"You know what else I’ve wanted?"

And then he showed her with his hands and his mouth what he had been thinking about. He knew where to touch, how much pressure to exert, when to withdraw. She moved restlessly against him, her caresses soon becoming more and more demanding, until her nails were biting into his shoulders and she was begging him to end his teasing.

His mouth was driving her crazy while his hands slid down the sides of her body. His fingers stroked her inner thighs, so soft, so sensitive. He felt her arch against him and heard her gasp as his knuckles deliberately brushed against the swirling dark curls between her thighs. He loved the sexy sound she made when he touched her so intimately.

He made love to her, telling her without words how he adored her.

Laurant had never experienced bliss like this. Such exquisite sensations coursed through her. She arched up against him again, far more demanding now.

"Now, Nick… please. Oh, God, now…"

He thrust into her forcefully, unable to quell the groan of sheer satisfaction as he became part of her, and when she wrapped her legs around him, he groaned again. Reality was much better than fantasy. She was better than anything he could have ever imagined. Fully imbedded inside her, his head dropped to the crook of her neck, and he took a deep, calming breath and tried to slow the pace. Nick was determined to make their lovemaking unforgettable.

He began to move slowly within her. "Do you like that?"

"Yes," she cried out.

"And this?" he whispered as his hand slid down between their joined bodies to stroke her. Her cry of ecstasy was all the encouragement he needed. Her arm curled around his neck, and she dragged him down for a long, hot kiss.

"Don’t ever stop," she whispered.

He drove deep once again. She lifted her hips, straining against him to take as much of him inside her warmth as possible. She wanted to please him, but in the web of passion that he had created, there wasn’t room for worry or for the fear of disappointing him.

Neither one of them could slow the pace, both frantic now to find release.

She came before he did and began to sob with the beauty of her surrender and the love she felt for him. Nick felt her tremble in his arms as every part of her body tightened around him, and with a near shout of pleasure, he climaxed deep inside of her. The orgasm was unlike any he had ever experienced in the past. He neither questioned the difference nor understood it. He merely accepted that this was unique and so special he would never be able to settle for anything less again.

He stayed inside of her a long time, but when he finally rolled to his side and tenderly took her into his arms to hold her close, she trustingly curled up against him, her hand splayed across the curly mat of hair on his chest.

Laurant was too overwhelmed to speak. She could barely form a coherent thought. When she was finally able to breathe again, she leaned up to look at his face.

She stared into those deep blue eyes, so intense now with the residue of raw passion, and smiled as she arched against him like a well-fed cat. She loved the feel of his hard body against hers. The hair on his legs tickled her toes, and she loved that feeling too.

She loved him. Now and always, she admitted. Then she saw the worry creep into his gaze, and she tried to think of a way to ward off the regret she knew he would be feeling soon. She gave him a long, lingering kiss, and then she smiled at him again. "You know what I think?"

"What’s that?" he asked on a yawn, still too exhausted and content to move.

"I could get really good at this."

He groaned, but then she felt the low rumble building in his chest, and he suddenly was laughing. "You’ll kill me if you get any better."

"You liked it too?"

"How can you ask me such a question?"

She traced the corded muscle along his shoulder, noticed the faded jagged scar on his upper arm, and leaned up to kiss it. "How did this happen?"

"Football."

"And this?" she asked as she touched the faint scar on his hip.

"Was it a bullet?"

"Football," he said again. She didn’t look like she believed him. "Honest," he said. "It’s a football cleat."

"Have you ever been shot?" Her voice trembled when she asked.

"No," he answered. "Stabbed, punched, kicked, scratched, and spit on, yes, but shot, no." Not yet anyway, he silently qualified. A scar from a knife wound-an ice pick actually-was on his back, down low by his left kidney. A couple of inches higher and he wouldn’t have lived. Maybe Laurant wouldn’t notice that scar, but if she did, he decided he wouldn’t lie to her.

"Most of the scars are from football," he said.

She threaded her fingers through his hair. "Except for the ones you carry inside."

He pulled her hand away. "Don’t get sentimental on me. Everybody carries around a little baggage."

He was trying to close up on her, to pull away emotionally, but she wouldn’t let him take the coward’s path. When he rolled onto his back and curtly told her it was time they got a little sleep, she ignored the suggestion.

She rolled over on top of him. Stacking her hands under her chin, she stared down into his eyes.

His hands were already on her hips. He wanted to make her get off him and go to sleep before he gave in to his desire and made love to her again, but he couldn’t make himself let go of her. "Promise me something, and I’ll let you sleep," she said.

"What?" He sounded suspicious.

"No matter what happens…"

"Yes?"

"No regrets. All right, Nick?"

He nodded. "What about you."

"No regrets," she vowed.

"Agreed," he said.

"Say it."

He sighed. "No regrets."

And both of them were lying.

Chapter 29

Heartbreaker didn’t like surprises, unless, of course, he was the one doling them out.

Tonight was chock full of unpleasant surprises. He had already heard that the mule was ridiculing him, and he had taken it all in stride. He expected stupidity from mules, so he was only mildly bothered to hear some of the names he was being called. Sticks and stones… words couldn’t hurt him. Until tonight, when he heard that Laurant was also spreading vile lies. She had called him impotent. He could barely stand the thought of her lips forming the hideous word. How dare she betray him? How dare she?

He had to get even, and he was driven to act quickly. The need to punish her overrode caution. How long had he stood in the back lot looking up at her window? At least an hour, maybe two. He didn’t know. When the need grabbed hold of him, time wasn’t important.

And then he’d seen Lonnie. The stupid boy was climbing up the tree, the very same tree Heartbreaker had used countless times to get inside her house and watch her during the night.

He watched Lonnie crawl across the roof and slip onto the overhang outside the bathroom window. Just the way he had done. Clever boy, he thought. Following in my footsteps.

While waiting to see what Lonnie was going to do, his attention was distracted by another man. Good old Steve Brenner was creeping around to Laurant’s back door. Now what was he up to?

The neighbor’s dog couldn’t tell on him. Heartbreaker had killed the animal so that he could move freely about the yard during the night. He had seen to the yapping dog, and now Lonnie Boy and Steve Brenner were taking advantage of his work.

The surprises kept coming, escalating until the house was in flames and Brenner was surrounded by mules.

He could walk away now and no one would be the wiser. They thought they had their man. After he’d taken a little stroll down the streets of Holy Oaks and found what he was looking for, he’d made a little deposit and gone happily on his way. The opportunity had fallen into his lap. Yes, he could walk away, but would he? Now that was a question haunting him.