Chapter 16
It was different. Or at least that's what he told himself.
The feel of her was different. Now that she was his wife, it felt … right.
Perfect. She really was his.
She bore his name. She was now Regina Muldoon and that did something to him.
It made his blood run hotter and his passion even more intense. The fire burned in his loins, scorching him, singing through his body.
The feel of her skin, the texture, the taste. It made his fingers not so steady.
He was free to explore, free to show how much he loved her, and Christ Jesus! He loved her so much, it filled every part of him!
His lips trailed over her smooth skin, tasted her neck, where the pulse was beating like a wild thing. Her scent filled his nostrils; the need for her was so much, he could not put it into words.
"Craig." The husky tone of her voice sent nerves shimmering all over his body.
"I can't."
"There's more. I want to give you everything."
His fingers skimmed her ribcage and cupped her breast. "Do you know what you do to me?" he demanded.
"Yes." Her fingers gripped his hair as she arched her body under his.
The passion was intense, hot, so hot, she wondered how it did not consume her.
When he traced the rigid nipple, she soared. He could do this to her.
Turn her inside out, just by being. Just by touching her.
Just by using his mouth on her. He could unsettle her like this.
It was frightening, wonderful, insane. But she was embracing it and him.
She loved him! That was a miracle in itself.
She never dreamed she would ever be able to love, but now she did. And wasn't afraid to show it.
Because this man loved her, adored her.
"Don't stop." He had transferred to the other nipple, his teeth and tongue forming a knot in her belly.
Wasn't this what she had run from, she wondered dazedly. This powerful feeling, the passion that overwhelmed and took over.
She had been afraid of being consumed, but no longer.
He was hers. All hers.
There was no longer any doubt.
He couldn't wait. He had contemplated spending time on her.
Using his mouth and hands to slide over the familiar curves of her body. But the need consumed him.
Covering her body with his, he filled her.
"I want to see you go over." His hands gripped hers, fingers entwined.
They were one, bonded together by love. By marriage.
"Go over for me, darling." His lips brushed hers, tongue teasing hers.
Her body arched, and her eyes blurred as the release came, long and slow and powerful. He increased the pace, his breath accelerating as his own body responded to hers.
Not long now, he thought. His lips took hers in a kiss that sizzled and snapped.
They were both consumed by the fire, swept into the flames. He came, heart racing, body shuddering as he poured himself inside her.
Even when he had given her his last drop, he could not stop shaking. It took considerable effort to ease away so he was not crushing her.
But he kept her close, his hands roaming up and down her back.
"That was certainly better than the sumptuous breakfast the hotel provided," she murmured, making him laugh.
"I concur." Tipping his head down, he let his gaze wander over her spectacular face and felt the familiar twinge of wonder and satisfaction.
"The first time I saw you, I couldn't believe you were real."
"Why?"
"You came walking towards me on that crowded set and managed to completely stun me." His fingers tapped their way down the small of her back.
"You had this screw-me attitude to go along with it, and I was hooked right there and then. And you were arguing with the director."
"Arnold Gallagher. He was an asshole and wanted to get into my pants. I told him to piss off. I wanted the part but not at the expense of sleeping with him."
His eyes flashed.
"He was an asshole. But I can't say I blamed him. All the men, or the ones who weren't gay on that movie set, wanted to sleep with you."
She toyed with the hairs on his chest, a smile curving her lips. "Well, weren't you lucky that you were the chosen?"
He chuckled, fingers curling into the thick coils of her hair.
"I was lucky, until what I thought was lust turned into something more.
And it pissed me off. There I was, mad at the world and grieving, and to make things worse, I was into you big time.
I had to pretend like hell that I wanted nothing permanent.
My life was for crap at the time, and settling down and falling in love was the last thing I needed, until you. "
He tugged at her hair and bent to rub his lips on hers. "You broke my heart in two."
"And yet, here we are now." She was breathless.
He could do that to her. Make her want him with a fire that could not be quenched.
"Married and in love." She skimmed her fingers over his jaw.
"I want children with you, and that's a small miracle compared to how I felt even a few months ago. I want to feel your child growing inside me, Craig. I want that very much."
His eyes darkened, and he was not surprised to feel himself hardening.
"We should wait-"
"I don't care about waiting." She rolled over and straddled him.
"Not anymore."
"In that case-" He settled her securely, her heat surrounding him and making him yearn. "Let's get started."
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"You're not dying."
"It's a goddamned miracle. I wanted to tell you the good news right away."
"You lied to me. Manipulated me so that I would bend to your will. You had your goddamned lawyer and doctor in on this."
Craig had to tamp down the awful rage boiling up inside him. They had been back a day.
He was still riding on the happiness from the trip, and now this.
"You pretended to be dying. You son of a bitch. You miserable excuse for a human being. Who does that?"
"I had to do something." Cecil told himself he was right, that he had every right to do anything to get him back home.
And besides, the boy looked happy, didn't he? Especially since they came back from their trip.
He had used underhanded methods, but it worked.
"And you should be thanking me. Look at what you achieved."
He waved a hand at the silent Regina. "A beautiful woman who loves you."
"You dare to justify what you did?"
"I wanted my grandson back!" He thumped his cane on the floor.
"Any means necessary. You were pissing away your life."
"My life." Craig slapped a hand on his chest.
"Mine to do with as I please. How dare you try and control me in that despicable manner? No." He shook off his wife's hand.
The bastard had waited until they had finished the meal and had solemnly told them he wanted to speak to them about something of the utmost importance. Craig had thought he had received unwelcome news about his illness and that it had progressed even more.
He had been harboring secret thoughts of affection for the man and now this!
"Stay out of it. This is between me and this shell of a human being."
"Watch your tongue."
"Or what?" Craig asked furiously.
"You're going to take away my inheritance? Cut me off? Go ahead." he invited.
"Do your worst."
He turned to Regina.
"We're leaving. You can stay in this pile of rocks all by yourself. I refuse to be in the same space with you. Regina, let's go."
"But you can't," Cecil blustered, clutching his chest.
"This is your home. You can't-"
"Watch me. Regina-"
"Craig! He's having a heart attack."
"He's faking-"
"Call 911!" she cried, rushing over as the man collapsed back on the sofa.
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"You should sit," Regina advised, her eyes tracking his progress as he paced the length of the waiting room. It had been two hours since they raced to the hospital behind the ambulance.
Cecil had been rushed into surgery immediately. Wasn't it ironic that the man had pretended to be at death's door and was now dying?
"I should leave. He means nothing to me," he muttered.
"That son of a bitch manipulated me."
"And look how well it turned out. Darling, please."
She patted the space beside her. She was worried about him.
He hadn't said a word on the journey here, and she was aware that he was still angry. She had moved from shock to anger to amusement.
Cecil Muldoon might have used a not-so-fair method to get his way, but the end result was wonderful.
"I can't."
"I care about him."
Her quiet tone had him wheeling around to stare at her. "Why?"
"So do you." She held out a hand.
Hesitating briefly, he crossed the room to take it. Applying pressure, she tugged him down.
"I hate him."
"You might dislike what he did, but you don't hate him." Lifting their joined hands, she brushed her lips over his knuckles as he often did to her.
"And look how well it turned out. We found each other."
"That's beside the point."
He was weakening, dammit.
"It's exactly the point. I want him to live."
Craig made a rude sound in the back of his throat, which had her smiling.
"I know you."
"Do you?" he asked mildly, his anger spent to be replaced by worry. And dammit, she was right.
He was worried.
"Hmm." She moved into him, settling her head on his shoulder.
Immediately, he felt the contentment stealing over him. She could do that, be that for him.
"Focus on the end result. He was instrumental in bringing us together. Would you regret that?"
His eyes flared. "How can you ask me that?" he blew out a breath and shook his head.
"You're right. The end result is having you."
He lifted their joined hands and brushed his lips on her knuckles.
"You're the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm not going to thank him for it. I'm certainly not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he did something right, not after the way he went about doing it."
She merely lifted a brow at him.
"What?"
"We entered into a fake marriage."
He sighed again. "You're determined to make me see reason, aren't you?"
"What do you think?"
"I think-" They both turned as the doctor came into the room.
"George?"
Regina felt his fingers tightening on hers.
"We had to perform an angioplasty-" the chief surgeon waved a hand.