He told her how he’d manufactured some of his business trips in the last few weeks because actually living in the same place with her had become more of a test of his endurance than he could bear.
She asked him how he felt about her mother now.
He rested his chin on the top of her head for a moment. ‘What I said just now was a throwback to earlier times. I may have agreed with her, but there’s a certain natural reluctance to think too blackly of oneself.’
She looked up in time to disturb a rueful expression in his eyes.
‘I know the feeling,’ she agreed.
He kissed her forehead. ‘I’ve made my peace with your mother. To be honest, Trent has to take a lot of the credit for the new state of goodwill between the House of McKinnon and the House of Trent.’
‘It’s amazing what a baby can do.’
‘Mmm… It’s just as amazing what his mother has achieved.’
Maggie laid her head on his shoulder. ‘I’ve missed this so much,’ she whispered.
He put his other arm around her. ‘Me too.’
They sat like that for an age, feeling warm and content, then it grew into more and he started to kiss her.
‘The Nile? Or the sands of Araby?’
Maggie looked around Jack’s bedroom. It was large, luxurious, but quite impersonal and they were lying on a vast bed, renewing their intimate acquaintance. ‘Ah,’ she said, ‘this is going to take a bit of imagination.’
He looked up. ‘I know what you mean. I bought it like this, this place, but it reminds me of a hotel. I haven’t got around to changing anything but the den.’
‘I could change it for you,’ she offered.
‘I’ve had a better idea, I’ll tell you about it tomorrow. But talking of change—’
‘I know.’ She ran her fingers through his hair. ‘I’ve changed a bit.’
He kissed the soft underside of her arm. ‘You’re still gorgeous. Actually—’ he swept his hand down her body and returned it to her breasts ‘—apart from these, there’s not much change at all.’
‘All the swimming, gym work and physio has helped enormously,’ she told him. ‘But you’ve—lost a bit of weight.’
‘I had the feeling I was fading away beneath all that longing for you, Maggie Trent.’
Maggie smiled and kissed the corner of his mouth. ‘Well, now you’ve got me, what do you want to do with me, Jack McKinnon?’
He showed her. He visited all her most erotic spots with his usual care and attention until she was quivering and on fire, and her responses became just as intimate.
‘This is going to be quite a ride,’ he said with the breath rasping in his throat.
They were lying facing each other. She was in his arms with one of her legs riding high on his thigh.
‘It always was,’ she murmured.
He brought one hand up to cup her cheek and it was so exquisitely gentle a gesture and there was so much tenderness in his grey eyes, Maggie caught her breath and felt as if her heart could burst with love.
‘Now?’ he queried.
‘Now,’ she agreed. ‘Yes, please.’
‘I thought of a way to do this with the least strain on your back.’
‘Oh?’
He rolled onto his back, taking her with him on top of him. ‘Not only easy on your back, but you’re in total control now, Maggie.’
‘Jack,’ she gasped as he entered her, ‘I’m in no position to… You told me once you were about to die. I’m in the same situation!’
‘Hold hard there for a moment, sweetheart,’ he commanded, and clamped his hands on her hips. ‘We might as well die together. How’s that?’ he asked as their rhythm co-ordinated.
‘Well,’ she conceded with a faint smile chasing across her lips, ‘that’s perfect.’
They said no more until they climaxed together, not only in physical unity but mentally transported as well.
‘I love you, I love you, I love you,’ she said huskily when she could talk again, with sheer sensual rapture still sweeping her body.
‘Me too. I mean I love you, Maggie. When did you plan to marry me?’
She had to laugh, and slowly they came back to earth together. ‘Uh—tomorrow?’