Full Bloom

lying there sprawled across her bed. She could hardly believe he was hers.
    "No rush? Lady, I'm burning. If you don't come here and make love to me right now, I'm liable to find out firsthand what's meant by spontaneous combustion."
    Emily felt herself turning hot and languorous under his intent gaze. Her knees were getting weak. If she did not climb onto that bed with him, and soon, she would probably collapse.
    "I wouldn't want you to go up in flames. Not just yet," she assured him as she moved down beside him on the bed. She could feel the sexual tension in him from one end of the bed to the other. Her fingers made small circles around the flat, masculine nipples. Then she allowed one of her legs to tangle with his.
    He shuddered heavily and looked up at her with a combination of frustration and demand in his eyes. "Are you by any chance turning into a tease?"
    "What if I am?" She picked up one end of his tie and trailed it through the hair on his chest.
    "Then I'm a doomed man. I'll never survive being teased by you tonight. My physical condition is just not strong enough. I'm weak and wounded and at your mercy. Have pity."
    "Well, since you put it that way, I suppose I can be generous."
    Jacob's mouth curved with satisfaction. "Somehow I thought you might be." He drew a hand down her back, exploring the gentle contours there before moving his palm lower. He tightened his fingers around her hip.
    It was Emily's turn to shudder. She nestled closer to him and began dropping light, soft kisses down the length of his body. Jacob twisted his hands in her hair and watched her through passion-slitted eyes.
    "That feels so good," he growled. "Honey, you don't know what you do to me. So good."
    All thought of teasing him fled. Emily was beyond playing sexy games now. She was thrilled with his response and trembling with the force of her own. Her kisses became deeper and more intimate. She explored the inside of his thigh with soft fingers until he was rumbling far back in his throat.
    "Are you purring?" she asked, lifting her head briefly to meet his eyes.
    "Not yet. But I think I will be soon." He reached down to grasp her shoulders and ease her down on top of him. "Make me purr, sweet witch."
    She smiled dreamily and fitted herself carefully to him. He was large and hard and he filled her with a slow, aching thoroughness. Emily sank down onto him, mindful of his sore ribs, anxious to give him what he wanted without hurting him in the process.
    "Gentle as a flower," he whispered with aching longing as he lifted his hips and drove himself more deeply into her.
    Emily gave herself up to the sweeping passion, loving him as gently and completely as she could, glorying in the tenderness and the underlying power that was so much a part of him. Together they raced for the heights and threw themselves over the edge, only to be caught and cushioned by the warm, sensual currents of release. And when at last it was over, Jacob did, indeed, purr.

    Emily was the one who felt like purring the next morning when she awoke in Jacob's arms. The room was full of rare Seattle sunlight, and the man lying beside her was hers. She hugged the knowledge to herself with glee. She was having an affair with Jacob Stone and she was happy. She had no way of knowing how long her good fortune would last, but she had decided not to look too far into the future. She would grab what happiness she could with both hands and enjoy it now. She propped herself up on one elbow and gazed down at her man.
    Jacob stirred and yawned, his arm tightening around Emily. He opened his eyes and saw her smiling down at him. A slow grin etched the hard line of his mouth. "What are you looking at, sexy?"
    "You."
    "Like what you see?"
    She toyed with the crisp hair on his chest. "It'll do until something better comes along," she retorted flippantly.
    "Is that right?" he asked with unexpected roughness, turning over on his side to pin her beneath him. "Are you expecting something better to come along soon?"
    Emily blinked, realizing he had not taken the joke well. "I was just teasing, Jacob."
    "I know." He threw one leg over hers. "But some subjects are off-limits when it comes to early-morning jokes. Replacing me is one of them."
    She arched her eyebrows. "I'll remember that."
    "You do that." He kissed the hollow of her throat, his hand closing over one of her breasts.
    She realized he was not teasing her in return. There was a hard current under his words. Emily slid her