He knew what she wanted—needed from him even before her legs parted to urge him between them. But for some reason of his own Mac was holding back, his breathing fierce as he held himself away from her a little, supporting himself on arms which shook while he looked into her passion-dazed eyes.
‘What do you want?’ he demanded gruffly.
‘You,’ she whispered. ‘I want you, inside me, filling me. I want you!’ She tried to capture his mouth but he wouldn’t let her, the swollen power of his manhood brushing so tantalisingly close to its goal that her senses squirmed in frustration. ‘Please, Mac—please!’ she begged.
‘Now, tomorrow and all the other tomorrows—will you still want me then?’
‘Yes, oh, yes!’ she groaned, too delirious to think about what she was saying or, more to the point, what he was asking of her. ‘Forever. I love you—you know that.’
He shuddered violently as if her answer had reached in and touched something deep inside him, then he thrust himself inside her, filling her as she’d so desperately needed him to do, and her legs wound tightly around his hips, her arms going around his neck to pull his mouth hungrily down on to hers. And, fused together like that, they began to move.
It was slow and it was strong, their flesh at one with their driving senses as they climbed towards that ultimate goal where everything would shatter in a crescendo of sheer out-of-body pleasure.
Their breath shattered first, followed by their minds, then the pulsing, throbbing collapse of everything physical. And it went on and on, holding them totally captive by the most powerful and prolonged climax they had ever shared.
Coming back to reality was not easy, or quick. Roberta was feeling shaken by it all, and she guessed that Mac was feeling very much the same himself. But, as their muscles slowly relaxed and their breathing took on a steadier pace, he lifted his head from the moist heat of her throat where it had lurched when his control had finally left him, and said thickly, ‘You are the most selflessly giving woman I’ve ever known, do you know that?’
‘Thank you,’ she whispered, loving him—unable to stop herself loving him. She understood that now.
‘No.’ He shook his dark head. ‘I thank you, for just being what you are to me. Thank you,’ he repeated gruffly again, then captured her mouth with a kiss so utterly sweet that for some crazy reason it made her want to cry.
Yet she didn’t, and the reason why came in the next moment when the telephone by the bed began to ring. Mac muttered something and went to move away, but she stopped him, a foreboding the like of which she’d never experienced in her life before making her cling to him in panic.
‘No,’ she pleaded anxiously against his lips. ‘Leave it.’
‘I can’t,’ he groaned. ‘It might be important.’ But his mouth was soft and hungry against hers as he said the words, and when she wrapped her arms around his neck and moved sensually against him he shuddered, his hands sliding down the length of her, long fingers possessive and trembling, and Roberta felt a hot flood of elation as he gripped hold of her hips hard and thrust himself against her, already aroused, even after what they had just shared.
Then, with their mouths still fused, he levered himself away from her. ‘One minute,’ he promised against her clinging lips. ‘Just one short minute, darling, please.’ And he prised himself free.
His hand was not quite steady as he lifted the receiver from its rest. ‘Yes?’ he bit out, while his eyes, so dark and slumberous with satiation and new desire, devoured her where she lay, touching distance away from him. She quivered and he saw it happen, the hot flush of passion darkening his cheeks. And it only hit her at that moment that this was her room, and therefore her telephone to answer. She was about to say as much to Mac when, on a sudden flash of irritation, he sat up and swung his feet to the floor, then shot tensely to his feet.
‘Lulu?’ he muttered sharply. ‘What the hell are you doing ringing me here at this time of night?’
And whose damned phone it was dropped right out of her mind as she felt her heart drop like a stone to her feet. Lulu, she was repeating over and over to herself. Of course, it had to be Lulu. Who else could possess this kind of perfect timing other than Mac’s own dear Lulu?
He listened while Roberta lay perfectly still, feeling the goose-bumps come out all over her flesh as harsh reality slowly returned.
‘Do you mean to tell me,’ Mac said tightly, ‘that you’ve called me long-distance just to tell me that Delia is ill?’
Delia. Lulu and Delia. Not just one of them intruding, but both.
‘What? When?’ His voice had deepened and grown husky with concern. ‘All right, darling. Don’t cry. She’ll be fine, baby, be sure of it,’ Mac murmured soothingly. ‘An appendix operation isn’t that worrying these days... No, of course I care!’ He sighed in exasperation at something Lulu must have said. ‘But your mother is not my responsibility any more! I have things to do here that—’
Another sigh and his beautiful shoulders were ramrod-stiff, his dark head thrown tensely back on his taut neck. What was she demanding of him, Roberta wondered, to make him look like that? He looked—tormented. She soon found out.
‘Of course I haven’t got one of my women here!’
Roberta flinched, her whole body jerking in pained spasm. Of course, she thought grimly. I’m just a piece of nothing, not worth mentioning.
Quietly she climbed out of the bed, picked up her robe and shrugged it on.
‘You know I love you, darling,’ Mac stated heavily. ‘But just for once can’t you deal with this yourself?’
Whatever Lulu said then it was powerful enough to make Mac’s shoulders sag in defeat. ‘All right—all right!’ he surrendered impatiently. ‘If you really need me, then...’
His voice trailed off, the sound of the door opening behind him bringing him swinging around to face Roberta.
She paused, her gaze levelled on his impatient face. Go, she silently told him, and it will be the last time you’ll ever get this close to me.