The Promise of Rainbows

by Ava Miles

  She did blush more. This was really going to happen. “Shall we go further into your bedroom? We seem to be hovering in the doorway.”

  “Last chance. Is this really what you want?”

  That he would ask her again humbled her and only confirmed her decision. “Yes.”

  His laugh was husky. “I’ve been imagining you in that bed since we first picked it out together, but I imagined making love to you well before that.”

  “Me too,” she admitted, and the daring of that admission made her feel a little breathless again.

  He raised her left hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it and then pressed a kiss to her ring. “If we could get away with it, I would hire a plane and take us to Vegas tonight so we could get married.” He instantly blanched. “Not that I’m suggesting you don’t deserve a church wedding. Because you do. I only—”

  “I know,” she interrupted.

  He took a deep breath then, and she could feel the change in him.

  “Let’s think for a moment about how we can make this as special as it deserves to be,” he said in a husky voice. “When a man and woman come together for the first time—especially when they just got engaged—it's a moment to commemorate. I would have been better prepared if I’d known your feelings on the subject were going to change.”

  “Can we light some candles?” she asked.

  If she was going to meet him as an equal partner in love, she had to voice what she wanted. Even if it made her blush. Not that the candle request was blush worthy. But there would be other requests, and darn it all, she was going to make them.

  He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. “I have candles. Lots of them since I’ve met you.”

  Her mouth tipped up a little at that. “I know you’ve bought some things for the house just because I like them. Are you finally going to tell me which ones?”

  His hand slid down her arm in the most arousing caress imaginable. He could turn her body into a long line of wildfire merely by touching her.

  “I think I’ll draw it out a bit,” he said, stroking the inside of her wrist. “I’ll tell you a few, and you can guess the rest. When you’re right, you get to claim a prize.”

  Those cobalt eyes of his were filled with mischief, and she could well imagine the kind of prizes he had in mind. “That sounds like a fun game.”

  The smile he flashed made her own smile all the wider. Her nerves fluttered away, mixed with the potent love and friendship that had grown between them. Oh, and desire. She couldn’t forget about that.

  “Why don’t we go light those candles?” he asked, raising her hand to his mouth and kissing the inside of her wrist.

  Who knew that part of her body could be so sensitive? She wondered what parts of his body would surprise her like that.

  “They’re downstairs,” she said, wishing they’d had the foresight to bring them up on their mad dash to the bedroom.

  “I’ll grab some. Do you want some more champagne?”

  She took their joined hands and held them against her heart. “Go find some candles. I don’t want any more to drink.”

  He stood and pulled her slowly to him. She wrapped her arms around him, and they just stood there for a moment, holding each other. Reveling in their connection.

  “I love you,” she whispered. “So much.”

  Stroking her back, he kissed the top of her head. “I love you too. More than I could ever show you.”

  “Then show me,” she said, caressing his jaw. “I’ll endeavor to show you too.”

  “You do, darlin’. Every day. I’ll grab some candles. I’ll even make us a fire.”

  She eyed the fireplace on the side wall, stocked with wood but to date unused. “It’s not cold enough for a fire tonight.”

  His wink was downright endearing. “It is when you turn the air conditioner on. I’m going to get those candles.”

  He returned with his arms so full of candles she wouldn’t be surprised if he’d left a trail of them up the stairs. She laughed as she helped him arrange them around the room.

  “I’ll get the candles lit,” she said and walked over to the box of matches she’d laid on the mantle. The box was decorated with the American flag. My, how delighted she’d been to find patriotic matchbooks. They’d joked that it was a much subtler way to honor his military service than the old decorator’s choices.

  Sulfur tickled her nose when the match fired, and she set about lighting the candles throughout the room. He quickly balled up newspaper and added it to the grate. As she laid the matches next to him, he tugged her to his side.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked in a husky tone, nuzzling her ear.

  “You aren’t going to be able to light that fire if you’re kissing me.” Her voice was so husky, it was almost unrecognizable to her own ears.

  “I can do more than one thing at a time,” he answered, running his nose down her nape. “I have skills.”

  She shivered like bed sheets hanging on a clothesline in a gentle breeze.

  “You might have noticed I can even play my guitar and sing at the same time,” he drawled.

  “I might have noticed that,” she said. Deciding that she wanted to entice him too, she slid her hand down his back. He shivered beneath her touch, although the way a man shivered was different than a woman. His muscles were locked with tension and seemed to vibrate like the earth’s aftershocks from an earthquake.

  “You’re right,” he said with a groan. “I won’t get the fire lit.”

  She released him and gave him some room, looking around. The tree bed was freshly made, all the more inviting for the whimsical throw pillows she’d added. It touched her that he arranged them on the bed each morning after he woke. She’d noticed from the few times she’d peeked into his bedroom while she was over here.

  “You agreed to the pillows because I wanted them,” she said.

  “I sure did,” he responded, adding wood to the fire. “But I kinda like them now. The bed is more comfortable with them.”

  “I wanted to take away all your memories of the barebones barracks,” she said softly. “You deserve comfort and beauty, Jake. I wanted to give that to you.”

  “Why don’t you get comfortable on that deer skin rug you arranged in front of the hearth?”

  She sat down with her knees drawn up and watched as he gathered more wood from the discreet wood box in the corner of the room and laid the logs in teepee fashion.

  As she watched him light the paper so the fire caught, all she could think about was Jake stripping off her clothes and making love to her. Did he want her to take his clothes off too? She jumped when his hands settled on her shoulders. He was kneeling before her now, the fire cracking and popping behind him.

  “Whoa there,” he said, giving her a sweet smile. “You’re thinking too much all of a sudden. People have been coming together since the dawn of time. We’re going to be fine.”

  When he put it that way, her nerves seemed silly. “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” he said, sliding his arms around her. “Now come here and let me make you mine. And I’ll become yours.”

  His head lowered, and he took her mouth in a slow, drugging kiss. He kept kissing her until her grip on his suit jacket loosened and her shoulders relaxed. Then he continued until she gave a quiet moan. Running his tongue over her bottom lip, he took the kiss deeper. She pressed against him. Oh, how that man could kiss.

  When his hands slid down her back and cupped her hips, she could feel the hard line of his desire. He broke their kiss to trail his lips down her neck, and she settled more firmly against him, allowing herself to touch the defined muscles of his back through his jacket.

  “I haven’t really told you this before,” she said as she tilted her head to the side to give him better access, “but I love your body. I want to run my hands all over it.”

  He straightened, and his smile was infectious. “I’m glad.” He hastily stripped off his suit jacket an
d tie and unbuttoned his shirt.

  She could only watch as he tossed them all on the floor. Confronted with the beauty of his massive chest, her mouth went dry.

  “Everything I am is yours now,” he told her, loosely wrapping his hand around her wrist and drawing her fingertips up to rest against his pecs. “Touch me anywhere you want.”

  She did, gently at first, and with more hesitation than he probably wished. Before, she’d been careful not to go too far. They both had been.

  “Am I touching you okay?” she finally asked.

  “You can touch me however you want, honey,” he said in a husky voice, rubbing his fingers along her waistline. “I’m so darn happy to have your hands on me and to know we don’t have to stop.”

  When she met his eyes, the cobalt blue was the same color as the blue flames in the fire he’d lit. The room was too warm—like her. “Show me, Jake.”

  He took her hand and pressed it hard against his chest. His skin was hot, and she wondered if hers was too. His fingers guided her touch in slow passes up and down those defined muscles. The power he represented as a man made her breathless.

  She leaned forward to press her lips to his chest, and the muscles jumped. His breathing changed to a harsh rasp.

  “Too much?”

  “Not nearly,” he drawled, helping her to her feet. “How about we get you out of that fabulous black dress. I really want to touch you, Susannah.”

  Her lungs filled with more air at his words, and then she exhaled deeply. She wanted him to touch her too, but she was in a dress, which meant she was going to be standing before him in her underwear. Well, they were going to end up naked, so what in the world was she dithering about?

  Before she could lose her nerve, she turned around and lifted her hair over her shoulder. “Would you unzip me?”

  “It would be my pleasure,” he drawled, and so he did.

  The zipper went down as slowly as a drop of honey down the honey jar. He pressed kisses against each inch of skin he exposed, sending pulses of heat through her body. When her dress dropped to her waist, she forced herself to push it the rest of the way over her hips. It pooled at her feet, and she stepped out of it and kicked off her heels. For a moment, she was afraid to turn around. Then Jake’s hands settled on the roundness of her hips, and she knew he was looking his fill.

  “You are so beautiful,” he said, kissing her shoulder blades.

  Right now, she could only be grateful she’d chosen a matching bra and panties. Then his hands slid around her front, settling against her stomach as he pressed the hard, hot line of his body against her own.

  Every muscle south of the Mason-Dixon line tightened and then became liquid. His mouth settled against her neck and lit a trail of fire there.

  “How does that feel?” he asked.

  “Like heaven,” she answered with complete honesty.

  “Good,” he said, nipping her nape. “Let’s see if we can expand on that.”

  She wasn’t sure how to expand on heaven, but when his hands slid up her belly to cup her breasts, she decided she needed a new word. He ran his thumbs over the gentle rise of her cleavage, and she shivered. Suddenly, she was desperate to have his hands on her bare flesh. The strength and insistence of the urge shocked her.

  “You can take off my bra, if you’d like,” she said softly.

  He kissed her neck. “I was planning on getting to that in a little while.”

  A little while seemed too far away. “Why wait?”

  “Well, now,” he said, kissing her neck. “Music to my ears.”

  Her bra tightened as he undid the back clasp and then she tugged it down her arms and let it slide to the floor by her dress. His hands slid up her ribcage, and she held her breath until his hands settled over her bare breasts. For some reason, his hands seemed even hotter than before. And then he rubbed her nipples with his fingers, and her head fell back against his chest.

  She bit her lip to hold back a moan, but the sound emerged despite her efforts when he executed a delicate tugging motion.

  “Don’t hold back from me,” he whispered against her ear. “I want to hear everything you’re feeling when I touch you. I promise to let you hear me too. Let’s make some music together, Susannah.”

  She hadn’t thought about the musical quality of lovemaking before, but it immediately made sense to her. There would be different notes of passion from bass to alto, and the underlying beat of their hearts would serve as the percussion.

  “I want that too. Touch me, Jake.”

  He turned her around, and she met his gaze. His eyes lowered so he could take in her body. Suddenly she felt self-conscious, but his hand was gentle and worshipping as it ran down her chest to the top of her underwear. Her breath froze, and he looked up.

  “I want to touch you here,” he said, rubbing his fingers over the waistband.

  She gulped. He’d always stayed away from that level of intimacy before. “Then do.”

  Without taking his eyes off her face, he cupped her. Her breath shattered at the sensation his hand created. The shiver she gave this time came from deep within her.

  He sank to his knees in front of her, and she pretty much stopped breathing. His hands cupped her hips, and he pressed a kiss to her belly. Another quiver rippled through her, and he raised his head to look at her again. On his face was the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen.

  “You have no idea how much I want you. But we should probably discuss something important before we get too… ah…are you okay with me using condoms? I didn’t want to assume you were on birth control. You being a virgin and all.”

  Good Lord. She was an idiot. How in the world could she have forgotten something as important as that?

  “Unless you want to start a family right away?” he asked, watching her face closely. “I want a family with you. I want it more than anything. But I…want us to have our time, and if I’m being honest, I want more time to work on my issues.”

  The edge in his voice told her how much courage it must have taken for him to propose to her. He was still worried about his PTSD, but he’d decided not to let it dictate his happiness.

  “I’d like us to have our time too,” she assured him. And truth be told, she didn’t want to be pregnant on her wedding day. “We can start our family when we’re both ready.”

  He let out the breath he was holding, and she put her arms around him and waited for him to settle. When he did, he cupped her face and kissed her long and sweet.

  “Let me grab some condoms,” he said, his blue eyes darker now.

  Condoms? Plural? She shivered. She could barely think past this first time. It was like the old adage. Once she opened the barn door…

  When he returned, he held out his hand to her. “Come, my beautiful fiancée. Let me love you by the fire.”

  The fire’s glow touched her skin as she lay down beside it. Jake sank onto the rug with her, and they were both on their sides. Her back was to the fire, and she felt the heat from the flames tickling her. Then she realized it was his fingertips running playfully across her bare skin. He kissed her again, and she kissed him, letting the last of her nerves float away like the fragrant smoke from the fire.

  An urgency was building inside her, and she finally gave herself permission to surrender to it.

  “Why don’t you take your slacks off?” she whispered against his mouth.

  He rolled onto his back and made quick work of them. The soft glow of firelight played against his broad, muscular body, revealing his briefs and the more than adequate bulge in them. The heat in her body seemed to radiate out from deep inside her.

  “You’re so handsome,” she said, staring at the muscles rippling as he stretched out beside her. “Sometimes I can’t believe how gorgeous you are.”

  His finger playfully tapped her nose. “I feel that way about you. You take my breath away, and seeing you like this, all bare and soft and beautiful with the fire touching your skin…I still can’t believe yo
u’re mine.”

  Because she wanted to—or, really, because she couldn’t help herself—she laid her hand on the smooth expanse of his muscled thigh. “Make me yours, Jake.”

  “Oh, honey,” he said in a husky voice. “Let me show you how good it’s going to be between us.”

  She took his hand and pressed it between her legs in a bold move, giving his permission to take things further. “Let’s take these off.”

  His eyes flickered to hers. “Mind if I help?”

  “Please.” And this time she did gulp as she rose up on her knees and helped him lower the panties down her thighs. It was a bit awkward, untangling them from that position, but she managed.

  “How do you feel about me taking off my briefs?” he asked when she lay back down on her side.

  Being bare in front of him made her feel vulnerable. But where there was true love, there were no barriers.

  “I think that’s a good idea,” she said in a voice she didn’t recognize.

  The corner of his mouth turned up, and he made quick work of freeing himself. His erection was huge and awe inspiring, if she were being honest. He let her look her fill, not speaking until her eyes darted to his.

  “It’s not going to hurt you,” he said softly. “Except maybe at first. I hope not much.”

  Now she really was being a ninny. “I know. I’ve just never…” Jeez. How was she supposed to admit this? “I’ve never seen one…like this…in person.”

  She could tell he was fighting a smile. “It only wants to please you, like I do. Remember that.” Then his eyes darkened. “If you need us to slow down, say the word. We have all night.”

  They did. And they were engaged. She’d agreed to marry him, and they were going to make love tonight. She needed to buck up. “I love being with you. Show me how much I’m going to love this.”

  His smile returned, bold and bright in the firelight. “You really are going to love this, honey. That much I can promise you.”

  Then he leaned down and took her right nipple in his mouth until she writhed against him. He lowered her to her back and switched to the other breast. Her back arched, and when it did, his hand slid between her legs and parted her thighs. The first pass of his fingers against the intimate part of her was a shock, but heavens, it felt so good she was helpless to do anything but utter a moan when he showed her how her body was made to respond. Between the press of his mouth and his hand, she grew more urgent. Downright needy in fact.