Blake stretched out on the bed and brought his hands up over his head. Tonight would be the last one he spent without Delaney at his side. He wanted to tell her he loved her. If she hadn’t said she needed to rest, he would have shown her with all the care and consideration he could manage and still keep his raging desire under control.

Now that he’d accepted his love for her, he allowed all the emotion and passion that she inspired to fill him. It would have been selfish to push her, though, when she hadn’t fully recovered from last night’s frightening ordeal.

She got a little spiky today when he insisted on carrying her. Blake grinned. It really had nothing to do with her condition. He’d just wanted to hold her, liked the feel of her body cradled against him.

Did she have any idea how he felt about her? He’d watched her closely today, and although she did a fair job of trying to appear unaffected, he’d seen the way her eyes flared when he touched her. He’d felt her pulse race when he let his fingers linger on her skin.

For all his experience with women, he’d been blind when it came to Delaney. It amazed him he hadn’t seen it sooner. If he had paid attention to his heart, instead of staying in his head, he would have known all along that his cat lady loved him.

When he’d looked into her eyes tonight, though, he’d seen it. No matter how hard she might have been trying, she couldn’t hide it. Those green emeralds were like a looking glass to her heart. Blake felt his own fill with such emotion it almost hurt.

Man, he’d been such a jerk the last week. That was about to change. From now on he planned to treat her like a queen.

Blake rolled to his side, grabbed the spare pillow, and hugged it to his chest. The next time they made love he’d teach his leopard the meaning of the word purr. He had no doubt he could do it either, not after the way she’d responded to him the last time.

Yeah, she loved him. And it was a damn good thing because he was so crazy about her.  If he had to spend one more day pretending otherwise, he might just explode.

Tomorrow he’d present her with a new proposition. Knowing how much he loved her felt a little scary. There was always the chance she could reject him.

He’d been wrong before. He’d thought Connie cared about him only to have the woman leave without a word and take his unborn child with her. But Delaney wasn’t Connie. No, Blake hugged the pillow tighter, this time was different. This time would be forever.

RAIN TAPPED against the bedroom window, a steady patter that reached out like a wake up call rapping incessantly against a very enjoyable dream. Blake tried to hold on to the vision and the woman who filled it.

“Damn,” he mumbled, “just when it was getting good.” Groping for the bedside clock, he raised it high enough to see without lifting his head from the pillow. 7:18.

Blake frowned. Why hadn’t his alarm gone off? Normally he would have already left the house by now. Then he remembered he’d decided to work from home for a few days until Delaney had recuperated.

He wondered if she had gone downstairs to start breakfast as usual or if she was still sleeping, not yet having gained back all her strength.

He set the clock back on the stand and grinned. Maybe he’d insist on carrying her around again today. He tossed the covers off with a chuckle. If he did she might just throw something at him.

He couldn’t wait to see her. Blake pulled on a clean pair of jeans and the sweater he’d left on the chair by the bed last night. He put his wallet in his back pocket out of habit then walked out into the hall.

Poking his head into Ben’s room, he saw his son was still asleep and eased the door back shut. As he suspected, Delaney was already up and probably downstairs making one of her culinary delights.

When he went into the kitchen, Justin was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee.

“You’re up early.” Blake pulled a mug out of the cupboard.

“Yeah.” Justin’s tone gave Blake a moment’s hesitation. Ben was sleeping soundly upstairs, he reminded himself, and felt his body relax again.

“I thought Delaney was down here.” Blake poured coffee into the mug then joined his brother.

“She was.” Justin slid an envelope across the table. Blake saw his name written on the front of it, and his calm evaporated.

“What’s that?”

“Maybe you should just read it.”

Blake picked up the envelope and slid the contents out. His breathing had all but stopped. It couldn’t be good.

He read the two page letter in a state of denial. Words, all he saw were dozens and dozens of words, bleeding with apologies, reasons, and recaps of what went wrong. Gone, she was gone. The numbing reality assailed him, a sucker punch he hadn’t anticipated.

Please explain to Benjamin....only wanted his...just wasn’t meant to be.

On and on, he was drowning in Delaney’s words. How could he have let it come to this? If he’d told her how he felt, would she have stayed?

He forced himself to finish reading. Had he been wrong after all? He couldn’t have been. It was there, he’d seen it, shining from her eyes.

I wish you and Ben only happiness. Please don’t hate me. I never wanted to hurt you. You asked me once, why? Why did I give myself to you?

Blake’s gut clenched, and he squeezed his eyes shut against the enormous sense of loss he felt.

There was ever only one reason, Blake. I love you. I know you don’t return. . .

Blake’s breath caught in his chest. His eyes shot back to the words he needed. I love you. Those three words erased all the others. They were all that mattered.

He tossed the letter on the table and snatched the truck keys off the hook by the back door.

“How long ago did she leave?”

“About a half-hour ago,” Justin said. “You should be able to catch up with her before she hits Delaware if you don’t get pulled over for speeding.”

Blake grabbed his jacket off the coat tree. “Don’t say anything to Ben.”

“What if he wants to know where you are?”

“Tell him I had to catch an elusive cat,” Blake called over his shoulder as he hurried out the kitchen door.

He ran to the truck. He wasn’t letting her get away, not this time, not ever again. She loved him. He’d been a fool not to see it sooner, been a fool not to listen to what his own heart had been telling him all along.

He pulled out of the driveway and pressed the gas pedal to the floor. He felt a jolt of elation. He’d never turned away from a challenge. Convincing Delaney he loved her might take some doing, but he felt determined, and he promised himself he wasn’t coming home without her.

DELANEY BRUSHED away a tear. As hard as it had been, she knew her leaving was best for everyone involved.

Blake would be relieved. Ben would be sad. She had been afraid if she said goodbye to him, he’d have wanted to go with her. Worse, if he got upset, he might have tried to hide again or possibly even run away after she’d gone without anyone knowing.

It was better to let Blake tell Ben. She had planned to leave that morning before anyone was awake. Unfortunately, Justin had fallen asleep on the couch watching a movie and heard her when she’d gone downstairs.

He had tried to convince her to stay and talk to Blake. He’d even tried to tell her Blake was in love with her. Delaney managed a weak smile. Justin was sweet. Despite his relentless flirting he’d seen what Blake hadn’t, or didn’t want to, and taken up her cause. The trouble was they’d been fighting a battle that had already been lost.

Thwack, thwack, the windshield wipers beat back and forth with monotonous repetition. Traffic was light, almost nonexistent. That would change when she picked up 95 in Delaware.

Delaney glanced in the rearview mirror. Through the rain, she could see something gaining on her—fast. Crazy, she thought, why would anyone drive so fast in this kind of weather? Reflexively, she pulled a little further to the right. Whatever their reason for being in such a hurry, she planned on giving them a wide berth.

Her eyes went to the mirror again. It was only a few hundred yards behind her, and man, it was traveling. It was a truck—heavy, solid, and big—the kind every man in Glebe Point seemed to drive, including Blake. She inched over a little more.

A few seconds later the truck started honking. Delaney shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Why didn’t they just pass her? She’d given them plenty of room, and nothing was coming in the other direction.

The truck’s driver laid on the horn again, and she threw them a scowl in the rearview mirror. Jesus, they were right on her tail, honking and flashing their lights. She looked again, thought about rolling down the window and waving them past.

The truck shot out from behind her. Delaney started to relax until she realized it was riding right beside her, still honking like crazy. What was their problem? She turned her head and got a clear look at the driver through the open passenger side window.

Delaney’s heart fell to her stomach. Blake was signaling for her to pull over. She looked up and saw a car coming in the opposite direction and screamed.

Blake fell in behind her again. She found her breath as the car passed them. Blake kept flashing his lights. What possible reason could he have for following her?

The truck pulled out again. It came along her side. Blake honked again and waved his arm furiously for her to pull off the road. Delaney tried to speed up to get beyond him, but he kept pace.

Why couldn’t he just let her leave without a battle? What was it? Was having the last word some kind of life quest for him or something? If he didn’t relent, she’d have to pull over just to prevent one of them from being hurt.

Before she could decide what to do, he sped ahead and angled the truck across both lanes a couple of hundred yards in front of her, effectively blocking the road. She had no choice but to stop.

Within seconds Blake stormed around the back of the truck and headed straight in her direction. His dark hair curled over his forehead and around his jacket collar. His beautiful eyes were flashing amber fire.

A semi rolled to a stop behind her car. Delaney got out, ready to face the brewing storm rumbling toward her. Bracing her feet, she crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin. She’d face him head on. If she was lucky, he wouldn’t be able to distinguish her tears from the rain.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Blake yelled when he was still a hundred or so feet away.

Wait a minute. That was going to be her line.

“Hey buddy, what’s the problem?” the trucker hollered from his window. Blake and Delaney ignored him.

“You think you can just take off without a word?” Blake continued, “I thought we had an agreement.”

Delaney stared at him with her mouth open. What kind of game was he playing now?

“I’m going home. That’s what you wanted.”

“The hell I did!”

Again her mouth dropped. Of course he did. He’d said as much the other night. She uncrossed her arms, started to point at him then crossed them again while she figured out how to respond to that.

“Hey, move this thing.” A man walked to the side of the road in front of Blake’s truck. “You’re blocking the road.” He pointed out the obvious.

“You should move your truck,” Delaney said, needing time to gather her wits.

“The hell with the truck, I want to know why you took off.”

“It was time for me to go. You and Ben don’t need me anymore.”

The trucker jumped down from his cab. “Hey, come on. You two got something to discuss, why don’t you pull it over to the side of the road and let the rest of us get on our way.”

Delaney looked behind the truck and saw two more cars backed up. She took a step toward the Saab. Blake caught her hand and turned her toward him.

“You’re wrong.” His expression had softened. There was something different about him, a look in his eyes that made her pause. “Ben does need you.”

She swallowed and looked at her feet. Her shoes were wet. Then she looked at his feet. Little puddles had formed where they stood. Her eyes widened.

“Blake,” she said in disbelief, “you’re not wearing shoes.”

He glanced down, frowned, and then looked back up. He reached out and pushed her hair away from her face.

“I need you.” With the tip of his finger he lifted her chin. He angled his head in that way he had to catch her gaze. “I need you, Delaney. Please don’t go.”

“You don’t need me, Blake. You’ll do just fine with Ben.”

The trucker and another driver had come to stand near the back of Delaney’s car. On the other side of the road, a man in a black leather jacket and Ravens cap stood with his hands on his hips surveying the scene.

“This isn’t about Ben. Now will you look at me here?” He cupped her chin again. “I’m trying to tell you something important, and I’d rather you pay attention to me instead of our feet.”

“But you’re not wearing any shoes.” Delaney’s knees felt weak.

 Her imagination had leapt the boundaries of reality and was skipping off into dreamland. She gazed up through thick lashes, moist with tears and rain. Dare she hope one more time?

“Forget about my shoes and listen to me.”

“What?” Delaney’s voice was no more than a whisper. Blake’s mouth twitched. The smile he gave her was so warm it melted her heart all over again.

“I love you, Delaney.”

She thought she might be hallucinating again. He’d said the words once before, the night she’d gone into the cove to look for Ben, but she thought she’d dreamt them then.

“What did you say?”

“He said he loves you,” the trucker called from behind her. Delaney heard a couple of people laugh but couldn’t look away from Blake.

“Don’t leave.” Blake’s eyes seemed to plead with her. “I know I’ve been a real jerk, but I realized I’d been fighting you so hard because I’d fallen head over heels in love with you, and it scared the shit out of me.”

“You had a right to be upset.” Delaney wanted to believe him. “Are you sure you’re just not feeling guilty because of the other night?”

“I think I know the difference between guilt and love.” Blake took her shoulders. “Come back with me, Delaney.”

“Go back with him so the rest of us can get out of here,” the guy in the Ravens cap said.

“Build a life with me, Delaney, me and Ben.” He bent forward and touched his lips to hers in a caress.

“Come on, Delaney,” the trucker cut in, “give the guy a break.”

Blake grinned at her. She bit her lip.

“Where’s that smile I love so much?” Blake slid his hands down to her waist. Delaney felt as if the sun had just broken through the clouds.

He laughed. “Yeah, there it is. You know, sweetheart, I just told you I love you a couple of times.” He lowered his forehead against hers, his look a little uncertain. “You got anything you want to tell me?”

Her smile widened.

“Come on, Delaney.”  The trucker who was apparently on a first name basis with them now encouraged her on. “Tell him you love him.”

“Yeah, it’s obvious you two were meant for each other,” the Ravens fan said. “Only two fools in love would stand out here in the rain grinning at each other like loonies while they create a traffic backup clear to Delaware.”

“Hey, cut them a break,” their trucker friend said, “don’t you know you’re witnessing something beautiful here?”

“And me without my video camera,” came the retort.

Blake held up his hand as if to silence the growing crowd, but his warm golden gaze had locked onto her.

“Of course I love you.” Delaney reached her arms up and around his neck. “I’ve loved you since the night you lassoed my heart at the Halloween dance.”

“Then you shouldn’t object too much to a new agreement.”

Delaney pulled back. “A new agreement?”

He grinned, a wickedly sexy grin that made her toes tingle.

“Marry me, leopard lady.”

Joy swept her up so fast it might have knocked her off her feet if he hadn’t wrapped her in his arms and pulled her against his solid chest. Tears sprang to her eyes, and for a moment she couldn’t form any words to respond.

“A simple yes will do.” Blake chuckled. “Or an affirmative nod of the head.”

“Yes. Yes, yes, yes.” She laughed as his mouth enveloped hers.

“All right!” Someone cheered. “Way to go, buddy!” someone else yelled, apparently thinking Blake deserved all the credit. There was clapping and a few hoots of approval.

“Great, can we go now?” That, Delaney guessed, was from the Ravens fan.

“I’m going to pull the truck off to the side,” Blake told her.

“Why don’t you just turn around, and I’ll follow you home?”

“Because,” Blake told her with that devilish grin of his, “I want you to park behind me. Then you can come up to the truck with me, and we can make out for a couple of hours before we go home.”

Delaney punched him in the chest before returning to the Saab. He was teasing her, the same way he’d done before they’d made love. Blake started to laugh as he walked away.

“Good luck, you two,” the trucker called as he climbed back up into his cab. Blake gave him a salute before getting into his pickup.

He pulled back into the right lane. Two trucks and a car rolled by. The man in the Ravens cap gave Delaney a thumbs-up, and she thought she even caught him smile as he drove past her.

Blake turned around, slowing down as he came up beside her. He rolled down the driver’s window and blew her a kiss.

“I wasn’t kidding about wanting to get those lips under mine,” he said. “You’re going to have to come up with a good excuse for us to go upstairs when we get home.”

He shot her a parting grin and drove away, slow enough for her to catch up after she did a U-turn on the two lane highway.

The rain had stopped. She hadn’t even noticed when, but the sun was peeking from behind the scattering clouds. Blake loved her. They were both wet. They’d have to get out of these clothes as soon as they got home so they didn’t get sick.

A smile curved her lips. They might even take a chill on the drive home and have to stay in bed the rest of the afternoon.

TWO HOURS later Blake and Delaney stood by the big bed that centered Blake’s room. When they’d gotten back, Justin had been overcome with a sudden urge to bond with his new nephew and suggested he and Ben go to the Baltimore Aquarium for the afternoon.

Blake littered a trail of kisses along Delaney’s neck, and she smiled with pleasure. He looked down at her and grinned back, shaking his head.

“What are you shaking your head for?”

Chuckling, he bent his head and nipped her lips. “I love it when you smile, that’s all. Those dimples of yours nearly drive me crazy every time I see them.”

That made Delaney smile more, and Blake laughed out loud. “Yeah, Delaney, you’ve got just about the prettiest smile I think I’ve ever seen.” He gave her a leering look. “And a few other things too.”

She leaned into him. “Really, Blake, like what?”

“Well, your eyes for one.” He kissed her eyelids. “They’re exotic. They make me think of wild things. Like you when I kiss you.” He slid his tongue across her lips and made her shiver. “And your breasts. You want me to tell you about your breasts?”

Delaney swallowed. She watched him lower his eyes to what he was about to describe.

“I love your breasts, touching them, kissing them. Love to suck your nipples into my mouth and taste you, roll them around on my tongue and—”

“Blake! Enough!” If he kept it up she would ignite, and the house would burn down, and then where would they all live?

“What’s the matter, sweetheart? Don’t you want to hear about all the other things I like?”

“No, I’ll just take your word for it.”

“I’m not taking very good care of you, am I?”

Surprised, she tilted her head back to look at him. “Why do you say that?”

“Well look here,” he reached behind her back and unhooked the powder blue lace bra. “I haven’t gotten you out of all these wet things.” He pulled the straps over her shoulders and let the bra fall between them.

He hooked his thumbs under the matching bikini panties, and Delaney caught her breath. “I’m afraid this will have to go too. Remember I told you moisture draws heat from the body.”

A thoroughly wicked light danced in his eyes. “You do remember that, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Her lips twitched. “I remember.”

“Good, ‘cause I don’t want you losing any body heat. That’s right, little darlin’.” He kissed another trail of fire up her neck. “I want you hot.”

He didn’t have to worry about that. She was burning. When he lifted her up and laid her on the bed, she shivered, but not from cold. Blake quickly discarded his clothes then moved down onto the bed and over her like a lion claiming its mate.

“From now on you belong to me, Delaney.”

“I’ve belonged to you since the night we met, cowboy.”

Blake rested on his elbow and frowned down at her.

“What’s that look for?” she asked.

“The other night, when you got back so late from your date with Cole, you didn’t—” He bit his lip. “Hell, forget it, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Delaney reached out and touched his cheek. “Blake,” she said with a smile, “I didn’t go out with Ed. I took Mary out for her birthday.”

“You mean you didn’t—oh damn, I missed Mary’s birthday again. Hell.” He caught her hand and brought it to his mouth. “Guess I’ve got another woman to make up to now.”

Suddenly his mouth was everywhere, and Delaney had to touch him. She drew her hands down his back, over his chest. He rotated his hips against her, tormenting them both with his hardness.

“It’s been too long,” Blake rasped. “I’ve been starving for you.”

He slid her legs apart with his knee and rose above her. Amber eyes captured green. He held her gaze as their ragged breathing echoed around them.

“Kiss me,” he begged on a whisper.

Delaney raised her head and he lowered his, their lips meeting as he entered her. His powerful strokes filled her, snapping the threads of her sanity one by one.

DELANEY WRITHED beneath him, reaching for more. How could he refuse? He wanted everything she was willing to give. Blake drove her hard, needing to be deeper, already so deep he thought he might die.

“Please Blake.” Delaney’s moans filled his head.

He slowed the pace, wanted to prolong the heaven she took him to. Delaney lifted her hips, a silken sheen glistening on her skin. He curved his long torso, leaned down and took her nipple into his mouth. God, she was sweet.

“Blake, you’re torturing me,” she groaned.

“Then we’re even now. You’ve been torturing me for weeks.” He rolled her other nipple between his fingers and watched as she threw her head back and forth on the pillow.

“Stop,” she cried, “stop.”

“You want me to stop, Delaney?”

“No! Don’t stop.” She sounded almost hysterical. “Please don’t stop.”

Blake chuckled. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You know all I want to do is please you.”

He rose high and pushed into her again, wet skin slick against wet skin as he drove her higher. Everything started to spin out of control as he got lost in her. Flashes of light exploded in his head. He floated somewhere above the bed, and the moist heat of her beautiful body molded against his as they erupted together in convulsive orgasm.

They lay unmoving for several minutes. When Blake’s senses returned, he rolled to his side, pulling her back against his chest, still wanting her as close as possible.

“I love you, Blake,” she said softly.

Slow, steady warmth filled him. He felt a peace unlike anything he’d ever known. He would love this woman until the day he died.

“You’d better because you’ve stolen my heart. That means I get yours in return.”

“Is that some kind of unwritten law?” she asked as she snuggled close.

“That’s right, and I’m a selfish bastard. Once something belongs to me, it’s mine for good.”

Delaney lifted up on her elbow and looked down at him with her gorgeous cat eyes.

“So I belong to you, do I?”

“Oh you belong to me all right.” Blake pulled her down onto his chest. “And I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to make sure you never regret it.”