Tamara blinked. "But . . . Johnny hates the Monroes. And I know this has to be uncomfortable for you. You know I loved Pete."
"I know that, Tammy. But you're a young and attractive woman with a lot of years in front of you. I don't expect you to be a martyr and spend those alone. All I want is for you to be happy and for Johnny and me to continue to be a part of our grandkids' lives."
"Of course. Absolutely. I can't imagine my life or the kids' lives without you in it." She meant that sincerely. "I love both of you."
Beth teared up and squeezed her hands harder. "We love you, too. You're the daughter I never had."
"That's not going to change."
They hugged, and when Beth pulled back, she tried to blink away her tears as she told Tamara, "Pete would have wanted you to be happy, too."
"I know." She did. Pete had been self-absorbed, but he had loved her, and his children, and he wouldn't want her to be miserable.
Beth studied her. "You really are in love, aren't you?"
Tamara nodded and gave a fresh sob. It's seemed like a good reason to shed some more tears.
"Oh, no." Johnny's voice came from behind them. "What the devil has you two crying now?"
Tamara froze. She did not want her father-in-law's wrath coming down on her right at the moment.
But Beth just smiled and whispered, "Don't worry. I'll handle it. You just make your plans.
It will all be fine."
TAMARA had no idea what Beth had said to Johnny, or done to him, she supposed, but whatever it was it had worked because despite the fact that Beth had picked up her kids solo, Tamara had just arrived in Daytona with Elec in Ryder's private plane.
Contrary to Ryder's teasing suggestion, they hadn't used that particular piece of his property to have sex, but to be fair, they probably would have had Ryder, Ty, and Evan not been sitting in the plane with them.
Elec was clearly chomping at the bit to get her alone and have his way with her, and she couldn't say she objected to that in the least. He had reminded her at least twelve times that it had been ten days since they had had sex.
She was well aware of that fact and wished he would stop referencing that unfortunate little reality.
When they got to the hotel, Elec didn't waste time stating the obvious anymore. Nor did he give her a chance to do more than give the room a quick glance before he had dumped their suitcases on the floor and pulled her into his arms.
"Whoa," she said, when he squeezed her so tightly she feared for her ribs. "Slow down."
"No." Elec kissed her mouth, her temples, her nose.
Tamara laughed, then pulled back and looked at him. What she saw on his face cut her giggles short. He was so intense, so serious, so focused on her. There was something in his eyes that was different, that was beyond desire. It was a look that told her what they were sharing was special, that their connection was real, solid, wonderful.
Any reservations she might have still had about dating a race car driver disappeared. She was willing to push aside fear to be with him because that look made everything inside her soften and hush in appreciation, and in reciprocation. God, she had fallen in love with him, and she wanted to show him that.
There was one action that she knew would speak louder than words.
So she stepped back and pulled off her sleeveless red shirt and tossed it to the floor.
Elec's eyes darkened. "I'm liking that," he said.
"Then you should like this even more," she said, and undid her jeans and stepped out of them.
"I do," he said.
When he tried to reach for her and pull her against him, Tamara backed up to evade him and smiled. "Just a minute. I'm not naked yet."
Elec groaned. "You're killing me."
What she was doing was setting aside her insecurities and letting him know that she trusted him, that she loved him, that she felt absolutely sexy and beautiful in front of him. To that end, she licked her lips and slid her bra straps down her arms. Watching him watching her, enjoying the way his breath hitched and his gaze darted over her body, she undid her bra and let it drop.
A little push and her panties were gone, too. Tamara didn't know a damn thing about modeling or posing, but she figured good posture always helped, and when she dug her hands into her hair to pull it back off her face, she was rewarded with a curse from Elec. It really wasn't all that difficult to be totally naked in broad daylight with Elec.
As a matter of fact, she was kind of enjoying it.
It felt sexy, powerful, to turn and walk to the bed, his eyes on her the whole way. Tamara climbed onto the mattress, taking satisfaction in the growl he gave as her tail end went up.
She rolled onto her side and propped her head up with the palm of her hand.
"You can touch me now."
Before she could even blink, he had his T-shirt off over his head, shoes and socks kicked off, jeans and boxer briefs down and out of the way, condom on. His efficiency amazed her, at the same time she wished he would give her just a little more time to check out his abs, his biceps, his rock-solid thighs.
But he clearly had a goal in mind and with no detour, Elec got on the bed and spread her legs.
"Do you mind if I take you hard right now?" he asked, poised over her, his erection resting against her wetness. "I want to feel you. I need to feel you."
Like she was going to say no to that? "Take me," she whispered.
"Thank you," he said, and thrust inside her.
Tamara moaned as he filled her. The stretch and give as he buried himself deep inside her was pure eye-rolling ecstasy. She lay slack on the bed, overwhelmed by sensation as he moved slowly, in and out, his arms surrounding her.
Looking up at Elec while he moved his body with hers, Tamara wanted all of him, harder, faster, wanted to be the one to move, to show him that she needed to feel him, too.
"Roll over," she told him.
Elec didn't even hesitate. Barely breaking rhythm, he took her in his arms and flipped their positions so that she straddled him. Lifting his head up, he kissed her, nipping her bottom lip, then he just lay back and waited for her to take control.
Shifting her knees a little for better leverage, Tamara moved herself on him, up and down slowly at first, then faster. She had none of her previous fears about being exposed in front of him. One glance down at Elec showed that he cared deeply about her, that he thought she was sexy and attractive. Better yet, she felt sexy. For the first time in her adult life, she understood that sexy was more a matter of confidence than physical appearance. That knowing her worth, being with a man like Elec and saying hell yeah, she was entitled to every inch of him, in return made her sexier to him.
So she put her palms flat on his muscular chest and rode him hard, until they were both moaning and Elec's skin was glistening with sweat. He met her rhythm, thrusting up into her to meet her hips with a hard slap.
"Oh, baby, that feels so damn good," Elec said.
It did. And Tamara couldn't hold back. Staring into those dark eyes that did such amazing things to her insides, overwhelmed by love, she came with a cry. Letting the sensation own her, she just held on as Elec thrust deep up into her and joined her with his own orgasm.
When the shudders had slowed, Tamara loosened her death grip on Elec and gave a small, satisfied laugh, all her muscles slack, her mind empty except for thoughts of him.
She decided she liked being on top after all.
ELEC thought the little laugh Tamara had given after she'd come had been the sexiest damn thing he'd ever heard. It had said to him that she totally trusted him, that she was comfortable enough, cared enough about him to let it all go.
As she lay on his chest, he pondered that, and what to do about all the feelings zipping around inside of him.
Elec didn't know if the timing was right. Hell, he'd never told any woman he loved her, ever, not even as a teenager, so he had no idea what was good timing. But all he knew was that he was so overflowing with emotion at the moment, that it made it right.
He loved her, deeply and intensely, with everything in him, in a way he had never thought possible, and he had to tell her.
So he rolled up on his side so he could look down at her and he said, "Tamara?"
"Yes?" She smiled up at him, her expression satisfied and sleepy and bemused.
It didn't matter if she didn't answer him in kind. He was okay with that. She had different baggage than him, and she had reasons to keep a tighter lid on her emotions, so he was prepared to get a smile or an "Oh, Elec," and nothing more.