Page 75 of Whispers of My Skin

Before I can answer, his lips touch mine and words are forgotten, superfluous and unnecessary.

The whispers of love are all we need.

Desire runs through my body, and Joel takes advantage, kissing me, exploring with his touch, teasing me, building me, keeping me on the edge, so close and yet so far away.

“This is just for you, Tara. Let yourself go, let me take you there.”

I close my eyes and do as I’m told, and a thousand bright stars explode in front of my eyes.

Only Joel can do this to me. No one else. I know this to be true from the bottom of my heart. He is my soul mate.

I embrace the moment, I embrace him. I forget my worries, our problems and the future. I live in the moment with him.

That’s all we can do. And for now, it’s enough.

“Do you think we will survive this?” I ask little later, as I lie on his chest, his arm around me, our legs intertwined.

“Tara, I’ll never stop fighting for you,” he murmurs. “I don’t deny I’ve made some stupid mistakes but trust me, I’m not stupid enough to repeat them.”

“Are you going to talk to Cassandra again?” I have to know, I have to be sure this really is the end between them.

He sighs. “I don’t see how I can after this. Not after the way she misconstrued our friendship and caused so much pain with all her lies.”

“I did try to warn you that she wanted something more.” I can’t help it, Joel deserves a large helping of ‘I told you so’, and it’s never felt more appropriate than at this moment.

“Yes, I know, but I just found it hard to accept when I’ve honestly never seen her as anything more than a friend, the nearest thing I had to a sister really. And it hurts that someone I thought was a genuine friend would act that way.”

“How long have you been friends? How did you meet?”

“I met Cassie several years ago, when I was really struggling to get any kind of work. At the time, she’d just married Stephen, after working as his PA when he set up his agency specializing in hiring of staff for the industry. She persuaded him to put me on his books even though I didn’t have any kind of references, and as he had considerable influence in the ranching community and was very well respected, I managed to get a position as a stable hand. That opening was all I needed, because from then on, I worked my ass off to prove myself. So I’ve always felt in Cassie’s debt, because if she hadn’t spoken to Stephen on my behalf in the beginning, I’d never have gotten that opportunity.”

“So, Cassandra married her older, wealthy boss. Figures,” I comment dryly.

“Do you really want to keep talking about her?”

“Not really, no.”

“Then let’s not,” Joel suggests. “Let’s move on, not waste any more time on her.”

“Sounds perfect to me.”

We lay together in companionable silence until Joel speaks again.

“It looks like we’ve survived our first big fight, eh?”

“Which means that the honeymoon is officially over.”

“Do you think we’ll live happily ever after now?”

“Oh, no,” I reply. “That’d be waaaay too boring. Don’t forget, the best part of breaking up is the making up. Especially in bed. Make up sex is the best. So, I want to fight with you lots, and make up with you lots.”

“Is that so? What else do you want?”

“Hmm, let me think. Well, I want us to have loads of kids.”

Joel chuckles “When you say ‘loads’, just how many kids are we talking about? Five? Six? More?”

“Well, maybe not that many, but I certainly want a family with you. And I want us to watch them growing up, together. And if God allows, I want us to grow old together. That’s what I want.”

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