He chuckled. “You sure had a strange way of showing it at the time!”
She held his face between her hands and covered it with tiny kisses.
“I had to play hard to get, darling. I didn’t want you to think that I was easy!”
She smiled down at him. “And you are positive that you love me and not this
other woman you talked about.”
He did not reply. He hoisted her in the air so that she was hovering over him. Her breasts brushed temptingly against his face as he held her over him.
He passed his mouth over each one, taking what he could between his lips, sucking and toying ardently with her hard nipples.
After, he lowered her onto him and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He looked at her, his eyes taking in her flushed face, her trembling lips, the look of longing, the raw passion in her eyes.
He reached up and brushed his fingers gently against her cheek, then down onto her soft, trembling lips.
“Now relax and let me love you, darling.” He brought his mouth up to her earlobe and nibbled on it.
He kissed her neck, her face and her breasts, at leisure. Their eyes met one last
time, and he gazed and gazed at her for what seemed to her to be forever.
She had never seen that crazed longing in his eyes before. It both scared and
excited her. She knew he couldn’t wait to have her. He lifted her onto the large terry towel and his probing lips wasted no time finding her softness, and he devoured her with such tenderness and urgency that she thought her entire body would explode.
She moaned and screamed, and thrush her hips forward, as she tried desperately to keep up with his exploring tongue and lips. Moments after, he brought her to the sweet point of rapture, and they both ended up below the water.
She was unaware that she was submerged below until she felt Keane’s arms around her waist jerking her quickly up to him.
She gasped and held on tightly, as he claimed her once more as his.
Chapter Nine
“Ahh! Ahh! No! Stop! For God’s sake—stop! N…oo!”
“Keane, darling, honey, wake up! Wake up! Keane!” Becca switched on the lamp next to the bed, leaned over and shook Keane by the shoulders.
“No! Stop! I’m an American—you won’t get away with this. My men would make you pay for this—stop!”
She watched helplessly as Keane’s naked body flailed around wildly on the bed, his entire body covered in sweat. His eyes were closed, and his lips were contorted in pain. God, he was having some sort of nightmare. She thought.
Becca got on top of him and took his face into her hands. “Keane, honey, it’s okay. You are just having a bad dream. Open your eyes honey. It’s okay. I’m here with you. Hushed, honey, it’s going to be alright.”
She brought Keane’s head up to her naked breasts to comfort him.
“N….oo! Stop!” Keane lashed out at her, knocking her off the bed and onto the floor.
Becca let out a frightening scream as she landed on the floor, her head barely missing a side of the large antique dresser.
Her scream must have gotten to Keane because he was at her side in no time.
“Oh, my god, Becca! Are you alright?” He pulled her quickly into his arms and held her.
“Yes, I’m fine.” Becca tried to shrug him off. “Are you okay?”
“Forget about me.” Keane’s hand went up to the red mark on her left cheek and he caressed the bruise with his finger. “My god, Becca, did I do that? Oh, my God!” He pulled her closer and buried his head in her bosom. “I’m so, so sorry,” he moaned, holding her, rocking her back and forth. “God, Becca, I’m so sorry,” he cried. “I didn’t mean for any of it to happen.”
“I know it was an accident, Keane. I know you didn’t do it on purpose. You were having a bad dream.”
Keane gave her a stunned look. “I was?”
“Yes, you were honey. You sounded as if you were in pain. You were yelling some things and fighting off whoever you thought were after you.”
“Oh.” He looked as if he didn’t remember. “I’m sorry that you had to experience any of it.” He held her tightly.
“Keane, honey. You didn’t sound as if you are alright.” Becca slipped out of his arms and turned to look at him. “You were in pain, honey.” She reached up and caressed his damp hair, pushing the long blond strands away from his wet forehead. “Do you want to talk about it?” Becca reached for his hand and held it in hers. “I know enough to know that this wasn’t just a bad dream.”
Keane gave he a wane smile. “We should go back to bed.” He pecked her on her cheek. “I promise to take you shopping tomorrow, remember.” He smiled at her.
“I’m not here to judge you, Keane. I love you too much. It doesn’t matter to me what happened, I just want to know so that I can help you.”
“And I love you, too.” Keane kissed her full on the lips. “That’s why I think you shouldn’t know. Come, let’s go back to bed.”
He turned to stand, and Becca saw the marks on his back. She was surprised that she never noticed them before, maybe because some of them were faded, but she could still see some of them up close. Her hand went up to trace the scars, and Keane literally froze when he felt her finger on them.
Becca got on her knees, slipped her hand around Keane’s waist, and pressed her lips over the white scars. Keane lowered his body back to the floor where she was, and Becca held him to her and searched his face. “Tell me what happened, Keane—please. I want to know.”
“I don’t think this is the time.”
“Because of my amnesia.” Becca pointed out to him.
“I don’t want to add to what you are going through.”
“You won’t. I promise.” Becca touched the large scar on Keane’s knee. And raised her eyes to look at him.
“Is that from Afghanistan?” she asked lightly.
“It was broken in two places.”
“Oh, my god! Please tell me those monsters didn’t leave you in pain.”
“I was tortured, Bec. They pulled me from the reck, took me back to their hideout and spent days torturing me, trying to get information about the rest of my troop. When I refused to talk, they heated a cattle prod, thinking that would do the job.”
“Oh, daring! I can image the pain you were in. How can anyone be that heartless and cruel!” Becca shuddered, and Keane pulled her close.
“It wasn’t as bad as losing the men I was with. I realize soon enough that I was the only one who had survived the crash.”
“Ho…ow…how did you get out of there?”
“I was rescued by Navy Seals two days after and flown to a hospital in Germany where they operated on my knee.”
Oh, darling. I can only image what it was like for you.” She kneed Infront of Keane and caressed the long scar on his knee.
“It was a long way getting back, although I think most of it was the emotional pain of losing my men.”
“Please tell me that you saw someone.” She searched his eyes.
“Yes, I did, for some time. But no amount of therapy or medication can rid
you of such pain.”
She pulled Keane’s head to her breasts and stroked his hair. “We’ll get through this together, darling.” She searched his eyes. “I’ll help you.” She held his head in her hands and kissed him lightly, starting on the side of his cheek. “I want to help make you forget.” Becca rested her lips on his, teasing them with her tongue as she whispered sweet nothing to him.
“I think you have already,” Keane slipped his hand at the back of her neck and kissed her. “You are the type of therapy I need right now.”
He lowered her completely to the floor and bent over her, his eyes resting on her lips, and the fullness of her heaving breasts. “You are so good for me right now.” He passed his lips over her nipples, slipping one, then the other into his mouth, sucking gently and hungrily of them.
“Jesus, Becca, you are the healing
I need right now.” He whispered softly.
He slipped his strong hands under her buttock and lifted her body up to meet his aroused one.
And Becca clung to him as he took her with such longing and intensity that she didn’t hear him crying tears of joy when he entered her, encircling her with his firmness.
Chapter ten
“Are you up to having dinner with some friends of mine?”
The request took her by surprise. She raised her head from where she had been laying on Keane’s bare chest and frowned at him.
“Dinner?” she asked in a bewildered tone, “With your Friends?”
“Yes, darling. They are a few people I get together with when I’m up here. It’s nothing big, just a small dinner.”
She was curious. “Are they from around here?”
“Yep. They own some of the farms not far from mine. I have known them since I was a small child. We basically grew up together. My parents used to bring me up here to spend the summers. We are all in our thirties now. They are good, down to earth people, Becky. You will like them. There’s nothing for you to worry about with them.”
She shrugged her shoulder. “I don’t know, Keane. I don’t exactly feel comfortable meeting new people. What if they start asking questions? What am I supposed to tell them?”
She sat up and crossed her legs and gave Keane a very worried look.
“You have nothing to fear with them, honey. I will be there with you the whole
time.”
She leaned in closer and looked at him. “You didn’t tell them about me, did you?”
“Are you asking if I told them about your amnesia, then the answer is no. You asked me not to say anything, and I respect that. But they know how I feel about you.” He pulled her in for a kiss.
Becca rolled onto him when he released her.
“What exactly did you tell your friends about me?”
Keane ran his hands down the length of her naked body. He smiled at her.
“That you are gorgeous, witty, smart and sexy.” He kissed her on the lips after each word. “And that I’m completely crazy about you.”
He pulled her up to him so that her breasts were resting close to his face. He took her nipples in his mouth and gently tugged on them.
She wrapped her hands around his neck and caressed the top of his head. She knew he was trying to distract her. And she would have been; if she wasn’t this worried about meeting his friends.
“Is that all?” she asked him in a sultry voice.
“No. I told them that I love you, and that you are very good for me.”
She pecked him on the lips and rolled off him.
“I thought we decided to wait until I start remembering something before you
start introducing me to people. I don’t know if I am comfortable sitting down with your friends, Keane. It’s a lot. What if they think I’m some sort of nut job you picked up off the street?”
Keane pulled her back on him.
“Oh, darling! Please don’t think of yourself that way! Having an unfortunate lapse in memory doesn’t diminish the wonderful person you are. You are witty, kind, funny and compassionate, among other things. Not everyone has those remarkable qualities, darling, but you do.” He stroked her hair and leaned in to kiss her cheek.
“Are you saying those things to make me feel better about myself?”
“No darling! I see how you are with me, and with the people who work here. You take the time to interact with them; to ask how they are. You ask about their kids and family. I can’t recall any of my other guests or anyone I’ve dated ever doing that. Besides, I love you, and that’s all that matters.”
Becca gave him a sad look. “I’m beginning to wonder if that’s enough.”
A tear slipped down her cheek and Keane sat up and wiped it away.
He pulled her into his arms and held her close to his chest.
“I will tell you what. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I just thought that you would enjoy having some company other than mine.”
“What made you think that?” She raised her head to look at him. “I love being
with you. I love what we have here together.”
“I know that, darling, but it’s the holidays, I thought it would be nice to have some people over. It will give you the chance to get to know some of my friends, and vice versa. It’s okay if you aren’t ready to meet them. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if I call them and cancel.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “We have plenty of time to get you acquainted with them later.”
“Oh, darling! I don’t want you to do that! I didn’t know you had already made plans with them,” she told him quickly.
He took her face in his hands and looked at her.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” He searched her eyes. “You don’t have to agree on my account. Like I said, I can always reschedule this for another time.”
She forced a nervous smile. “No, it’s okay. Let’s do it! How bad can it be!”
He still wasn’t convinced. “Are you sure?” he asked her again. “You don’t have to go through with it if you don’t want to. I will understand if you aren’t ready.” He repeated to her.
She covered his hand with hers. “It’s scary, but I can’t avoid meeting people forever. I will love to have dinner with your friends, darling! I really would. Besides, you will be there. It’s not like I would be left entirely alone with them.” She pointed out to him.
“I love you!” He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her body. “You
are brave for doing this. Just let me know if you aren’t having a good time, and I will end it right then and there.” He rolled onto his back, taking Becca with him. “You won’t regret this!”
He looked up at her and grinned.
“I think I already have,” she teased him. “By the way, are any of your friends as cute and sexy as you are?”
“You wish!” he smacked her lightly on the behind and pulled her up to rest on him.
Becca lowered her lips and kissed him—her fears about meeting his friends, suddenly completely forgotten.
Chapter Eleven
The dinner was planned for the Saturday before Christmas. That gave her just over a week to familiarize herself with the idea of meeting Keane’s friends and sitting down to an evening with them.
She was terrified! She’d spent the entire time; ever since she had agreed to it, agonizing herself about how she was going to get through the entire evening without making a complete fool of herself—or without having them judging her.
They were people she had never met. She knew absolutely nothing about them, except for whatever little Keane had told her, and vice versa. What if they disliked her on sight! What if they thought she was a fraud? What if they thought she was some sort of gold digger who was after Keane’s billions!
Those were some of the troubling thoughts that had been popping up in her head ever since. And as she waited for Saturday evening to come, the feeling of dread escalated by the day.
And she had done everything she possibly could to hide her true feelings from Keane, simply because he appeared to be so happy to get together with his friends.
“Oh, darling!” he said to her one evening when they were in bed. “Stop
torturing yourself about this! I see now that the whole thing was a bad idea to begin with. I should have asked you first before I made the decision to have everyone over. I want you to be happy, and I can see that you clearly aren’t. I will call everyone first thing tomorrow and tell them the dinner is off. We can always have them over another time when you are feeling more up to it.”
She was surprised to hear him say that. She thought she had been doing a great job of hiding her feelings. And she thought everything had been settled about the dinner. She didn’t expect him to change his mind again about it.
She realized he was only doing it because of her, but still!
She tried to stop him. “Yes, I�
��m a bit jittery, but I do not want you to call off the dinner. I think I’m more worried about your friends liking me than anything else.”
He hugged her and chuckled. “Is that why you are this uneasy? Honey, you are a nervous wreck for nothing!”
She gave him a mortified look. “They are your friends, not mine. They will certainly judge me!”
“Then let them! I don’t care what they think about you! You are mine, and you are here to stay! And nothing they or anyone say or do will change the way I’m feeling about you.” He wrapped his arms protectively around her and kissed the
top of her head, over and over again.
“You don’t care what your friends think about me?” She frowned at him. “I
thought you would. Isn’t that why you are introducing me to them; to get their seal of approval?”
“Yes and no. I want them to like you, honey. I really do. They are my friends, after all, and would probably become yours too, but I can’t control how they relate to you.” Becca appeared more worried than ever! “Don’t get me wrong, darling, they aren’t mean or anything. They are some of the nicest people you can meet, and you will find that out when you get to know them.”
“Are you sure?” She gave him a nervous look.
“Positive!” He brushed his fingers down the side of her arm.
“Then why am I so worried!”
“I would probably be the same if I was meeting your close friends for the very first time.”
She tilted her head back to look at him. “You!” She squinted at him. “I doubt it! You exude confidence!”
“Then you don’t know me as well as you think you do, darling. There are some things that make me very uneasy!”
“Name one!” She challenged him.
“Well, I…I.” He fumbled to come up with an answer to give her.
He finally gave up.
“Just like I thought!”
He took her hand and slipped his fingers through hers. “What I’m trying to say
is; you have absolutely nothing to be frantic about. It’s not like they are my
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