Rule's Property (The House of Rule 2)

Courtney's eyes rolled to the back of her head as he massaged her in the one place she needed it the most. When she focused again, she could clearly see the look of restraint on his face and how much it was costing him. She tried to ignore his magical fingers and whispered, "If we have sex, we can't get an annulment."

"We aren't getting a fucking annulment," he hissed. "That's ridiculous and archaic."

"Maybe so. But it's true. If we have sex, the marriage can't be annulled."

As he continued to hold himself over her, a drop of sweat slid down his temple. "I don't want an annulment." He paused for a moment and Courtney had to wonder what he was thinking. When he spoke, he said the last thing she expected. "If you want out, we'll have to get a divorce, okay?"

Courtney worked her bottom lip between her teeth.

When she didn't answer, he continued to touch her with his maddening, skilful fingers. "Deal, baby?" he asked, as if he were dying to be inside of her.

His fingers became unrelenting and she needed him inside, so very desperately. She took a deep breath. "Deal."

The very second she said the word, he slammed inside her.

Courtney sucked in a breath and felt the reverberations all along her spine. God, it had been so long. She'd missed this so much. He pulled out, made an adjustment to her thighs and surged back inside. Stars hit her from all sides. He stared into her eyes as he continued to thrust. It had been good before; it had been good every time between them. But there was something about this time, something that made it special, and then Courtney realized that they were consummating their marriage.

She was his wife now. For real and for true.

Maybe not forever, but for right now at least.

She couldn't claim she didn't love him, and he wouldn't claim he didn't love her. Forgetting for the moment the angst she knew wasn't behind them yet, she let herself go and reveled in her need for him.

Nick was her perfect lover. He knew her body and he knew the exact spot she needed him to hit. He went for it, pushing all the way inside and holding himself there. He brought one hand down and found her clit again, and with a surge of delight, she rocked against him as his strokes became more powerful by the second.

He surged to his knees and brought her with him, forcing her to sink onto him, impaling her so deeply that she gasped. Nothing had every felt better. He lifted her at the buttocks, and she held him at the shoulders. He stroked into her again, three, four, five times until with a great roar from his throat, he began to come.

She slid into ecstasy and followed him over the edge.

****

Courtney woke up slowly the next morning, having slept deeply, her mind and body replete. The night before came back to her and she let the memory of their lovemaking sink in as she came fully awake, wondering if Nick was in the bed with her. She opened her eyes and tried to focus. Her arms were wrapped tightly around a pillow and she was lying on her stomach.

Lifting her torso up and looking around, she found herself alone, Nick obviously missing from the room. She sighed, tossed the pillow aside and did a double take when she noticed her left hand.

Her wedding band and engagement ring were once again on her finger.

She hadn't felt him put them there, and she didn't know how she felt about him taking the liberty. But the fact that what they'd done last night had made her his wife? Nothing but tingles all over.

She sighed again. If only she could just go with the flow.

And then it kind of hit her. Why couldn't she go with the flow? The marriage was consummated now; there was no question of an annulment. Granted, there were a few other reasons in the twenty-first century where an annulment was allowed; and although Courtney certainly agreed that Nick's touch made her insane, she didn't think an insanity plea would fly.

Getting out of bed, she peeled off the rings and carefully placed them on the bedside table. She wasn't going to give in that easily; Nick still deserved everything she couldn't give him; thinking about children was like an open would in her heart, and she for sure wasn't ready to tell the family yet. Going through to the shower, she wondered what the day would bring.

****

Nick glanced inside his--their bedroom when he heard the shower running. Walking fully into the room, he stood still and inhaled the sweet, lingering scent of Courtney. His wife. He let the inner peace of knowing she was here, at least for now, travel down and settle in his system.