Sparks Fly(Divine Creek Ranch 11)(42)

“Is it possible this is depression brought on by stress, lack of sleep, and hormones?”

“Yes. I guess I’m just not willing to admit it. How did you know?”

“Besides the symptoms, your mom told me to watch for it. She thought you might be getting depressed. She said she suffered from it too, when you were a baby.”

Rachel looked up at him in shock. “When did she say that? All she’s ever told me was that she was so happy when I was born. She couldn’t get enough of me when I was an infant. She’d never felt more blessed. Mom never said anything about having postpartum depression.”

In the light of the moon, Rachel could clearly see his smile and the light reflecting in the pale gray of his eyes. “Angel, did you hear yourself? You just told me you felt all the same things. You were happy when Levi was born. You can’t get enough of him. You said yourself you’ve never felt more blessed. It’s possible to feel all those things and still be depressed. It’s a product of all those factors I mentioned. Plus, you’re being really hard on yourself, and pushing yourself too much. Take today for instance. You insisted that you could handle all the activities that were planned.”

“I have in the past.”

“But not when you’re feeling under par. Where is it written that we had to be present for the whole day?”

“But then I miss all the fun.”

“It’s not fun to watch you fight tears, angel. I wondered how long you’d last. Although, it was nice to see you singing with Michael. I had a feeling you’d crater eventually but didn’t want you to think I was curtailing your freedom. The temperature got to one hundred four degrees today, which didn’t help, either. We’re going home after the fireworks, and then you can get a full night’s rest.”

“We’ll see. Maybe I’ll bounce back now that the sun has gone down. I love you, Eli.”

She tightened her arms around his neck and kissed beneath his jaw bone. His five o’clock shadow scraped against her lips and made them tingle. When she licked them she tasted a hint of salt, and her mouth watered. His masculine scent permeated her senses, and she nestled close to him, smiling at the warmth growing in her core. Maybe she wasn’t dead inside after all.

Eli squeezed her tight. “I love you too, angel. I wish I’d talked with you about this sooner. At times you seemed to struggle then other times seemed to be okay. Since you had Levi, I think you’re even more beautiful, more…womanly and sexier than ever.”

Rachel stuck her fingernail into the stubborn pudge that remained at her abdomen. “You find this sexy?”

Eli frowned and smoothed his hand over her soft abdomen and around her hip to her ass cheek in a sensual caress. “Don’t be so hard on this body. I love it. And a few pounds doesn’t change that.”

“But I—”

Eli smiled and swiped a strand of hair from her forehead. “You what?”

“I jiggle when I move. When we make love…” Things wobbled now that had been firm before.

A soft growl rasped from his throat, and a thrill rippled up her spine at the sexy sound. “I know. You’re so soft. I’ve always loved holding you and it didn’t matter if it was before Levi, while you were pregnant, or after he was born. I’d hold you tighter, but I’m afraid of hurting you. This soft, beautiful body you just criticized is my idea of heaven on earth, so go easy on it.” Rachel hadn’t felt herself blush in a while, but her cheeks warmed as she listened to his heartfelt words. He squeezed her as if to punctuate his statement. “And if you don’t stop wiggling on my lap I’m going to have to show you just how much I love it.”

“Oh, yeah? Do you love it this much?” She held up her index fingers about three inches apart. “Or this much?” She giggled and spaced them only slightly farther apart while shifting her hips back and forth on the hard ridge beneath her ass.

“Angel,” Eli growled warningly as he pressed back against her. Rachel sighed happily as her pussy warmed and swelled with desire for him.

“This much?” She felt naughty as she spread her fingers a good ten inches apart. “I could handle this much for sure.” Her cunt quivered in agreement.

Rachel heard a distant sizzle as a rocket shot straight up into the air and exploded into a brilliant, white sparkling mass before being replaced by three more in red, white, and blue.

Eli groaned and flexed against her again and pressed his lips to her temple. “And I’d love to give it to you.”

“Are we secluded enough here? It’s completely dark.” Someone turned on a car radio down the hill, and she could hear patriotic music playing.