Reckless Passion (22 page)

"Umm.
Let's just say you had the whole me."

"An unnerving thought."

"You can handle it," he promised, pulling aside the dark sweep of her hair and pressing a hungry kiss to the back of her neck.

"This time you really will have to marry me, Yale," she vowed, sliding her hands down to his hips and sinking her nails ever so gently into him.

"Oh, no, you don't. I'm not taking any chances on your proposals. I will do the proposing this time. And you can bet your sweet life I won't renege like some folks do! Will you marry me,
Dara
? I warn you that if you say no, it won't make any difference. You're going to come and live with me regardless of your answer!"

"What can I say? You've closed all the avenues of escape! I'll marry you." She pulled her head back for a moment and smiled up at him dreamily. "I wouldn't want your reputation to suffer. Not after you've spent so many years building it!"

"I love you,
Dara
," he growled softly, the humor in him fading before the force of renewed passion.

"I love you, my gentleman devil. I always will."

He pushed her back into the thickness of the quilt, his hands running over her with a new possessiveness from ankle to thigh.

She felt the sudden urgency in him and knew it was echoed in
herself
. For both of them the need to consummate the private vows they had just taken was fierce and strong. The slow, leisurely lovemaking would come later,
Dara
knew. Now the urgency of committing themselves to each other was too great to allow for the languid, luxurious kind of love.

Within moments, Yale had
restoked
her level of excitement to what it had been before he had broken off so abruptly. She knew he felt the heat in her and the welcoming between her thighs.

With a groan of need and aching desire he covered her, surrendering to her
ferruriinity
even as she surrendered to the bold, uncompromising maleness in him.

"
Dara
, my darling
Dara
," he husked, uniting with her in thrilling mastery.

She sang his name into his throat as he closed with her and pulled her into the surging rhythm of his body. Deliriously she gave herself up to the joy of the lovemaking, knowing even as she did so that he was demanding everything of her this time.

Together they sought the heights of the mountains above the verdant valley and together they sailed off into the currents of air that wafted them gently to the green fields below.

Dara
was aware of the strength of Yale's hold and knew she was clinging just as tightly to him. This time neither would let go.
Ever.
This time everything really was right. It all clicked.

Much later,
Dara
roused sufficiently from the comforting power of Yale's arms to smile lovingly down into his relaxed features.

"And why are you sitting up there, looking like the cat that got the canary?" He grinned, ruffling her hair with deep love.

"I was just thinking," she murmured on a thread of laughter, "that when the chips were down tonight, the Southern gentleman resurfaced at the last moment."

He grinned back lazily, the gold in his teeth taunting her. "You think so?"

"Of course," she mocked. "Why else would you have stopped at such a crucial point earlier?"

"I've told you before, I'm a very good hunter," he drawled.

She blinked uncertainly. "Are you telling me you planned that?"

"Now that you've reunited both sides of my personality, you're going to have that problem a lot, I'm afraid," he told her with patently false sympathy.

"What problem?"

"Not knowing for sure which Yale you're dealing with."

"Hah! I know you, Yale Ransom," she declared with serene confidence. "You won't be able to fool me that easily!"

"Whatever you say, ma'am," he agreed politely.

Dara
leaned down to kiss the Southern gentleman and surrendered in delight to the devil who reached out to pull her into his arms.

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