His Marriage to Remember - By Kathie DeNosky Page 0,36

with. He had watched her walk out once and it had damn near killed him. He couldn’t let it happen again. But what could he do to convince her to stay with him?

He couldn’t talk to her about why she felt divorce was the only answer. That would entail letting her know that his memory had returned and once she found out about that, she would pack up and make things final. Besides, just like the first time she left, Bria would want answers about why he hadn’t rushed to her side when she had the miscarriage, and those were answers he wasn’t yet ready to give her—might never be able to give her.

No, he was going to have to show her that she belonged with him, that she was as vital to him as the air he breathed. He could tell she still cared for him or she wouldn’t be with him while he recovered from the accident, nor would she respond to him the way she did when he held her, kissed her. That was in his favor and a pretty good sign that he wasn’t going to be fighting a lost cause. Maybe spending time with her the way he was doing now was a start and if he thought about it a little more, he was certain he could think of other ways to convince her not to give up on them.

“Do you have any idea how pretty you look today in that white sundress?” he asked, bringing her hand up to his lips to kiss the back of it. Made of some kind of gauzy fabric, the light summer breeze made the full skirt flutter around her ankles and it looked almost as if she floated just above the ground. “You look like an angel—my angel.”

Clearly taken aback, she smiled and shook her head. “Thank you, but I really hadn’t given a lot of thought to the way I look.”

As she handed him the blanket to spread beneath the cottonwood tree, it bothered him that Bria was surprised he admired the way she looked. It bothered him more that he couldn’t remember the last time he had actually told her how beautiful he thought she was. He had always thought she was the prettiest woman he had ever seen and he had told her he thought she looked hot, but that wasn’t the same as paying her a genuine compliment.

“If you aren’t going to be fishing, what are you going to do while I read?” she asked, kicking off her sandals, then lowering herself to sit on the blanket.

He stretched out beside her, then propped his elbow to rest his chin in his palm as he gazed up at her. “I don’t know.” He reached over to draw an invisible heart on her palm with his index finger. When he heard her sharp intake of breath, he smiled. “Maybe I’ll take a nap or just lie here and watch you.”

“Who are you?” she asked, frowning. “The Sam Rafferty I know would rather do anything than to willingly be idle for more than five minutes.”

Taking her hand in his, he pulled her down to lie beside him. “I’ve got something to do,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. He eased her to her back, then, removing his hat, he leaned over her to brush her mouth with his. “I’m going to kiss my wife and let her know how much she makes me want her.”

Before Bria could protest, Sam settled his mouth over hers and savored the sweetness of the most desirable woman he had ever known. At first she lay perfectly still in his arms, but as he traced her soft lips with his tongue, then parted them to slip inside, she put her arms around his shoulders and melted against him.

Thoroughly exploring her soft inner recesses, he stroked her tongue with his and encouraged her to return the favor. When she accepted his invitation and did a little exploring of her own, Sam felt the familiar heat like a flash fire in his loins. No other woman had ever aroused him as fast or to the heights that Bria did. He was harder than hell and aching to join his body with hers.

Sliding his hand beneath the hem of her skirt, he caressed her knee, then skimmed his hand up her smooth thigh. He loved touching her, loved the feel of her satiny skin beneath his palms. She was his woman and all