Mad About You

love me."
    She opened her mouth and shook her head. "I..."
    "Say it!" he demanded. He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to him, holding her in an iron grip. "Say it and mean it."
    "You're hurting me," she whispered.
    "And you're hurting me," he said in a choked voice, then released her suddenly.
    She stumbled backward a half step. "What's this all about?"
    He took a deep, shaky breath, his eyes clouding with tears. "I love you, Ginny, and I'm not leaving here until you're convinced of that. I want to marry you, and I want us all to live at Shenoway as a family, but if you tell me you don't love me and there's no chance of it happening, then I'll leave you alone."
    Speechless, Virginia stared at her ex-husband, realizing with sudden clarity that he was a different person from the one she'd taken her vows with years before. That Bailey had been a scared boy, pure of heart, but immature and selfish. This Bailey was a strong, capable man, unafraid to show his love, and willing to fight to keep his family together.
    "I love you, Ginny, and I want you back in my life." He bit his bottom lip and inhaled sharply. "I've been kicking myself for eight long years, and I'm not about to let you go this easily."
    She studied his eyes, overwhelmed at the love she saw there. Smiling tremulously, she murmured, "I—I don't know what to say."
    "Just give me some hope we can work things out. Just tell me if there's a chance you might be able to love me again."
    "Again?" she asked. This was her moment of truth. Could she risk laying her heart out for him to see? "I can't remember not loving you, Bailey."
    He straightened and swallowed, then narrowed his eyes. "Say that again."
    "I love you, Bailey… I never stopped."
    A faint smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he took a step toward her. "Say it louder."
    She smiled. "I love you, Bailey."
    Another step, a bigger grin. "Louder!"
    "I love you, Bailey Kallihan!"
    He stopped in front of her. "I love you, too," he whispered. "So much."
    Seconds passed and her gaze remained locked with his.
    "Are you just going to look at me?" she asked.
    His blue eyes narrowed. "No," he said softly, grabbing her arms more gently this time and pulling her to him. Virginia's heart thudded against his. He lowered his mouth until his breath brushed her lips. "I'm going to kiss you until you lose consciousness."
    He descended on her mouth with force, kissing her fiercely. His lips were bruising and ruthless as he foraged her mouth, tongue on tongue, teeth on teeth. Virginia felt his need for her transferred through his kiss, his moans savage and his mouth unrelenting. Desire flooded her body, setting fire to her breasts, stomach, thighs. She surrendered to his demands and angled her mouth against his, matching him moan for moan, bite for bite.
    He lifted his head long enough to bend, put an arm under her knees, and sweep her up into his arms.
    "Where are we going?" she murmured, her eyes half shut.
    "To your bedroom," he growled, charging up the stairs. At the top he veered into her room, then laid her on the bed. Immediately he began tugging at her clothes, and she felt herself being swept away in the tide of his passion.
    "Bailey," she said after her shirt was removed and her bra discarded, "I'm still conscious." She raised her mouth for a kiss, and as soon as he rolled off her panties, he obliged, this one more tender.
    "Ginny," he whispered, nipping at her chin, then moving downward, "when I said I'd kiss you unconscious, I wasn't talking about your mouth."

    * * *

    Around five-thirty Virginia thawed three pork chops and peeled potatoes to mash for dinner, all the while humming under her breath. She couldn't keep a smile from her face because she still felt Bailey's mouth and hands on her body. He'd left about an hour before, his hair and clothing a little worse for wear, but sporting a huge grin. Their good-bye kiss on the stoop would have the neighbors talking, she was sure.
    She was waiting for the water to boil for the macaroni and cheese, when she started to worry about Chad. Virginia sighed and looked at her watch. He should have been home by now.
    Ten minutes later she'd grown impatient enough to go to the front stoop and look down the street. Nowhere. When he hadn't returned in another fifteen minutes, she turned off the stove, grabbed her keys, and drove the few blocks to the park, her heart thudding in her chest.
    She parked and walked toward the skateboard ramp, feeling relieved when she