Looking into Lewis’ eyes when she’d fed him that piece of meat had been the most intimate moment of their relationship. What she’d seen in his eyes had not only been love but respect, and it had taken her breath away. So many things had been said in that look, melting away any remaining resistance she had. In that moment, she knew to the depth of her soul that Lewis loved her in the way she wanted to be loved.
As she’d fed him his piece, she’d tried to convey all that she was feeling through her eyes, and he must have understood. He visibly relaxed, as if he’d been holding himself stiff with nerves. It warmed her heart to know that he was as nervous as she was. When he’d taken her hand to help her sit, a flash of desire passed between them, and she knew that tonight she’d finally be able to give into that desire. But first they had to get through the feast, when she knew that all either was thinking about was going back to the hut.
Tonight, she welcomed those times when their arms would brush or their hands would touch. It was a delicious sensation and knowing that later those same hands would bring her pleasure. The feast seemed to go on forever, and although she knew that she should be more in the moment, she’d waited for Lewis for so long, it was impossible not to think about what was to come.
They were pushed away from the feast long before it was over, the women with knowing smiles and the men nodding their heads at Lewis in respect. Killing a boar was a difficult thing and he’d gain their respect that day. They walked hand in hand to the hut they were sharing, both nervous as if it was the first time. In many ways it was the first time, they were very different people than they’d been all those months ago, when their passion had overridden anything else.
When they got to the door of the hut, Lewis hesitated. “Do you want to take a walk before we go in?” he asked. There were things that he wanted to say to her, and he wanted to do it before they took things any farther.
Venetia was relieved at his suggestion; as much as she wanted the intimacy that would come later that night, she too wanted to talk before that happened. “That would be nice.”
The walked around the edge of the village, not daring to get much farther away. The jungle could be a very dangerous place after dark. They were silent for the first few minutes, each trying to collect their thoughts. Finally Lewis broke the silence.
“I think I should start with an apology,” he said, taking her hand in his as they walked. “Just about everything I did was wrong. I think the only right thing I did was to ask you out. Beyond that, I let my wants and desires blind me to everything else.”
“You didn’t do that alone. For a while there I lost myself in what we were feeling too. But it was too good to last. It was so hot that it burned us both.”
“I see that now. But it’s taken months in the Amazon for me to really understand what went wrong. It wasn’t just the heat we produced that burned us, it was me constantly struggling to get to that next goal. Always looking forward, instead of just enjoying the moment.”
Venetia looked at him surprised. “You’re talking about balance. It sounds to me like something Ronnie said to me right after you showed up here.”
“The chief got to me one night at the fire, that’s why I started going hunting. It’s a perfect exercise in living in the moment. It was difficult at first, but now that I’ve learned to live in the moment life looks very different. I’m sorry I pushed you so hard. I took all my desires and imposed them on you when you weren’t ready, we weren’t ready.”
Venetia was silent for so long that he began to worry, but finally she squeezed his hand and said, “Someday I’ll be ready, but right now I just want to enjoy this experience. Can you live with that?”
“I’ll be ready whenever you are. Like you, I only want to enjoy today, tomorrow will come soon enough. Tell me when you’re ready or just surprise me someday, either way is fine with me. I’ll wait as long as it takes as long as we’re together. I can’t imagine my life without you,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
Venetia rested her head against his chest feeling his heart beating beneath her ear. It was a reassuring sound and her love for him welled up inside her, causing tears to stream down her face. Lewis felt the wet spots forming on his chest and tipped her head up, wiping the tears away with his thumb.
“I hope those are happy tears,” he said, kissing her gently.
She could only nod her head, speaking beyond her, as the emotion poured though her. Lewis took her hand again and they wandered back to their hut in no hurry, each more secure in their relationship as they’d ever been. They hadn’t spoken the words love yet, but at the moment it didn’t have to be said, it was deeply understood by them both.
When they stepped into the hut, they found that someone had lit a small lantern in one corner and added a soft blanket to their bed. The lantern cast a soft light on the hut, making it more romantic than it really was. There was just enough light for Venetia to see the desire in Lewis’ eyes as he took her face in his hands and kissed her.
This kiss was different than any other one they’d ever shared, it was soft but demanding, but instead of feeling that sense of desperation she often felt in his kisses, this time all she felt was a smoldering desire. He took his time, his tongue exploring her mouth, sweeping Venetia quickly to the next plane of desire, her loins tightening.
The heat between them after the kiss left them both panting, but instead of sweeping her over to the bed, Lewis began to slowly unbutton her shirt. As the fabric parted and he slipped it off her shoulders, her breasts hardened with desire. She reached for him and began to unbutton his shirt, then slipped it off his shoulders.
Lewis pulled her to him, wrapped his arms around her, pressing her against his hard chest. When she looked up at him, he captured her mouth again, but this time the kiss was more urgent as if he couldn’t get enough of her. When they’d reached the point that neither had any breath left in their lungs, Lewis stepped back and unbuttoned her shorts and slid them to her feet, took her hand and helped her step out of them.
Her heart was hammering so hard in her chest she was sure that he could hear it, as his eyes took in every inch of her body. “You’re even more beautiful than I remember,” he said, stepping close to her again.
She reached for the buttons on his pants and removed them, then they were both standing there only in their underwear. Venetia in the only lace set she’d brought with her, Lewis in his boxers which she found oddly sexy. Taking her hand, he led her over to the bed and gently laid her down on the soft blanket, then joined her.
Pulling her body against his, he found her mouth and kissed her with more urgency than before, building the heat inside her further. She longed to feel his hands on her bare skin, and was rewarded when he began to explore her body, his hands stroking her back, down her hip then up again. She pressed herself against him, throwing her leg over his, rolling onto her back.
Lewis’ hand traced a path from her hip to the inside of her leg causing her to open her legs to him. He trailed his fingers up the inside of her thigh until they came in contact with the little slip of lace covering her throbbing core. Then he cupped her in his hand, sending waves of pleasure shooting through her, and her hips up off the bed.
She gasped at the contact, breaking their kiss. When he began to stoke her though her silk panties, the moisture between her legs began to flow, and she groaned with pleasure. Lewis had found that sensitive spot on her collarbone and was teasing it with his tongue, driving her wild. Her breasts had gown even harder as the pleasure rushed through her, her nipples straining again the thin fabric of her bra.
Lewis rolled them until she was straddling him, his hard erection pressed again the wet fabric of her panties. He held her hips in either hand, stilling her movement when she would have rubbed herself against him. Then he reached behind her and unhooked her bra, revealing her swollen breasts and hard nipples.
Sitting up, he pulled her to him, his mouth pulling one of her hard peaks into his mouth, then the oth
er. Venetia threw her head back as wave after wave of pleasure rushed from her breasts to her core, the tension deep inside her growing as his mouth nipped and teased her breasts. When he’d taken her almost to the point of oblivion with his mouth, he rolled her onto her back again.
Venetia looked into his blue eyes, a primal look that told him how much she wanted him and he returned her look, then brought his mouth down on hers. His hand again traced a path down her body to the juncture of her thighs, but this time Venetia opened her legs to him, an invitation he could resist. He slid the fabric of her panties aside and ran the back of his finger between her folds, teasing her until she thrust her hips up, further inviting him to share her body.
He slowly slid his finger inside of her dripping core, then gently pulled it out again, each movement designed to give her the most pleasure. Venetia was beyond thought, every nerve ending in her body conscious only of what Lewis was doing to her. With each stroke of his finger, the pressure inside her built until she was sure that it would break her into a million pieces.
Her orgasm was only seconds away when Lewis whispered in her ear, “Not yet, sweetheart. I want to be inside you when you cum, wait for me.” Then he knelt between her legs and slowly slipped her panties down her legs.
Venetia watched him, love surging though her, as he stripped off his boxers. His erection was hard and throbbing, making her writhe in anticipation of his hard length inside her. He grabbed her hips and slid her down the bed to him, pulling her legs open across his muscular thighs. The tip of his penis was poised just at her opening, but he still didn’t enter her, instead he found her clit with his finger and rubbed it in small circles until she thought the pleasure would tear her apart.
Then in one strong thrust he entered her, immediately taking her over the edge, her orgasm washing over her like a tidal wave crashing against the beach. Lewis covered her mouth with his, masking the sound of her cries as wave after wave of pure sensation make the world go black. Lewis had been holding on by a thin thread, Venetia’s body clasping around him drove him over the edge, his pleasure completing hers.
Chapter 11
When they returned to the village the next morning, Ronnie was there waiting for them. One look at their clasped hands told her all she needed to know, but she couldn’t wait to hear the story from Venetia. It would have to wait though, because they had something of an emergency on their hands. Never before had she been so glad that there were other healers here with her.
One of the reason’s she’d agreed to let American doctors into her little slice of paradise was need. She alone could no longer cope with the needs of the village and surrounding areas, population growth had come here just like the rest of the world. It was a both a blessing and a curse. More people meant an entire new set of problems, one of them being medical care.
“Hey, you two. I take it from the big smiles that you had a successful birth,” she said, when they got close enough.
“Venetia was amazing. It was a breach and she turned the baby on the first try,” Lewis boasted.
“She’s a very skilled healer. As much as I’d love to hear about it, I have a problem that just can’t wait,” she said, leading them to the medical hut.
Once they’d dropped their gear, Ronnie handed them cups of tea and they settled down to listen to Ronnie’s news. “It’s a long trip to the village where I went, on the way I stopped several times at other villages for the night and I discovered that we’re about to have a large population increase.”
“What do you mean?” Venetia asked.
“Well, by my calculations, we have more pregnant women right now than we’ve ever had. They’re all due within weeks of one another, many are new mothers on top of that. I’m worried that we won’t be able to attend to them all when the time comes.”
“How many are we talking about?” Lewis asked, remembering seeing several pregnant women in the village they’d just been in.
“At least two dozen in just the area closest to us. I sent a scout out to get a count,” Ronnie said, getting up to pace.
“That’s a lot, but there are three of us,” Venetia said.
“True, but if we start running all over the jungle, we’re going to exhaust ourselves. I think we should set up a birthing clinic here and another one a few miles farther into the jungle. That way they can come to us. It’ll be much more efficient.”
“I think that’s a perfect solution,” Lewis said, grabbing some paper and beginning to sketch a floor plan. “How long do we have?”
“Not more than a few weeks,” Ronnie said, sitting down again. “But together we should be able to handle it if they come to us.”
With the help of the village, a new hut was built and outfitted with bedding and pallets. Ronnie managed to get a shipment of medical supplies brought up the mountain after Venetia considered it enough of an emergency to use the satellite radio. In less than a week, they were ready, which was a good thing because one by one the women were showing up in the village.
Through all the upheaval, Venetia and Lewis still managed to take a few minutes each day to sit quietly and enjoy being together. Often there were few words spoken between them, but that proved to be more restful than a long conversation would have been. Venetia looked forward to the nights as much as Lewis, but sometimes the quiet time fed her soul more than their nights together.
One morning, Ronnie, with a long string of village men carrying hundreds of pounds of equipment on their backs, left for the distant clinic in the jungle. Venetia and Lewis had little time to think about her leaving, they still had their regular patients to treat besides the mothers, whose numbers had grown over the last few days.
They managed to get away for a whole day only once. Instead of spending it out in the jungle looking for plants as Venetia would have normally done, they barricaded themselves in their hut, only coming out to use the bathroom and to steal food from the communal kitchen. When they emerged the next morning, both were walking on a cloud of air, buoyed by their love.
That feeling would carry them through what would prove to be the most challenging few days of their lives. When the first of the women went into labor, Venetia and Lewis were ready, but what they couldn’t predict was that one labor would lead to another until they had their hands full of women in the process of giving birth.
Working as a team, they delivered one healthy baby after another, the hours flying by until after 48 hours on their feet, the last baby was delivered. Venetia and Lewis, exhausted but proud, sank down together on the floor. The new lives and those of the mothers were still at risk but for now they were all safe and sound.
“We did it,” Venetia said, grinning from ear to ear. “I think I’ve become addicted to this. I never thought anything but treating kids would bring me this much joy.”
“I never realized what a thrill it would be to bring a new life into the world. I mean I thought about it, but it’s so much more intense than I thought it would be. It really is a miracle,” Lewis said, putting his arm around Venetia.
“I know, just imagine what it will be like someday when we have one of our own,” Venetia said, bringing a smile to his face.
“But not until you’re ready. One of the things I realized over the last few days is that bringing a life into the world is a big responsibility, bigger than I’d ever imagined,” he said, leaning his head against hers, mutual understanding flowing between them.
That night as they got ready for bed, Venetia was getting ready to take her birth control pill but stopped. Something told her that now was the time, she knew deep in her heart that they were both ready. The idea of a baby had been heavy on her mind the last few weeks, it was impossible for it not to be, surrounded by the miracle of life like they were.
Her love for Lewis had blossomed to something that was whole and real, backed up by respect and admiration. Just the kind of foundation that she’d always wanted her love to be built on. He still hadn’t told her that he loved her, but she knew he d
id, the ceremony in the village had told her that. It was a public declaration that he would always love and care for her.
She put the pills back in their bag, zipped it shut, and stuffed them into the back of her backpack. It would take months for her to get pregnant, by that time they’d be home, a decision she’d yet to share with Lewis. As much as she loved it there and wanted to come back someday, it was time to go home and begin their lives together in the real world.
That night they made love even as exhausted as they were, clinging to one another afterward, talking about the future for the first time in months. “I think it’s time to go home,” Venetia said, her head propped on his stomach.
“I wondered if you’d want to. I’ll stay as long as you want to, you know that,” Lewis said, running his hands though her curly hair draped across his stomach.
“I know, but I feel like we’ve learned what we needed to. Being here together has been wonderful, but I have to admit that I’m worried about what’s going to happen when we get back to our old lives.”
“I can’t say that I haven’t thought about it, but as long as we remember to live in the moment we’ll be okay,” he said, sitting up and digging something out of his backpack. “But, just in case you doubt me, I want you to wear this.”
In his hand was a ring, the diamond gleaming in the light. “I love you, Venetia. I want you to marry me and spend the rest of your life with me.”
Venetia didn’t think she could be any happier than she was right now. “Of course, I’ll marry you. I love you too and I can’t imagine living my life without you,” she said as Lewis slid the ring on her finger.
Once their decision was made to go home, it would still be a month before a replacement could be sent. They were both fine with the time left; Venetia wanted to record as much of Ronnie’s knowledge as she could before they left and Lewis was happy to just enjoy his hunting trips and working in the clinic.
Just days before they were due to leave, Lewis found Venetia in their hut, unsuccessfully trying to pack her backpack. With a huge groan of exasperation, she shoved it away from her and plopped down on the bed.
Their Miracle Baby (BWWM Romance Book 1) Page 11
