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Several minutes later, after his breathing had slowed, he rolled to her side. His arms held her tightly against him and she felt secure and warm, pressed into the hard muscles of his chest.

“Why is it that we never fight in bed?” she finally asked.

“Because we have more important things to do,” he teased.

“Be serious.”

“I am. Why would we fight in bed? What would be the point?” He smiled and kissed the top of her head, smelling the perfume in her tousled curls.

“What’s the point when we’renotin bed?”

He lifted his shoulders. “I don’t know. Boredom?” He looked down at her and she recognized a familiar devilish twinkle lurking in his eyes.

“I doubt that . . .”

“So do I, Ms. Peters . . . so do I.” He kissed her lightly on the lips before tracing their pouty curve with the tip of his finger. “Speaking of boredom,” he began in a low drawl, “I’ve got several theories on how to avoid it.”

“Do you?” She arched an elegant eyebrow as if she disbelieved him.

A wicked smile allowed just the flash of even white teeth against his dark skin. “Several,” he assured her while his eyes moved lazily down the length of her naked body. He looked as if he were studying it for flaws. Satisfied that there were none, he met her gaze squarely. “Would you like a demonstration?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

Provocatively she rimmed her lips with her tongue. “On whom you’re going to test your theories.”

His finger slid down the curve of her jaw. “You’ll do—if you’re interested.”

“What do you think?” She laughed, her green eyes dancing mischievously.

He grabbed her wrists playfully and pinned them to her sides. His face was only inches from hers in the gathering darkness. “I think, Rebecca, that you’re a tease, anincredible,gorgeous, and wantontease. AndI think I know just how to handle you.” Dangerous fires of renewed passion flared in his cool gray eyes.

“Idle threats,” she mocked.

“We’ll see about that, Becca. Before tonight is over, I’ll have you begging for more,” he growled theatrically.

“Save me,” she taunted.

“You don’t know when to give up, do you?”

“Sometimes I wish I did,” she sighed, the merriment ebbing from her gaze.

“Don’t ever give up, Rebecca,” he chided. “It’s one of the most wonderful things about you—that spirit of yours. It’s as unbeaten and proud as the horses you race.”

“Are you serious?”

“About you? Yes!” He released her wrists and kissed her forehead. “I was a fool to ever let you get away from me.” He lowered his head and kissed the slope of her shoulder. “It won’t happen again.”

She felt her skin quiver with his low words of possession. When his lips claimed hers, she was ready and hungrily accepted everything he offered her. She returned his passion with renewed fervor, giving herself body and soul.

His hands moved over her skin, gently kneading her muscles and reigniting the fires of desire deep within her. His lips roved restlessly down her neck, across her shoulder, to stop in the hollow between her breasts. He pushed the soft flesh against his cheeks before he took one nipple and then the other between his lips.

Rebecca sighed and thought she would die in the ecstasy of his embrace. When he shifted his weight and parted her willing legs with his knee, she molded her body against his in an effort to get closer to him . . . become one with him. “That’s it, Becca, let go,” he encouraged by whispering against the shell of her ear. “Just love me, sweet lady,” he coaxed as he entered her and began his gentle rhythmic movements.

His hands began to move in slow, sensual circles over her breasts while he slowly fanned the fires of her love until they were white hot and she groaned in frustration. When he knew that she was ready, he increased his movements against her. They found each other at the same moment, each inspiring the other to the brink of ecstasy in an explosive rush of energy that held them together until at last they were satisfied and the animal growls that came from Brig’s lips were moans of contentment.

It was much later that Becca awoke from a drowsy sleep and tried to slip out of the bed unnoticed by Brig.