Deal of a Lifetime by Rue Allyn Page B

Circling his length with one hand, she guided him back, then lowered herself until his tip was locked inside her.
    He grasped her hips and lifted his, but she refused to let him take over. Earlier she’d felt both fettered by the unrelenting passion his touch unleashed and freed by a soaring delight that her feelings for him made true and brilliant. In his arms her problems faded, insignificant beside that star driven moment.
    She wanted to give him that—intense, blinding ecstasy and love—she had nothing else to offer. She must keep her heart whole for her daughter’s sake. Tam caught his gaze, wanting to show her love for him. The love she could never speak for fear of losing everything that mattered—even love itself.
    “Let me,” She placed her fingers on his lips.
    His hands lifted from her hips to cup her breasts. Then she descended and rose, descending and rising, again and again and yet again, until the final worry fled and the world narrowed to the feel of him sliding within her heated core.
    He lay silent, obedient to her wishes, soaking in all she gave and more. He had no idea what he took from her in those selfless moments of loving. Caught in that instant, she couldn’t tell him he’d stolen her heart.
    His hips stiffened. His fingers tightened on her breasts. His breathing labored, telling her he neared the edge. She leaned forward, kissing his lips and plunging her tongue into his mouth. His restraint broke. He thrust, deep and solid, shoving them both over the precipice to infinite swirling pleasure.
    She collapsed against his chest. Had she been capable, she would have wept for pleasure and for grief. Distantly aware of Con pulling blankets over them, she slept.
    Hours later, they woke and made long, slow, gentle love to one another within the cocoon of blankets, but morning came too soon. Tam woke alone. She looked around the shack, but her clothes, boots included, had disappeared. Con’s missing clothes she could understand. He was probably wearing them. But why take hers? Did he think that such a medieval tactic would make her stay?
    She stretched before braving the cold air, and her foot encountered something hard. Burrowing beneath the blankets, she found the object and pulled it out of the blankets with her. Her boot. But what was it… Oh. Con, that lovely, thoughtful man, had put her boots and clothes inside the blankets with her, so they would be warm when she woke and dressed. She could almost forgive him for his insane behavior yesterday. Who was she kidding? She’d forgiven him before she found him in trouble, or she wouldn’t have made love with him. Would he forgive her when he finally learned the truth? She would tell him about Susa, without question. First she had to figure out how.
    Quickly, she burrowed under the blankets again, dressing within their scanty warmth. Finally, she stood. The air was still cold, but thanks to Con’s thoughtfulness, the temperature was tolerable, especially once she put on her coat, hat, and gloves.
    She headed to the door to locate Con when the door opened and he swung through. Bracing himself on the crutches, he looped his arms around her shoulders. “I found a power switch while I was outside taking care of, er, business. The phone should work now. We’ll be rescued within the hour.”
    “Hmm.” She stretched up and smacked a kiss on his lips. “Then, I’d better take care of business too. I don’t think I can wait an hour.”
    She ducked around him and dashed outside.
    Con hesitated to have anyone intrude on his time with Tam, but his ankle needed attention, and they really couldn’t spend an eternity—no matter how often they made love—in this freezing cold shack. So he moved to the phone and picked up the handset, gratified to hear a dial tone.
    Minutes later, Buddswell answered the phone with the booming voice of command. “Con!”
    “Hi, Mike. Could you send the tram car up the mountain? Tamsin and I got left behind yesterday.”