Married by Mistake!
Page 18
“Right.” Jack slid his hands from her wrists to cup her hips. “How could you love me? How dare I force myself to move slowly because of your bruised feelings over your breakup with Stadler?” The humor had left his gaze. “How could you love me when I had the nerve to want to be sure you were over him, that you cared for me, before I acknowledged my love. You see, I didn’t want your attraction to be nothing more than rebounding emotions or gratitude or revenge sex.” His cinnamon eyes glistened, and the depth of feeling she witnessed there left her both humbled and enthralled.
She lost her urge to slap him as a delightful mix of desire and anticipation crept along her nerves. His caressing hands became erotic, hypnotic. Her fingers were no longer fisted, but spread, splayed over the warm expanse of his chest, relishing the crinkly feel of his chest hair.
“Lucy?” His eyes shone with raw emotion. “Before we were married, I told you one truth and one lie. The truth was, when I married, it would be forever. The lie, that our marriage was a farce. I had to wait and hope that one day your heart would embrace the truth over the lie.”
His silky words, his gentle caresses, at last convinced her beyond a doubt that she was truly loved. That his actions had been reckless, yes—but ultimately right.
Her heart soaring with happiness, she taunted him with a haughty look. “Such conceit. What makes you think I don’t despise you?”
He chuckled wickedly. “A woman doesn’t straddle a man she despises.” One warm, questing hand slid up her back, drawing her face to his. “Does she, darling?” His lips moved over hers, branding them with his hot mastery.
Blood hammered in her brain, and she began to tremble. There was nothing more erotic, more magical, than the discovery of being loved.
She had a sudden, melancholy thought and drew away, sighing. Jack’s expression grew watchful. “What is it?”
“I was just thinking of Elissa.”
His lips twitched ruefully. “Oh, fine. That says a lot for my lovemaking.”
She smiled at him, then kissed him on the tip of his nose. “No, silly, I was thinking that she’ll be all alone when I go away with you.” Her fiery redheaded sister was really quite fragile in her own way, but she disguised it with her own brand of flippant toughness. Lucy knew in her heart that her big sister would be lonesome. But she would never let it show, hardhead that she was. “I hope she finds happiness.” Lucy had an inspiration. “We’ll just have to get her into the D’Amour mansion on her birthday under a full moon.”
Jack’s deep chuckle rippled through her body, sultry and sensual. “We’d have to tie her up and gag her, Luce. You know she doesn’t believe in such things.”
“But, Jack, don’t you think—”
“I think,” he interrupted, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her against him, “Elissa would be horrified to know we were discussing her right now.” He kissed her deeply. “Lucy, I love you so much—the way you care about the people you love.” He swept a wisp of her hair back, his loving smile, his gentle touch, making her weak with need. “Don’t worry about Elissa, darling. She’s one of the Crosby sisters, and that’s a special gift some lucky man will discover one day.” He lifted his head a fraction to kiss her shoulder, his eyes shining with purpose. “Now, let’s talk about us....”
In a scandalously short time, Jack’s gentle lovemaking, his sexy declarations, made her forget everything but the magnificent depth of his love for her.
Deep in the night, after Jack had become much. much more than a paper husband to Lucy, he whispered, “You told Stadler to wait.”
With a throaty giggle, she slid across Jack’s hips to perch intimately on top of him. She grinned, feeling wicked and wonderful. “It was a dirty trick, but if he gets cold, he can cover himself with my socks.”
His grin made something inside her melt and begin to glow. What they’d found together tonight was so good. So right.
“Out there in the car with Stadler, you knew we were married, didn’t you?” he prodded, looking charmingly suspicious. “You wanted me to suffer.”
She smiled down at his face, loving the depth of emotion in his eyes. With a rush of womanly power, she moved against him, soft flesh brazenly taunting hard. “And are you suffering, darling?”
“Oh—yes....” His husky answer trailed over her like caressing fingers, and she quivered with a heady, sexual heat. “Oh, yes, my love,” he repeated, his tone rough with urgent desire, “I’m suffering.” He swept her to her back, drawing from her a happy cry. Lifting himself over her, his body captured hers in a web of worshipful stimulation. Deepening, intensifying, until, at last, they flew away once more to their private lovers’ paradise.
The enchanted D’Amour mansion had once again worked its romantic magic. And Jack’s lie—spoken out of love—was indeed the truth in masquerade.
Watch the sparks fly when the mysterious owner
of the D’Amour mansion arrives on the scene,
and fiery Elissa Crosby finally meets her match.
Renee Roszel’s Enchanted Brides trilogy comes
to an exciting close with Elissa’s story.
Look out for this in late 1998.
ISBN : 978-1-4592-6278-2
MARRIED BY MISTAKE!
First North American Publication 1998.
Copyright © 1998 by Renee Roszel Wilson.
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