Page 232 of Under Her Skin

She could tell from his expression that her words had gotten to him and it was a moment before he could speak again and when he did, his voice was thick withemotion.

‘I want to marry you, Jessica Wood. Soon. Very soon. I need to be your husband, yours and yoursalone.’

Tears fell down her cheek and she smiled through them. ‘I’ll marry you as soon as we can make ithappen.’

He kissed her. ‘Mom wants me to announce it to the press and tell all those assholes to go to hell. They want the real story, it’s there on your finger. It’s in that big brain of yours, that heart which holds so much love foreveryone.’

It was Jess’s turn to be speechless and she kissed him fiercely. ‘You and me,forever.’

‘Forever,’ he agreed and pulled her into hisarms.

Theo dugthrough his pockets to find the key and opened the door. Jess hopped from foot to foot beside him, like an excited puppy. As they had driven up to the house, she had gasped and covered her mouth. ‘God, it’sperfect.’

The lodge was painteda light blue with a porch surrounding the ground floor. Huge picture windows, thick wood walls surrounded by trees. Jess ‘s eyes were shining as Theo parked the car and she hopped out, running to the edge of the house to look down to the beach. Her eyes were shining as she grinned back at him and he knew she was already won over. A picture came into his mind; Jess, her belly rounded and ripe with pregnancy, holding the hand of a beautiful child with dark curls and her mother’s eyes walking along the sandy path to the beach, laughing and singing. The vision made his heart swell withlove.

Now,as he led her into the house, she clutched his hand, trying not to get too overexcited. The lodge was big but homely, the living room cost with large fireplace, the kitchen big enough to fit couches as well as tables, a hub for the family. They moved from room to room and began to talk about their future in each room, how they’d redecorate, which rooms would be reserved for the guests, which for theirchildren.

Theo ledher into a large room at the back of the property, its large arched windows overlooking the blue waters of PugetSound.

‘This is our room,’ Theo said and smiled as her face shone withpleasure.

‘It is perfect,’ she murmured and slid her arms around his waist. Theo kissedher.

‘So, I takeit…’

‘Theo, it’s more than I could ever have hoped for. Yes, yes please,’ Jess laughed as he picked her up and swung her around. ‘Is anyone living here at themoment?’

Theo shook his head. ‘I have a confession. The last tenants moved out a couple of months ago and I’ve been fending off new inquiries ever since I met you because I just had this feeling. This is our place. Yours, mine, ourchildren.’

‘Stan and Monty’s too,’ she reminded him, ‘Can’t forget our furrykids.’

Theo kissed her then, slowly, his tongue massaging hers. As they kissed, he drew her towards the king-sized bed and pulled her down on top of him. There were no sheets or pillows but they didn’t even notice, tearing at the other’s clothes. Theo’s cock was pulsing, rigid with the need to be inside of her and he tugged her ankles over his shoulders. Jess grinned up at him, a sheen of sweat already sticking her hair to herforehead.

‘Nail me to the bed, soldier,’ she told him and cried out as he drove his cock so hard, so deep into her that the bed moved with the force ofit.

‘I’m going fuck you so hard, so long, beautiful,’ Theo held her hands above head as he thrust, ’I’m going to fuck you for the rest of mylife.’

Their lovemaking was almost savage, brutal, not caring if they hurt or were hurt by the other. The quiet of the big house was broken by their cries, their love, theirlaughter.

Shattered and sated, they lay together, their naked bodies tangled up, in a pool of sunlight that drenched the afternoon. Jess pressed her lips to his jaw. ‘Theo?’

He looked down at her lovely face and smiled. ‘Yes?’

‘I don’t want to leave here. Not everagain.’

They movedin the next week, hiring movers to take their stuff over to the island as soon as possible while Theo and Jess worked out the logistics of living and working between the island and the city. They decided that Jess should work from the lodge three days a week so she could look after the dogs and Theo would do the rest of the week – or more if he could get away with it. Jess grinned at that, as they were packing the last of their belongings at Theo’sapartment.

‘Afternoon delights don’t make for good work practice,’ she said, pretending to disapprove. Theo shrugged, a wicked gleam in hiseyes.

‘I disagree. How else will I build my pornempire?’

Jess laughed and took his hand, pressing it against her warm sex. ‘Start building,Hef…’

The pizza they’d forgotten they’d ordered arrived ten minutes later and Jess shrieked with laughter as Theo, sporting a newspaper and only a newspaper, answered the door to a bemused and embarrassed deliveryman.

Finally, surrounded by boxes, Theo locked the door to the lodge and, grabbing a bottle of champagne, went to join Jess in the living room. She was curled up on the couches and as he sat, she moved to tuck herself into his arms. He handed her a flute ofchampagne.

‘To our newhome.’