“I love you and I want us to spend the rest of our lives together. I want to raise a family.” He rested his hand on her flat stomach. “I want to watch you round with my child. Watch our children grow, a fiery redheaded daughter with your smile and a son with my handsome face.”
She couldn’t help but laugh softly and her mind conjured up the picture he painted.
“I want to grow old together for I know age will never diminish your beauty. Your smile will always light my heart, your green eyes will always entice me. It couldn’t be any other way. I love you that much.”
His declaration warmed her heart. Someone to laugh with and someone to cry with, someone to love you through the good and the bad times. Someone you can always count on being there for you even if you haven’t done the same for him.
Rogan.
His name reverberated through her mind. He had been there for her even before they had wed. She had never had to seek his help. He offered it generously and genuinely.
“Take your time to answer. That tells me there is hope.”
She had a lot to consider.
“I want to hold you, let me hold you.”
Did she dare move closer to him? Would he think she forgave him?
“I love you,” he said again. “And I plan on telling you that every day for the rest of our lives.”
She stared at him.
“You still find it difficult to believe?”
“If you had been truthful with me from the beginning I would not have difficulty now. You told me once you loved me and I believed you with my whole heart, only to discover it was a ruse for you to benefit by.”
She shook her head. “Why? Why couldn’t you have told me the truth from the start?”
“I did what I thought was best.”
“For whom?”
“For all.”
“You were wrong,” she said.
“No I wasn’t. I planned for everything except—”
She waited.
He finally rolled over. He braced his body against her side and took hold of her chin, squeezing lightly. “I never planned to fall in love with you, but I thank God every day that I did.”
He leaned over her, bracing his hands on the sides of her head, and lowered his mouth to hers. He brushed his lips with hers and sighed.
“Tasting you is like dusting fire with sweet wine. It fuels the flames. One kiss isn’t enough, one touch isn’t enough, one coupling will never do.”
He made her passion soar, teasing her lips with promised kisses, never tasting deeply, only skimming the surface and causing her to ache with need for him.
She groaned and tossed her head to the side, a mistake. He nibbled along her neck, sending gooseflesh trembling over her entire body before traveling down to suckle at her nipples through the linen night shift until they were so hard they pulsed.
“Tell me to stop, Aliss.”
She couldn’t find the words. They refused to leave her throat.
He moved down, kissing her midriff, while working her night shift up along her body and exposing her stomach, which he nipped and nibbled on until she squirmed.
“Tell me to stop,” he warned again.
“No.” She breathed a heavy sigh.
“No, don’t stop?”
“Damn you, Rogan.”
“You don’t want me inside you?”
His husky query sounded like an erotic invitation and quickly she said, “Yes.” But changed it just as quickly to, “No.”
His fingers found his way gently inside her. “I think you do want me.”
She groaned when he flicked her tight little bud with his tongue. Then he did it again and again and again.
“Damn it, Rogan.”
His finger deep inside her matched the thrust of his tongue and she thought she would go insane from her uncontrollable mounting passion.
She was lost, completely lost, and he was her only way out.
“Please,” she begged.
“I do this because I love you.”
He thrust his tongue inside her, and if it were not for his hands grasping her bottom firmly, she would have vaulted off the bed. He made love to her as she had never thought possible, bringing her pleasure after pleasure while ignoring his own needs.
And when he finished he took her in his arms and held her until the ripples of passion faded and she drifted into a restful slumber.
Aliss woke feeling wonderful. She stretched herself awake and smiled.
“You slept well?”
Aliss’s cheeks beamed bright red as she turned to face her husband.
He smiled and got up from his chair to walk over to sit on the bed beside her.
She wanted to hide beneath the blanket, not only recalling the intimacy of last night, but feeling herself grow wet with wanting him yet again.
“I was unfair with you last night.”
She shook her head vehemently.