scent all the way down the hall.”
“I love you!” she wailed, then burst into tears.
His arms, bare and warm, came around her. “Then why are you crying? Darling, what’s wrong?”
She sniffled into his bare chest. Her husband was wearing cut off jeans and nothing else. “I want to make tonight perfect for you, but I don’t know how!”
He stroked her hair, and his reply sounded a little wry. “I thought if one of us would have any idea of what to do tonight, it would be you.”
Her chuckle was still teary. “If you were anyone else, I would,” she told his chest. “I mean, if you were a client, I would know how to act. They didn’t really matter. But it’s different with you.” She wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand and looked up at him. “With them, it was just an act. I pretended to be what they wanted. I don’t want to put on an act with you.” She wiped her cheeks again, feeling unbearably insecure. “And I’m afraid the real me won’t make you happy.”
He kissed her. “All I want is you. The real you, not some pretty doll putting on a show. That would put distance between us, and I don’t want any kind of distance between us.”
“Neither do I.” She pressed her lips against his.
“Do you know how many times I’ve dreamed of tonight?” he murmured against her mouth. “In my dreams I knew exactly what to do.”
In his voice she heard a hint of the same uncertainty she felt. She took a careful step back and held her arms out. “Tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it.” She smiled at the way his gaze ran over her, hot and not at all uncertain. “I can make your dreams come true.”
“They’re already coming true. You accepted my mate claim. You’re my wife.” His voice was a little hoarse. “That’s pretty, that thing you’re wearing.”
She pinched a fold of the robe. “I bought this outfit this morning after I decided I would accept you. Do you like it?”
“Uh-huh. That little bit of cloth looks like the mist rising off the prairie after a summer night’s rain. Did you know that when you cry, your eyes turn bright blue?” he whispered. “I don’t want you to cry, but your eyes sure are pretty.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t know she could blush so hotly, especially over a mere compliment.
“I love your body,” he went on. “Your soft curves, your silky white skin, your beautiful hair.”
The way he looked at her, with hunger visibly wrestling with tenderness, made her blood pound hot and heavy in her veins. His body was perfect, lean and muscular without being bulky, covered in smooth dark skin that she wanted to caress. And his hair! Freshly combed, it lay like a dark curtain over his shoulders to the slouching waistband of his shorts. And below that… She swallowed, forcing herself to breathe. In only minutes he had taken her from confused tears to molten desire.
His fingers trembled slightly when he reached to touch her cheek. “Are you ready to accept me?”
Her heart sped up even more. “Yes. What do you want me to do?”
“First, turn around slowly so I can see you.”
She turned in a smooth slow circle in front of him. “And now?”
“Take off the robe thing.”
Normally she could do a strip tease that would drive an appointment wild, but now she found herself fumbling with the sleeves. By the intent look on his face, Sand didn’t mind. He took the robe from her hand and tossed it on the floor. The nightie really didn’t hide anything. He reached out and trailed one finger so lightly down the slope of her breast that she shouldn’t have even felt it, but when he grazed the edge of her nipple she had to stifle a moan. When he did the same thing to her other breast she decided not to hide her reaction.
“Oh, God, Sand,” she whimpered.
He stepped back. “Take it off. I want to see you.”
She drew the wisp of fabric over her head and let it drop. Standing in only the tiny g-string, she tossed her hair back, placed
“I love you!” she wailed, then burst into tears.
His arms, bare and warm, came around her. “Then why are you crying? Darling, what’s wrong?”
She sniffled into his bare chest. Her husband was wearing cut off jeans and nothing else. “I want to make tonight perfect for you, but I don’t know how!”
He stroked her hair, and his reply sounded a little wry. “I thought if one of us would have any idea of what to do tonight, it would be you.”
Her chuckle was still teary. “If you were anyone else, I would,” she told his chest. “I mean, if you were a client, I would know how to act. They didn’t really matter. But it’s different with you.” She wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand and looked up at him. “With them, it was just an act. I pretended to be what they wanted. I don’t want to put on an act with you.” She wiped her cheeks again, feeling unbearably insecure. “And I’m afraid the real me won’t make you happy.”
He kissed her. “All I want is you. The real you, not some pretty doll putting on a show. That would put distance between us, and I don’t want any kind of distance between us.”
“Neither do I.” She pressed her lips against his.
“Do you know how many times I’ve dreamed of tonight?” he murmured against her mouth. “In my dreams I knew exactly what to do.”
In his voice she heard a hint of the same uncertainty she felt. She took a careful step back and held her arms out. “Tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it.” She smiled at the way his gaze ran over her, hot and not at all uncertain. “I can make your dreams come true.”
“They’re already coming true. You accepted my mate claim. You’re my wife.” His voice was a little hoarse. “That’s pretty, that thing you’re wearing.”
She pinched a fold of the robe. “I bought this outfit this morning after I decided I would accept you. Do you like it?”
“Uh-huh. That little bit of cloth looks like the mist rising off the prairie after a summer night’s rain. Did you know that when you cry, your eyes turn bright blue?” he whispered. “I don’t want you to cry, but your eyes sure are pretty.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t know she could blush so hotly, especially over a mere compliment.
“I love your body,” he went on. “Your soft curves, your silky white skin, your beautiful hair.”
The way he looked at her, with hunger visibly wrestling with tenderness, made her blood pound hot and heavy in her veins. His body was perfect, lean and muscular without being bulky, covered in smooth dark skin that she wanted to caress. And his hair! Freshly combed, it lay like a dark curtain over his shoulders to the slouching waistband of his shorts. And below that… She swallowed, forcing herself to breathe. In only minutes he had taken her from confused tears to molten desire.
His fingers trembled slightly when he reached to touch her cheek. “Are you ready to accept me?”
Her heart sped up even more. “Yes. What do you want me to do?”
“First, turn around slowly so I can see you.”
She turned in a smooth slow circle in front of him. “And now?”
“Take off the robe thing.”
Normally she could do a strip tease that would drive an appointment wild, but now she found herself fumbling with the sleeves. By the intent look on his face, Sand didn’t mind. He took the robe from her hand and tossed it on the floor. The nightie really didn’t hide anything. He reached out and trailed one finger so lightly down the slope of her breast that she shouldn’t have even felt it, but when he grazed the edge of her nipple she had to stifle a moan. When he did the same thing to her other breast she decided not to hide her reaction.
“Oh, God, Sand,” she whimpered.
He stepped back. “Take it off. I want to see you.”
She drew the wisp of fabric over her head and let it drop. Standing in only the tiny g-string, she tossed her hair back, placed
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