Richard's control slipped as blinding passion tore through him. He wrapped his arms around her, pushing and pushing, his body shuddering violently, sapping his strength. Pure, unfettered pleasure held them enthralled in each other. She shattered beautifully in his arms, their soft moans of completion bubbling with the churn of water.
She twisted to kiss him, whispering that he made her feel wild and free.
But Richard knew it was he who'd been released, freed this night from his tortured prison.
The beast in him tamed by the beauty.
* * *
Chapter 11
Richard stirred the eggs in the frying pan, whistling to himself.
"My, what a chipper mood. Wonder what brought that on?"
He smiled, glancing her way, and loving her sexy grin. She'd been teasing him since dawn, and after last night he wondered where she got the energy to wake at this ungodly hour.
"I could take you back upstairs and show you, if you like."
"Upstairs? But there are at least twenty rooms to visit still." Laura snickered to herself, her body jumping to life with the thought of him touching her.
"Twenty is not enough," he said, giving her a meaningful look.
Laura cleared her throat and tried for a little dignity before he had her on the table screaming in ecstasy. Not that that wasn't a splendid idea. "So other than giving me fantasies, what do you have planned today?" she said.
"Besides watching you?"
"My, how eventful."
He brought the pan to the center island and pushed the eggs into a bowl, then took the pan and utensils to the sink, washed them, dried them and put them away.
Laura blinked, and when he straightened from closing the cabinet, he noticed her expression.
"What?" Briefly, he glanced down at his jeans and bare feet, searching for spilled egg yolk.
"A man who cleans up after himself. Wait till my sisters hear about this."
He made a face. "I've been alone for a long time. If I don't do it, it doesn't get done."
"Keep it up, Blackthorne. I like a man who knows his place is with a dishrag in his hand."
He laughed and caught her as she passed with a plate of bacon. Instantly she set the plate aside as he nuzzled her neck, his arms wrapping her.
"God, you smell good."
"It's the bacon fat. Adds an air of mystery."
He chuckled, turned her in his arms, and kissed her with painfully slow deliberation.
Laura's body heated up much faster and she pushed into him, her hand rubbing over his wide chest clad in a blue cotton T-shirt. When she drew back, she was breathless and dizzy with desire and she brushed his hair off his brow. "I can cut your hair, if you want."
"Don't like the pirate look?" He sent her a lecherous glance, and with the slashing scars, he looked positively dastardly.
"You're too handsome to hide behind all that hair."
He grinned. Somehow when she called him handsome, he wanted to believe her. "Tonight, then." He kissed her lightly, then they parted and went back to making breakfast.
Munching on some bacon, Richard put bread into the toaster as Laura took out plates and silverware, setting places for four. Dewey popped in every morning for coffee, but she wasn't expecting Kelly to be up for another hour.
Richard opened the refrigerator for the butter, and when he closed it, Laura stood rock still at the far end of the wood counter.
He frowned and turned.
Kelly stood near the entrance, her hair sleep-tousled, her teddy bear clutched to her side.
Panic ripped through him. Oh, God. His child. She'd see his scars.
His gaze shot to Laura's, and she recognized his dread. It was one thing for her to see him and accept him. Quite another for a four-year-old.
"Good morning, Kelly," Laura said, and only Richard noticed the break in her voice. She reached for him, keeping him where he stood when he wanted to turn his back to his daughter.
Kelly knuckled her eyes and yawned. "Morning, Miss Laura. Hi, Daddy." She climbed up into her chair, put her bear in the seat beside her, then glanced between the adults. "Are you having breakfast with us, Daddy?"
She looked expectantly at him. Sweetly innocent. Trustingly. Not at all afraid of him.
Richard cleared his throat twice before he managed to say, "Yes, princess, I am."
"Oh, goody." She reached for a slice of bacon, chomping into it as Laura leaned across the counter to pour her some juice.
Laura looked at Richard. He was frozen, gazing down at his baby, and she detected the sheen of tears in his blue eyes. Laura set the pitcher down and crossed to him.
He kept staring at Kelly. "She doesn't even realize." His voice was rough, and after a moment, he dragged his gaze to Laura.
She smiled. "Another female you've underestimated, huh?" She swept the backs of her fingers across his cheek.