“Well,” she said, then paused. How to put this? “It’s a bit embarrassing but I’ll tell you anyway. I…started taking the pill about a month ago.” She could feel her face turning red. Please don't let him ask me why.
He tilted his head to one side. “Really?”
“Yes,” she said quietly then, seeing that she was the one who had brought up the topic, she decided to be brave. “Yes, I did, so we have nothing to worry about where pregnancy is concerned. And as for that other thing,” she bit her lip then pressed on, “I haven’t been with anyone since I lost my husband and I’ve done several physicals since then.” Her speech over, she peeked up at him. “What about you?”
A look of relief passed over his face. “Coincidentally, I did a physical just last month when I was upgrading my insurance plan. I got a clean bill of health.” Then he gave her a thoughtful look. “But I don’t have anything to prove that, Meg, not here. This is going to come down to trust. Do you trust me enough to let me make love to you…without protection?”
Meg looked up at him and in her heart she had no doubt what her answer would be. “I trust you, Drake. And if you trust me, I want you to make love to me.”
She could see that he needed no further encouragement. A smile broke across his face and he leaned down to steal a kiss from her lips. Then he raised himself up and, with a firm hand, he pressed her back into the pillows. To her delight he continued where he’d left off, teasing and tickling her with soft kisses, making her body tingle with desire.
And then, when she thought she would burst with wanting him, he covered her body with his and she wrapped her legs around his lean h*ps and clung to him, her breath coming in pants. He aligned his body with hers and sank deep into her core.
“Drake,” she gasped. “Oh, God, Drake.” It was like she’d been waiting for this moment forever. Now their bodies were one.
He let seconds pass, allowing her body to get used to his presence, and then he was moving, slowly and gently at first, then faster until he was thrusting into her, riding a wave of passion, taking her with him over the crest where he exploded inside her as her inner core pulsated around him, sending sparks shooting to every inch of her body.
It took a long time for their panting gasps to slow to deep breaths and then to the normal rhythm of breathing. Only then, when their bodies had floated down from that pinnacle and the tension had dissolved, did they let each other go and fall back into the pillows.
“Oh, God, Meg,” Drake breathed, “I’ve waited for this for so long and it was worth every minute of the wait.”
She smiled and as his chest rose and fell she reached out to rest a hand on him. “For me too, Drake. For me, too.”
And as she lay in the bed beside him, Meg had no regrets. Although there was still that little question in the back of her mind – where would they go from here?
CHAPTER NINE
“Liar, liar, pants on fire.”
“Jessie.” Meg’s voice was stern. “Not nice, young lady. Now go over and apologize.”
Jessie’s face fell but she walked slowly over to the swing and regarded her classmate with a frown and a pout. “I’m sorry, Patrick.” Then, with a whirl of her skirt she turned and headed back toward her mother.
Not a very gracious apology but one Meg would have to let slide right now. Just that week she’d signed Jessie up for private piano lessons and today was the first class. If they didn’t move quickly they’d be late. And for a class that lasted only half an hour they definitely couldn’t afford to be late.
They made it to the class with five minutes to spare, thank goodness. While Jessie went to music room number three to plunk away at the piano, Meg settled herself in the most comfortable seat in the parents’ waiting area, a big fat armchair, and pulled out her Kindle ereader. She hadn’t finished that romance novel she’d started so long ago. Right now at least she could squeeze in the half hour Jessie’s piano lesson would last.
For the last three weeks she’d been working hard on Drake’s project, determined to finish within the deadline she’d set herself. The contract said up to six months but she wanted to prove to herself that she could do it in four. And besides, she didn’t want to prolong her professional relationship with Drake. She was dying to make love to him again but they’d both agreed that they should postpone any further intimate contact until they could openly start seeing each other. Before that could happen the project would have to end. And the wait was killing her…or at least it felt like it. Thank goodness she was on the last lap. She’d already submitted her second draft and was now doing the final pass before presenting Drake with the official manuscript.
Yes, for the good of her sanity, this project would have to wrap up very soon. Because how could you concentrate on something so mundane as a business memoir when your breath caught in your throat every time those gorgeous gray eyes rested on you? And how could you take notes when all you wanted to do was flick the pen away and reach over and slide your fingers through that thick, dark-blond hair? And how in heaven’s name could you act cool and collected when the secretary came in to offer you tea, when all you wanted was to shove her boss back onto the sofa and kiss him till he begged for mercy?
Meg shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. She glanced at the clock. Jessie’s half hour was almost up and she hadn't got past the page she’d started on. It looked like she was destined never to finish this novel. Oh, well…
The following week there was a stall in Meg’s plan. She and Drake were to have had a final meeting before she prepared her complete package – hard and soft copies of the memoir and a return of the tape recordings and notes. Where and when it was published was up to Drake. Once Meg submitted her package she would be free.
She’d been counting on catching an April fifteen date but it was not to be. Drake ended up having to leave for a week on business, delaying the project past her four month mark. There was nothing to do but wait.