“If you don’t mind.”
She thought about her baby, about the teddy bear, the lamb, the delicate pink roses. “I’d be honored.”
He leaned in to kiss her, and she welcomed his embrace, the strength of his touch. She liked being protected by him.
When he slipped his tongue into her mouth, she sighed. He tasted like mint, like the toothpaste he’d used. Fresh and clean and cool.
Their hands were still entwined, connected like a jigsaw puzzle. Pieces that fit. Pieces that belonged together.
Their eyes met, and she knew he was thinking about their future. She was thinking about it, too.
“Forever,” she whispered.
“Forever,” he repeated, removing what was left of her clothes, running his hands over her body, his fingers seeking, taking possession, claiming every inch of her flesh.
She arched and sighed, and he made love with her, as slowly as they both could endure. Warm and willing, he moved inside her, the rhythm as deep and erotic as a river, as a current flowing through her womb.
She closed her eyes, inhaling his scent, memorizing his pheromones in her mind. As he touched her, she took in every sensation, every wondrous caress.
Spellbound, she floated, her bones and her muscles melting beneath him. Such weightless pleasure, she thought. Reality, fantasy. Everything a woman could want.
She opened her eyes, looked at him, saw him looking back at her.
His body trembled for hers. She could feel his need, his hunger, the power of being loved, of the vow they’d made.
He increased the tempo, going deeper, thrusting on a dream, on sex and sin and everything in between. She clung to his shoulders, wrapping her legs around his waist.
When it happened, when he came, she let him carve a groove right into her soul. She climaxed, too, absorbing the milky warmth that was part of him.
Minutes later they lay in each other’s arms, basking in the afterglow. Her hair was still tangled around his fingers, and her hand rested dangerously close to his thigh.
She pressed her lips to his neck and smiled. He was still hard, still partially aroused, even after what they’d done. “I’m going to like being engaged to you.”
He returned her smile. “Just think of how desperate we’re going to be for each other when I’m not around.”
“We’ll make up for it every time you come back.” Here, she thought. To the rez. The place that held her heart. But that wasn’t all of it. She’d agreed to be part of his existence, too. Part of the places that held his heart. “I can’t believe I’m going to be a full-fledged Ashton. Flying to San Francisco whenever I can. Attending parties on the estate.”
He shook his head. “We’ve created quite a situation for ourselves, haven’t we?”
Silent, she nodded. She knew it wasn’t a simple life they’d chosen. But it was their decision, their way of being together. And she wouldn’t trade it for anything. Walker Ashton belonged to her and she belonged to him.
Anxious to kiss him again, she rolled over, straddling his lap. He grinned and pulled her closer.
But before she could cover his mouth with hers, he tickled her, sending her into a girlish fit, making her laugh, making her feel happy and free.
Thrilled to be with him.
The man she would always love.
From now until the end of time.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-4931-2
BETRAYED BIRTHRIGHT
Copyright © 2005 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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