She fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, sliding against him. needing him to fill the dull ache inside her.
Eventually, with a groan, he stilled her hands against his shirt. He grasped the bottom of her gown and pulled her last article of clothing over her head before tossing it aside.
Turning back to her he reached between them. He delved, testing her with his fingers and finding her wetness.
And she savored his touch. Her eyes closed, her back arched, and her breathing became shallow. She clenched around him.
"That's right." he muttered. "Come to me my mermaid."
She opened her eyes and looked at him.
From the harsh, intent look on his face, she knew he was ready. She was ready.
He withdrew his hand, and with quivering fingers, she helped him undo his belt and free himself.
She held his gaze as she sank down on him joining them and making them both sigh with pleasure.
She rode him then with sweet rhythm while he whispered encouragement in her ear.
Slowly, slowly, they climbed to the pinnacle together.
When she peeked at him and saw his jaw was locked, she realized only iron control kept him from taking her wildly. She knew he was waiting for her—trying to make this good for her.
And with that awareness, all her nervous tension broke and she found a magnificent release.
He caught her when she came, taking over in the last few moments and thrusting up to meet her with a deep groan as he shook and strained one last time.
Chapter Eleven
On Friday Megan met Anna for lunch at La Loggia, near Elkind Ross's offices downtown.
After they'd ordered Anna said. "Marriage seems to agree with you."
"Does it?" Megan remarked, lifting her water glass.
"Mmm-hmm." Anna persisted, a teasing light in her eyes. "You look as if you've been having lots of sex—and enjoying it."
She choked on a sip of water. "What?"
"Are you okay?" Anna responded, laughing.
"How would you know that?" She felt as if she were wearing an H for horny emblazoned on her knit top.
Anna gave another tinkling laugh. "Simple. I'm married to a Garrison, too and I'm also a newlywed."
Megan resisted the urge to cup her hot cheeks.
The past week had been crazy. She and Stephen were married parents of a young child, and they were conducting a passionate affair.
The couch...the desk...the breakfast table. They were sneaking around a three-year-old. They'd even put his gift of lingerie to good use.
Just last night, after they'd put Jade to bed Stephen had bent her forward over the desk in his study and had intercourse with her.
Anna took a sip from her water glass, seemingly reading Megan's silence for the admission it was. "Mmm-hmm. Persuasive, was he?" she murmured.
Megan groaned and hid her face behind her hands.
"Oh. Anna." she said when she looked up. "we’ve been on a roller coaster this past week."
Her friend laughed again. "So you're having wild, uninhibited sex with your husband. What's wrong with that?"
Everything.
"He...We..."
Anna’s lips twitched. "I understand. Stephen’s an attractive guy with a healthy sex drive and he wanted to get it on with you."
Megan expelled a breath and nodded. “The rat. He's reneging on the terms of this marriage."
Her friend placed a hand over her heart melodramatically. "How? By wanting to have sex with you his wife, rather than someone else?"
"When you put it that way it sounds so reasonable."
"It is reasonable."
Rather than concede, however, she held on doggedly to her position, which she nevertheless knew was fast becoming unsustainable.
Still, she felt compelled to set the record straight on one score. "It turns out he wasn't ha**ng s*x with anyone else four years ago. either."
Anna raised an eyebrow, and Megan recounted Stephen's story to her.
"And I believed him." she said when she finished.
"So." Anna said, "everything should be great now right?"
She shook her head. "No. Don't you see?" she said, her voice almost a wail. "I was vulnerable to believing that woman four years ago because Stephen had such a reputation as a player, and nothing has changed, and—and. oh God. I may be falling for him again!"
Panic roiled her stomach.
She was in love with him. Maybe had always remained a little in love with him.
Anna patted her hand.
She looked at her sister-in-law, her eyes pleading. "Why? Why? Why did he have to insist on this marriage? We could have come to an arrangement that allowed him to see Jade!"
Anna shook her head. "Megan. Megan, look around!" Anna glanced to one side of them, then to the other. "Do you know how many men have looked over at us—at you—since we arrived? You're a tall, gorgeous redhead who attracts more attention than a neon sign in the desert. Of course Stephen wanted to slap a ring on your hand as soon as possible!"
Megan closed her eyes, sucked in some deep, controlling breaths, then looked at her friend again.
"You're fearful right now that's all." Anna said. "Believe me. I understand. I was just there. Falling in love is scary. And then there are all those trust issues."
"I know." she said matter-of-factly.
Trust. Anna and Parker didn't have the lengthy tortured history she and Stephen did and yet Anna knew about the importance of that little word.
Just then, the waiter approached with their food.
All through lunch, however Megan wondered about her new discovery and how she was going to handle it.
She was in love with Stephen Garrison. Again.
A storm was on the way. Stephen looked up at the sky from the deck of Wishful Thinking. Fortunately, the storm wasn't a hurricane—at least for now.
Still, it would hit over the weekend, and he wanted to make sure his yacht was prepared.
Though the staff at the marina could do the work for him Wishful Thinking was his baby, and he liked to get personally involved when he could.
The yacht needed to be tied up with longer, sturdier lines, and as a precaution, he needed to clear out some of his personal possessions.
He headed below deck, then turned at the sound of someone clambering aboard.
Retracing his steps, he felt a smile rise to his lips. Megan was early.
They'd agreed last night to meet at the marina after work and have a Friday night out. He'd been looking forward to it all day.
But as he came up on deck again, he saw his visitor wasn't Megan, but their babysitter.
Tiffany was dressed as if she was heading out for a night on the town. She was wearing a sheer blouse, black miniskirt and heels, and her face was more made-up than usual.