Blushing Pink (31 page)

Now he grabbed
her.
Before she could yank her arm free, he pulled her roughly against his chest. Instinctively she struggled against his grasp.

"What do you want from me?" he demanded, boring his gaze into hers until she turned her head, stubbornly averting her glassy eyes. "That's not an answer," he mimicked, and she whacked his shoulder with the flat of her hand.

"Christ, stop hitting me!" he said, frustrated, as she wrestled to get free of him. For an invalid he was remarkably strong. Before she knew what was happening, he'd hitched her up and was walking them backward.

"Hey!" she cried. "What are you doing—put me down, you jerk! I hate you! I want a divorce!"

"Like hell," he growled, and dropped her down on the bed. Then he fell on top of her. She tried to shove him off, knowing it was futile. Pinning her flailing arms down, he said, "What? What do you want from me?"

"Get off of me."

"Then
what
? See, you don't really want this."

"You're right," she said brokenly, "I want all of you."

He didn't say anything to that. Keeping her face turned, she stared at the window, and moments passed before she felt Drew's weight relax on top of her. No longer pinning her down, he was almost cradling her, as his hands softened and his body curled into hers.

It felt so familiar, like the most wonderful feeling she had forgotten even existed. The aggression had melted... but now what would take its place?

Wordlessly, Drew dropped his head, burying it in the crook of Angela's neck. Neither broke the silence for countless minutes. This was what would come next—physical affection, body heat, making love.

Drew still didn't stir, but there was no denying what Angela felt probing at her. Her husband's groin was nestling into hers, and he was fully, breathtakingly hard.

Yes.

A shock of pleasure ran through her—a powerful surge of white-hot excitement. Still afraid he might push her away, but unable to resist, Angela snaked her legs up Drew's hips and slowly coiled them around his waist. She tightened them, locking his body to hers, and waited for his reaction.

He didn't push her away, but he remained still and silent... so she kept going.

Sliding her hand up his side and over his shoulder, she sank her fingers into his hair. She brushed through it gently as she caressed his scalp, then raked her nails lightly down the back of his neck. She felt chills rise on his skin.

Soon he was pressing his hips down on hers. Letting out a breathy, aroused sigh, Angela lifted her hips to nudge his erection deeper.

Drew's face stirred in her hair, and she felt the heat of his breath on her neck. A thrill ran through her as he brushed his lips back and forth over her hair, and then whispered hotly in her ear, "I want
you...
only you." Trailing kisses down her neck, he chanted, "You, you..."

"Oh, Drew..." She moaned, bringing both hands to his head and angling him so she could lick deep inside his ear. "Then take me," she whispered. "Please... it's been so long." He turned his face and kissed her hungrily.

Their mouths were open and wet and devouring, and soon they were grabbing at each other's clothes. Angela yanked his shirttail from his pants, and Drew tore open the buttons of her blouse. He shoved the bra down until it hung below her rib cage. Feverishly he pressed Angela's breasts together and buried his face between them. She moaned and rocked her lower body against his, as she reached down to take his erection out of his pants.

He licked up her chest to her neck and challenged huskily, "Aren't you going to tell me to 'take it easy'?"

Ignoring the question, she curled her fingers around his engorged penis and squeezed. A harsh sound burst from his throat, and he took a nipple in his mouth. Using his hand, he kept her other breast pressed to his cheek while he sucked on her.

She cried out, and he sucked harder and rocked his hips, forcing her hand to stroke him. Usually he liked her to run her hand over him slowly and tightly, but there was no time for that now, she realized. Tonight it was fast and tight. She was hot and wet with need, so fast and tight worked fine.

Sliding her index finger over the head of him, she realized that she wasn't the only one who was wet. Her breath quickened and caught—they needed to do this—
now.
He bunched up her skirt with one hand, and clutched the silk of her underwear with the other. Then he yanked her panties down to her knees. "Yes," she whispered, and he plunged into her.

She shuddered and groaned, and Drew said hoarsely, "Don't you dare fake it."

"Don't be an ass," she said breathlessly, and begged, "Oh, baby,
please
don't stop."

Her eyes drifted shut in ecstasy as sensations overtook her. He was thrusting hard and deep, and she was biting her lip and digging her nails into his butt.

"God, you're so beautiful." He groaned, and pounded her harder.

With little warning, her muscles began clenching and contracting, and her breath exploded from her lungs in choppy, harsh gasps. Desperately, she fused her mouth to his in a wet, furious kiss, and Drew pumped his hips even faster.

"I love you, I love you," she whispered frantically as she climaxed.

Drew grunted loudly, and pumped two more times before his whole body convulsed, racked by what sounded like anguished sobs, as hot semen jetted out.

"Oh...
God..."
she cried, feeling the heat and wetness—feeling
him.

After it was done, Angela kept Drew cradled in her arms, and his groin still nestled warmly inside her body.

"I love you," she whispered one more time.

He made no move to push her away; he only snuggled closer. And Angela vowed to herself that she'd never let him go. No way. She would never lose Drew again.

* * *

"What are you doing, babydoll?"

"Giving you a medical exam," Angela said softly, as she coasted her hand lightly over Drew's abdomen, then through his chest hair, and lovingly across his heart. Pressing an ear to his chest, she said, "Hmm, still breathing a little fast..." She smiled up at him. "But nothing we can't handle."

He grinned. "Have I ever told you"—he slid his hand under her hair, and drew her on top of him—"how
crazy
I am about this haircut?"

A giggle slipped from her lips, and Drew kissed it away. Afterward, she murmured, "I'm sorry," against his mouth. She stroked his jaw and said, "Drew, I'm sorry that I've been smothering you ever since... I mean, I just get so worried, and—"

"I know," he said quietly, "It's not that."

"Then what... what is it?"

"Nothing, I don't know."

"Drew,
talk
to me," she said, looking soulfully into his eyes, and for the first time in so long, feeling that she was actually reaching him. "Tell me."

He tightened his arms around her, snuggling her against his chest. "I just... it's..." Then he looked away and said, "Shit, I'm tired. Can we just go to sleep for now?"

She gave him a long, assessing look, then said, "If that's what you want, babydoll. We'll talk later." She laid her head against his shoulder and rested her hand on his stomach.

"Thanks," he murmured, kissing her hair and resting his chin on her head. A few beats of silence passed before Drew whispered, "You're so beautiful." Smoothing his hands over her back, he sighed. "Young and beautiful... Angela... you could have anyone."

She lifted her head up, confused. "What?"

Drew brought a hand down to brush some of her flyaways aside; he opened his mouth to speak, then shut it quickly.

"I'd never want anyone else," Angela whispered, holding his jaw in place, forcing his eyes to hers. "You know that... don't you?"

He smiled faintly, and then, in spite of her hand, turned his head to the side. She climbed up higher on the bed, bracing her weight with her elbow, and whispered, "Babydoll..."

He turned to face her, and she saw that his eyes were watery, making them a glassy hazel that painfully gripped her heart. Her husband had never cried before—at least not in her presence. But he blinked back the tears, not letting them fall, and said thickly, "You're so young, and I... I don't want you to wake up one day and realize... Angela, I'm just not the same man I used to be."

She clutched his shoulders, levered herself over him, and stared hard into his eyes. "What on earth are you talking about? Drew, you're only forty, for Pete's sake."

"But—"

"Dr. Stone said your heart attack was mild and had nothing to do with being an old man." He sort of grinned at that. "Well, I can't remember his
exact
words," she qualified. "But still."

"I'm just... I don't know."

"What?"

"I feel... Oh, forget it; it's so fucking clichéd." She waited anyway. He sighed. "I just feel useless."

"Oh, baby, no," she said, and hugged him fiercely. "That's all in your
head.
But nothing has really changed. Can't you see that? Nothing has changed."

"How can you say that?
Everything's
changed, and now I'll never even be a father."

Angela blinked and pushed up on her hands.
"What?"

"I mean, I knew that I'd be older than most parents when we decided to have children, but now... oh, forget it."

"I don't want to forget it," she said anxiously. "Drew, did you want to start trying? Is that what you're telling me?"

"No, I mean, yes, but what's the point? I won't even be able to play with them, or to coach soccer, or..." Running a hand over his eyes, he laughed humorlessly and muttered, "See? I told you it was all fucking clichéd."

Angela let out a laugh, even though the subject was serious, and even though she had tears welling up in her eyes.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

Shaking her head, she smiled as two tears streaked her cheeks. "Nothing," she said, "It's just that we're gonna have a family and... Oh, Drew!" She flung herself on top of him. "I'm so excited!"

He hugged her back, but couldn't help rolling his eyes. "Hello? What about everything I just said? Too old, heart condition, any of this ringing a bell?"

She laughed into his bare, warm skin, and said, "Forget it. We're having a family, end of discussion. Case closed, period. Thank you."

"What, you've been thinking about it, too?"

"I guess it's been in the back of my mind for a little while," she said, making a breezy sound of total contentment. "But now I'm sure that it's time."

"But everything's changed," Drew pressed, not sounding half as convicted about that point as he had a moment ago.

"No, it hasn't," Angela said briskly. "Life took a slight turn, and we're handling it. I still love you more than anyone or anything in the whole world—that hasn't changed."

When he didn't say anything, she said coyly, "Well? Do you still love
me?"

"You know I do," he said huskily.

"So then?" she asked, kissing his shoulder.

"I just don't ever want to lose you."

Angela sucked in a breath, and thought,
He didn't want to lose me so he's been acting like a jerk—men are so
weird. "What, are you crazy? Have you missed how devoted I am to you?"

"But—"

"Or how I love being with you
... ?"

"But I—"

"Or how I think you're the smartest, most wonderful man in the world? And
no,
that doesn't mean I think you're a wise sage who's a hundred and four. I just love you, period. You're never gonna lose me. Not ever." Drew didn't say anything; he averted his gaze, and when he looked up at her again, his eyes were clear. "And we're gonna have a baby someday," she whispered happily.

His face broke into a wide smile, and he simply said, "Okay, then."

"Okay. But remember, if you start getting upset about any of this—or anything—we have to
talk
about it."

"Okay."

"You can't just be all distant and weird."

"Sounds fair."

"Well, you're suddenly being agreeable," she said, smiling.

"Yep."

She laughed. "So why are we even lying here having this discussion like idiots, when we could be celebrating?"

"I—Wait, celebrating what?"

"My new career," she said, moving her lips to his chest. His hands locked on her back as she brushed her lips over his heart.

"What career?" he asked.

"Um... I'm going into the entrepreneurial game." She slid her mouth up his neck, over his ear, and then just behind it. He turned his head, giving her better access, and glided his hands lower, much lower.

"Meaning what?" he said on a hard breath.

"Meaning..." she murmured, feathering her lips across his cheek, "I'm thinking about the French dessert business."

"Really?" Drew said, sounding surprised. "With your mom?"

"Uh-huh."

"Hey, that's terrific—really, that's great."

He was faying to be extra sweet, which touched her heart so much. That was the Drew she'd missed; that was the Drew she adored. But on the other hand...

There was a time to be sweet, and there was a time for other things.

"I knew you liked helping her cook, but I didn't realize," he continued, rubbing her back supportively. "The French-dessert business sounds perfect for you—"

"Mmm-hmm," she said, cutting him off. She kissed him on the mouth, sliding her tongue inside to move against his as she tightened her thighs around his hips. With her left hand she reached for his now-erect penis.

Breaking the kiss, she smiled almost shyly and said, "I'm glad you support my decision. And if you're a good boy..." Then she whispered something in his ear.

His eyes darkened. "I'll be good—I promise."

"Mmm, I
know
you will," she said, and slipped him inside her. He squeezed his eyes shut as she started to ride him. "Don't ever leave me again."

He groaned and said, "I promise."

Chapter 24