Page 74 of Her Inconvenient Groom (French Conquests 4)

When he entered her, she felt as if everything in her universe shifted. They had sex before, but this was different. This time they were truly makinglove, a love that was confessed and admitted to, out in the open. Encircling them and embracing them.

This time, it was for real. And it made all the difference. Every stroke, every exhalation, every shudder was colored with that glow, that knowledge that she was treasured and adored.

When the time eventually came, her orgasm was elevated from a delightful neurological event to a new level, becoming something transcendent. Leaving her sobbing against his shoulder. And when the tossing of the ship slowed, she discovered to her astonishment that his cheeks were wet, too.

They rose eventually, finished their now slightly crushed and sorry-looking sandwiches, corn chips included, and fell back into bed to make love a second time.

She was awakened by the warmth she felt against her cheek and doubted it was sunshine, but it was. Chantelle opened her eyes and had to shade them with her hand, because it was morning and the storm had passed. Beams of light sliced through the window and targeted her face with a vengeance.

Next to her, Dustin lay on his side, dead asleep after the night’s exertions. She smiled and snuggled against him, enjoying the feel of his toned body under her hands. What would he say, she wondered, if she was to wake him up by—

Something moved. A light, tentative, gentle touch against her leg, cool, almost tender.

Dustin’s hands were facing away from her, one cradling his head, and the other lightly resting on his chest.

So what—

The caress came again, filling her with puzzlement and dread. With a frantic hand, she threw off the sheets and saw it. A snake! Dark gold with richly patterned iridescent scales — What the hell! She didn’t have time toadmirethe thing. It was on her leg and moving upward.

Chantelle began to scream.

Dustin leaped up, arms raised in a protective stance. Immediately, he spotted the danger and reacted with startling speed, seizing a blanket and wrapping it around the beast. He ran with it to the door, still naked, and disappeared into the woods outside.

Chapter 40

“I’m never going hiking again!” Chantelle declared, perhaps a bit too dramatically, still riled up hours after they had returned to the mansion.

Dustin smiled indulgently and wrapped his arms around her. “What are you talking about? Didn’t you have a great time out there with me? You know, getting lost, getting caught in a thunderstorm, trespassing.” He waggled his brows at her suggestively. “Doing stuff.”

She smacked him on the arm. “Having aputain de serpentcrawl up my leg!”

“Did you think it was me? Coming back for more?”

She shrieked in mock horror. “If I ever begin to associate you oranypart of you with a snake, trust me buddy, you’ll never enjoy any of this awesomeness again!”

“Then, my sweet,” Dustin said solemnly, “I promise you to never take you camping again. It’s simply not worth the risk.”

They hugged and laughed, and their light kisses became more passionate. Dustin couldn’t believe what was happening to his woman, the changes he was seeing in that stiff-backed, solemn executive who had walked into his tattoo parlor a couple of months ago.

The way her spirit seemed to have grown wings. She was now able to joke and laugh as easily as she was able to surrender to him in passion, to allow him to glimpse deep into her soul.

Was this what love did to you? If it was, he would always be grateful.

Just as he was reaching for her, a voice came drifting up the stairwell.“Madame Chantelle, c’est l’heure de depart!”

“Time to go,” she told him, but his French was already good enough that he’d figured that out on his own.

Determined to show off just a little, he shouted back down,“On arrive, Rosemarie!”

She looked impressed.“Ooh. Bien fait!”

He tried to look modest.“C’est rien.”

The driver would be there waiting out front with their bags packed, ready to take them to the airport. From there, it would be onto Chantelle’s private jet, and after a long night’s journey, they’d be back in Paradisio Falls again.

Where she could forget about snakes, and he could concentrate on establishing the family he’d always wanted to have.

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