CUPID'S BOW (MADARIS SERIES Book 2) Read online

  “Yes, sweetheart, I can believe it.”

  Kyle’s term of endearment was spoken in a low, throaty voice. Kimara could feel her body pulsing to it. “Well, good night, Kyle.”

  “Wait. I have something to give you.” He reached up to the mantel and retrieved two small boxes wrapped in silver paper. He handed them to her. “These are my wedding gifts to you.”

  Kimara’s face showed her surprise. “I wasn’t expecting anything. It’s not like we’re really married.”

  He grinned. “According to Judge Williams, we are.”

  “You know that I mean.”

  “Yes, I know. Now open your presents.”

  Kimara’s hands shook nervously as she unwrapped her gifts. A beautiful diamond necklace was in one box and matching diamond earrings in the other. “Oh, Kyle, they’re beautiful, but I can’t accept them.”

  “Yes, you can. I want you to have them.”

  She looked up at him. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thanks. Well, I guess I’ll go on up to bed now. Good night.” She turned to leave.

  He reached out and touched her arm. “Don’t you want a glass of the champagne Granddad gave us before going to bed? We haven’t had a chance to open it yet.”

  Kimara turned back around. The mere touch of his hand sent a shiver through her. His masculine presence was driving away everything except her awareness of him. She was attuned to everything about him, especially his touch. And she was deeply moved by the gifts he’d given her. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea after what happened to me on our wedding day,” she said. “I drank enough of the stuff to last a lifetime.”

  Kyle’s hand left her arm and moved to her neck. “I’ll make sure you stick to your limit. Besides, I think it’s a wonderful way to end such a beautiful week.”

  Kimara didn’t respond. She couldn’t even think. As she gazed into his eyes, her throat constricted, and she tried forcing air past her lungs.

  “Come, let’s sit down in front of the fireplace.” His hand was firm under her elbow as she lowered herself to the carpeted floor, tucking her robe underneath her.

  Moments later Kyle joined her there. His gaze lowered to the neckline of her robe, where a section of her dark, creamy skin peeped through. She smelled good, he thought, inhaling her scent. It was a sweet smell of magnolias that was exclusively hers. “Here we are,” he said huskily, expertly opening the champagne bottle. The sound of its loud pop echoed in the room. He filled her glass and handed it to her. Their fingers brushed in the exchange, and the flame that began growing within the pit of Kimara’s stomach matched the one glowing in the fireplace.

  Kyle then filled his own glass and raised it to hers. “I want to propose a toast to Kyle Garwood, the Third. A man with a dream, a vision, and a goal. A man determined to get the two of us together, and I appreciate his wisdom in doing so.”

  Kimara’s breath caught sharply in her throat with Kyle’s words. Her heart began hammering in her chest. Looking at each other over their glasses, they drank.

  Kyle smacked his lips and reached over to retrieve the champagne bottle to refill their glasses. “I would like to propose another toast.” He raised his glass to her. “To you, Kimara Stafford Garwood. My beautiful wife and the future mother of my child.”

  He took a sip of his drink and a few seconds later, after she had regained her wits, Kimara took a sip of hers. She tried desperately to fight the quiver surging through her veins, and the hot ache in her throat as she watched him. She wondered if she’d gotten tipsy from the champagne or from the love flowing through her entire body for him, because at that moment she wanted him to make love to her.

  Kimara knew she would have to make the first move. He had promised to give her time, and he would keep his word. But she didn’t need any more time. What she needed was him. She didn’t have any experience with seducing a man, but was willing to give it her best shot.

  “I think it’s time for our honeymoon to begin, Kyle,” she whispered, nervously setting both their glasses aside.

  He stared at her for a moment before asking, “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” she said softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I haven’t been surer of anything in my life. I want you.”

  Suddenly he pulled her fiercely into his arms. The kiss at first was surprisingly gentle, but then he began kissing her with a hunger that belied his outward calm. His kiss sent new spirals of ecstasy through her and sang through her veins. While kissing her, his hand tugged at the belt at her waist until it came undone. With that accomplished, he stopped kissing her long enough to push the robe from her shoulders and take in the transparent nightgown covering her body. He began planting featherlike kisses on her face, neck, and shoulders.

  “Kyle . . . please.”

  And he intended to. He stood to remove his clothes.

  Kimara looked up at him through dazed eyes and began shivering. She desperately wanted the one man who had been a part of her dreams for as long as she could remember. A man who could fill her with an abandonment she wasn’t aware she was capable of until now and a man she loved with all of her heart.

  Kyle breathed deeply as he gazed down at Kimara. His gaze first focused on the hardening nipples of her breasts, then moved to her flat stomach, long legs, and smooth ankles. The shapely beauty of her body taunted him, making him harder for her, making his need and want of her almost unbearable. “Do you know just how much I want you, sweetheart?” he whispered. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted any woman in my entire life.”

  Kimara’s body began trembling with his words. She reached up to him. “Make love to me, Kyle. Please love me.”

  Kyle rejoined her on the floor before the fireplace, quickly removing the thin gown from her body. He drew her into his arms and pressed his lips to her forehead.

  She could feel his hardness pressing into the softness of her thigh as he gathered her to him. The touch of his hand on her knee sent shivers of delight through her. She buried her face against his neck. His hand began moving higher and came to settle on the inside of her thigh at the same time his mouth opened over her lips, urging them apart. She complied with his sensuous request. Their tongues began a mating dance of pleasure. When Kyle splayed his hand over the very core of her femininity, she cried out to the workings of his masterful hands.

  “Oh, Kyle, please . . .” She reached out and touched him the way he was touching her. She bit her lower lip to stifle any outcry of pleasure.

  Kyle sensed her anguish and was determined to stop her torment, but not now. He was determined to lavish her with bittersweet pleasure. When he thought neither of them could take the torture any longer, he moved his body over hers and lay directly atop her. “You’re mine. All mine.”

  He said the words as his fingers sank even deeper into the creamy softness of her thighs, being mindful not to hurt her but at the same time wanting to hold onto her tight. Their lips met again just as Kyle entered her. His kiss couldn’t deflect her gasp of pain, nor could it cover up her body’s proof that no man had ever touched her before. A shiver of surprise, happiness, and pride swept through him at this revelation. Their mouths again met in a deep drugging kiss as he pressed deeper into her body.

  Pure waves of pleasure tore into Kimara in knowing Kyle was embedded deep within her. She sucked in her breath sharply when he began to move. Her head thrashed about and her legs tightened around him as his tongue made love to her mouth using the same rhythm his hard body was using on her.

  “Kyle!”

  “It’s all right, darling. Just let go. I’m here with you all the way. We’ll soar together.”

  Kimara let herself go. Kyle moaned his pleasure at her abandonment, following her over the edge and releasing more than enough life-giving substance into her body to begin the next generation of Garwoods.

  Sometime during the night Kyle and Kimara made it up the stairs with the rest of the champagne. Desire-- heavy and urgent-- consumed
Kyle, making him take her over and over again. He relished in the soft sounds of pleasure that escaped her throat, and the passion and need that drove both of them over the edge of sensuous madness.

  Kimara was the first to wake the next morning. She opened her eyes as memories of the night before flooded her mind and brought a smile to her lips. Kyle was sleeping, breathing deeply and evenly next to her. His leg was thrown over her hip, one of his hands cupped her behind possessively, and the fingers of his other hand were ensnarled in her hair.

  But what she noticed more than anything, as she snuggled deeper into his embrace, was that their bodies were still intimately joined. They had fallen asleep after making love with him inside her, and had remained connected throughout the night. The thought that during the night she had been a part of him brought a warm feeling to her body. That feeling wasn’t lessened by the slight soreness in muscles she’d never used before.

  Last night he had made her feel special with the gifts and the toast. Then later he had whispered words, intimate and passionate, as he made love to her. Before they had finally drifted off to sleep, he had whispered in a very satiated voice that she was his own very Special K.

  Ten years ago, on a Valentine’s Day night, he had unknowingly broken her heart. What she suffered then would be peanuts to what she would suffer now when they parted. She knew just as sure as the sun shone bright in the sky that the day would come when he would say good-bye. And it would happen as soon as all the conditions in Poppa Garwood’s will were met. She expelled a deep breath. In spite of her future predicament, she felt contented.

  At least this time unlike before, she would be left with more than just a broken heart. She would be left with a part of him to have with her always. Her stomach fluttered at the thought that there was a possibility at this very minute that deep inside her something wonderful and miraculous could be taking place. They had made love enough times over the past hours for conception to be possible.

  Kyle stirred. Kimara raised her eyes to find him watching her. She was entranced by the passionate darkness of his eyes. He said nothing as he continued to watch her. She became nervous, not sure of what to say. Kyle gave her a sudden arresting smile sparked with deep longing. Desire stronger than anything she’d ever experienced swept through her, and she knew he felt it too. His arms drew her closer. Her breath caught in her throat when she felt that hard part of him begin to swell deep inside her.

  “I should have warned you,” Kyle said huskily, placing a light kiss on her lips. “It has a tendency to grow on you.”

  Kimara smiled. “And I should have warned you that those nutrition classes I took at Howard didn’t completely cure my ravenous appetite. It seems a certain part of me is rather greedy where you’re concerned.”

  “That’s all right, baby,” Kyle said, lightly fingering a loose tendril of hair on her cheek. “I’ll enjoy feeding that part of you anytime.”

  She grinned. “I’m glad to hear it. And as far as your problem goes, never let it be said I’m a person who believes in hindering growth.”

  Kyle chuckled. His features turned serious. “You should have told me, Kimara.”

  She knew what he was referring to. She shrugged. “You thought you already had me figured out. You assumed I was sexually active.”

  “Most young women are.”

  “Not everyone believes in sex before marriage. I don’t.”

  “What about that Coffer guy? Is that why the two of you broke up?”

  “Yes. Adam wanted a woman who was willing to put out, and that wasn’t me. After our breakup, I had a chance to look back on our relationship and discovered I hadn’t loved him at all.”

  Kyle trailed his fingers along her thigh. “Have you ever been in love?

  She leaned back in his arms and looked up at him, hesitating briefly before answering. “Yes. When I was sixteen I was secretly in love with this guy. He was a few years older than me and was away at college most of the time. He barely knew I was alive and didn’t love me back. Thinking back on it, I wonder how I thought he could have loved me. I wasn’t all that pretty, I wore braces, and I had a weight problem. But my parents, in their own special way, had made me feel beautiful in spite of those things.” She paused before continuing. “Needless to say, the man of my dreams didn’t think so. He fell in love with someone else and broke my heart.”

  Kyle frowned. “At sixteen you were just a kid. What makes you think you actually loved him and that it wasn’t infatuation?”

  “Believe me, Kyle. It was love. I truly loved him.”

  He said nothing as he continued to hold her. Kyle couldn’t help wondering about the guy she’d fallen in love with at sixteen, the one who had broken her heart. Had she gotten over him? Would she ever be able to love anyone else? After finding his fiancée in bed with another man, he’d sworn never to fall in love again. Had she made that same vow? He wasn’t given a chance to dwell on his questions any longer, for at that precise moment Kimara shifted in bed. Her movement made them more aware of their connected bodies.

  Passion, sudden and acute, flamed between them. Kyle captured her lips in a kiss that racked them both. “I want to make love to you again, but I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t hurt me, Kyle. I’m not in any pain, and the soreness will go away soon. You could never hurt me while you make love to me. Besides, I want you too.”

  Kyle moved, and without separating them he positioned himself over her. “I’m yours,” he whispered just moments before his lips captured hers again.

  • • •

  Passionate. Romantic. Heated. Intimate. Steamy.

  Those were the words Kimara used to describe the days that followed in a mist of sensuality. The only damper was in knowing they were numbered. She glowed from the hours of physical loving Kyle bestowed upon her, never in her wildest dreams believing that she could lose herself in desire. All it took was a look from him, a touch, a special smile, to make her want him. She basked in the physical satisfaction that was more than she dreamed possible. And she gloried in their newfound relationship. Each day they were getting closer and closer, becoming friends as well as lovers.

  The two weeks of their honeymoon were almost over. Neither of them spoke of what was to happen after they returned to Atlanta. Kimara knew she would be moving into the Garwood estate. Kyle headed the office of Garwood Industries that was based in New York, which meant he would be out of town most of the time. Those thoughts were on her mind on the eve of their final day at Special K. It seemed they were both tense and on edge, and had been all day. Neither of them wanted their time at Special K to come to an end, but knew that it would.

  “Are you still worried about how the Valentine’s Day ball will turn out, Kimara?”

  She looked up to find Kyle watching her as she sat in front of the fireplace, watching the flames. She’d been quiet since dinner, lost in her thoughts. But they hadn’t been about the Valentine’s Day ball, as he assumed. She hadn’t given much thought to that since her arrival at Special K. Her thoughts had been on Kyle and their relationship. She could not remain married to a man who did not love her, and she wasn’t fool enough to think she would ever have his love. He’d lost the ability to love any woman after the hurt he’d endured nine years before. All she wanted was the strength to get through the days they would share until she found out she’d conceived. Then he would be free to walk away, and there was no doubt in her mind that he would.

  “Kimara?”

  She watched as he came and sat next to her. “No, I’m not worried about the ball. Thanks to your help, I believe it’ll turn out better than I could have ever hoped for. My mind was on something else.”

  Kyle pulled her closer in his arms. “Something else like what? Talk to me. Share your thoughts with me, baby.”

  Kimara breathed deeply. Over the past two weeks she’d found those two things easy to do-- talk to him and share her thoughts with him. But this topic of conversation wouldn’t be easy for her
. She didn’t speak for several heartbeats, and then finally, “I was thinking about us,” she admitted softly. “Where do we go from here?”

  Kyle stared at her, running her question around in his mind. It was a question for which he had no answer. A part of him wanted to believe his attraction to her was purely physical, but deep down he knew that wasn’t the case. The only thing he was completely sure about was that once they returned to Atlanta, he didn’t want the special relationship they’d shared for the past two weeks to end. He didn’t know if he would be able to handle it if she began withdrawing from him. But another part of him wasn’t ready for anything permanent. Nine years of pain couldn’t go away easily.

  “I can’t answer that, Kimara. But I’d like to offer a suggestion if I may,” he said, taking her hand and locking it with his.

  “What?”

  “Let’s take things one day at a time. When we get back to Atlanta, things will be different. We’ll both be involved with our respective jobs, and you’ll be busy with last-minute preparations for the ball. We won’t have the complete privacy we had here, and every single minute of your day won’t be centered on me, or mine on you. Let’s not get uptight about anything right now. Let’s just take things one day at a time and see how they go, all right?”

  “All right.” She couldn’t deny him anything, although deep down she knew she could be setting herself up for another heartbreak. “What time will we leave here tomorrow?”

  “Around noon.”

  Kimara heard genuine regret in his voice. “So until then, our hours together are precious ones,” she whispered, turning into his arms. “Let’s use them wisely. Give me memories to last a lifetime, Kyle.”

  He pulled her to him and kissed her. His lips were warm and possessive as he covered hers.