moan she uttered, he answered with a groan. She liked being in control. It was the first time she’d ever taken the reins so fully, and Tony seemed to understand what she needed. He encouraged her with a gleam in his eyes and a willing body.
“I’m all yours,” he whispered.
Her breath caught. She knew he meant it sexually, but Rena seized on the reality of that statement. He was all hers. But what she didn’t know was, could she ever be all his?
“You’re thinking again,” Tony scolded with a smile.
“Guilty as charged.” Rena reached around to unhook her bra, freeing her breasts. Letting her bra drop, she freed her mind as well, pushing all thoughts away but the immediate here and now.
Tony reached for her then, his touch an exquisite caress of tenderness and caring. He kissed her lovingly, cherishing every morsel of her body with his lips and hands until his unexpected compassion seeped into her soul.
Their lovemaking was sedate and measured, careful and unflappable one moment, then crazy and wild, fierce and fiery the next. They moved in ups and downs, from highs to lows, they learned and taught, giving joy and pleasure to one another. The night knew no bounds. And when it came time to release their pent-up tension, Rena rose above Tony, straddling his legs. He held on to her hips and guided her. Taking him in felt natural, familiar and so right. She enjoyed every ounce of pleasure derived from their joining. She moved with restless yearning, her body flaming, all rational thought discarded.
Tony watched her, his eyes never wavering, his body meeting her every demand. He was the man she’d always wanted, the man she’d been destined to love. He’d pushed his way back into her life, but Rena couldn’t trust in him, not fully, not yet. But each time they came together, her resolve slipped just a little, and her heartache slowly ebbed.
When she couldn’t hold on any longer, her skin prickling, her flesh tingling and her body at its absolute limit, she moaned in ecstasy.
“Let go, sweetheart,” Tony encouraged.
And she shuddered, her orgasm strong. She cried out his name when her final release came. Tony tightened his hold on her and joined her in a climax, taking them both to heaven.
Rena lowered down, spent. Tony wrapped her into his arms and kissed her forehead. “Do you still hate me?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied without hesitation. “But not as much as before.”
Tony squeezed her tighter and chuckled almost inaudibly. “Guess, I’m going to have to work on that.”
During the next week, Tony left Rena during the day to work on saving her winery. He made calls out of his Napa office, meeting with customers personally to explain the new pricing structures. Tony liked winning but not at the expense of others trying to eke out a living. If there was a contract he could renegotiate, Tony was on top of it.
He made sure that their company held their own in the marketplace, but with Joe’s help they’d come up with a pricing plan that would realize profits and still allow the smaller wineries to compete.
Unlike his father, Tony didn’t need to crush his opponents. The company’s profits would go up on certain types of wine while the other local wineries of comparable quality would also make a profit on their specialties. It was a win-win situation in his opinion.
Satisfied with what he’d accomplished today, he called it quits, gathering up the papers on his desk. He was anxious to get home to Rena. Little by little, she was coming around, softening to him, smiling more and looking less and less guilty about their circumstances.
As he got ready to leave, he pondered how at night he’d join her in bed, and more times than not, they’d make love. Slow and sweet one time then wild and hot another time. Tony never knew what the night would bring. Some nights, when both were exhausted, they’d just fall asleep in each other’s arms.
Tony enjoyed waking up next to Rena in the mornings. With her hair messy and her eyes hazy with sleep, she’d look at him and smile softly for a second or two before her memories returned and a haunted look would enter her eyes.
He clung to those few seconds in his mind, telling himself that one day that troubled look would be gone forever and she’d accept him completely as her husband and the father of her baby.
Tony smiled at the thought. Rena’s