She drew in a long, silent breath, pulled her eyes away and focused on Precious who was talking with the little boy who’d joined her at the pond. Michelle tried to keep her mind off of the irresistible man lying next to her, but as the moments slipped by, her desire to curl up next to him and throw her arms about him, grew more and more intense. She was about to push to her feet to go join Precious and the boy when she felt a firm grip on her arm.
“Running out on me, Sweet Brown Sugar?”
She looked back to see his sexy lips spread into a grin. Turning all the way around, she perched on her knees. “I thought you were sleeping.”
He rose up on an elbow, gazing at her through hooded eyes. “It’s kind of hard to relax with a drop-dead beauty sitting next to me and not be able to do what I want to do to her.”
“What do you want to do to me?”
“I want to do a lot of things to you, Michelle Carter, and none of them are decent.”
“Tell me,” she whispered.
“I want to hold you, kiss you, and feel you melt under me like I know you would. I want to make love to you here, under the blue sky, with the warm breeze brushing our naked skin. I want to hear husky little moans coming from your belly as I caress and kiss my way down your lean soft body. I want to gaze deep into your fiery eyes as I enter you for the first time and feel your slick hot flesh grip my big hard—”
“Erik...” It was a tormented whisper, full of wanting and hoping.
“Excuse me.”
CHAPTER TEN
Michelle jerked around at the sound of the intrusive voice. She tried to catch her breath as she looked up into the freckled face of the woman they’d seen when they first arrived at the pond.
She had the worst timing. And God, she didn’t know Erik could speak so…. so, uncouthly. It was so darn erotic. Her panties were soaked; her breasts ached with craving, and her nipples, hard now, tingled with anticipation. She was ready to explode.
“I couldn't help noticing you,” the woman said in a friendly voice.
Michelle shook the sensuous thoughts from her head.
“You make such a beautiful couple and your daughter is gorgeous,” she continued. “It’s good to see young people so happily in love.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Thanks for the lovely compliment, but we’re—”
“Your young man seems like a fine lad.” Erik climbed to his feet, holding his hand out to help Michelle up, giving her a silencing wink of the eye. He enveloped her left hand in his right.
The woman gazed at the children as they tried to catch a mallard duck that kept eluding them. She placed wrinkled, age-spotted hands on her hips. “That’s my grandson, Justin. His parents are divorced and live three hundred miles apart. Justin lives with his mother, so I’m taking him to visit his father, my son, for two weeks. Divorce is so hard on children.” She looked down at Erik and Michelle’s entangled fingers. “Your little angel would never have to worry about losing either one of you. Watching the two of you together is like watching a summer sunset splattered across the horizon. The love you share is rich, deep and colorful, and long after the sun is gone, the iridescence remains. You will have a long and happy life together.”
“You talk like a poetess,” Erik commented, looping their joined hands around Michelle’s waist as the woman’s words permeated his brain. She’d confirmed what he’d felt in his bones, but hearing it from a stranger somehow brought the foggy images to a full circle of understanding. He kissed the top of Michelle’s head, wishing he were free to make her truly his.
“Oh, I’m no poetess. I just know love when I see it.” The woman gazed off over the pond. “I’d better be going. I have another two hours of driving, and you two lovebirds look like you want to be alone. Enjoy the great weather.” She walked back to her picnic table, calling out to her grandson.
Michelle pulled away from Erik, crossed her arms, and sucked in a deep, shuddering breath. “Why did you let that woman think I’m your wife and mother of your daughter?”
“It was simpler than giving a long explanation of the truth,” he replied, bending down to gather the remains of their lunch and pack everything back into the basket and cooler. “I’m tired of people expressing their regret about my dead wife. Besides, you are like a mother to Precious. You do everything a mother does for her. More than some, actually. Furthermore, you just admitted to loving her.”
“I’m not your wife, Erik. You shouldn’t go around telling people that I am.”