Christmas Every Day Part 41

"They could bury us in the same coffin," Nik proposed, as if considering the matter. "It'd be a lot cheaper that way."

It was so absurd she laughed. "You're macabre."

The slight movement of her belly as she laughed excited him. Nik felt his strength suddenly, miraculously returning

"No, just practical." He raised himself on his elbow to look at her. "

" Sometimes. "

Light from the single lamp in the room played along his face, leaving half in shadow. It made him seem a little unreal

Just like this feeling inside her.

"But not now," she guessed. "

" Most especially now. "

She didn't understand. "And what's practical about this?"

He maintained a straight face, but his eyes gave him away. "Well, it was the only practical solution. If we hadn't made love tonight they would have had to come and lock me up by morning."

She felt herself smiling. "And why would they have locked you up?" She tried to tug a sheet up over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Nik held on to it firmly, foiling her as he grinned as mischievously as any boy.

"Because I would have gone completely insane from wanting you ."

She doubted that very much. "Oh, it's been that hard for you."

Nik traced the slight dimple in her cheek that formed with her arch smile.

"It's been that hard for me." He was smiling, but there was something very serious in his tone. And then the look s.h.i.+fted again and his eyes were completely roguish. " " Speaking of which.. "

She could read his mind. Perhaps because it echoed her own. Sfie could feel desire beginning to swell and fill her veins again. Still, she couldn't give in so easily.

"Isn't this about where you have a cigarette and then roll over and go to sleep?"

He shook his head. "Not my style. First of all, I don't smoke."

Nik gathered her to him so that there was absolutely no s.p.a.ce between their bodies. He felt her stirring in latent antic.i.p.ation and his own body responding.

"And second, I'm definitely not sleepy." His fingers drifted along the swell of her hips, lingering, caressing, inspiring' That only leaves us with one thing to do. "

She found that she could still tease, still give as good as she got.

The knowledge pleased her. "Whip up a new recipe ? "

Start with one man, one woman, add in spice, lace with love and hot, sultry s.e.x. Simmer for an hour. Serves two for a lifetime.

A smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he thought of this particular recipe finding its way into a cookbook. "In a manner of speaking."

" " Speaking, " she repeated solemnly, as she raised her head and then brushed a fleeting kiss over his lips. " You want to talk? "

He was already balancing himself over her, antic.i.p.ating the feel of her body, soft and giving, hot and demanding, beneath his. He slowly moved his head from side to aside. "The farthest thing from my mind."

Sara felt herself melting, and struggled to keep her mind from falling into the same burning abyss. "What is on your mind? " " " You, Sara.

Nik kissed her lips once, then again, a little more deeply. He felt her responding instantly. It was almost as if they had always been like this, reading each other's needs, responding to each other's desires.

And perhaps, in some other time and place, they had been. Soul mates, predestined for one another.

"You," he repeated just before his mouth took hers in earnest.

Sara parted her lips, eagerly admitting his tongue, suddenly hungrier than she had been the first time. She cinched her arms around his neck, eager to return in kind what he was giving her.

The minutest glimmer of a thought, before all thought dissolved again, had her knowing that this couldn't possibly last.

Nothing good ever lasted.

But for tonight, just for tonight, she could pretend that it did.

And for tonight she could love him the way she wanted to be loved. The way she had wanted to be loved all of her life. Everlastingly. Tonight she could pretend that the word forever had a meaning.

Liquid quicksilver turned to molten lava in her veins as Sara ignited beneath his touch. She inflamed them both.

Before dawn nudged aside the darkness with strong fingers of light, Nik knew that whatever came, whatever else lay out there waiting for him, he was never letting Sara out of his life again.

Chapter 13.

Fourteen years had gone into forming who and what she was. Fourteen long years. Sara couldn't just change all that overnight, even though part of her fervently wished that she could. She couldn't just open herself up to the relations.h.i.+p, to Nik.

But she could treasure what had happened for its own sake. qILhad been an incredible night. One that she knew she qvould remember forever.

She stirred against Nik, wondering if he was awake yet. Light was flooding the room through the filmy white curtains. It had to be at least seven, if not later. It was time to get up and go back to her room before anyone saw her.

She didn't want to move.

Just a few minutes more. q Sara slipped her hand over Nik's chest. Her fingers ii rifted over the light sprinkling of sandy brown hair even as qointed daggers of fear began to slowly rip along the edges if her mind, depriving her of peace. q'q:. She sighed.

Nik felt her breath swish along his skin. He'd been awake for a while now. Perhaps he hadn't actually slept at all, just dozed a little. He hadn't wanted to disturb her by moving. The feel of her body against his was something he cherished far more than comfort.

Now that she was awake, Nik s.h.i.+fted so that he could look at her. He studied her face for telltale signs. "Regrets ?"

She nodded slowly. " " Two. " She held up an index finger. " That we did it. " A second finger joined the first. " That we didn't do it sooner. "

Maybe it was the early-morning fog on his brain. "Isn't that two different sides of the same coin?"

His a.s.sessment was truer than he thought. The smile on her face was tinged with a sadness she wasn't fully aware of exposing.

"Yes, but it's the same coin." She realized that she was being too serious and giving away too much. Her tone lightened. "I never claimed to be an easy woman to understand"