The Men of Medicine Ridge - Diana Palmer [58]
“Of course we could,” she replied.
His hand smoothed her hair. “The boys and Vivian love you, and you love them. We may have disagreements, but we’ll be a family, just the same. A big family, if we all have children,” he added, chuckling. “But children will be a bonus.”
Her hand flattened on his chest. “I’d like to have a child with you,” she said daringly. She felt his heart jump when she said it. “Would you like a son or a daughter?” she added.
“I’d like anything we get,” he said quietly. “And so would you.”
That sounded permanent. She smiled and couldn’t stop smiling. Children meant a commitment.
“Yes. So would I,” she said, closing her eyes with a long, heartfelt sigh of contentment.
His hand tensed on her hair. “I wouldn’t do too much of that,” he cautioned.
“What?”
“I can feel every cell of your body from the waist up, Nat,” he said in a strained tone. “And I’ve gone hungry for a while. You aren’t up to a passionate night. Not yet.”
“That last bit sounds promising,” she murmured.
“I’ll make you a promise,” he replied. “When you’re in a condition to appreciate it, I’ll make you glad you waited for me.”
“I already am, Mack,” she whispered. “I love you more than the air I breathe.”
For a few seconds, he didn’t say anything. Then he turned, and his mouth found hers in the darkness in a kiss that was hard and hungry and passionate but so tender that it touched her heart. But after a few seconds, when one of his legs slid against hers almost involuntarily, he stiffened and abruptly rolled over onto his back beside her, groaning as he laughed.
“I knew this was a bad idea,” he sighed.
Her body was tingling with delicious sensations. She pulled herself into a sitting position, grimacing with discomfort. “Well, there goes that brilliant idea,” she murmured, holding her rib cage as she eased back down.
“What brilliant idea?” he asked.
“I was going to see if I could—” She stopped dead when she realized what she was about to say. “I mean, I…”
There was a highly amused sound from beside her. “If you got on top, Nat, I’d still have to hold you there, and after the first few seconds, I wouldn’t be gentle. We’d reopen that wound and the pain would be vicious.”
She swallowed. “Just a thought. Forget I mentioned it.”
He laughed tenderly, bending to kiss her briefly. “I’ll try,” he said softly. “Thanks for the thought, anyway. But this isn’t the time or the place. First we get married,” he continued. “And then we can make all sorts of discoveries about each other.”
Her heart was still racing. “It’s exciting to think about that.”
“For both of us,” he admitted. “But we’d better quit right now, while we’re ahead.” He bent and brushed his mouth softly over a hard nipple, lingering to taste it with his tongue.
She caught her breath and he lifted his head to look at her in the soft glow of the small night-light.
“I like that,” she whispered.
“Me, too.” He was hesitating. This was a bad idea. One of the worst he’d ever had. But he was bending to her body while he was thinking it. His mouth covered her breast again, very gently, and one lean hand smoothed down her body to ease her gown up. He traced her upper thigh with slow, expert movements, making lazy and exciting forays inside it under the gown.
She started trembling. Her hands hesitated on his shoulders while she let her mind go blank except for the pleasure he was giving her. It had been so long. While she was thinking it, she said it.
“So long,” he breathed urgently. “Yes, Nat. Too long!”
Her hands went between them to his broad chest and caressed him with delight, enjoying the thickness of hair and the warm muscles under it.
She felt his body tense and his hand move to a much more intimate exploration. She tried to catch his wrist, but it was too sweet to deny. She gave in, moaning as she felt the most exquisite sensations pulse through her.
She was drowning in pleasure. It was so intense that she barely felt him take her hand and guide it down his body.