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She smiled back. "I'm sleepy." His arms contracted. "Too much loving," he whispered. "I've exhausted you." She opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Only temporarily," she whispered. "I love how it feels with you when you love me, Gene." His jaw tensed. "So do I." He drew in a steadying breath. "We'd better get out of here before it happens again. You make me insatiable." "I hope to keep you that way, when we're married," she said shyly. "I'll hold you to it," he promised. He lifted her and got up, too. "I have something for you. In the heat of things, I forgot to give it to you." He opened his desk drawer and removed a felt-covered box. He opened it and slid a marquise diamond onto her engagement finger, leaving the companion wedding band in the box. "Do you want me to wear a ring when we're married?" he asked seriously. "Of course," she replied. "If I wear your brand," she said with a mischievous smile, "you have to wear mine." He chuckled. "Nelson's brand, is that it? I like the sound of it. No trespassing allowed." "And don't you forget it," she said. She clung to his hand, wonderingly, astonished that her life could have changed so much in such a short period of time. Al her nightmares were going to fade away now, she was sure of it. Gene was equally sure of it. He'd laid his own ghosts to rest, including his worst one. Allison had said that environment played a big part in shaping a man's character. Perhaps it did. Maybe his real father had had a hard time of it and couldn't cope. Whatever the reason, it didn't have to affect his own life unless he let it. He could live with being an adopted Nelson. Marie and Dwight loved him, there was no doubt about that, and he and Dwight were going to work out the rest of the problems. He'd never been so certain of anything. He looked down at Allison and felt as if he were floating. Dwight was able to go to the wedding the following week. He and Marie and Winnie witnessed at the small, quiet ceremony where Allison Hathoway became Mrs. Gene Nelson. She wore a simple white dress and carried a bouquet of daisies, and Gene thought he'd never seen anyone so beautiful. He said so, several times after they arrived at the hotel in Yellowstone National Park where they were spending part of their honeymoon. "The most amazing thing is that nobody discovered we were sharing a bed until we got married," Allison said with a shy smile. "Sharing it was all we did," he murmured rueful y, "because of your conscience. Not to mention my own. But it was sweet, honey. I never dreamed anything could be as sweet as holding you all night in my arms, even if we didn't make love." "And now we never have to be apart again," she whispered, lifting into his arms as he began to kiss her very softly. "Did you notice the reporter?" he asked against her mouth. "The one you sent sprawling into the mud puddle?" she whispered, laughing involuntarily when she remembered the astonishment on the journalist's face. "Amazing that he finally found me, and by the time he did, it didn't matter anymore. They've started releasing all sorts of information through the international forces. I'm old news now." "Thank God. He won't be hounding us anymore." "I just wish my parents could have gotten out with me," she said, allowing herself that one regret. "So do I, little one," he replied gently. "I'm just glad that you did." She pressed close to him, drawing strength from his lean, powerful body. "Make love to me this time," he whispered at her ear. "But I don't know how," she said softly. "No problem. I'll teach you." And he did. He guided her, smiled at her reticence, laughed at her fumbling efforts to undress him. But when they were finally together on the big bed, softness to hardness, dark to light, the laughing stopped and they loved as they never had before. From tenderness to rough passion, to lazy sweetness and sharp demand, they didn't sleep al night long. By morning they lay exhausted in each others' arms, too tired to even move. It was lunchtime before they stirred. Allison opened her eyes to find Gene sitting on the bed beside her, watching her as he toweled his hair dry. "Good morning, Mrs. Nelson," he said softly. She opened her arms, smiling as she dislodged the sheet and felt him lift her against his bare chest while he kissed her tenderly. "Was it good?" he whispered. "I thought I was going to die,' she replied huskily. "So did I. And I still may." He groaned, sitting upright, and then he laughed. "I think my back's broken." "Married twenty-four hours, and you're already complaining," she moaned. "That wasn't a complaint," he chuckled. He kissed her again and pulled her out of bed, his eyes sliding possessively over her soft pink nudity. "God, you're beautiful. Inside and out. You're my world, Allison." She pressed close against him. "You're mine. I'll never live long enough to tell you how much I love you." "Yes, you will." He smoothed her hair. "Now get dressed. I don't know about you, but I'm starved!" "Come to think of it, so am I," she said, blinking. "Gene, we never had supper! Not to mention breakfast or lunch!" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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