Page 55 of The Christmas Cowboy

He put his arm around her and pulled her close. “I can’t promise you that the shit won’t hit the fan, but I can promise you that you’re not in this alone. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“Why are you so good to me?”

“Because I love you.”

Val sat up and stared at him. “What did you say?”

He smiled and pulled her head down to kiss her. “I love you, Val.”

“You don’t have to say that. It’s enough that you married me.”

“I know I don’t have to say it. I mean it. I love you.”

Oh, God. She hoped it was true. Liam wouldn’t lie to her but… She knew he cared about her and the baby. But was it really love? If he really loved her it had happened awfully quickly. Because she knew for a fact that while he had liked and respected her, he wasn’t in love with her when they married.

“I’m sensing you don’t believe me.”

He kissed her, long and sweet. She started to speak but his hand covered her breast and his fingers plucked at her nipple. That’s all it took. When he moved his hand down to cup her, she was already wet. Sometimes she wished she didn’t respond to him so easily, so quickly. Really, most of the time, all she had to do was look at him and she wanted him.

He pushed up her top and she raised her arms to let him take it off. Then she felt his mouth on her nipple as he sucked it strongly into his mouth. Laved it with his tongue while his hand plumped it up for him. He moved to her other nipple, giving it the same loving treatment.

Val put her hands in his hair, moaning his name. “Liam.”

He raised his head and met her gaze, his eyes filled with a passion she could see in the moonlight filtering through the shades. “Val.”

“I want you. Now.”

He smiled and got rid of his boxers, then stripped off her pajama pants and her panties in one move. One of his fingers dipped inside and she arched up to meet him. “I want to make sure you’re ready,” he murmured.

“Always.”

He rubbed her clit, his fingers continuing their assault on her senses. Urging him on, she felt him at her entrance, and then he pushed inside, filling her. Stroking in and out. She wrapped her legs around him and gave herself completely up to the sensations he elicited. He rode her gently, driving her higher with each thrust.

“Oh,” she gasped. “I’m about to…”

“Come for me,” he said. “Come with me.”

Her orgasm hit and she shattered, feeling him pulse inside her. Hearing him groan as he let loose. They stayed entwined but he rolled over, bringing her on top. “Don’t want to squash you.”

“You didn’t.” She looked down at him, smiling a little at the satisfied expression on his face.

“I really do love you, you know. I think I fell for you on our honeymoon. But I didn’t want to admit it.”

She’d loved him since she was thirteen years old. An impossible, unattainable love. And then the unbelievable happened and she married him. Could they have a real marriage? One where they stayed together because they loved each other and not solely because of the baby?

*

Val had livedin Marietta all her life, with the brief exception of when she went to college in Miles City. But that was still in Montana and not all that far from Marietta. Having lived in Marietta for so long, though, she knew all about the rumor mill. And the rumors were swirling with a vengeance about her, her possible pregnancy, and Trent claiming the baby was his. Oh, and if Trent was the baby daddy then why had she married Liam McFarland?

The first inkling she had that the rumors had started was when she stopped at the Java Café to meet Letty and ordered a smoothie instead of her usual latte. Sally Driscoll, the barista at the café, fixed her smoothie, then as she handed it to her said, “I guess it must be true.”

“What’s true?” Val asked automatically.

“Well, you did order a smoothie and you nearly always have a latte or even a double shot latte.”

“I wanted a change.” Val had a sinking feeling she knew where this was headed.

“Right. Caffeine isn’t good for babies.”

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