Page 71 of Love Me Forever

“And she loved me with all her heart.”

Brianna spilled the tears that Royce would not now allow himself to spill. She sympathized for him, for she understood the pain of losing parents, especially ones who were so good and loving.

Royce looked up at Brianna. “She would tell me every day that she loved me, for she warned me that one never knows what the day may bring.”

Her heart suddenly ached for him and for her and for the love that she was not certain they would ever get to share.

He raised himself on bended knees in front of her. “I love you, Brianna, you must always remember that, always keep it in your heart. I love you and I will never stop loving you.”

Her reply was an eager whisper of his name. “Royce.”

He came to her as he always did when she called to him with urgency, and it took only moments for him to gather her up into his arms and walk to the bed.

“Stop me now if this is not what you want.”

He gave her a choice. He always gave her a choice, and she made the choice easily. “I want this.”

CHAPTER20

Royce had them both undressed in mere minutes, and it was with tender hands that he caressed her body. It was a soft and lazy touch that titillated and thrilled and caused her to completely lose her senses.

There was not a spot of flesh he did not touch. He ran the pads of his fingers over every inch of her with a delicate touch that drove her wild. Her body responded, moving against him like a woman hungry to quench her thirst.

She did not think, and she did not care for anything except the two of them and what they shared. He touched her with an intimacy she had not known existed and now that she did, she wondered how she could ever function normally again.

His hands heated her flesh until she thought she would go mad for the want of him. She hugged his muscled arms and then pushed at them as if denying her own desires, though it did little good for it only made him respond more ardently.

“What are you doing to me?” she asked with labored breath.

He whispered his response with a nibble to her neck. “I am making love to you.”

She wanted to rejoice, for she had not thought she would ever know the joys of love.

He suckled at her breasts until she thought she would lose her wits, and when his hands moved to intimately caress her, she cried out with the want of him. It was a fast and furious coupling, as though they could not get enough of each other, as though this was their last time together, as though they were saying good-bye, and Brianna climaxed with tears.

“It is not over between you and me,” Royce said, kissing her tears away.

“I cannot give you a child.” Her voice was full of regret.

He lay beside her, his hand moving to splay over her flat stomach. “I have no doubt that my child nestles within you.”

Her tears spilled freely and she did not care, for she hoped with all her heart that he spoke the truth. Unfortunately, she knew otherwise, and therefore the tears refused to stop.

He kissed them away as he had done before. “We will wed upon my return.”

He was so sure, but then here she was, lying in his arms after having made love with him. What did she expect him to think?

“We will wed,” he reaffirmed adamantly.

“If it were that easy.”

“It is. Accept it so that we may begin our life together.”

He brushed her cheek with his. “A very long life.”

She thought to protest, but it would do little good. He thought himself right, and there would be no changing his mind. Time would tell, and then she would have a decision to make.

Wed him or let him go.