Needed: One Dad
Page 18
The warm body beside her stirred. “I could get to like this,” her bridegroom mumbled.
“Have I thanked you yet?”
“For what?” Sam rolled over on his stomach and laid his head on her chest. “For the pleasure we shared, or for locking the door,” he muttered, “or for not divorcing you when you called me Cupcake?” A hand slid up her thigh.
Addy laughed softly, admiring the well-shaped head resting below her chin. “Those, too, Dr. Dawson. But right now I meant, thank you for yesterday morning, and for giving Emilie and me a family to love us.”
“Adeline, a woman like you always has people to love you.” He slid his hand higher. “In fact, if I weren’t a scientist, and didn’t know it was impossible to fall head-over-heels, crazy in love in three weeks, I’d swear I was in love with you.”
Moving restlessly beneath his hand, Addy asked breathlessly, “How long do you think it takes to fall bead-over-heels, crazy in love?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say about three weeks and a few hours.” He coaxed the top of her breast into his mouth. Warm, moist air against her skin came with his next words. “I think the question calls for more scientific investigation.”
The next time Addy awakened she was alone in bed. A rustling noise came from across the room. She raised her head. “What are you doing?”
Sam rummaged though his small suitcase. “I just remembered. As we walked out the door, Grandmother said she stuck a very special wedding gift in here.” He extracted a small, slim box and walked over to hand it to Addy. “You want to open it?”
“If you’ll help me, Dr. Samuel Dawson, Ph.D.”
“Didn’t I warn you what I was going to do if you didn’t quit calling me that?”
She batted her eyelashes at him. “Aren’t you the one who always says a demonstration is more effective than words?”
Sam pulled back the sheet. “I wonder if anyone has ever done a clinical study on the efficacy of freckles as an aphrodisiac?”
“Perhaps if you study the subject in depth you’ll win a Nobel prize.”
He slid into bed beside her, and slowly blazed a path among her freckles. “I won a better prize today.” After a few minutes, Sam rolled off her and said, “Ouch.” Reaching beneath his hip, he pulled out the slightly flattened box. “We still haven’t opened this.”
Dropping the ribbon on her chest where it curled around her nipple, he lifted the lid and frowned, pulling out a small roll of paper. He unrolled the sheet, gave it one glance and broke out laughing. Addy grabbed the paper.
Hannah had given them the letter Sam had received in Boston. Someone had written in spidery handwriting across the bottom of the page, “Some matches are made in Heaven. Others are made at your grandmother’s bridge club.” Hannah, Cora, Phoebe, and Belle had signed the note.
“The nerve,” Addy gasped. “They’re actually bragging about it. This ought to prove to you I had nothing to do with that letter you got. I don’t even know how to play bridge.”
For some reason her words made Sam laugh harder.
Addy rammed her elbow in his side. “It’s not funny.”
Sam leaned over her. “Addy maddy?” Before she could answer, he lowered his head. “Addy not maddy,” he muttered against her lips, “because I love you.”
ISBN : 978-1-4592-6985-9
NEEDED: ONE DAD
First North American Publication 1997.
Copyright © 1997 by Jeanne Allan.
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