Biding His Thyme: 4 (24 page)
Read Biding His Thyme: 4 Online
Authors: Shelley Munro
She stroked his bare cheek and decided he
was right. He was pretty without his beard. Stars, she’d missed him, was so
glad to see him, touch him. “You didn’t email me.”
“I couldn’t. The assignment they gave me
went to crap. Before I met you our team was ambushed and Greg, one of the team
died before we could get him out. We had the chance to round up those
responsible for Greg’s death, but it took a lot longer than I expected. My team
was caught behind the lines.”
She fingered the edge of his bandage,
concern rippling through her. “You’re hurt.”
“A flesh wound. My vest saved me from the
worst. We did what we went for, and that’s all that matters.” Satisfaction
shone in his face. He kissed her again, his tongue stroking deep, twining with
hers and pushing a spark of desire alight in her. Her hands wrapped around his
neck, holding him close, savoring the solidness of his body.
“Do you have to go back?”
“I’m finished. I’m here for good—if you
want me.”
“Jake,” she whispered, the one word saying
so much more than she could articulate at present.
She heard a car outside and Janaya and Luke
talking as they walked inside. The dog barked a lot, and she wondered why it
hadn’t barked at Jake’s arrival. The noise ceased, and footsteps sounded in the
passage outside her bedroom.
“That your car out there, Jake?” Luke asked
through the door.
“It’s me,” Jake said.
“All right then,” Luke said. “Good night.”
His footsteps faded as he walked back to the kitchen.
“Why didn’t the dog bark at you?” Sorrel
asked.
“I don’t know. She must’ve recognized me.”
“I didn’t hear you. How did you get in?”
“Luke told me where he puts the spare key.”
He brushed a lock of blonde hair off her cheek. “I’m not surprised you didn’t
hear me. You were moaning.”
Heat flooded her face again. “I was testing
out some Fancy Free products,” she said, striving for dignity. She missed by a
country mile, her voice emerging breathless with a side note of huskiness.
“Can I help?” He shifted a fraction,
allowing her to feel the hardness of his erection against her leg.
“Now?”
“Yes,” he rasped.
“Condoms are in the side drawer. Try a
little of the Dream Cream. Rub a smidgeon on the head of your cock before you
roll on the condom. Not too much.” She slid her finger across the surface of
the cream and showed him before applying it to her clitoris.
“This first time might be quick,” he said.
“I haven’t touched a woman since I left.”
His words were a gift, his expression
serious and without guile.
“I can keep up,” she said. “The cream will
take care of me.”
Jake grabbed a condom and rubbed on some
cream under her direction. A shudder racked his large frame, and he swallowed
audibly. “Maybe I should have waited to test your cream.”
“We have loads of time. This one is for
you.” And with her words came the sense of freedom, of flying into a new
chapter in her life. She realized she’d allowed her fears to multiply into
doubt and distrust. He’d come back for her just as he’d said.
Jake rolled her under him, pushing into her
with one seamless thrust.
“Feels way better than the vibrator,” she
said.
Jake laughed. “Good to hear. No man likes
to think of a machine replacing him. God, I’ve missed you.”
He made love to her, tender touches
morphing into urgency and then she was flying apart, Jake’s arms keeping her
safe.
“I love you,” he said. “I wanted to tell
you before I left, but I worried about things happening too quickly. “I want a
future with you. Marriage. Children. The whole works.”
“Jake,” she whispered, the weight she’d
dragged around on her shoulders for the last months falling away. “Yes. I want
that more than anything.”
“If it’s okay with you, we’ll make a home
here in Sloan. I’ll get a job with one of the building companies based here,
and you can keep working at Fancy Free. Will that work for you?”
“Oh yes. I love you, Jake.” And it was
true. They mightn’t have known each other for long but sometimes the heart
knows. Jake was strong, but he allowed her to be her own person. “I can’t think
of anything better.”
“Okay,” Jake said.
And they didn’t do any more talking for a
long, long time.
Shelley lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with her husband and
a small, bossy dog named Scotty.
Typical New Zealanders, Shelley and her husband left home
for their big OE soon after they married (translation of New Zealand-speak: big
overseas experience), a year-long adventure lengthened to six years of roaming
the world. Enduring memories include being almost sat on by a mountain gorilla
in Rwanda, lazing on white sandy beaches in India, whale watching in Alaska,
searching for leprechauns in Ireland and dealing with ghosts in an English pub.
While travel is still a big attraction, these days Shelley
is most likely found in front of her computer following another love—that of
writing stories of romance and adventure. Other interests include watching
rugby and rugby league (strictly for research purposes *grin*), being walked by
the dog and curling up with a good book.
Shelley welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website and email addresses on her
author bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.
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Biding His Thyme
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Biding His Thyme Copyright © 2013 Shelley Munro
Edited by Rebecca Hill
Cover design by Valerie Tibbs
Photos: Kuikson/Shutterstock.com and RobCarter1234/Dreamstime.com
Electronic book publication March 2013
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