Page 53 of Pleasure Control

She gulped.

“Like you, sweet Laura, I wanted to finish what we started.” His deep voice rolled over her like an intimate embrace.

Her heart flipped in her chest and she shook her head to clear it. Was she hearing him right, or was she still lost in a haze of euphoria from their unbelievable sex?

She could barely find her voice. “I don’t understand.”

“What’s not to understand? I already told you I love you.” He cradled her face between his palms and looked at her with all the love inside him. It took her breath away.

Her blood began racing. She swallowed. He loved her. She thought he’d only spoken those words in the heat of their frenzied coupling.

“I’m confused. Last night when I was naked in the tub I tried to seduce you and you walked out of the bathroom.” Emotion thickened her voice.

A lazy smile curled his mouth. “You tried to seduce me?”

“Yeah.” She threw her hands up in the air. “Okay, so I’m not so great at the seduction thing. Give me a break, it was my first attempt.”

He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Laura, I wanted to prove to you that I’m not just a sex-crazed playboy. I do think about other things.” He paused for a second. “Rarely,” he said, grinning. “But at times I do.” He reached out and brushed her damp hair off her forehead and gazed deep into her eyes. He lowered his voice. “I could have told you I was crazy about you, but why would you believe me? You said yourself I was a playboy, that my track record wasn’t so great. You’re a smart girl, Laura. I figured you wouldn’t believe any sweet talk coming from my mouth. I know I wouldn’t have.”

“You’re probably right,” she agreed.

“By keeping my hands off you, I wanted to prove that I care about you. All of you. Not just your gorgeous body. I wanted to show you how good we could be together outside the bedroom. You’ve opened my heart and shown me that I’m capable of love.”

“Oh.” Her voice was a soft whisper as understanding dawned on her. “I’ve always suspected, deep down, there was more to you, Jay. You just needed to have faith in yourself.”

That seemed to please him. “And you needed to have faith in yourself, too,” he added. “I love your beautiful curvy figure and your brilliant mind.” He grinned and dusted a kiss over her cheek. “There is nothing sexier than a nerdy science girl,” he teased. “From now on, I’m on a carrot-free diet.”

She laughed as her heart began beating wildly with excitement.

He loved her.

He looked down sheepishly. “Of course, I’d be lying if I said that when I saw you naked in the tub, I didn’t think of sex. Wet sudsy sex.” His brow rose a fraction of an inch.

She touched her tongue to her bottom lip. “Hmmm, wet sudsy sex. Never tried that.” She was so completely overcome with joy, she felt giddy. A happy haze of tears began blurring her vision.

He wiped away the water pooling on her lashes. “Well, you have no idea what you’re missing.” His bad-boy grin returned. God, she loved that grin.

A shiver tingled all the way through her body. “Perhaps you’d better show me.”

He gathered her into his arms and whisked her down the hallway. “My pleasure.”

“Come to think of it, I’ve never had sex in the shower, or on the kitchen table, in an elevator, on an airplane…”

He chuckled softly. “Slow down girl, I’m only one man. We have the rest of our lives to do all those things.” She saw love shining in his eyes.

She planted a warm kiss on his lips as her heart fluttered with emotion. “And you’re the only man for me. I love you, Jay Cutler.”

“I love you, too, Laura Cutler.”

Her eyes opened wide. “Jay—”

“And you’re the only woman for me. Will you marry me, Laura?” The depth of love in his voice brought on a new wave of happy tears.

“One condition.” She thought her heart was going to burst as it overflowed with the love she felt for him.

He cocked his head. “Really?”

She grinned. “We never, ever try the real libido suppressant on you. I don’t want to spend one single night without making love.”

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