Sarah's Child by Linda Howard

stifle the rest of what shed been saying, cradling her on his left arm while his right hand moved boldly over her body, searching out all of the erotic places that he knew would reward him for his diligence.
    Sarah made a soft sound in her throat, sinking against him. His powerful body made her feel surrounded, utterly secure, and she had the thought that she didnt need a homey, comfortable apartment to make her feel safe as long as he held her in his arms. The strength that he kept under control when he was handling her was evident in the steely sinews of his thighs, the rock hardness of his chest. She sought the warm solid contours of his flesh beneath his shirt, sliding her hands beneath the fabric to clench her fingers on him. He nibbled at her mouth, finally releasing it; then he tilted her head back and kissed his way down her throat. So what if it costs the Earth? he muttered. Well look at it tomorrow.
    Hmmm, she agreed dreamily, no longer interested in apartments.
    He unbuttoned her shirt and pressed a kiss to the top swell of her breast, above the lacy edge of her bra. That damned Max! He knew I was watching.
    Yes. She opened her eyes and smiled at him, her eyes misty with pleasure. Hes a devil.
    Hes lucky you werent kissing him back. He returned her smile, but his tone was feral, his dark eyes narrowed. Then I wouldnt have been so civilized.
    As it had been, he hadnt liked ithe hadnt liked the idea of Maxs kisses lingering on her mouth. He wanted only his taste on her lips, so hed kissed away Maxs touch. He kissed her again, for good measure, then reluctantly buttoned her blouse and hoisted her back to her own chair. Wed better not push our luck, he grunted. I came over straight from the office, and I dont have anything with me.
    Sarah cleared her throat. About thatmy appointment today was with a doctor. I got a prescription for birth control pills.
    He leaned back, draping his arm over the back of his chair while he looked at her searchingly, alerted by the hesitancy in her manner that shed tried very hard not to reveal. His craggy black brows lowered. Is it all right for you to take them?
    Shes letting me try them, but only if I go back for regular checkups, she admitted on a sigh. She gave me two years, maximum, before I have to switch to something else.
    If its dangerous, dont take them. He reached out and took her hand, tracing his thumb over the soft skin on the back of her hand. Ive been thinking about having surgery. Its safe, and permanent.
    Sarah shied away from that solution. Its permanency was the one big drawback, for her. Sometime in the future Rome could change his mind about not wanting anymore children, even if this marriage with her didnt work out. She was so acutely aware that he didnt love her that she had to allow for the possibility of him falling in love with another woman, and perhaps that woman would want his children. Perhaps he would want her to have his children. Feeling herself shatter inside at the thought, she pulled away from him before she revealed too much about how she felt. Instead, averting her face, she said in a stifled voice, We can talk about that later, if the pills dont work out.
    Puzzled, he stared at her, running the words theyd just said through his mind again and trying to decide what hed said that had made her withdraw from him and put on that frosty face he so detested. Shed been so relaxed and natural with him lately, forgetting to guard her actions, and hed become used to her smiles, her gentle teasing. Now she was Miss Ice-Queen again. Shed begun getting edgy when shed first mentioned the pills. She wasnt telling him something, and he knew it. Hed thought, when hed first made love to her, that hed discovered the reason for her reserve, but now he was seeing it spring up again, and he knew that Sarah had other secrets hidden behind the green shadows of her eyes. He would have liked to delve inside her mind and find out how her mind worked, why she hid so much of