Jean filled her coffee cup and returned to her desk. Monday was always a busy day for her. As manager of the personnel department at Jarvis Custom Furniture she had numerous reports that had to be filed and all the group health insurance claims to handle. She disliked dealing with the group insurance, but it was part of her job like so many other responsibilities that had been shoved on her. There were days when the personnel department almost seemed like a catch-all location when people didn’t know what to do with things.
When she first went to work for Matt Jarvis the company had only thirty employees, but during the ensuing years the company’s business had quickly grown to the point where there were now over three hundred full-time employees and another fifty part-time workers. What had been just Jean and one assistant handling all the office functions had become a separate personnel department with six employees in addition to Jean as the manager, which didn’t include the accounting department, the purchasing department, several secretaries and a receptionist. Although she appreciated Matt’s confidence in her capabilities, she had to admit that there were times when she felt he was taking advantage of her willingness to take on whatever new tasks he threw her way.
She leaned back in her chair, took a sip of her hot coffee and closed her eyes. She had spent a very unsettled night with her thoughts and feelings vacillating between the euphoric memories of the lovemaking she and Ry had shared and her fears about the seeming distance in his voice, all of it compounded by her continued concern about the possibility of being pregnant…remote as she hoped that possibility was. When they had danced at the wedding reception nothing else mattered to her other than the warmth and contentment she found in his arms. But when the physical contact wasn’t there her worries and fears would again try to take over. Her uncertainty about Ry’s feelings toward her, combined with her growing concern about the possibly of being pregnant, left her confused and uneasy about what to do and what to think.
“Jean, do you have a few minutes?”
Matt Jarvis’s voice drew her out of her thoughts. She looked up and her gaze immediately locked on Ry Collier standing next to Matt. The shock stunned her senses and left her momentarily speechless. Her astonishment at seeing Ry matched the surprised expression on his face. A little spark of panic tried to ignite deep inside her. Was this the four week project he had mentioned? Had Matt Jarvis hired him to overhaul Jarvis Custom Furniture? Was Ry Collier in a position to create havoc with her job as well as her personal life?
A sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach and stayed there. Every fiber of her being told her nothing good could come of this. Too many people had tried to control too many aspects of her life. First her grandmother, whose ultra strict, puritanical ways had prevented her from having many friends or participating in any activities while she was in school. Then her husband who demanded from her and never gave of himself, even though she had a full-time job outside the home. And finally her ill-fated love affair following her divorce. The man who at first seemed so perfect had managed to manipulate her into a position where he had isolated her from her friends and had her believing it was to her benefit. All of them had tried to control her life. After she had divorced herself from her husband and her cold grandmother and battled back from the depths of the disastrous relationship that followed, she had vowed she would never allow someone else to have that kind of control over her life again. Was Ry in a position to have that type of control? She tried to swallow her rising trepidation.
“Yes, of course. What can I do for you, Matt?” Her voice didn’t contain the confidence she had hoped it would. A nervous anxiety jittered through her body.
“I’d like to introduce you to Ry Collier. He’s a consultant I’ve hired to study all our manufacturing and office procedures and make recommendations for streamlining the department operations, improving our efficiency and instituting some cost-cutting measures. He’ll be here for the next four weeks. This week we’ll be floating from department to department to check the overall flow and operations, then he’ll spend several days in each individual department studying the procedures being used.”
Why hadn’t Ry told her it was Jarvis Custom Furniture he was evaluating? At least she could have mentally prepared herself for his arrival on the scene. Is that what his attentions over the past week were leading up to? Was his sole purpose in pursuing her nothing more than making sure he had an ally on the inside to support his recommendations? Did he think he could bulldoze his way over her and get what he wanted?
She took a steadying breath. That was ridiculous. She had to rein in her rampaging wild speculations before they got totally out of control. She tried to hide her anxiety. She didn’t want Matt Jarvis to know how totally out of control one of his department heads was at that moment. And she certainly didn’t want Ry to know how much his appearance at her job had unsettled her.
“I see.” She wasn’t sure how to handle the fact that she and Ry knew each other. Ry had made no mention of it when Matt had introduced them. She decided to do the same, at least until she could figure out exactly what his angle was in not having confided in her ahead of time. Was her job in jeopardy? Was her career about to be derailed? She needed some answers from Ry—some serious answers.
Matt turned to Ry and extended his hand. “You’ve met all the department heads now, so if you’ll excuse me I have a meeting to attend. I’m going to leave you in Jean’s capable hands. Whatever you need, she’ll be able to take care of it for you. I’ll see you later.”
Ry shook hands with Matt. “Thanks.” He gave a quick sideways glance at Jean and a wink. “I’m sure she’ll be a great help.”
Jean watched Matt until he turned the corner and was out of sight. After taking a quick look around her office to make sure no one could hear her, she shot an uncertain stare toward Ry. “What are you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me this was the four-week assignment you had accepted?”
He cocked his head and looked at her questioningly, his eyes seeming to search for any hint of what was going on inside her head. “For starters, you didn’t ask me. You also didn’t tell me you worked for Jarvis Custom Furniture. But either way, why should it make a difference? This is my job, it’s what I do for a living and I’m very good at it. I can assure you that I’ll treat you and everyone else who works here fairly and impartially. My only request is that our personal situation remain our private business. I don’t want anyone else to perceive our knowing each other as something to be either a benefit or detriment to the business at hand.”
Something about the way he had said treat you fairly and impartially sent a tremor of anxiety through her body. She recalled something he had said, something that was almost a throwaway-type of comment that didn’t have any significance at the time. It had to do with his unhappy childhood relationship with his father which had been responsible for his drive to become a success. Did that drive to succeed take precedence over everything else? Was it the reason he was a professed confirmed bachelor? That he didn’t have any room in his life for anything that would distract from his drive to succeed at business?
She nervously toyed with her coffee cup, then took another sip before responding. “Yes, I agree that any prior connection between us should remain our business and no one else’s, including Matt.”
“Good.” He sat on the edge of her desk, reached out and ran his fingertips across the back of her hand, then gave it a quick squeeze. “Now, before I get down to work let’s take care of one little bit of personal business. I’ll pick you up at seven o’clock tonight for dinner. We’ll go someplace casual. How does Italian food grab you?”
The second he initiated the physical contact between them, every fear and concern flew out of her head. Her words came out in a breathless whisper. “Seven will be fine and I love Italian food.”
“Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get to work. As Matt said, this first week I’ll be floating around the offices and the plant to observe the overall operational flow. I’ll see you later.”
Jean watched as he left her office. A sinking nervousness poked inside her. She tried to put it aside. Before she started on her daily routine, she gathered her staff and informed them about Ry’s presence and what he would be doing over the next four weeks.
She saw Ry a few times during the course of the day, but it was always on an official business level. He ate in the lunchroom with the rest of the employees, but had chosen a table by himself and appeared to be making notes and working while eating. He seemed so intense, so absorbed in his work. Was this the real Ry Collier? The man who controlled everything around him? Including her future?
About midafternoon Ry retreated to a small office Matt had provided for his use during his four-week stay. He poured a cup of coffee, then settled in at the desk. He made notes on what he had observed, prepared questions he would be asking the next day and began to assimilate the information into the overall structure of his final report.
He leaned back in his chair and took a drink from his coffee cup. It had been a very informative first day. Matt had been right. The company was in desperate need of reorganization and updating of procedures as part of the restructuring. He was certainly going to have his hands full in coming up with an overall restructuring recommendation that wouldn’t seem as if he was tearing the entire company apart and rebuilding it. Matt had explained to him that the company had suddenly exploded with success and expanded faster than he could keep up with it, which left him scrambling to meet the needs of his customers and his employees. He had finally come to the realization that even though the company was on sound financial footing, treating the symptoms wasn’t going to make things right. He needed a cure and Ry was the person he had chosen to supply it.
Ry’s mind turned to thoughts of dinner that night, of being with Jean. So many times during the day he had wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her, to hold her body tightly against his, to revel in the sensation of her nearness. He knew he had to keep their personal relationship separate from his business interests. Was the temptation of being near her all day without being able to touch her going to be more than he could handle? It was a question that left him uneasy.
He glanced at his watch, then gathered his notes and files. After placing them in his attaché case, he left Jarvis Custom Furniture and returned to his hotel suite. It had been a very enlightening first day on the job, but his thoughts no longer focused on work.
He changed from his suit to jeans and a sweater. With Bill and Susan married and on their honeymoon, he was looking forward to a quiet and relaxing evening with Jean without the underlying stress of the wedding. The surprise of her involvement in his current business project would not put a damper on their evening together. After all, that was only a temporary work assignment and certainly didn’t have anything to do with them personally.
He closed his eyes and visualized a quiet little Italian restaurant with a candlelit dinner and then an after-dinner drink in front of the fireplace at Jean’s condo—an evening with just the two of them, an evening where they could shut out the world and concentrate only on each other. More than anything he wanted her back in his arms.
Thoughts tried to push into his mind, thoughts about the future, about where he and Jean were headed, but he shoved them aside. Tonight was for the present, not the future. It was for just the two of them. A little twinge of something, he wasn’t sure exactly what, shivered up his back. Somewhere along the line his emotions had become so intertwined with his desires that it was becoming more and more difficult to separate them in his mind.
He shook his head to clear away the confusion. He had a couple of hours yet before he would be picking up Jean. He needed to use that time to finish putting his notes in order from the day’s observations.
Ry worked quickly and efficiently, making maximum use of his time. As seven o’clock neared, he put his work materials away and left the hotel. Thoughts of Jean filled his mind as he drove to her condo. Tremors of excitement darted through his body as he rang her doorbell. Tonight would be just for the two of them. A moment later she opened the door.
Any and all concerns and apprehensions Jean might have been harboring about both her existing personal and newly initiated work relationship with Ry melted the moment she saw him standing there. He stepped inside, pulled her into his arms, then shoved the door shut with his foot. His mouth instantly found hers, infusing her with a heated kiss that spoke of pure passion plus something else, some hidden longing she couldn’t identify. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kiss with an equal amount of passion.
Her senses tingled with a nearly out of control excitement as his tongue brushed against hers. Tremors of anticipation raced through her body recalling the night they had made love. She melted into him. His kiss deepened as he caressed her shoulders. She ran her fingers through his thick hair. Whatever he wanted, she would willingly give.
Then just as she began to entertain thoughts of making love with Ry instead of going out to dinner, a quick surge of panic invaded the sensual fog that surrounded her, pulling her back to reality. She took a step back, breaking off the delicious kiss.
“Ry…I think…” The heated flush of excitement spread across her cheeks and forehead. Everything about him—the sound of his voice, the sight of him, the sensation of his touch, the fire of his kiss—pushed her senses into overload. Somehow she had to be strong. She had to resist the all-too-temping seduction that continually reached out from him and grabbed her whenever they were together. She loved him, but even after they had made love she still didn’t have any idea where his emotions stood.
He took a steadying breath, acquiescing to her unspoken words. “You’re right. We should probably get going if we’re planning on having dinner. Are you ready?”
“Yes, I’m ready.” She flashed an engaging smile, partly to cover the inner panic that continued to shove at her, doing battle with her desires. “And I’m hungry.”
They drove to a little Italian restaurant in the Pioneer Square Historic District where they were seated in a quiet alcove away from the most crowded part of the room. The candlelight flickered, casting a soft glow across their table. The romantic atmosphere settled over them, providing an intimate closeness.
“Well….” Jean tried to sound casual in spite of the nervousness that continued to jitter inside her. “How did your first day at work go? Was it what you had anticipated?”
He took her hand. His voice came out as a sexy whisper. “Let’s not waste our time together talking about stuffy work things.” He kissed her palm. “You look lovely. That blouse is a really good color for you.”
“Thank you.” Little tremors of delight raced from the place his lips had touched to every corner of her body, but it did not negate the tinge of disappointment at the way he had sidestepped her question.
As much as Jean wanted to ask Ry again about the first day of his work project, she couldn’t seem to find the right words so that it didn’t sound as if she was prying into his business matters or pushing the subject, especially after he had changed topics without answering her initial question. Logically she knew his day-to-day observations and conclusions weren’t anything that he should be sharing with her, but she also knew his final recommendations could have a very definite impact on her job. If his final report showed her department to be disorganized or poorly run, the results could be disastrous for her.
“You’re suddenly very quiet this evening. Is everything okay?” Ry asked.
He sounded sincere, but she knew he probably didn’t want to hear what was really on her mind. “I was just studying the menu. Everything looks so good. As I said when we left my place, I’m hungry but I can’t decide what to order.” She looked up at him, making eye contact. “What looks good to you?”
A sexy smile lit up his handsome face. “Hmm…that’s a loaded question.” He squeezed her hand, sending a heated surge of desire through her body. “What looks good to me happens to be sitting right across the table.”
She felt the heated embarrassment spread across her cheeks. “I was talking about what to order from the menu.”
He feigned a sudden understanding of what she had really meant. “Oh…you want to know what I’m going to have for dinner.”
They ordered their food. Ry munched on a bread stick as they waited. “How about a movie tomorrow night? We could go out or…” He reached for her hand again, “I could pick up some deli food, rent a video and we could spend the evening at your place.”
Once again the sensation of his touch sent waves of excitement through her body. She seemed to lose any and all control over her actions. “That sounds great.”
“Any particular movie you’d like to watch?” He reached toward her cheek, running his fingertips softly across her skin.
Her words came out in a breathless whisper. “I’m sure whatever you pick out will be fine.”
When their dinner arrived, they took their time eating. They engaged in intimate conversation while savoring the meal. They lingered over coffee and dessert. Following dinner they walked a few doors down the street to a small jazz club where they enjoyed the music. It was nearly midnight when they returned to Jean’s condo.
As much as she wanted to invite Ry in, she knew to do so could only lead to one thing. It wasn’t that she had misgivings about the night they did make love. Quite the contrary. It would live in her mind as her most cherished memory, but a swirl of confusion about Ry’s feelings compounded by her concerns about their not having taken precautions when they made love, had her apprehensive about what to do.
“It was a delightful evening. Thank you for dinner.” She noted the quick look of surprise followed by disappointment that darted across his face at her decision to say good-night at the front door.
“It was my pleasure.” He leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on her lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ry returned to his car and drove back to the hotel. Troubling thoughts accompanied him. He had the distinct impression that something was bothering Jean, but when he asked her about it she had dismissed his concerns. Was it his imagination? Were his own fears about how much he cared for her causing him to read something into a situation that wasn’t there?
As soon as he entered his suite he saw the message light flashing on the phone. There were two messages for him. One was from his office manager in Chicago giving a brief description of a problem and asking him to call her as soon as he got in. The other message sent a cold shudder down his back immediately followed by a quick surge of anger. It was from Marjorie—his ex-wife.
They had been married for only two months and divorced for almost ten years. Even with everything he had been through growing up, his marriage was the single most horrible experience of his life. Marjorie had lied to him, manipulated him into marriage by claiming she was pregnant with his child, then tried to take him to the cleaners in a divorce settlement after he discovered she wasn’t pregnant. Fortunately for him, her lies and manipulations were held against her and she was not awarded anything, not even alimony.
He clenched his hand into a fist and tightened his jaw in a hard line. What could she want with him after all these years and more importantly, how did she know where to find him? One thing was for sure, he did not want to talk to her and had no intention of returning her call.
He deleted the messages, checked the time and decided to call his office manager in spite of the fact that it was after midnight in Seattle and much later in Chicago. She had said it was important and she was not prone to exaggeration.
He dialed the number. “Helen? I’m sorry about the late hour, but you said it was important. Did I wake you?”
“No, I was waiting for your call. There’s a problem with Glen Windemere.”
Ry listened to her report. “I hoped the steps I took would have resolved the problem, but obviously not. I guess this means only one thing. I need to make a quick trip back to Chicago.” He grabbed his day planner and studied his schedule. “Let’s see…I can fly out Thursday evening after work, take care of the problem on Friday and hopefully be back here Friday evening or Saturday at the latest.” He jotted notes in his day planner, then set it aside. “I want you to set up a meeting with those involved for ten o’clock Friday morning. I’ll want to meet with my attorney before the ten o’clock meeting. Have him meet me at the office at eight o’clock Friday morning.”
“Do you want me to pick you up at the airport?”
“No, there’s no need. Thanks for the offer, but I can take a taxi.”
As soon as Ry finished his phone conversation, he turned his mind to his work priorities for the rest of the week. He would have Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at Jarvis Custom Furniture. He needed to step up his work schedule in order to finish with the first week’s work a day early, otherwise it would throw the next three weeks off schedule. Even though it was late, he pulled a file folder from his attaché case and began making notes.
A few minutes later the phone rang.
He grabbed the receiver, a little annoyed at the interruption, yet curious about who it could be at such a late hour. “Hello.”
“Is that you Ry darling?”
The syrupy sweet voice cut through him like chalk screeching on a blackboard. Every muscle in his body tensed as he steeled himself against whatever was to come. There wasn’t any hint of a gracious manner, courtesy or polite demeanor in his voice. There was, however, an unmistakable harsh edge that clearly conveyed his displeasure at her call.
“What do you want, Marjorie?”
“I just wanted to talk to you, to find out how you are. I’m concerned about you, Ry. You work so hard. Even though we’re divorced…a terrible mistake in my opinion…I still care a great deal about you.”
His irritation erupted in anger. “Knock it off, Marjorie. You’ve never cared about anyone or anything except yourself. I don’t know what you’re trying to sell, but I can assure you I’m not buying. How did you know where to find me?”
“I called your office in Chicago and that nice receptionist told me you were in Seattle. I simply called all the major hotels until I found the one where you were registered.”
“Apparently I need to have a chat with my office staff about proper procedure.” He made a quick note in his day planner about discussing the problem with Helen, although he suspected it was the temporary agency receptionist filling in for a sick employee who was probably responsible for the slipup.
“So you found me.” He made no attempt to hide his annoyance. “What do you want?”
“I want to see you, darling. I thought we could have dinner, maybe talk about our future?”
His anger exploded. “I’m not your darling. And as for the future—we have no future. We didn’t have one ten years ago and we certainly don’t have one now. We have nothing to talk about and dinner is definitely out of the question.”
Ry slammed down the receiver before she had an opportunity to respond. The resentment seethed inside him. He took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm his inner turmoil. The depth of the anger produced by the brief and totally unexpected intrusion by his ex-wife into his life surprised him. Even though he wanted to put the disaster of his short-lived marriage totally out of his mind and dismiss it from his life, he had not been able to do it.
Occasionally he wondered if he had allowed that trauma to impact his relationships with women. Then Jean popped into his mind. Was his fear of what he felt for her the result of his horrible marriage? It was not a new thought, but one that was becoming more difficult to dismiss. It was something he didn’t want to dwell on or deal with.
But thoughts of Jean refused to go away—the way she felt in his arms, the earthy heat of her kiss, the night they had made love with such intense passion—it was all burned into his reality and he knew it would stay there forever.
He stared at the file folder on the desk and gave a sigh of resignation. He knew there was no point in trying to get any more work done that night. He would have to revamp his schedule in the morning. Right now his mind was too occupied with thoughts of Jean to concentrate on anything else. He went to bed, but sleep did not come easily. Thoughts continued to swirl around in his mind, uneasy thoughts about where he and Jean were headed and what kind of a future they might have.
Jean applied her lipstick and gave her hair a final run through with the hairbrush. She grabbed her purse, jacket and car keys, then headed for work.
She had expected Ry to be there early in order to be present when the employees arrived so he could observe their start-up procedures for their workday routine. That seemed to be the type of detail he would be interested in. To her surprise, he was nowhere in sight. She went about her business, not sure what to expect from Ry when he did arrive.
He had pointedly avoided her attempt the previous night to talk about his observations of his first day on the job. In retrospect, she knew she was wrong to have asked about it. He couldn’t ethically discuss business matters with her that he probably hadn’t even mentioned to Matt Jarvis yet. It would be very unprofessional on his part, but that didn’t lessen her anxiety about the situation.
Ry made his appearance about an hour later, said a respectful and polite hello to everyone, then got down to business. Jean kept as much of a watchful eye on his activities as she could while still being able to handle her own work functions. The day seemed to drag by for her. She kept looking at the clock wanting it to be time to leave. Finally five o’clock arrived. She cleaned off her desk and hurried home.
Jean set the table for dinner, not quite sure what to put out since she didn’t know what food he would be bringing. Then the doorbell rang. Her heart leaped into her throat and her pulse raced faster. She rushed to the door.
Ry stepped inside, placed the sack from the deli and the videotape on a small table in the entranceway, then quickly pulled her into his arms. He captured her mouth with all the passion he had kept inside during the day, passion that could not be confined any longer. He wanted to scoop her up in his arms and carry her to the bedroom, but after the way she had chosen not to invite him in last night when they had returned from their date he knew he needed to be more cautious. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel rushed or uncomfortable in any way. Or to think that sex was his only interest in her, something that couldn’t be further from the truth.
He finally released her. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day.”
Jean self-consciously glanced toward the open front door. “I think we’d better close the door before we give the neighbors and everyone driving down the street any more of a show than we already have.” She closed and locked the door.
Ry picked up the food and movie, deposited the videotape on top of the television and continued on to the kitchen. “I wasn’t sure what to get. I finally settled on turkey sandwiches and a fresh fruit salad.” He pulled the items from the sack along with a bottle of chilled white wine.
He flashed a wry grin as he took a couple of small containers from the sack. “And then my sweet tooth got the better of me and I added a couple of these sinfully delicious desserts.”
He turned to her, taking both of her hands in his. “If you set out the food, I’ll build a fire in the fireplace.”
The evening quickly took on a sensual feel. They ate their dinner and engaged in soft conversation. After eating, Ry poured each of them a glass of wine, then he put the tape in the VCR.
“What movie did you rent?”
“An old one—Charade with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.”
Her face lit up with delight. “I love that movie. It’s one of my all time favorites.”
After the movie they settled into the large floor pillows in front of the fireplace and had another glass of wine. Ry put his arm around her shoulders and she snuggled against his body. They silently sipped their wine and watched the flames rhythmically dance across the logs. It was a time of closeness, a personal and intimate feeling that stirred excitement as much as it settled a close contentment over them.
It was a night made for love. For Jean that meant the emotional as much as the physical. If only she knew what that meant for Ry.
But any further thoughts were chased from her mind when he ran his hand up the inside of her pullover shirt, brushed his fingers teasingly across her skin, then unhooked her bra. A soft moan of delight escaped her throat as his mouth came down on hers infusing her with all the passion she had come to associate with Ry Collier.
Ry brushed his tongue against Jean’s, exploring the dark recesses of her mouth and relishing the sweet taste that was uniquely hers. She was everything he wanted and more. He cupped her bare breast in his hand, her puckered nipple sending a tingling sensation through his body. His kiss deepened. He wanted it all…he wanted everything…he wanted Jean Summerfield, body and soul.
He pulled her shirt up until it bunched around her neck, then broke the kiss long enough to remove her shirt along with her bra. He dropped the articles to the floor and a moment later his sweater joined the pile. He drew her body against his, reveling in the feel of her bare breasts pressed against his chest. He caressed her shoulders and back, then ran his fingers through her hair.
It didn’t take long before all their clothes were scattered across the living room floor. He laid her back on the large floor pillows, taking a moment to watch the way the illumination from the fireplace flickered across her bare skin. A surge of hardened need rushed through his body. He stretched out next to her, purposely taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm his already overexcited desires.
He experienced a warm feeling of utter contentment at just being with her. It spread through him as she caressed his back and ran her foot along his calf. Every place she touched only added to the sensations of his already overstimulated senses.
He nibbled at the corner of her mouth, then rained a series of kisses across her throat, finally drawing her puckered nipple into his mouth. He held it there for a moment, then released the delicious treat. He placed soft kisses between her breasts and slowly continued lower until he reached the downy softness at the apex of her thighs.
Tremors of rapture raced through Jean’s body as Ry’s hot breath tickled across the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. Then his mouth touched the very core of her femininity, sending waves of ecstasy through her. Her head jerked back into the softness of the large floor pillow. Her fingers trembled as she ran them across the top of his shoulders. She gulped in a lungful of air, then another. She wanted to touch him…she needed to touch him.
He slowly kissed his way up her stomach and between her breasts, ending at the base of her throat. She ran her hand down his ribcage. Just the feel of his skin beneath her fingertips kept her senses in a state of continual excitement. She reached for his hardened arousal, stroking his rigid manhood.
She felt the gasp that escaped his throat and the tremor that moved through his body. Her thoughts quickly faded into oblivion, to be replaced by heated passion. But one last thought remained with her. They had not taken precautions the last time they made love. It had been a very foolish lapse in good sense. She couldn’t allow that to happen again.
Before she could say anything, Ry grabbed his jeans and pulled the condom package from the pocket. A few moments later he rolled over on his back and pulled her on top of him. Her legs straddled his hips. She saw the sparkle in the depths of his silver eyes—a silver color that turned to the smoky-gray of passion as he grasped her waist and lifted her to the point where he could lower her on to his hardness.
He closed his eyes as the incredible sensations swept through his body when her heated femininity tightly encased his manhood. As all-consuming as the first time they made love was, this time seemed so much more—more sensual, more exciting, more vital and much more important. There was something he couldn’t identify that nearly took his breath away.
He guided her hips into as smooth a rhythm as he was able to maintain. He wanted everything to last forever yet he wanted it all right now. His ragged breathing matched hers. He tried to speak. “Sally Jean…you are so exquisite…so…” He couldn’t get out any more words. The upward thrusts of his hips increased, bringing her to a faster pace.
The convulsions started deep inside her and quickly spread through her body. The delicious sensations built one on top of the other as Jean matched Ry’s smooth thrusts until she collapsed on top of him, her breasts pressing against his hard chest. She ran her fingers through his thick hair as she gasped for breath. The rhapsody continued to course through the very essence of her life.
Ry teetered on the brink of his control. As much as he wanted this to last, he knew it couldn’t. He rolled over on top of Jean, being careful not to break the tangible connection that physically bound them together. He gave a final deep thrust as he wrapped her tightly in his arms. The hard spasms shuddered through his body. He buried his face in her hair as his chest heaved and his pulse raced. He caressed her shoulders as he tried to control his breathing.
Never in his life had he felt as close to a woman as he did to Jean. He flirted with the word love, but couldn’t bring himself to truly acknowledge its existence. He knew what he wanted, but feared what he would have to do to have it. He tightened his embrace, holding her body close to his in the hopes that it would give him the emotional strength he needed. He didn’t want to let go.