Mystery Lover(27)

He looked down at the knot in the sash of her robe. Absently tugging at  it, he said, "I didn't imagine your place would be large enough for  two." The knot fell apart and the robe fell open. He slid it off her  shoulders and let it drop on the chair by the bed. "My place isn't  suitable, either. I've never cared about where I lived. I spend so  little time there."

Chad found the small catch of her zipper underneath the collar of her  pajamas. He tugged at it and watched with interest as it followed a path  between her breasts, past her navel and down until it reached the top  of her thighs.

Sliding his hands along her shoulders he eased the one-piece pajamas off  her shoulders and arms and the garment fell in a heap around her  ankles.

Jennifer stood before him quietly while he gazed at her beauty.

He touched the tip of her breast with one finger and watched it react to  him. She could tell that he was not unaffected by his own actions. She  had long since given up trying to control her uneven breathing. Her body  quivered with every beat of her heart.

Chad leaned down and gently touched his lips first to one breast, then  the other. He looked up at her, his eyes shining with love and  tenderness and desire. "So I made an appointment with a realtor  tomorrow, late tomorrow, to go look at houses. Or if you'd rather check  out some condominiums, that's up to you." He pulled her unresisting body  against him. "I've decided that I spend entirely too much time  traveling. I have two other men who could help balance that load. And if  they don't want to do it, I can always hire someone else who wants to  travel."

So Chad had given a great deal of thought to their new situation. She  should have known. He was a man who made his living solving problems.  Their living arrangements had probably been a snap for him.

Jennifer began to unfasten his shirt buttons. His touch had already  started its magical work on her. She wanted to feel him against her.  When he stepped back and unfastened his belt, she quickly pulled the  covers back from the bed.

They wouldn't need those heavy blankets. Jennifer had a hunch she was going to be warm enough without them.

"Oh, yes, there is something else," he said, reaching into his pants  pocket. Once he stepped out of them and draped them over the bed, Chad  held out his hand. Lying on his palm was a gold wedding band,  intricately carved and studded with diamonds. Taking her left hand, he  slipped the ring onto her third finger.

Raising her hand he kissed it, then looked at her with love-filled eyes.  "Thank you for marrying me, Mrs. Cameron. I'm looking forward to many  happy years together with you."

She smiled and hugged him around the waist. "I have a hunch that the pleasure is going to be all mine."





Epilogue


Contents - Prev Sunshine?"

"Hmm?"

"You've got to help me. " 'Wha's wrong?" Jennifer mumbled, still more than half asleep.

"1 can't move."

She shifted lazily in bed without opening her eyes. "Why not?"

"I'm being held captive by a wild jungle animal."

"Of course you are," she agreed sleepily, and buried her head deeper into her pillow.

"Don'tyou care?"

"I always care about you, love."

"Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

"Tell him to move," she mumbled.

"I tried that."

"Wha' happened?"

"He licked my ear."

She smiled into her pillow. "Tha's a good sign. Means he likes you."

"What would he do if he didn't like me?"

"He would never have let you near my bed. He's a trained attack cat."  She finally opened her eyes and had to bite her lip-hard-to keep from  laughing.

Chad was on his stomach, his head buried in his pillow. Sam had  obviously taken the wide expanse of bare back as an invitation to  stretch out, which he had done. Now Sam lay sprawled on top of Chad,  occasionally reaching out enough to lick Chad's exposed ear.

While Jennifer watched, Sam waved his bushy tail regally in the air.

"It's no longer your bed, Sunshine. It is now our bed. Do you think you  could explain that to him? I have just as much right to be here as he  does. " Since Chad was facing the other way he didn't know that Jennifer  was now awake and enjoying the sight of him taking up a good-size  portion of her bed.                       
       
           



       

"He knows that. See how willing he is to share with you?" she pointed out with a grin.

Jennifer stretched and almost fell off the bed. Maybe they should consider purchasing a king-size one for their new home.

"No way." Those words were the first ones he had spoken that morning.  The sound so startled Sam that he leaped off the bed and ran into the  other room.

Jennifer moved closer to Chad's side and began to rub the wide expanse that Sam had just vacated. "What do you mean, no way?"

"No king-size bed. I like being close enough to find you without hunting all over the bed."

"I see. You may not be able to find me one of these days after you've  nudged me over the edge. I'll have to end up sleeping on the couch."

He turned his head and saw her watching him, her smile gentle. "Do I really crowd you so much?" he asked, concerned.

"Well, let's face it. Neither one of us is used to sharing a bed." She  paused for a moment with a look of inquiry on her face. "At least I'm  not."

"You know damned well I'm not. I've lived practically my entire life as a  monk, just because of you." He grinned. "I was always afraid of what  you might be able to pick up and I didn't want to shock you,  particularly when you were so much younger.''

"I find that a little hard to believe, you know. Especially after that  weekend in Vegas, not to mention the demonstration of your expertise  these past several hours." They had gotten very little sleep the night  before. Jennifer was a little surprised that she felt so marvelous this  morning. She shook her head in mock concern at his relaxed position.  "It's no wonder you're exhausted."

Chad turned over so that he was facing her. He slipped his hand along  the nape of her neck and gently tugged. She fell against him with a  breathless chuckle.

"You are a very apt student, you know," he admitted a few minutes later.

She raised her head slightly, enjoying the relaxed and contented look on his face.

"Do you really think so, Mr. Cameron? I appreciate those kind words, I  really do. Does this mean I can expect my usual end-of-the-year bonus?"

Chad grabbed her and rolled over so that she was pinned to the bed. She  started laughing at the look on his face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It was  just a joke, you know, a little fun and-"

"So you want a bonus, do you?"

His nonverbal response involved the total attention of them both for an  extended period of time. Sam, peering through the doorway, was disgusted  by the lack of attention he was receiving from his roommate. He stalked  into the kitchen and waited by his empty food dish, feeling totally  ignored.

Sam wondered if he could convince them that he deserved a friend of his  own. Eyeing the door to the bedroom speculatively, he thought he might  give it a try.