Jeremy looked worried. ‘‘You’re not diabetic, are you?’’
‘‘Oh, no. Just watching my calories.’’ She hadn’t meant to say that, either. Damn. Jeremy seemed to bring out all her hidden issues.
‘‘You’re kidding, right?’’
‘‘No, but that look of disbelief makes my ego do the happy dance. Thanks.’’
‘‘By what anorexic measuring system are you fat?’’ She took another sip of wine. Oh, what the heck. He was making her feel better about something that had bothered her for months, so where was the harm in that? ‘‘I’m twenty pounds over what I weighed when I married Zach. Two months ago I was thirty pounds over.’’
‘‘I don’t know where you’re putting it. You look great.’’
What a nice guy. ‘‘I shouldn’t be telling you any of this. Body issues are not a fit topic for a first date.’’
‘‘Annie, if that’s what an extra twenty pounds does for you, then you should have gained it years ago.’’
Bless him. He was saying exactly what she needed to hear. ‘‘Ah, Jeremy, you can’t imagine how soothing that sounds, especially compared to the way Zach—’’ She stopped abruptly. Someone needed to give her a muzzle. ‘‘So how about those Cubbies? Think they’re gonna win the pennant this year?’’
Jeremy’s expression was stormy. ‘‘Ask me if I give a damn. Annie, what about Zach?’’
‘‘Ancient history.’’
‘‘One of my favorite subjects.’’
Well, she’d done it now. She might as well tell him. ‘‘He had a thing about women gaining weight after they got married. I didn’t dare order dessert in a restaurant or he’d make a big deal out of it. I’m sure that’s one of the reasons I ate everything in sight after he left. Hence the weight gain. I’ll get it all off eventually.’’
‘‘
He
left
you
?’’
‘‘Uh-huh.’’ She drained her wine. ‘‘Not too many people know that, so I’d appreciate it if you’d keep it to yourself.’’
‘‘I can’t believe a guy would be stupid enough to give you up.’’
‘‘I can’t believe I was stupid enough to try and hang on to such a loser. I booked a skiing trip in a misguided attempt to rekindle our love. Instead I managed to break my ankle. He told me in the emergency room that he was leaving me for another woman, someone cuter and blonder. More adoring, too, I’ll bet.’’
‘‘What a gold-plated asshole.’’
‘‘Thanks.’’ Her heart warmed. The rest of her was feeling pretty receptive to him, too. She’d needed someone to say that, and so far, no one had. To be fair, she hadn’t given anyone the opportunity.
She and Zach had been the golden couple, the envy of all their friends in Chicago. But the pressures at work and worry about her marriage had kept Annie from forging any deep friendships. When the breakup had come, she hadn’t trusted any of those casual acquaintances not to gossip about the humiliating details, so she hadn’t revealed them.
She’d had no confidants in Big Knob, either. Even her mother, Joy, didn’t know the whole story, although she might suspect some of it. But Joy was still on friendly terms with Zach’s mom, who was a good customer at Joy’s shop. Annie saw no reason to poison that relationship.
So Jeremy was the first person who’d heard the naked truth about the breakup. For six months she’d been too afraid of what people might think or what they might say. But Jeremy made her feel safe. Maybe that was because he’d saved her from drowning not long ago.
She thought it was more than that, though. Jeremy was trustworthy. After dealing with a man who hadn’t been, she had become better at figuring out who a girl could count on and who she couldn’t. Jeremy had
count on me
written all over him. That made him very appealing.
Besides that, he was a magician. And more than a little good-looking. And brave. And strong. Yep, Jeremy had it going on.
‘‘Zach didn’t deserve you, Annie.’’
She gazed at him silently for a long time. Then she put her wine goblet in the sand. ‘‘What about you, Jeremy?’’ she said softly. ‘‘Do you deserve me?’’
‘‘I . . .’’ He swallowed. ‘‘I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give.’’
She took hold of the edges of the blanket and slid it down over her creamy shoulders. ‘‘It just so happens . . . I’m in a giving mood.’’ She let the blanket go.
Jeremy’s goblet dropped from his suddenly slack fingers, spilling red wine all over the pink flowered blanket. She didn’t think he even noticed. How gratifying.
Usually she thought things through before she acted. But tonight she didn’t feel like thinking. Warmed by the fire and Jeremy’s adoration, she wanted to reclaim her sexuality.
With any other man, she would have worried about her body. Zach had demanded perfection and had quickly pointed out any developing flaw. The mental assault had been gradual and insidious. Then his warnings that she’d get fat had become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Intellectually she knew she wasn’t horribly overweight. But for someone who had been the hometown beauty queen, these extra pounds were humiliating. Thankfully, Jeremy didn’t see it. He only saw the woman he wanted desperately.
For a moment she sat very still, sinking into his hot stare. Beside them the fire crackled and the scent of wood smoke filled the air. From now on she’d always associate that scent with Jeremy, who surprised her more with every minute they were together.
There was something to be said for a man who thought she was a goddess. She’d made the mistake of loving a guy who thought he was a god. She wouldn’t be doing that again.
She held out her hand. ‘‘So far, you’ve been the best part of coming home.’’
His blanket fell to his waist as he reached out and wove his fingers through hers. His grip was surprisingly strong. ‘‘That’s all I need to hear.’’
She had a couple of seconds to admire his broad chest and the jet-black hair sprinkled over it before he wrapped his free arm around her and pulled her closer. Meeting him in the middle, she steadied herself by putting a hand on his bare shoulder. Her fingers encountered hard muscle. Yum. This could turn out way better than she’d expected.
No tentative kiss this time. He laid claim to her mouth with the enthusiasm of a man who knew what he was after. She tasted wine and pent-up frustration. She had the flattering thought that he’d been waiting more than a decade for this moment. What a rush to finally give him what he wanted as she opened to the eager thrust of his tongue.
When he released her hand and cupped her breast, she moaned. She’d missed a lover’s touch more than she’d allowed herself to know. And Jeremy, praise heaven, knew how to touch a woman. He stroked and kneaded until she squirmed closer, wanting more contact.
He responded by easing her onto her back. How he managed to get the blanket under her at the same time, she had no idea. But after all, he was a magician.
Then he began kissing his way down her body, making magic happen everywhere his lips touched. She’d never responded like this, but Zach had never treated her this way, either, as if she were the most sensual creature in the universe. She writhed against the blanket, relishing every tactile pleasure—the warmth of the fire, the rub of soft fabric underneath her, the slide of his tongue along her rib cage.
She could guess where this journey would end, and that was more than fine with her. Modesty was highly overrated, especially when a man had the tongue of a magician. He wouldn’t need to say any magic words to bring about the result he had in mind. All he had to do was . . . oh, yeah. Just like that.
Her hips lifted of their own accord as he zeroed in. Annie didn’t have a lot of experience to guide her, but she had a hunch this was a blue-ribbon effort on Jeremy’s part. In any case, she was slowly, gloriously, losing her mind.
One by one her other senses faded. The snap of the fire, the tang of smoke, the rustle of the blanket, even the exotic, liquid sound of Jeremy loving her— everything disappeared except the sensation building between her thighs. She trembled as her climax stalked her like a jungle cat.
Just there, so close, crouching, ready to spring. She groaned, wanting . . . wanting . . . and at last it was upon her, contorting her body and forcing cries of release from her throat. She was helpless before an onslaught so strong she was left gasping for breath.
Jeremy held her thrusting hips and drew out the pleasure until she was so filled with it that she begged him to let her go. He didn’t. Instead he kissed the inside of her quivering thighs and told her how beautiful she was.
She felt beautiful, too, for the first time in months, maybe years. To think she’d dreaded her return to Big Knob. Yet Jeremy had been here all along— Jeremy and his talented hands, his supple mouth, his wicked tongue . . . she’d been missing out on nirvana without even knowing it.
Speaking of Jeremy’s talents, she’d be willing to bet he had others. As he slid up next to her and feathered a kiss over her mouth, she became aware of a body part she had yet to meet. Considering the bounty she could feel pressing against her thigh, she would be a lucky girl if she could make its acquaintance. Sad to say, she could barely lift her little finger, let alone her hips.
She did, however, have enough energy to offer her gratitude. She gazed up into his face. Although it was in shadow, she could make out the faint gleam of his eyes.
‘‘What a gift,’’ she murmured. ‘‘What a heavenly gift. I don’t know how to thank you.’’
There was a smile in his voice. ‘‘I do.’’
She detected a certain amount of strain, too, which was perfectly logical. She might have just experienced the gold standard when it came to orgasms, but Jeremy still lived in frustration land.
‘‘I would love to,’’ she said, ‘‘but you’ve wrecked me. I’m a shell of a human being.’’
‘‘Give yourself a few minutes.’’ He nuzzled her neck and toyed with her nipples.
She might not need a few minutes, after all. She was already well on the road to recovery. In point of fact, she sailed right past recovery and into arousal. She moved her leg so that her thigh rubbed his erect penis. ‘‘I have an idea.’’
He nibbled on her lower lip. ‘‘I like the way you think.’’
‘‘We can reverse positions and I can return the favor.’’
‘‘Or you can stay right where you are and produce the same effect.’’ He pushed up on his hands and knees. ‘‘Don’t go away.’’
‘‘Are you saying that you have—’’
‘‘Yes.’’
Knowing he’d brought a condom excited her. When he’d said he wanted her, he’d been serious about it. She appreciated a man with drive, a man who knew how to go after what he craved. Fortunately, he craved her.
She laughed softly as she listened to him rummaging around in the plastic bags. ‘‘Now I know for sure you were a Boy Scout.’’
‘‘So you don’t think I was being presumptuous?’’ There was a soft ripping sound as he opened the package.
‘‘Judging from the way things turned out, I’d say no.’’ The deep ache she felt surprised her. She’d just had an outstanding climax, and yet the snap of latex and the promise of Jeremy moving inside her made her impatient. She shifted her weight on the blanket. "Hurry."
‘‘I’m here.’’ He moved between her thighs. Then he rested his forearms on either side of her head and cupped her face with both hands. ‘‘Before this happens, I want you to know something.’’
Her pulse quickened in anticipation. ‘‘That you’re generously endowed? I already figured that out. I’m quick that way.’’
‘‘I’m not talking about body parts.’’ He brushed his thumbs over her cheeks. ‘‘Please understand . . . I expect nothing.’’
She knew what he meant, but she chose to misunderstand. ‘‘I hope you expect to come.’’
‘‘Oh, I will come.’’ The husky note in his words betrayed his excitement. ‘‘But other than that, I expect nothing from you.’’
‘‘Jeremy, I—’’
‘‘Nothing but this.’’ He probed gently. ‘‘Just this.’’ And he thrust home.
‘‘Mm.’’ She wrapped both arms around him and closed her eyes in ecstasy. ‘‘That’s a lot.’’
With a sound that was part gasp, part laughter, he rested his forehead against hers. ‘‘I never thought I’d be . . .’’
‘‘But you are.’’ She lifted her hips, taking him deeper. Her body hummed as if connected to the ultimate power source. Maybe she was.
‘‘You are . . . perfect.’’ Raising his head to gaze down at her, he drew back and glided in again.
Heaven. ‘‘We are perfect,’’ she murmured. She hadn’t dreamed sex could feel so good. ‘‘I think I’ve found my G-spot.’’
He laughed softly and moved against her. ‘‘You lost it?’’
‘‘Didn’t think I had one.’’ She pushed her hips upward, putting more pressure on her newly discovered pleasure point.
He began to stroke her more deliberately. ‘‘Apparently you do.’’
The friction became so delicious she could barely speak. ‘‘Oh, Jeremy . . .
Jeremy
!’’ With a cry she came. The glorious, full-body rush dwarfed anything she’d experienced before as the spasms moved through her in relentless waves. She felt them in her toes, her fingers, the roots of her hair.
While she was still absorbing the aftershocks and gasping for breath, he surged forward with a heavy groan. Locking himself tight against her, he shuddered, and the steady pulse of his orgasm thrummed inside her.
Good, so good. She stroked his sweaty back with trembling hands. To think she’d thought sex was sort of boring, an exercise more filled with work than wonder. But then, she’d never been with Jeremy.
He rested his cheek against her shoulder and struggled for breath. ‘‘Annie . . . that was . . . incredible.’’
‘‘For me, too.’’ And she wanted to add,
Is this it? Was one time all you needed for your fantasy?
But she was afraid to say it out loud, for fear it might be true. She didn’t want it to be.