The Texan's Contract Marriage - By Sara Orwig Page 0,62
on the floor, Marek talked to Noah while playing patty-cake with him. Noah laughed and clapped his hands in imitation.
“Having fun?” she asked and Marek rose to his feet, scooping up Noah to hold him. When the baby held his arms out to Camille, she took him.
“Ashley left for the evening. Told us to not wait up. I told her we wouldn’t,” Marek said in a husky tone. “I have plans for you.”
“I can’t wait. But I do have to feed this fellow or no one will do anything else and he’ll still be awake when we go to bed.”
“When we go to bed,” Marek repeated. “I can’t wait. Let’s feed the hungry boy.”
“I agree.”
*
It was nine o’clock when they were in their room and finally alone. Marek drew Camille into his embrace. One look in his dark eyes and her heart began to race. “I’ve waited all day for this moment,” he whispered and kissed away her answer.
Her heart thudded. Each time they made love, he became more important to her. In the throes of passion, she had whispered her declaration of love, but he had never heard her and she intended to keep it that way until she heard words of love cross his lips.
She poured out her passion as they made love far into the night. Holding him tightly, she ran one hand down his bare back as he lowered himself between her legs and slowly filled her, taking time to heighten tension, making her want him desperately as she arched beneath him and then rocked with him. “I love you,” she cried, unable to hold back, certain he hadn’t heard her as it had always been.
She held him as his control vanished and he thrust swiftly, taking her over an edge. “Marek,” she cried, grasping his solid body as if he were the only anchor in her life.
“Camille,” he ground out her name while he shuddered in his climax. “I love you.”
Her eyes flew open. Moving with him, she held him. Had she imagined his declaration? She had dreamed of it too many times to count. Passion drove away her questions and she rocked with him, united physically, her heart belonging to him totally.
When he finally held her in his arms as legs were entwined and her black hair spilled over his shoulder, he showered her with light kisses. “I love you, Camille.”
She gazed into his dark eyes while her heart missed beats. “You really mean that?” she whispered.
“Yes,” he said gruffly, gazing at her solemnly. He brushed long strands of her hair away from her face. “Love may complicate our life.”
“Never. This is better. I love you and I’ve loved you since before we said wedding vows.”
He stared at her intently. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She shook her head. “You weren’t ready.”
He stared at her again in silence, and she wondered what he was thinking. “I’m ready now,” he whispered and kissed her hard, holding her against his heart while joy filled her.
“Wait,” he said, turning to open a drawer in the bedside table. “This is for you.”
Surprised, she glanced from the package to him, and then she took it to untie a blue ribbon and tear away the wrapper. She opened the box to take out a black velvet box. When she opened it, she gasped as the sapphire and diamond necklace caught the light.
“This is magnificent. It’s stunning,” she said, sitting up and pulling the sheet beneath her arms.
“Here’s what is stunning,” he said, sitting up to fasten it around her neck.
“Marek, thank you. This is the most beautiful jewelry I’ve ever owned except my wedding ring, which is gorgeous.”
“I love you, Camille,” he said again and kissed her.
Her heart pounded wildly, more from his declaration of love than the necklace which had taken her breath at first sight.
He paused. “We can make this a complete, real marriage. If we both love each other. Have you thought about the possibility of scaling back your career?”
Startled, she frowned. “No, I haven’t. My career doesn’t diminish my love for you or Noah. I don’t want to scale back or give it up. I can’t do that. I feel I can achieve so much more, and I love opera. I live and breathe opera. But it doesn’t take away from the love I feel for you.”
They stared at each other and she hurt, with a knot tightening inside. A muscle worked in his jaw as he stared intently at her. She had no idea what he