His Marriage to Remember - By Kathie DeNosky Page 0,39

her mouth.

A shiver of excitement coursed through her from his warm breath feathering over her ear, and when she opened her mouth, his fingers brushing her lips as he fed her the popcorn caused a tingling sensation to pool in the most feminine part of her. She tried her best to concentrate on the movie and forget about the man holding her so close.

But when he shifted her to cradle her in his arms, then lowered his head to cover her mouth with his, Bria quickly realized she was fighting a losing battle. Heat swirled throughout her body as Sam traced her lips with his tongue, then coaxed her to open for him. As he stroked her with his tongue, the longing in her built to an almost unbearable ache and she couldn’t have stopped herself from kissing him back if her life depended on it.

She wanted Sam—had never stopped wanting him. He was the first and only man she had ever been with and the only man she would ever want. But if nothing changed—if everything stayed the same as it had been for the past couple of years between them—could she live the rest of her life that way?

The last thing she had wanted was to end their marriage, but she had been so lonely and unhappy that she felt there was no other alternative. He either didn’t understand or was too stubborn to see her point of view when she tried to explain it all to him, and although her heart was telling her to give him another chance, she was afraid they would fall back into the same pattern of her taking a backseat to the Sugar Creek Rodeo Company.

When he eased away from the kiss and raised his head, the heat in his eyes stole her breath. “Sam, I can’t—”

“Shh, sweetheart,” he interrupted, smiling. “You’re missing the movie and this is one of the best parts.”

As he helped her sit up and nestled her back against his chest, the feel of his strong arousal pressed to her backside caused a tremor to track its way through her. How was she supposed to concentrate on anything when all she could think about was the man holding her so close? Or the fact that as insane as it was, she wanted him just as much?

“I’m really tired,” she said, pretending to yawn. “I think I’ll go upstairs to bed, but you go ahead and finish watching the movie.”

“No, I’ll go upstairs with you,” he said, using the remote to turn off the television. He gave her a look that made her feel warm all over. “I’m pretty tired myself.”

When he followed her upstairs and they entered the master suite, Bria took a deep breath as she changed into her nightshirt. It was becoming more difficult by the day to think of plausible reasons why they shouldn’t make love. Sam wouldn’t hear of her sleeping in the bedroom down the hall because she was afraid she might disturb him. And how much longer would she be able to deny the desire building inside herself and keep from turning to him to make love to her?

She tried to remind herself that it was only because the doctor had ordered him not to work that she was getting quality time with him now. But she had missed the easy connection they had when they were dating and in the first months of their marriage. To experience that again was proving to be much more difficult to resist with each passing day.

As they got ready for bed her anxiety increased, and by the time they were lying on the mattress and he took her into his arms, Bria’s nerves felt as if they were about to snap.

“Sweetheart, you’re way too tense,” he said, turning her on her side to face away from him.

The feel of his strong hands gently massaging her shoulder and neck muscles was heaven and hell rolled into one. Any time Sam touched her, her longing for him increased. But as he worked the knots from her muscles, it felt as if he massaged away her will to resist him.

“Sam, I—”

“It’s all right,” he said, kissing the back of her neck. “I know you’re exhausted.” He turned her back to face him. “We can make love when you feel more rested.”

As he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, Bria wasn’t sure whether her sigh was from relief or disappointment. She had started to tell