her fondly on the forehead, "don't you want to go and say good-bye to your brothers and sisters?"
"Of course," she said, her face the temperature—and the color, she just knew it—of stewed tomatoes.
Marie stood on the front porch and said her goodbyes, each sisterly and brotherly hug punctuated by some whispered comment about what a catch David was.
When she turned to go back in the house, David was standing in the doorway.
"How much of that did you hear?" she asked, feeling her breath stick in her throat.
"None of it..." David began.
But before Marie could get out her sigh of relief, he finished, "Except for all the good parts about what a great catch I am."
She tried to think of something witty to say, some snappy comeback that would break the heated tension of the moment. But instead her boot heel caught on a floorboard and she stumbled forward into David's arms.
"Hey," he said, shoring her up by the elbows and then tugging her in close."I think that you're quite a catch, too."
"David," Marie said, as he pulled her to him, her soft breasts pressing his pounding chest. "I think we're letting heat out."
Didn't he know it. David swooped in for a kiss, oblivious to the fact that his backside still propped open the door.
"David!" she said, stopping him in mid-approach. "My electric bill!"
David turned and looked into the house, then gave her a thousand-watt smile. "You're right, my sweet fiancée, we're burning way too many lights in there. Where do you keep the candles?"
Chapter Twelve
Marie struck another match, wondering what on earth she was doing. But then David came up and nuzzled the back of her neck with his five o'clock stubble, and she knew exactly.
"Oh, David," she said, as little tingly kisses worked their way around the side of her neck, "you just... you just—"
"I know," he said, hungrily looking in her eyes. "You do it for me, too."
He laid his hands on either side of her glasses frames and gently tugged the turquoise wires from behind her ears.
"David," she said, her breath straining with the word. For heaven's sake, she couldn't even say his name without a million shivers racing down her spine. "I can't see a thing without those."
"Give me your hands," he said, whispering a kiss first onto one eyebrow, and then another.
Marie tightened her grip around his back.
"No," he commanded, with a fierce nibble to her neck. He raised his head and looked down into her eyes.
Even through her hazy vision, she could see him wanting her, needing her. She released her grasp and willingly surrendered her hands to his.
"What you can't see," he said, lowering her hands to the front of his jeans. "You can feel..."
Marie held her breath, as her heartbeat became a gallop.
He brought her hands around to his lean hips and held them there. "And, you can certainly hear..."
He paused and then put his mouth over hers and completely devoured her in a passionate kiss.
"Marie," he said, pulling back for a moment. "I have something very important to tell you."
And, this time, she wouldn't stop him. Because nothing in her entire life had felt so right, as she stood there holding him, unabashedly enjoying the feel of his muscular body.
"I'm glad I didn't tell you earlier, that you didn't let me," David said, his voice a low tremble. "Because then, it was only something I thought was coming..."
He pulled back his brow and swept loose strands of her hair behind her ears.
"Marie," he said, taking her chin in his hands, wanting so badly to kiss her, to dive into her sensuous fire once again—but knowing he needed to finish. "I've fallen in love with you."
She felt her knees buckle, but he lowered his strong arms and caught her around the waist, just in time.
"You look like you need to lie down," he whispered, giving her the softest kiss. "Which way is the bedroom?"
Marie didn't know what had happened to her voice, but it was gone. Or, maybe he'd scared it out of her with his sinful-as-sex, wet kisses.
He loved her? Loved her?
Her heart thumped loudly in response. No, it couldn't be. Not so soon after...
But then again, this felt nothing like Cecil, or Paul, or even eager Eddie, her very amorous date for the high school prom.
But, she ached in her very soul to believe this was love.
Fortunately, his safe supporting arms were still around her. "Ah... I do need to lie down."
He bent low to scoop her trembling knees into