A Proper Wife

“You quarreled with Frank? Is that why you came home early?”

“Yes. No.” Ryan sighed as he looped his finger through a strand of her hair. “I was ticked off at Frank, yeah, but that’s not why I came home early.” He smiled at her as a tightness formed in his chest. “I came home because of you,” he said, “because it was time to admit the truth to myself.”

Devon’s heart beat faster. “What truth?”

Ryan reached for her and drew her down into the curve of his arm.

“That I wanted to make love to you so badly I couldn’t think straight anymore,” he whispered. Her breath hitched as he stroked his hand over her hip. “All these months, telling myself I didn’t want you, then lying in my bed each night, driving myself crazy imagining what would happen if I went up the steps to your room and took you in my arms...”

Color streaked into Devon’s cheeks. “I—I imagined the same thing.”

Bright green flame burned in the depths of Ryan’s eyes. “Did you?” he said huskily.

“Night after night,” she whispered.

He drew her close and kissed her until her lips were soft and clinging under his.

“No more separate rooms, sweetheart. No more separate beds. We’ve wasted too much time.”

Yes, she thought, yes, they had, and now there was only one week left.

“You’re mine,” Ryan said fiercely. “Do you understand? You belong to me and no one else.”

Forever, Ryan. Forever. Please, she thought, please, say the three little words that will make it so.

But he didn’t say them. He moved instead, sliding down her body, until his mouth was hot against her belly. “Open to me,” he whispered as he stroked her thighs apart.

“Ryan,” Devon said in a broken whisper. “Ryan...”

And then his mouth was on her and she was lost.

They awoke early the next morning, still wrapped in each other’s arms.

“Mmm,” Ryan murmured, pressing his lips to her throat.

“Mmm,” Devon sighed, tangling her fingers in his hair.

After long, sweet moments, Ryan sat up and slapped her lightly on the backside.

“Hey,” Devon said indignantly.

“Hey, yourself,” Ryan answered. He rolled from the bed, padded to the windows, and flung open the drapes. “It’s morning, woman. Do you know what that means?”

Devon smiled and scrunched down under the blankets.

“Another twenty minutes of sleep?”

“Breakfast,” Ryan said, striding back to the bed. He swept back the blankets, ignoring her shrieks, and scooped her into his arms. “Bacon. Eggs. Toast.”

“Ryan! You put me down!” Laughing, Devon beat her fists against his shoulders as he hauled her into the bathroom.

“And buckets of coffee,” he said as he stepped into the shower. Holding her firmly in the curve of one arm, he turned on the overhead and side sprays. “You’ve drained all my energy. I need food to restore my strength.”

Devon turned in his arms, lifting her laughing face to his as the shower beat warmly down over their bodies.

“Is that all you need?” she said.

Her breath caught as Ryan’s smile faded. “No,” he whispered, his hands cupping her bottom. “No, my darling, I need much more than that. I need...”