The Doctor's Secret Bride(87)

“Okay. I’d like that. I’ve never been to the Cape.”

“Then it’s settled. We’ll leave ASAP.” He started walking toward the house. “I thought about leaving Precious with Felicia just so I could have you to myself, but she and Dad have plans.” A relaxed smile curved his lips as he spoke of his parents.

“Those two aren’t wasting any time.” Michelle giggled beside him.

“They’ve been in love for forty years. They’ve sacrificed their love to keep others from being hurt. They deserve some happiness together.”

Michelle rested her hand on his arm. “As do you,” she said, staring up at him as they stood at the front door.

“You make me happy.” He cupped her chin, leaned down, and brushed his lips lightly over hers. Electricity sizzled between them. “Go pack. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can start enjoying each other.” He slapped her playfully on her buttocks, opened the door, and pushed her inside.#p#分页标题#e#

“I love you,” she said, the warmth of her smile echoing in her voice as she looked back at him.

Erik walked toward his study. He had to let the hospital know where he would be in case of an emergency. He prayed to God there’d be none. He needed some time, one uninterrupted weekend with his family. As he opened the door of the study, Erik gasped as if he’d been slammed in the gut with a sledgehammer.

He’d just referred to himself, Michelle, and Precious as a family.

Involuntarily, his gaze wandered over the fireplace to meet his late wife’s brown eyes. She wanted him to be happy, according to his mother. She wanted him to find someone new to love and care for him and their child.

Michelle’s love for Precious and him was pure and strong. She had brought so much joy into his sad, pathetic life, so much inner peace to his soul. She had filled his world with so much light he couldn’t remember it ever being dark. She made his heart sing with delight, his flesh dance with enthusiasm. And she trusted him.

Erik strolled to the fireplace and unhinged the painting of his former wife from its hook. He stared at her long and hard, awed that the bevy of emotions he usually felt when he gazed at her were gone.

He opened the closet door and placed the painting inside.

***

“Alone at last.” Erik eased down next to Michelle on the sofa.

She laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his that circled her upper body. It felt so good, so natural cuddled up to him.

The night had turned a bit chilly, so Erik had lit a fire—the only light in the room—that now crackled softly in the fireplace behind them. They sat quietly for a while, just enjoying each other’s presence, as they gazed out the sliders at the ocean, and listened to the mellow sounds of waves lapping at the stretch of white beach.

“Are you sure Precious is asleep?” Michelle asked as Erik began massaging her arms in very slow motion, spurting excitement inside her. Even though they were away from Amherst, they had to be careful for Precious.

“The poor darling is worn out. Was snoring before I finished reading two pages of her book.”

Michelle giggled. “Well, you did make her play volleyball with those kids on the beach this afternoon—for two long hours, Erik, just to make sure she wouldn’t protest when you sent her to bed. I felt sorry for the poor kid.”

He chuckled. “She enjoyed it. She told me she had fun. It was the last thing she said before she fell asleep.”

“Sure, try to justify your actions, Dr. LaCrosse.” Michelle’s mouth twisted with humorous displeasure as she turned her head and gazed up at him.

“Well, if I didn’t come up with a master plan, Mrs. LaCrosse—” His hands moved in from her arms to her chest and he gently caressed her breasts through her blouse. “We wouldn’t be able to do this until after midnight.”

“Hmm, I see what you mean,” Michelle murmured as her skin started to tingle under his touch. She dropped her hands to his thighs and massaged the hard muscles there. He felt like polished marble under her soft palm. “I definitely wouldn’t want to wait until midnight for this.”

“I knew you’d see it my way, darling.” He chuckled, picked her up and placed her across his lap, facing him. He dragged his hands up her legs along her thighs that flanked his sides and brought them to rest on her buttocks. “Feel that?” he asked in a husky voice as he moved her gently up and down, back and forth on his erection. “Feel what you do to me, Mrs. LaCrosse?”

Michelle licked her lips as fire swept through her veins. “Yes, I feel that, and I like what I do to you.”#p#分页标题#e#