TIS THE SEASON...FOR ROMANCE (WESTMORELAND/MASTERS/JEFFERIES) (12 page)

“Have I ever told you how beautiful you look naked?” he asked, moving toward the bed.

She smiled. “Umm, several times but you can tell me again and I won’t be mad at you.”

He chuckled. “You look beautiful naked.”

He reached out and she placed her hand in his and he gently pulled her toward him to trace the tip of his finger around her breasts. He’d told her the first time they’d made love that he was a breast man.

“And have I ever told you how incredibly attracted I was to you the first time I saw you that day in your office?” he then asked.

She smile again, finding it almost hard to breathe with the way his fingertips were rubbing her nipples, hardening them even more with his touch. “Yes, you have. Several times in fact .”

He leaned down and replaced his fingers with his mouth, closing over a nipple with his teeth. The pressure sent shivers spreading through all parts of her body, especially between her legs where she was aching like hell. Willie had the power to do that to her every time. He was sophistication and sensuality all rolled into one.

And when he gently toppled her on her back and lowered his mouth to her stomach, she sucked in a deep breath. She knew exactly where he was headed and her sex was clenching in anticipation. Her breathing became choppy when his tongue paid homage to her stretch marks and then he lifted his head and gave her one hell of a predatory, hungry smile before lifting her legs over his shoulders and delving in between her legs.

When it came to some things, experience was the best teacher and such skill and knowledge definitely paid off. Peggy quickly concluded that this was one of them and Willie had definitely mastered what he was doing. More shivers spread down her body from the intensity of such an intimate kiss. He had plunged his tongue deep inside of her and was feasting on her like she was a meal he just had to savor.

And when a rumble began low in her stomach and erupted in one full scale explosion, she screamed his name at the top of her lungs. She felt as if she was detonating, literally breaking into a million pieces. She pulled back, making an attempt to withdraw her body from his mouth, but he held tight, keeping his mouth locked on her. She shut her eyes tight, convinced he was killing her and decided if she was about to die then this was the best way to go, and she would do so with a smile on her face.

Then she slowly began tumbling back down to earth after enduring one hell of a sensuous orbit. Every single inch of her body felt stimulated, and when she could breathe normal again she opened her eyes and saw that he was watching her with an intensity and hunger that almost tempted her to come all over again.

He had a way of making each and every lovemaking session they shared together the most memorable. And without saying a word he lowered her legs from his shoulders to wrap them around his waist as he eased his body over hers. He lifted her hips and his huge erection nudged at the opening of her womanly core.

He was eager to get inside and she was just as anxious to let him.

He leaned his face down close to hers and whispered, “Merry Christmas to you, too, sweetheart.”

And then he entered her. Deep. When he’d reached the hilt he didn’t move, he just continued to stare down at her. She returned his stare seeing more than lust in his eyes and blinked knowing she’d been mistaken. He knew her history, her heartbreak and pain. And he was well aware she would never risk going down that road again for any man.

All thoughts fled her mind when he captured her mouth and she moaned deeply in surrender. And when he began thrusting back and forth inside of her mating wildly with her mouth, she dug her fingers into his shoulders and arched her back to take him inside of her deeper – if that was possible.

When the sensuous waves begin coming, so did she. And she felt herself drowning in one hell of an orgasm. She had given up trying to figure out how she - the refined, dignified and sophisticated Peggy Morrison, mother of a thirty-five year old and soon to be grandmother in seven months - could become such a wild, unabashed sexual being in Willie’s arms.

When he pulled his mouth from hers, threw his head back and called out her name in a deep guttural groan, she was thrown into another riotous orgasm the same time he was. He cupped her hips in a firm grip as the most intense of sensuous sensations washed over them. She sucked in her breath loving every single minute of it.

Moments later she felt totally drained. The last thing she remembered before drifting off the sleep was the strong arms holding her, and the solid beating of his heart against her face when she snuggled closer and placed her head on his chest.

* * *

He loved her.

Willie gazed down at the woman who slept in his arms. A woman he would protect with his life if he needed to. A woman whose past pain and heartbreak was keeping her from loving a man again.

It was hard to believe they had been together for eight months and during that time he hadn’t desired any other woman but her. Sometimes he wondered if Peggy knew the full extent of her sexuality. She was fifty-seven and didn’t even look forty-seven. He figured it must be good genes since her sister who was seven years younger than Peggy, didn’t look her age either.

He’d been totally honest when he’d told her he loved seeing her naked. As far as he was concerned, she had a perfect body. And he loved it when her eyes would gleam with mischief in the bedroom, yet when they were out in public she became a refined, sophisticated and stylish woman. His lady definitely had class.

And lately he’d been thinking of her as “his lady” more and more.

He would give anything to be able to pour out his feelings to her but knew she wasn’t ready for him to make such a confession. She assumed they were indulging in an affair that led no where, and was perfectly fine to say goodbye and walk away when it ran its course. And because of that assumption she felt safe with him.

Safe to be herself. The ultra passionate woman that she was.

She’d once asked him had he ever considered dating younger women and had known why she’d asked him that question. Her husband’s action made her want to believe that all men would want a young girl on his arm. He’d assured her that with him that was not the case. He’d never wanted to be any young woman’s sugar daddy. He much preferred the charm and sophistication of a female closer to his age.

He glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. It was ten o’clock. He had arrived in town that morning to attend Courtney and Lake’s wedding. This was Christmas Day and at least he’d been able to spend time Christmas morning with his daughter Kelly, son-in-law Norris and seventeen-month old grandson David before flying out for Orlando. This was the first time since his wife had died over twenty years ago that he hadn’t spent Christmas with his daughter. Kelly was pregnant again and he was happy about that.

Kelly was a wonderful daughter who had understood his need to want to spend some time today with Peggy. He smiled thinking that Kelly had told him that she liked Peggy. The two had met when Kelly, Norris and David had flown to Orlando to take part in the ground-breaking ceremony for Tiara’s World, an amusement park that was presently under construction in his granddaughter’s honor.

Tiara had been Kelly and Norris’ first child who’d been born with a rare bone disease. At birth the doctors had said she wouldn’t live to see her fifth birthday; however, Tiara defied predictions by living long enough to celebrate her tenth birthday.

Tiara had been her grandpa’s girl and there wasn’t a day that passed that he didn’t think about her or miss seeing her smiling face. Her death had been hard on all of them; especially on Kelly and Norris. He hadn’t known two more dedicated and loving parents. After Tiara’s death he’d thought they wouldn’t want any children but he’d been both pleased and surprised when Kelly had told him she was pregnant with David. And now she was pregnant again and he would be welcoming another grandchild into the world in five months.

He would be flying back to Texas on Sunday due to business meetings he had scheduled with plans to return to Orlando on Thursday to bring in the New Year with Peggy. He couldn’t imagine doing so without her being by his side.

It was hard to believe this time last year he hadn’t known she existed and now in just eight months she had made an impact on his life in a way he hadn’t thought possible. He always assumed he would never remarry. Losing his wife to cancer had been hard.

Peggy stirred and he glanced down at her when she snuggled closer to him. She was still asleep and looked peaceful, beautiful and content. More than anything he wanted to share the rest of his life with her and was determined to make that happen.

Peggy shifted in bed and when she found the space beside her empty she opened her eyes to blink against the brightness of the sun coming through the window blinds. At that same moment her nostrils picked up the aroma of breakfast.

A smile touched her face as she stretched her body in bed. Willie certainly liked spoiling her, which is something Joe never did. Speaking of Joe she wondered what happened and why he hadn’t made it to his niece’s wedding yesterday. His only niece. And although Sonya hadn’t said anything, Peggy could tell that his “no show” had been duly noted by his daughter as well.

She stretched her body again as memories of how it felt with Willie inside of her during most of the night filled her mind. She had drifted off to sleep only to wake up an hour or so later to find him awake and waiting.

And then he had made love to her again and when Christmas Day eased into the day after Christmas they were still in the throes of sexual bliss. It was almost three in the morning before she’d finally closed her eyes to try to get some sleep again.

She eased out of bed and headed for the bathroom thinking that the day after Christmas had always been a depressing one for her. Some people actually began taking down their Christmas decorations that day which was even more depressing. She preferred drawing things out and leaving her tree up until New Year’s. The after-Christmas-blues hadn’t been so bad when her in-laws were alive since it had become a tradition to travel to south Florida to spend time with them at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Even after Peggy’s divorce from Joe the elder Morrisons much preferred her company to that of Joe’s child bride whom they never accepted as their new daughter-in-law mainly because Suzette was always causing a riff between Joe and his parents. Now Joe’s parents were deceased, having died in the same year and within months of each other. And what really pissed Suzette off was the fact that they’d willed all of their worldly possessions to Sonya, their only grandchild at the time of their death, instead of leaving anything to their only son. Suzette had threatened to take the matter to court, but Joe had eventually talked her out of it.

Moments later after taking a shower and putting on a pair of jeans and a pull-over top, she entered the kitchen to find Willie sitting at her kitchen table and reading the morning paper.

She paused in the doorway to study him and not for the first time marveled at what a good looking man he was. Heads would turn when he walked into the room from young and old alike. A wealthy entrepreneur with a law degree from Harvard, he had that stately air about him. After practicing law for several years he and some of his Harvard classmates formed a co-op and all became billionaires by their fortieth birthdays. He often described himself as a simple man. She would describe him as simple but rich.

Since losing Joe to a gold-digger she wondered how, considering Willie’s looks and assets that he’d managed to elude their clutches. He would definitely be a good catch for anyone, regardless of their motives. And to be fair, since she was the mother of a thirty-five year old woman herself, she couldn’t rightly say that all young women who were involved with older men considered them nothing more than just sugar daddies. There were some who probably loved the older man they were with. Unfortunately, when it came to the older man -younger girl thing, women like Suzette gave all women a bad name as far as she was concerned.

It was clear to everyone – except to Joe – that she was taking him to the cleaners by spending more money than he was making, and Joe at one time had been in very good financial shape. But thanks to his young wife Peggy had heard all that had changed. Earlier this year Joe had even had the audacity to ask Peggy to relinquish her alimony payments so he could better afford his new wife who’d hit him with news of her pregnancy.

She glanced back at Willie and wondered how long it would be before a Suzette caught his eye and turned his head. When that happened she would handle it a lot better than she’d handled the Joe situation. Since then she’d developed tough skin by refusing to let another man get to her heart.

“Are you going to join me or are you going to continue to stand over there looking at me?”

That made Peggy laugh. She’d been caught. “How did you know I was here without looking up?”

He held her gaze. “You’re my mate and I know your scent.”

His mate.

She couldn’t help but wonder about that and recalled the first time he’d called her that. A part of her had resisted the notion but now she was getting used to it. While they were together, involved in a sexual fling, she was his mate. A mate was not a husband, which was something she didn’t want to have ever again.