Page 67 of Love Me Carefully
Her head jerked, and she saw Terrell lying next to her. Memories of the previous night came flooding back, and Leah trembled with embarrassment. She’d never spent the entire night with a man. After a moment’s hesitation, she snuggled closer to him and realized she liked it.
Terrell turned to face her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Mornin’, beautiful,” he said sleepily, his eyes still closed.
“Good morning,” she mumbled and pulled the covers up closer.
When his arms extended beneath the covers, grasping her at the waist and pulling her toward him, she hissed in surprise. “Come on now, we’re not gonna act shy after what we did last night.” He opened one eye to peek at her.
Her cheeks flushed as she remembered all the things she and Terrell had done. Not just last night but the night before that on the ship. She’d done things she never imagined herself doing. But she’d done them because she felt so safe with him. Still, this morning things were totally different—they’d gone all the way this time. “Don’t do that,” she protested.
“Don’t do what?” he said when she was cuddled with her backside against his front. “Don’t make you remember how uninhibited you were last night, or don’t make you remember how good it was?”
Despite herself she smiled at both. “Either.”
“Get used to it. I like you uninhibited.” Pushing wayward braids out of his way with his chin he nuzzled her neck.
“I’ll just bet you do.” Admitting she loved being held by him, she allowed herself a few more minutes of bliss.
This could be real, she thought. She could actually be with him this way all the time. All she had to do was allow it to be.
“You’re too quiet. What’re you thinking?” he asked, his hand finding her breasts.
“Mmmmm, just that we have quite a day ahead of us.” Through the mist of their glorious lovemaking the reason for being here on this island at this very moment was never far from Leah’s thoughts. And she knew it haunted Terrell as well.
He let out a whoosh of breath. “I know. I’ve been wondering how everything will play out myself.”
“I still don’t think Donald wants to hurt her,” she added.
“It doesn’t matter to me what his initial intentions were. Now that we know just how serious this whole situation is, any involvement on her part is too much.” He hugged her tighter. “I just want her away from him.”
“I know.” She did understand his need to protect his mother. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that things weren’t exactly what they seemed where Donald was concerned. She’d seen him with Ms. Rosie, seen the obvious love shared between them, so she was reluctant to believe that Donald had used her as a part of his cover. And even though she couldn’t intelligently deny that Donald was into something pretty dangerous, she was sure it had nothing to do with his feelings for Ms. Rosie.
But she wouldn’t dare say that to Terrell. Because as much as he talked about love and relationships, he seemed to be blind to the feelings his mother and Donald shared. Leah knew it was because he was reluctant to accept his mother marrying another man. She remembered him saying he felt that she was leaving him, and a part of her longed to tell him that she’d be there for him after his mother married, so he wouldn’t be alone, but she held that back as well.
The phone on the nightstand rang, shaking both of them free of their thoughts. Terrell loosened his grip on her, but didn’t let go completely, while she rolled closer to the edge of the bed, stretching her arm until her fingers curled around the receiver. “Hello?” she answered.
“Yes, Jeff… Yes, he’s here… In an hour? That’s fine… We’ll meet you in your room… Very funny.” She smiled wryly before replacing the phone in its cradle.
“Jeff?” Terrell asked.
“Yup, he wants us to meet him in his room in an hour.” Their intimate solitude had been interrupted by apprehension and anxiety. Terrell rolled onto his back and pulled her closer, so that she lay halfway across his body. They stayed that way in silence for a few more moments.
Then Leah sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed, taking the sheets with her. “He advised that we not try to squeeze in another quickie because things were hot last night and he wants to move in as soon as possible.” She turned just in time to catch Terrell’s broad grin.
“How’d he know what I was thinking?” He reached for her but grabbed a handful of the sheet instead. When he pulled on it unexpectedly, it slipped out of her hand and revealed one plump breast.
Terrell’s eyes immediately fell to the exposed skin and his mouth went dry. Leah stared at him, watching as desire crept into the smooth features of his face. Elation filled her. After all they’d done last night, he still wanted her. She smiled at the thought, pulled the sheet back around her body and stood. “No quickies,” she reminded him.
“I didn’t say it was gonna be quick.” Feeling empowered by her obvious arousal Terrell lay back against the pillows, his arms cradled behind his head. He was gloriously naked and Leah’s eyes took in every inch of him.
She saw him in a whole different light now that he was unclothed. He didn’t look so skinny anymore.Can you say buff af? Just below his navel a line of dark hair led the way to that part of him that had given her so much pleasure just hours before.
Her heart thudded in her chest as desire simmered low in her stomach and the muscles at her center started seriously contracting. When her eyes returned to his, she was embarrassed to see that he’d been watching her watch him. “I’m…ah, I’m going to get a shower,” she murmured, moving in the direction of the bathroom.
“You want some company?” he suggested casually.
“No!” She tossed him a sensuous look over her shoulder. “We’d never get out of this room.” Then she disappeared behind the bathroom door.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” He let out the breath he’d been holding while she’d surveyed his body. He needed to focus on the events to come. As much as he would’ve loved to stay in that bed with her for the next couple of days, hell, the next couple of years, he had more pressing matters to deal with.
