A Family Circle 1 - A Very Convenient Marriage (20 page)

There was no need for further foreplay. It was as if all the weeks since their marriage had been a kind of extended foreplay, leaving them both aching and ready now that the moment was finally here.

Sam tested himself against her. Nikki groaned and arched her hips in a wordless demand. A demand he answered immediately, sheathing himself in the moist heat of her body with one thrust. He shuddered with pleasure as he felt her close around him.

Nikki felt herself filled, completed in a way she'd never known, never imagined possible. The pleasure was more than physical. It was as if a piece of her soul had been missing and was now found. Her fingers clung to Sam's back as he began to move over her and the world rocked around her.

The fire was too hot to burn long. They strained together in a headlong rush toward fulfillment. And when they found it, it was shattering in its power, tossing them both toward the stars, leaving them breathless, able only to cling to each other in the aftermath.

This was what he'd ached to know; this was what he'd had to have. She was made for him and him alone.

This was what she'd ached to know, had to have. He was hers and hers alone.

"
I
've got a great idea. Let's spend the rest of the day in bed," Sam suggested.

The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, creating intriguing patterns of shadow and light across Nikki's bare body. With his fingertip, Sam traced an imaginary line from Nikki's belly button up between her breasts to the hollow at the base of her throat. He let his finger rest there, feeling the delicate flutter of her pulse.

"Sounds great, but I can't," she said on a sigh.

"Why not? It's Saturday. They can do without you at the day-care center. I have the day off, and unless the criminal element rises en masse and lays siege to city hall, I don't have to think about work. Play hooky. I'll make it worth your while."

He provided a vivid demonstration of just how worth her while it might be by leaning over to replace his finger with his mouth. He retraced the path he'd blazed moments before, with a few side trips along the way. Nikki shivered as he swirled his tongue over the side of her breast, teasing bul not quite touching its peak.

"You're... very persuasive." For some reason, it was suddenly difficult to form a coherent sentence.

"I took a course in negotiation at the academy." The tip of his tongue teased her nipple.

"You're... you're very good at it." She arched her back in a silent plea.

"Not everyone has the necessary skills." His breath brushed across her damp nipple, like a feather going over her skin. "You have to know when to be gentle." He stroked the taut bud with the tip of his tongue. "And when to be more firm."

Nikki moaned as his mouth opened over her breast, drawing the nipple inside and suckling strongly. Her fingers slid into the dark gold thickness of his hair, pressing him closer.

Sam's original intention had been more teasing than passionate. After all, they'd made love not more than an hour ago. And last night-Just thinking about last night made his head spin. Tbry 'd slept in each other's arms, woke to make love again .jad slept again, only to wake in the dark hours after midnight, ravenously hungry. They'd raided the refrigerator, feasting on cold chicken, marinated artichoke hearts and a package of Twinkies Nikki found in the pantry.

Watching her lick traces of sticky filling from her fingers, Sam had felt desire rise as fast and hard as if it had been months rather than hours since he'd touched her. She'd seen the look in his eyes, and her own had grown heavy and slumberous, her mouth parting a little as if she were having trouble breathing.

Nikki hadn't offered any objection to the hardness of the table against her back.

They'd staggered upstairs, giggling like a pair of guilty children, and fallen into bed and gone instantly to sleep, wrapped in each other's arms. When they'd awakened less than an hour ago, they'd made love again..

Yet he had only to touch her, to feel her arch beneath him, feel her skin heat beneath his fingers, and he wanted her again. It was as if he could never get enough of her, as if he were trying to slake a lifetime of hunger. With a groan, he dragged his mouth from her breast.

"Do you give in or am I going to have to get tough?" he asked unsteadily.

"I think you're going to have to get tough." She tugged his face up to hers.

A considerable time later, Sam collapsed on the bed next to Nikki. A fine sheen of sweat coated both their bodies. Sam slid his arm under her and pulled her close so that her head was cradled on his shoulder.

"Maybe next time you won't force me to take such drastic measures."

"I think I may be one of those habitual criminals," she confessed. "The kind that can't be rehabilitated."

Sam groaned. "I can see this is going to be a tough assignment."

"I'm counting on you not to give up." Nikki threaded her fingers through the crisp hair on his chest.

"I'd better start taking more vitamins," he muttered.

"Extra strength."

They fell into a comfortable silence. Sam eased his fingers through the tangled gold of Nikki's hair. He tried to remember when he'd last felt so utterly content. It had been years. Since before Sara died.

The thought of his first wife brought a sharp pinch of guilt. Not at the idea of betraying Sara. She'd neither expected nor wanted him to spend his life tied to her memory. No, the guilt wasn't for Sara, it was for Nikki, who didn't even know that he'd been married before.

His previous marriage had held no relevance when they'd made their original deal. Now everything was changed, but that change had come about so quickly there hadn't been a moment when it seemed appropriate to bring up the fact that he'd been married before.

This certainly wasn't the time or the place. But soon. Very soon. He didn't know where the two of them were headed, but he didn't want any big surprises coming out at an inopportune moment.

Nikki shifted slightly, settling into a more comfortable position against Sam's large body. She'd gone to sleep wrapped in his arms and awakened the same way. But it seemed the more he held her, the more she wanted him to hold her. It was as if she'd been starved for this, for having his arms around her, his body pressed against hers.

She slid her fingers through the hair on his chest, watching the lazy movement through drowsy eyes. Her body was satiated, replete with satisfaction. There was a pleasantly tender ache that spoke of thorough loving and a certain awareness just beneath her skin. She felt exhausted, fulfilled, full of energy and thoroughly indolent, all at once.

Underlying it all was a stunned awareness of the drastic change that had just taken place in her life. She hadn't just gained a lover. She'd gained a husband in fact as well as in name. In one night, all her plans for a marriage of convenience and a tidy divorce had crumbled to dust.

Wherever they went from here, they couldn't go back to the way they'd been. There'd be no returning to separate bedrooms and polite nods as they passed in the hallway. Last night had changed everything, and only time would reveal all the ramifications of that change.

Nikki searched her mind for some sense of regret and found none. Other than the fact that Lena was going to be unbearably smug when she found out how well h;: matchmaking had turned out, there was nothing to regret. How could she possibly regret something that had felt so right? She felt an uneasy twinge. There was more to that feeling of rightness than the purely physical satisfaction she'd experienced. She felt a sense of completion that went much deeper than that. Half-afraid of what she might find, she decided not to examine her feelings too closely. At least, not right now.

"So it's settled," Sam said, interrupting her thoughts. "We're spending the rest of the day right here, pursuing your rehabilitation."

"I really can't." Nikki sighed with regret and rolled away from him to sit up on the edge of the bed. She glanced back over her shoulder. "I promised Liz I'd take Michael for the day to give her and Bill a little time alone. I'm taking him to the zoo."

Sam thought briefly. "It's not exactly what I had in mind, but I haven't been to the zoo in a while."

"You'd go with us?" Nikki hadn't even considered the possibility that he might want to join them.

"If you have no objections."

"I don't have any objections, but I don't know how you'll feel after a day with Michael. Kids his age aren't exactly restful."

"I like kids," Sam said easily. "Mary tells me I'm her very favoritest uncle." He frowned slightly. "Of course, I've heard her tell Gage and Keefe the same thing, but I know she means it when she's talking to me."

Nikki grinned. "I'm sure she does. If you're sure you want to come with us, you're welcome."

Actually, it might be interesting to see him with Michael. Her godson had seemed to take to Sam at the wedding and Sam had been good with him, but it would be interesting to see how Sam's patience lasted over the course of an entire day. In the back of her mind, unacknowledged, was a deep curiosity to see what kind of a father Sam might make.

❧

If it was possible to judge by a day at the zoo, Sam would make a wonderful father. His patience with Michael seemed endless. He answered questions, wiped sticky hands and laughed at terrible, five-year-old jokes. But he also didn't hesitate to pull Michael up short if he threatened to get too wild. Michael might not know Sam very well but he knew the voice of authority when he heard it, and Nikki was disgusted to find him much more inclined to listen to Sam than he was to her.

"It's a manly thing," Sam told her with a grin. "You wouldn't understand."

Nikki shook her head. "I think it's just that you're bigger than I am. He probably thinks you'll squash him like a bug if he doesn't obey. You've terrorized him."

Since Michael was currently perched on Sam's shoulders, his small fingers firmly entwined in his mount's hair, the terror theory seemed a little shaky, but Nikki stuck with it, finding it more palatable than some secret man-to-man understanding.

When they reached the tiger enclosure, Michael demanded to be set down.

"I wanna see 'em up close."

Sam obediently deposited him on the ground but kept a close eye on him, suspecting that the boy's idea of "up close" might not stop at the railing. He was aware of a feeling of quiet contentment.

He'd been disappointed when Nikki had told him that she already had plans that precluded spending the day in bed. But he had to admit that he was enjoying himself. Michael was a handful, but he was a great little kid.

"You meant it when you said you liked kids, didn't you?" Nikki asked suddenly.

"What's not to like?" He reached out and caught Michael by the back of the collar before the boy could attempt to work his way through the barrier surrounding the tiger enclosure.

"How about the endless stream of questions, the demands to possess every item they see, the fact that they never stop talking?" Nikki reeled off promptly.

Sam chuckled. "I didn't say they were perfect. But I kind of like their questions. It makes you look at things in a different way. Who else but a kid would ask why polar bears have fur instead of feathers?"

Nikki laughed. "True. But you've got to admit that children aren't exactly restful creatures."

Sam kept his hand firmly on Michael's collar, but took his eyes off the boy long enough to shoot Nikki a curious look. She seemed awfully interested in his opinion of children. Was she pondering his suitability as father material? The thought was intriguing. What would it be like to have a child with Nikki?

He had a sudden image of her, her stomach rounded with his child, and felt a wave of hunger so powerful that it nearly staggered him. Good God, when had he started to think of Nikki in those terms? A few weeks ago, he would have said he didn't even like her. Now he was picturing her as the mother of his child and finding the picture startlingly right.

"I always planned on having a couple of kids," he said slowly. He glanced to make sure Michael was still fully occupied with watching the big cats. He returned his attention to Nikki. "I never told you that I was married before."

The zoo wasn't exactly the setting he'd envisioned for telling Nikki about Sara, but maybe handling it casually was better than anything he could have contrived.

She looked surprised but not particularly shocked. "I know. Your mom mentioned it. She was surprised that I didn't already know."

Sam winced. "That must have been awkward. If it had occurred to me that Mom might mention it, I would have told you myself."

Nikki shrugged. "I don't think she suspected anything out of the ordinary, if that's what you're thinking."

"It isn't. I was just thinking that it was a hell of a position to put you in—we're supposed to be madly in love and you didn't even know about Sara. What did she say?"

"Not much. Only that your wife—that Sara—died." Nikki was pleased by the even tone of her voice. They might have been discussing the weather. Certainly, no one would have guessed that there was a knot the size of a small car in her stomach.

"She had cancer," Sam said, speaking almost as if to himself. "By the time we knew she was sick, it was too late to stop it."

"I'm sorry," Nikki said sincerely. "That must have been terrible."

"I've had better years." He was looking at Michael but Nikki had the feeling he was seeing something—or someone—else.

"You must have loved her very much." As soon as the words were out, Nikki wished she could call them back. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear what he might say in response.

He took his time about answering, and shook himself free of memories. When he looked at her, his eyes seemed clear of shadows.

"I loved her deeply," he said simply. "When she died, I couldn't imagine ever loving anyone that much again. I figured it was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing."

Nikki struggled to conceal the effect his "words had on her. Better to know now, she told herself. Better to know before she let her heart get any more involved than it already was. But Sam wasn't done speaking.

"I'm not so sure anymore," he said slowly, his eyes searching her face. "I wonder if it can happen twice, after all."

Nikki's heart stumbled, her breath catching in her throat. Was he saying what she thought he was? That she was the reason he was changing his mind? That he might be falling in love with her? The possibility was enough to make her feel light-headed.

She didn't know whether to be relieved or sorry when Michael interrupted.

"I want to see the elephant," he announced, having seen his fill of the tigers. "Can I ride, Uncle Sam?"

Sam's eyes held Nikki's a moment longer and then he dragged his gaze to Michael's pleading face. "What do you think I am—a horse?" he complained as he swung the child up, settling him easily on his shoulders. Michael giggled happily.

"Giddyap," he cried, apparently taking to the idea of Sam as a two-legged horse.

"I had to mention it," Sam said, throwing Nikki a rueful look.

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. Walking beside Sam and Michael, she listened with half an ear to Michael's endless stream of commentary and questions and Sam's patient answers.

Nikki tried to sort out what had just happened. Had Sam implied that he was falling in love with her or was that wishful thinking? And how could it be wishful thinking when she didn't even know if she wanted him to be in love with her?

If she hadn't been in the middle of a busy walkway, Nikki might have been tempted to tear her hair in frustration. This wasn't the way it was supposed to work. She'd had everything planned out, and falling in love with Sam—and she wasn't saying she had—wasn't part of that plan.

Perhaps Sam sensed something of what she was feeling. He stopped in the middle of the crowded pathway, oblivious to the eddy they created. He reached out to catch her hand in his, and Nikki had no choice but to stop also.

"We're causing a traffic jam."

"Los Angelenos are used to traffic jams. Makes them feel at home." ,

"I'm not so sure," Nikki commented, catching the exasperated look thrown them by a mother who had to push a stroller around them. "Is there a reason we're halting traffic?"

"Yes. Avery important reason."

Nikki waited and, when he didn't continue, she looked at him, raising her brows in question. She caught just a glimpse of his smile, and then his lips covered hers in a kiss that made only marginal concessions to the fact that they were standing on a public pathway in broad daylight. When he finally lifted his head, Nikki had to set her hand against his chest for balance.

"What was that for?" she asked, blinking up at him.

"Just a little something to tide us both over until tonight."

If he'd been looking for a way to distract her, he'd certainly done a good job, she thought dazedly. The distant future didn't seem nearly so worthy of concern when the near future held so much interest.

"Are you guys gonna do mushy stuff? Can't ya wait till after I see the elephants?" Michael asked in a tone of such disgust that both his companions burst out laughing.

"We'll try to hold off until after the elephants," Sam promised, but there was another, sensual promise in his eyes for Nikki.

Maybe Liz was right, she thought as they continued to walk. Maybe she did spend too much time planning her life. It seemed that there were some definite advantages to allowing the unexpected to happen. Perhaps it was time to try living life one day at a time and see what happened.