Page 33 of Bryson

"Remember?"

"What?" He could scarcely think, much less offer a coherent sentence.

"You told me to do this." Her clever fingers moved over the tip of him, circling the slit. His control was slipping; he felt it slipping away. He should force her to stop. He was stronger than her by far. He should, but oh good Christ! It felt so damn good and he was starving.

Resting his head on the tile, he barely felt the water from the shower running down his head and into his eyes. His body seemed to have gotten a will of its own, and his hips were moving urgently in time to her stroking fingers. He felt the pressure building... building... building. With a groan of complete and utter surrender, he exploded, his body jerking with the violenceof the climax. Slapping his palms on the tiles, he gave in to the magnificence of it all, the sensation racing through his body like a storm cloud and leaving him weak.

He turned then, eyes dark, skin flushed. Gathering her against him, he slid to the floor, taking her with him and cradling her against his rapidly beating heart.

Tipping her head up, he studied her exquisite features in wonder.

"Are you relaxed now?" she asked with an impish smile.

Bending his head, he brushed his lips on hers slowly. "Remind me to pay you back in kind when you're well enough."

She wanted to tell him she was well enough now, but she knew better.

"I'm looking forward to it." She stroked his chin. "We're starting to look like prunes."

"Hmm. Thanks for... you know."

"The hand job?" she supplied wickedly.

"For that, yes." He chuckled softly. "Only you."

"I need to say something."

"Okay." He fully expected it to pertain to the topic or something to do with the ranch.

"I love you."

He felt the jolt straight through his nervous system.

"I kinda knew that already."

"Smart ass. So, I was thinking, since I'm already knocked up and we're shacking up, we might as well get married." Her eyes twinkled in amusement at the stunned look on his face. "Didn't see that one coming, did you?"

"What did you say?"

"You didn't see that one..."

"Before." His hands gripped her arms so he could ease her away to look at her fully. "Before that."

"I am knocked up..." She grinned at the frustrated look he sent her. "I want to get married."

He had waited so long for her to declare her love for him and to hear her say it again, that he had been getting impatient. Now here she was talking about marriage. He had spent the entire day feeling the pressure of work bearing down on him. The responsibilities of his position, combined with the news about his employee, had made it a very bleak and weary day. Now he could feel his spirits lifting, and it was because of her.

"Cat got your tongue?" she teased as he continued to stare at her. It was then he became aware that the water was still pouring down on him. Gathering her close, he found the strength to haul himself up with her still wrapped in his arms. Turning the water off, he grabbed towels as he stepped out of the shower and strode into the bedroom. Laying her down carefully on top of the covers, he started wiping the moisture from her skin gently.

"I'm starting to get an inferiority complex here. A woman does not like to propose to a man and just have him stay mute."

"Shut up," he advised mildly as he sat at her hip. "How soon?"

"I was thinking December."

"How about next weekend? I could pop into town and get a special license, and we get hitched right here." His hands framed her face and he wasn't surprised that they were shaking.

"What's the hurry? I'm already knocked up," she pointed out. Now that she had decided, she could feel the urgency. His mother, the frank conversation between them, had cleared the way.