Lady's Choice by Jayne Ann Krentz Page B

about it too hard," Travis advised, leaning down to kiss the valley between her breasts.
    "Some questions don't have any dear answers. Just accept it and go with it."
    "Whatever you say, partner." Juliana arched invitingly as his hand stroked down the length of her to her hip. When his fingers squeezed the curve of her thigh she sighed, feeling her own response deep within her body. He had such good, strong, knowing hands, she thought. The barest touch of his rough fingertips aroused her, and when he kissed her breast, she almost cried out. She could feel herself growing warm and damp already.
    Turning slightly in his arms, Juliana snuggled more closely against Travis. She began to explore him intimately, rediscovering the secrets she had first learned during their one previous night together.
    She could feel the sexual tension in him as her hand slipped over his body. The muscles of his back and shoulders were taut with the desire he held in check. Travis's obvious need elicited a fierce reaction within Juliana. She stirred restlessly against him. When his fingers slid between her thighs into the dampening heat of her she parted her legs and whispered his name softly. Her nails grazed his shoulders.
    "The kind of woman who leaves her mark," Travis muttered, rolling her onto her back.
    "What?"
    "Never mind. Wrap your legs around me, sweetheart. Tight. Take me inside and hold me close."
    Juliana gathered him to her, aware of his hard shaft pressing against her softness. She was aching for him, her body throbbing with need.
    "Now," Juliana whispered, her eyes closed as she clung to him and tightened her legs around his lean hips,. "Come to me now. I love you, Travis."
    "I couldn't wait any longer if I tried."
    Travis eased himself into her carefully, filling her completely, stretching her gently until she felt the spiraling tension begin to build to unbearable heights.

    She lifted her hips and Travis responded by driving more deeply into her and then withdrawing with excruciating slowness. Juliana clung more fiercely, urging him closer. He stroked into her again and again withdrew.
    "Travis," she hissed, clutching at him.
    "I'm not going anywhere without you."
    He surged into her again, more deeply than before and Juliana gasped as the delicious tension within her went out of control. She gave herself up to the release, Travis's name on her lips as she felt him plunge into her one last time. The muscles of his back went rigid beneath her palms and she was crushed into the bedding beneath his solid weight.
    For a time there was nothing else of importance in the entire universe.
    A long while later Travis stirred on top of Juliana and looked down at her, his gaze intent in the shadows. She smiled sleepily, her fingers sliding slickly through the traces of perspiration on his shoulders.
    "Don't worry," she said, yawning delicately. Tm not going to bring up the subject."
    "What subject?"
    "Marriage."
    "You just brought it up," Travis pointed out, kissing the tip of her nose.
    "Well, I'll change it to a more pressing issue."
    "Such as?"
    "Such as which of us gets up first in the morning to make the tea."
    "I'll do it this time," Travis said.
    "Such an accommodating man." Juliana yawned again and drifted off to sleep.

    * * *
Three days later, at ten-thirty in the morning, Travis sat at his desk in the new Jewel Harbor offices of Sawyer Management Systems and tried to decide if he really needed to take a coffee break.
    Charisma Espresso was only a few blocks away. He could walk over, say hello to Juliana, grab some coffee to go and be back at the office within twenty minutes.
    Or he could save fifteen minutes by helping himself to the office pot. Lord knew he needed every spare minute he could salvage to work on the Flame Valley Inn problem.
    Travis eyed the stack of papers on his desk with a brooding eye. He and East Forward Properties had certainly done a very thorough job of setting the inn up for a takeover. The grim truth was