stretched the truth on that one, too.”
“I figured.” She smiled and squirmed as he nibbled her jaw.
“It was all justified,” he assured her. “I had to present you with motivating grounds to kiss me.” He caught her mouth with his and her lips parted instantly. He needed no motivating grounds now.
He pulled away, leaving her gasping for more. “I knew that if we could get past that first kiss, if I could get you excited to touch me, I could convince you to love me, slowly and surely.”
“It worked. I do love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Prove it.”
Daniel did not disappoint. In less than a second, he was making short work of her jeans and panties. She took the opportunity to shove his boxers down over his hips.
“God, Morgan, I missed you.” He dipped his hand between her legs.
She was so ready for him. She clasped his erection and pulled him closer. Later, there would be time for slow and sensual lovemaking, kisses and snuggles, foreplay and afterplay. There would be a lifetime for it. Right now, she needed to fuck him. Needed to affirm she was his. Always.
She wound her arms around his broad shoulders, relishing the hard male muscles in his chest and back, and pressed her hips up into his. “Show me.”
> He did. Right there against the wall. While she slipped first one leg and then the other around his waist, he hoisted her up by placing two firm hands beneath her butt. Then, with a low groan, he plunged into her, filling her, completing her.
It was a wild, desperate ride. Their frenetic pace matched her feverish need for him, and she came quickly, high on the knowledge that he loved her.
He came almost as quickly as she did.
Several moments passed before Amy felt capable of either movement or conversation. Daniel slipped out of her when she lowered her legs to the ground, but he didn’t release her.
“You made up the whole Leona story.” She was still a little stunned by his audacity.
“I had to. I couldn’t let our friendship continue without letting you know how I felt, but I couldn’t risk telling you before I was sure you felt the same. I knew you’d doubt my motives.”
“Being in love with you is all so new, so uncertain. I didn’t know how to deal with it. I was so sure I’d be another in a long line of girlfriends.”
“You still don’t get it.”
“Get what?”
“I’ve always loved you.”
“Huh?”
“For as long as I can remember. Why do you suppose I’ve never been able to commit to another woman?”
“Why?”
“Because she wasn’t you. None of them were. They could never measure up. Hard as I tried with some of them, I’d always end up wanting you.”
“It’s been me all along?” Her heart was about to burst.
“It’s only ever been you.”
She couldn’t hold back her grin. It pretty much exploded onto her face. “Then I guess I’ll have to accept your punishment.”
“You’ll marry me?” She could hear the smile in his voice.
“On one condition.”
“Name it.”
“It’s forever.”
“Ah, Morgan, trust me when I say all I’ve ever wanted is forever with you.”
Amy smiled and opened her heart to him completely. And this time, she trusted him.
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Acknowledgments
This book is dedicated to three women who were with me at the start of this heady, terrifying, bumpy writing journey: my fellow Ozcritters, Bev, Frances, and Bernie.
Our paths may have veered off in different directions, and we may not speak as often as we did, but I still owe any success I’ve had to all three of you.
Thank you.
About the Author
Once Jess discovered it was okay to leave the bedroom door open in her romance novels, she decided to leave everything open. Buttons, zips, pants, number of lovers…which is why her books are all steamy erotic romances.
While Jess lived most of her life in South Africa, the last fourteen years have been spent in Australia. From the fast-paced Sydney lifestyle to the laid-back islands and beaches, there’s always another gorgeous Aussie setting for a contemporary romance.
Jess loves hearing from readers. You can email her at [email protected] or find her at:
Her website http://www.JessDee.com.
Her blog http://JessDee.wordpress.com
Twitter @jessdeewriter
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jess.dee.921
Like Jess on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Jessdeewriter
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