Carae's Touch (Long Line of Love, #4) Read online

  "Why?"

  "Because I'd hate to think that you don't feel you can discuss important issues with me."

  "I did feel like that, but not anymore."

  "I'm glad to hear that. Now please share your reasons for not telling me sooner."

  "Okay. First, I didn't want you to feel bad or even obligated to do anything about a pregnancy you hadn't consciously caused."

  "And then?" he encouraged when she paused.

  "Then I figured you knew and didn't care."

  He stiffened. "What did I ever say that would make you think I wouldn't care?"

  She shrugged. "When I asked you if you wanted kids, you never answered."

  "So?"

  "So I assumed either you didn't want kids or you just didn't want them with me because you did know before today that I was pregnant. Didn't you?"

  "Yes. I knew, but only for a day."

  She nodded. "So why didn't you say anything to let me know you wanted the baby so I wouldn't think I'd be a single mother?"

  "I was afraid that you didn't tell me because you had no intentions of keeping the baby or you didn't want me involved because of how the baby was conceived. And I was trying to decide how to deal with either of those outcomes."

  So he had had second thoughts. "How it was conceived? You mean because it wasn't conceived with love?"

  "No. That's not what I mean. It was conceived in love. Granted, I don't remember that night, but I was already in love with you. I regret that you weren't onboard for it, but our baby was conceived in love—at least on my part."

  "On mine too."

  "Then you were undecided as to whether you wanted to keep the baby?"

  "I had a few hours when I considered taking a morning after pill. Once I let that window close, there was no question of my doing anything but keeping the baby. Just so you know, I was never, ever not going to have your baby."

  He sighed. "I wish I could undo the manner of conception, but I'm so thankful you're having our baby."

  Sensing a lessening in tension in him, she smiled. "So am I." Now, you big, galoot, what are you planning to do about it? Or was he going to treat her like he'd treated Rissa and refuse to marry her even though he knew she was pregnant?

  "I'm sorry about last night."

  She shook her head. "Forget it."

  "No. I had big plans last night that were ruined by my behavior."

  She met his gaze. "What plans?"

  "I was going to start with this." He reached in his pants pocket and withdrew a black jewelers' box.

  It clearly contained a ring. She knew it had to be an engagement ring because he wouldn't dare offer her a friendship or commitment ring. She moistened her lips, her heart pounding.

  He opened the box, revealing a beautiful diamond, platinum solitaire.

  "It's an engagement ring," she whispered.

  "Yeah. I know. I'm the guy who bought it. Lelia helped me pick it out yesterday."

  So that's where he'd been.

  "If you don't like it or if you'd rather we picked out something together or...if you're going to say no..."

  How could any man who had as much to offer as he did, sound and look so unsure of himself?

  "Do you like it?"

  She nodded.

  "Are you sure? If you don't absolutely love it—"

  She shook her head. "It's perfect. I'll have to thank Lelia. Had I been with you, there's no way I would have dared spent so much of your money in one go. It will probably take me a while to get used to spending your money."

  "You can spend every penny I have."

  She thought of Caren and Adam in Africa with so little money between them. "Be careful what you promise. I might decide to take you at your word."

  "I mean it because without you in my life the money won't mean anything anyway."

  "Oh, Brandon. Sweetie, you're wonderful and the ring is so beautiful."

  "So are you. Now will you put me out of my misery and tell me you'll marry me, beautiful brown eyes."

  Oh, God. Finally. Her throat muscles tightened and she had to swallow several times before she could speak again. "Are you sure?"

  He frowned. "Am I sure about what? That I want to marry you?"

  She nodded. "Are you?"

  "I'm beyond sure. I'm positive." He took her hands in his, kissed her fingers and placed them against his chest. "I don't just love you. I'm in love with you and I adore you. You are everything I want and need and I just can't envision having a meaningful life without you by my side."

  "Oh... Brandon." Her throat muscles tightened and she could barely speak.

  "Will you marry me? I know that there's nothing beyond my wealth to recommend me, but I promise if you marry me, I'll spend the rest of my life cherishing you."

  "Oh, sweetie, having money is going to be nice, but I'd marry you if you were in debt up to your gorgeous eyes."

  "Yeah? You're finally saying yes? You'll marry me?"

  "Are you on drugs?" She slipped her arms up his chest and around his neck. "It would take an act of God to keep me from marrying you."

  "Thank God!" He sighed. "How are your parents going to feel when they learn how much older I am than you?"

  "I told you my dad is twenty years older than my mom."

  "That doesn't mean they're going to want the same thing for you."

  "Trust me, sweetie, you'll be their favorite son-in-law."

  "Don't they like Caren's husband?"

  "Of course they do. Adam makes her happy and he's a good man. However, you'll have a number of advantages over him. First, you won't be whisking me out of the country. Will you?"

  "Only on vacation."

  "And you're not dirt poor. Although money isn't super important, Dad always hoped we'd marry men who were more financially ambitious than he was and had a little more disposable income than he and Adam made on a teacher's salary.

  "My parents are going to love you almost as much as I do. Now tell me why you seem so surprised that I'm eager to marry you? You've known from the night we met that I was nuts about you."

  "Yes, but I've fucked up a lot since that night and you have no idea how much I want and need you."

  "I will if you tell me," she said, smiling at him. "So feel free to tell me, sweetie, at length and in great detail."

  He sighed. "I have the most loving, devoted, supporting family anyone could possibly want. I'd do almost anything for my siblings and I know they'd do the same for me. Yet, after Rissa's death, I felt so lost and alone. Despite their best efforts, I sank into a dark, miserable place that even Croft couldn't pull me from.

  "After a while, Layton, Croft, and Declan pulled me partially out of the pit, but I couldn't reach the top. Even then the effort was costly because Croft ended up with a spiritual imbalance and I was still in a dark, cold, lonely place.

  "I couldn't even conceive of ever being happy or romantically content again. My future stretched bleakly ahead of me. Then, the spirits were kind and I reluctantly allowed myself to be talked into attending one of Layton's parties and met you.

  "The night I saw you was the first time I felt even a glimmer of hope for a future that didn't offer only dark misery. Still, I had no idea what you would or could mean to me. Then, when we were on the swing and you touched me...Oh, God, your touch, Carae. Do you have any idea how powerful and healing your wonderful, magical touch is?"

  "Yeah?"

  He nodded. "Oh, yes."

  ''Who knew?"

  "My heart. You have no idea how your touch infused me with hope. When you touched me, it began the healing process for me. In my heart I knew you were the one woman I wanted and needed and...and I'm sorry I made this whole process so difficult and hurtful for you."

  "Oh...sweetie, I love you so much more for the efforts you made to protect me from yourself. But it was a losing battle from the word go because the moment I turned and saw you, I was yours for the taking."

  She smiled at him. "Reaching this point hurt more than I though
t possible, but you know what? I'd go through that and more all over again just for the unmitigated joy of hearing you say how I helped you."

  "Yeah?"

  "Oh, yeah, sweetie. Like my mom used to tell my dad, 'wasn't nothing going to stand between me and you for too long.'"

  "So we're going to do this? The whole marriage and kids thing?"

  "Oh, hell to the yes, sweetie."

  "I don't just mean the one you're carrying. I hope you share my desire not to have an only child."

  She thought of his large family and suppressed a shudder. "Okay, let's discuss how many you'd like to have."

  "I'd like to have two at a minimum."

  "And maximum?"

  "I'd be inclined to view any amount beyond two a total blessing. I'd ideally like to have four or five."

  "Five kids?" She'd never planned on having more than two.

  "If that's too many, I'll settle for two. But twins only count as one," he warned.

  She hesitated. "Caren just discovered that she can't conceive," she said.

  He sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that. I assume you're telling me because you'd like to do something to help."

  She nodded. "Yes. I would."

  "That's something we'll have to discuss, but I need you to bear in mind that I'm not getting any younger and I'd like to have our kids first."

  "If we have five kids, I can't imagine wanting to have another one—even to help Caren. What if we have twins first and then one for her?"

  "Maybe...provided we're talking artificial insemination. There's absolutely no way her husband or anyone else is getting near you in an intimate manner."

  So much for her offer to help Caren in a way Adam would find acceptable. "You've been invading my thoughts," she said.

  "You're projecting emotions so powerful that's not necessary," he countered. "I understand your desire to help her, but there are limits, Carae."

  "Let's think about it and discuss it later."

  He shook his head. "Anything beyond artificial insemination is going to be out of the question. Period."

  "Excuse me?"

  "You heard me, Carae."

  "Yes, I did, but aren't you forgetting something?"

  "That it's your body?"

  She nodded.

  He shook his head again. "Once we're married, it'll also be mine—just as mine already is yours. So are we going to be on the same page with this?"

  "If you're going to go all caveman and possessive on me..."

  "What?"

  She shrugged. "Within limits, possessiveness can be sexy—at least on you."

  "And?"

  Being married to a man who found it so easy to read her was going to be a challenge. She reached out to loosen the band holding his hair behind his head. When it fell over his shoulders, she stroked her fingers through it. "And caveman looks good on you, sweetie. I like you."

  "Like?"

  "Okay, caveman, if you want to quibble, I love you."

  "How much?"

  "Far more than you deserve."

  "I'll work very hard to deserve it and you, Carae."

  She believed him. "Good because I do love you so much I can almost taste it."

  "The feeling is mutual. Are we on the same page about helping Caren?"

  She sighed and then nodded. "We're on the same page. Artificial insemination or no go."

  "Thank you, beautiful brown eyes."

  "You can thank me by not invading my thoughts, buster. Seriously."

  "I promise."

  "Hmm. I've heard that song before," she said.

  "I can't always help it, Carae, but I will do my very best."

  "Hmm. I suppose I'll have to be content with that...maybe. Now are you going to actually give me the ring or have you decided to keep it yourself?"

  He drew far enough away from her to slip the ring on her finger before pulling her into his arms and rolling onto his back with her on top of him. "Now, how do you plan to show me how much you love me?" he asked, sliding his hands down her back to cup her rear.

  "By having your babies and loving every minute of making them."

  "Babies as in more than two?"

  "I think that can be arranged," she whispered and bent her head to press her lips against his with a passion and tenderness that promised a lifetime of love and devotion.

  Loving Large: Yours, Only and Always Excerpt

  © 2010 Marilyn Lee

  All rights reserved

  "Don't despair. When you least expect it, the hurt from Sam will dissolve and you'll fall head over heels in love again. It could happen at any time in any place. Just make sure you're ready to accept and embrace it when it happens."

  Autumn Walker's mother's words flashed into her mind the moment she walked into the condo association meeting and saw him.

  The man who caught her attention was tall, with long legs, wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and a taut ass. He might have stepped right off the cover of one of the Native American capture romances she and her friends had devoured as teenagers. She could easily imagine him bare-chested with long, very dark, silky hair pulled back from his face and hanging down his back as he sat astride a horse without a saddle.

  Two women, who she suspected were more interested in spending time in his bed than they were in discussing proposed changes in condo fees, commanded his attention.

  She stared at him, feeling herself going wet. What woman wouldn't want to be up close and personal with a man who was so sexy just the sight of him generated capture fantasies?

  What she wouldn't give for the courage to strut across the room and join the two women clambering for his attention. She sighed. If only she were tall and slender with mounds of flowing locks like the women vying to hold his interest. But the handsome, sexy male who looked as if he'd just finished posing for the cover of a romance novel wasn't likely to be impressed with her five-foot, five-inch plump body or her dark brown skin. He probably preferred the tall, slender, blue-eyed blondes gazing so adoringly up at him.

  Almost as if he felt her eyes on him, he suddenly turned his head, glanced briefly in Autumn's direction, looked away, and then did a double take. He arched a brow and locked his gaze with hers.

  Embarrassed at having been caught staring, Autumn still couldn't look away from his dark, sexy, probing gaze. Her heart raced and the erotic imagination she'd struggled to control since her divorce quickly flooded her mind with visions of standing naked before him while he ran his big hands all over her body. Her cheeks burned at the delicious thought of feeling his smooth palms spanking her naked, dark ass cheeks until they burned with heat.

  Oh to feel him lubing her up before he gripped her hips and fucked her ass, slow and deep. She bit her lip, going wet as she mentally savored the thought of him cupping his hands over her breasts as he thrust in and out of her rear.

  She wore a pretty pink dress with a skirt that ended just below her knees. He could easily push it up to expose a hot pink thong. Once he pushed that skimpy piece of fluff aside he'd have easy access to both her ass and her pussy.

  He arched a brow while the corners of his sensual lips slowly curved upward into an appreciative smile. His gaze shifted down to her breasts for several long moments before he looked into her eyes again.

  Autumn caught her breath. Was she imaging things or did she detect a hint of interest in his gaze? He had definitely checked out her breasts.

  Both blondes glanced at Autumn. One touched his arm. The other placed a hand against his chest.

  I guess they're telling you he's off limits. As if you need that warning.

  The object of all three women's desire turned his attention back to the women at his side.

  Autumn released a sigh of disappointment, still unable to tear her gaze away from him. He was so sexy.

  He spoke briefly to the two women before turning his attention back to Autumn.

  She swallowed and stared into his almost hypnotic eyes. He must be interested in her.

  The women
spoke to him again, seemingly determined to reclaim his attention.

  Briefly turning his gaze back to the women, he flashed a smile and spoke to them.

  Autumn watched in amazement as he then quickly strolled towards her, ignoring the women's efforts to keep him at their sides.

  She swallowed and moistened her lips while her heart hammered against her ribcage.

  He stopped a foot or so in front of her. He extended his hand. "Hello." He had a deep, sexy voice.

  "Hi."

  "I'm Seneka Elkhorn."

  Seneka Elkhorn. Nice name. Nice voice. Nice body. Sexy as hell man.

  She held out her hand.

  A shiver of anticipation danced down her spine when his fingers closed over hers. She imagined him whispering sweet nothings in her ear in that deep, velvety voice as he caressed her bare skin with the big warm hand cradling hers.

  "And you are?"

  She blinked. "I'm sorry. What?"

  "What's your name? Mine's Seneka Elkhorn."

  Get a grip, woman and stop gawking as if you've never met a drop-dead gorgeous hunk. "Autumn Walker."

  His eyes lingered on her bare left hand. "Autumn is my favorite time of the year."

  "Oh...is it?"

  "Oh yes." He smiled. "I see you're not wearing a ring, but is there a Mr. 'She's All Mine So Back Off' lurking somewhere?"

  She'd never been happier to be divorced and commitment free. She shook her head. "Not anymore."

  His smile widened. "No? This must be my lucky night."

  His lucky night? Lost in a haze of erotic fantasies, she racked her brain for some witty remark that would titillate and entertain him while making him want to get to know her.

  She stole a glance at his left hand. Bare. Thank God.

  The association president went to the podium. "Good evening, everyone. We have a number of issues on the agenda so please find seats so we can begin."

  Autumn stifled a groan. Why did the blasted meeting have to start on time? She reluctantly withdrew her hand from his. "I guess I'd better find a seat."

  He slipped a hand under her elbow. "Yes. Let's do that."

  His fingers on her bare skin sent a tingle through her. She turned back to face him, hoping she'd managed to conceal her emotional turmoil from him. "I see a seat—"