High Stakes by Cheryl Douglas

equilibrium. Her
legs were still trembling from the force of her release as he sheathed himself
and positioned his body above hers. He smiled at her. “You okay, sweetheart?”
    She covered her eyes with one hand and
laughed. Her chest was still rising and falling with each breath she forced
into her lungs. “I don’t know.”
    He leaned in to kiss her slowly,
worshipping her mouth as he sought to show her without words that he would
always put her needs above his own. “Take as much time as you need, angel. I’m
not going anywhere.”
    She threaded her hands through his hair. “I
want you. Now.”
    Those were the most gratifying words he’d
ever heard as he slowly, gently, claimed her body. He closed his eyes, trying
to resist his body’s compelling urge to dictate the pace of their lovemaking.
He wanted to savor every second of this, to make it last forever.
    “Look at me,” she whispered. “Since the
first second I saw you, I imagined what this would be like. To see you held
hostage by your desire for me. Don’t hold back. Please, I need to see that side
of you. Just let go.”
    Her softly spoken words gave him the
freedom to ease the ache that had plagued him since the airplane. As he thrust
into her, harder, faster, deeper, the only thought on his mind was, God,
this woman was made for me . She’s the one. The woman I’ve been waiting
my whole life for.
    “Yes…” she whispered, tightening her grasp
on him. “Oh God, yes…” She tipped her head as she pierced his back with her
nails. “Don’t stop.”
    As he felt her throbbing around him, he
knew he never wanted to stop. He never wanted this feeling of wild abandon to
end. When he was in bed with her, he wasn’t a single dad or a hotel tycoon or
some woman’s meal ticket. He was Alisa’s husband, her lover, and that’s who he
wanted to be every day from now on… her husband .
    The force of his release moved through him,
claiming all rational thought about who he was or where they were going. The
only thing that mattered was here, now, and giving her everything he had to
give.
    He rolled off of her and pulled her into
his arms. “You’re incredible.”
    She giggled. “I think that’s supposed to be
my line.”
    He wanted to tell her he loved her, the
words were right there, on the tip of his tongue, but the soft cadence of her
breathing told him she was starting to drift off. He waited a few minutes
before he eased his body out from under her and made his way to the bathroom.
    After he disposed of the condom, he leaned
over the sink. He didn’t know what he expected to see in the face staring back
at him… fear… concern… uncertainty? But the grin he couldn’t wipe off his face
told him everything he needed to know; he’d made the best decision of his life
tonight.

Chapter Nine
     
    Alisa moaned as she pulled the pillow over
her head. A headache was too mild to describe the relentless pounding in her
head, making her neck and eyes ache. Everything hurt. Well, not everything. Some parts of her anatomy hummed, and it didn’t take long to figure out why
when she felt the gentle pressure of his arousal against her back.
    Oh God. What had she done? She glanced at her left hand,
praying it was all a bad dream, but the boulder weighing down her ring finger
told her she’d really been stupid enough to marry a man she just met.
    “Mmmmm.” He moaned softly in her ear,
pulling her closer, if that was humanly possible. “I could get used to this…
waking up with you in my arms.”
    Alisa squeezed her eyes shut. How was she
going to tell him she wanted out? Out of this marriage, out of his hotel, out
of this state… Hell, maybe she’d just go into hiding, so her new husband,
overprotective father, and delusional ex-fiancé would have no choice but to
leave her alone.
    “You hungry?”
    Uh, just the thought of food made her want
to throw up. “No, but I’d kill for an aspirin.”
    He chuckled. “I can’t say I’m surprised.”
    So he