Tara laughed, a warm, bubbling sound. "They say that's the best way to go."

He rolled onto his side and tucked her up against him, pulling the covers over them both.

"I love the feel of you in my arms," he told her. "Sleep, baby. We'll have good dreams."

When Tara brought Molly downstairs in the morning to feed her, she found Cole already in the kitchen. She was grateful to see he'd brewed a pot of coffee and poured a cup for each of them, but she wondered if he would retreat to his den until she was through with Molly. Instead, he just leaned against the counter, watching through narrowed eyes as she fed the little girl breakfast.

At least, it's a start. He's trying, just as he promised.

She realized he wasn't dressed in a suit today, even though it was Monday. He'd pulled on gray slacks and a red v-neck sweater. Casual clothes. While she finished with Molly, he called Angela, his secretary, to tell her he'd be out for the day. Tara wondered what that was all about.

"You don't have to stay home today," she told him. "We'll be okay."

"Much as I hate to admit it," he grinned, "I think they'll get along without me. I just hope they don't find out."

Tara settled Molly in her playpen with her favorite toys and turned on the mobile attached to one side. That would keep her occupied while she fixed breakfast for herself and Cole. She could feel his eyes on her as she moved around the kitchen. They were some time getting through breakfast, because it turned into a sensual exercise. Tara made scrambled eggs and sausage, and Cole insisted on feeding her the sausage by hand. As he placed each spicy piece on her tongue, she sucked at his fingertips, touching the edges with her tongue. That made him lean over and trace her lips, licking the taste of the sausage from them. He fed her the eggs one forkful at a time, first himself, then her, his tongue tracing her lips after each taste. When he thrust his tongue into her mouth, she sucked on that, too, loving the mingled taste of coffee and Cole.

Cleaning up became even more of a challenge. She stood at the counter in her nightgown while Cole cleared the table, pressing himself against her back with each delivery, his hot erection probing at the warm flesh of her b.u.t.tocks. She had barely gotten the last dish in the dishwasher before he swept her up in his arms and carried her upstairs.

Pulling the covers back with one hand, he deposited her on the bed, pulled her gown over her head, stepped out of his sweat pants then mounted her. She was wet, as she always seemed to be now when he touched her. In two days, she had gone from ice maiden to wanton, carnal need consuming her so strongly she couldn't shut it off.

His mouth took hers in a hungry, greedy kiss, his tongue dueling with hers, her own small one twisting against his. He licked the roof of her mouth and the inside of her cheeks, each stroke of his tongue sending sensations straight to the heart of her p.u.s.s.y. She threaded her fingers through the heavy silk of Cole's hair, pulling his head even closer to her.

His hands slid down her body to find her nipples, pinching and rolling them until they stood up in hard, stiff peaks. Her heart raced and her pulse throbbed as her body responded to his touch. He shifted his body back and forth so his c.o.c.k rubbed against her c.l.i.toris, driving her need higher than she'd thought possible.

She slid her hands around to find his flat nipples, pinching them as he had hers and sc.r.a.ping her fingernails over them. Cole lifted his head, the rhythm of his breathing changing and becoming uneven.

"I want you now," he rasped.

She opened her legs as he moved into position. They were both so ready, when he slid his p.e.n.i.s inside her, she took the entire length of him in one stroke. They lay still for a moment, savoring the feel of her slick inner muscles grasping at his shaft. Then the room was silent except for the sound of skin against skin, heavy panting and their mingled shouts of joy as their climax crashed through them.

Cole collapsed against her, catching his weight on his forearms as they struggled to drag air into their oxygen-depleted lungs and calm their galloping hearts.

"That was ...incredible," Tara said in a weak voice, when she could speak again.

Cole kissed her softly. "Every time with you is incredible."

"Did we save enough energy to shift all your clothes?" she asked. "That's on our agenda for this morning. Remember?"

"I don't think I could move my body, much less my clothes," Cole chuckled, but he slid off the bed and pulled his pants back on. "All right, woman. I'm up and on my feet. Let's get busy."

When they were finished moving his clothes and personal belongings from one room to the other, Tara surveyed the results with great satisfaction. To her, the sight of their things mingled together was an affirmation of the pledge they had made to each other and the night before.

"Pretty pleased with yourself, aren't you?" Cole wrapped his arms around her from behind and tucked her head under his chin.

"You bet. Now I feel as if we're married."

"Oh, we're married all right," he told her in his deep voice. "Trust me. There's no doubt about that."

"Don't forget, I want us to think about making some major changes in here."

"We will. We'll do something. But I have other things on my mind at the moment." He stood for a long moment, looking at the closet again, scanning the clothes. He had the same speculative look in his eyes Tara had noticed in the kitchen.

Tara hugged herself nervously, wondering if something about the closet bothered him. He turned her around to face him, a somewhat unsatisfied look on his face. Was something making him uncomfortable?

"Is my face smudged?" she asked at last. "Why are you staring at me that way?"

"Because it gives me enormous pleasure."

She could see desire smoldering in his eyes. And something else, something she couldn't quite identify.

"What's going on behind that smile?" she asked. "Are you hatching something?"

"You bet." He grinned at her. "Do you think your folks would take the baby until after supper?"

The baby. Not her name, but at least not the child. "I'm sure they would if they don't have plans. They love having her with them. Why?"

He reached for her, resting his hands lightly on her shoulders. "I want to take my beautiful bride shopping, if that's all right."

"Shopping? For what?" She was totally bewildered.

"A new wardrobe."

"But Cole, I have-"

"Not what I want you to have. You need more things like the outfit you wore yesterday.

It gives you, oh, I don't know, electricity?" He placed his hands on either side of her face and studied her. "Please let me indulge you." He winked. "And wear that outfit from yesterday."

Cole had other things in mind, too, but he'd need to make a few calls to accomplish them.

He'd do it while they shopped, when Tara was tucked out of sight in a dressing room. He had always looked at money as just a means to an end. He'd never had it when he was younger so he'd worked hard to get it. Now that he had more than he knew what to do with, he enjoyed being able to use it in a manner that give him real satisfaction. He smiled to himself, thinking over the idea that had popped into his mind.

Tara's parents were delighted to babysit, as she'd expected and even offered to keep Molly overnight. Soon, Tara and Cole were headed downtown to the Rivercenter Mall.

"I feel as if I've stepped into a reality television show," she told him, as he moved her along from store to store.

"Believe me, it's real enough," he grinned.

One thing was certain. The man had unerring taste. He sorted through displays, shooing her into dressing rooms, salesgirls following her with arms loaded. There was no question he was in charge today, but he was relaxed and comfortable, a man showing off his wife. He was having fun and so was she.

Tara chuckled in one store at the sight of him lounging in a chair, his legs crossed casually with an ankle resting on the opposite knee, looking magnificent.

"All the women are drooling over you," she whispered when she came out to model an outfit for him.

"If you ask me, I think it's the men who can't take their eyes off you." He touched her hand possessively. "I must be sure to let them know you're taken."

They smiled at each other, a smile full of intimate secrets that shut out everyone else.

While Tara tried on clothes, he put the rest of his plan into action. He made calls on his cell phone, speaking in a low voice and watching for Tara to appear. Things were coming together just the way he wanted.

By the time they stopped for coffee late in the afternoon, she was glad to have a minute to catch her breath.

"You must be out of your mind," she protested again. "I don't need all these clothes."

"Yes, you do. You need more color, more...everything. Besides, I love buying things for you, so don't argue with me. I'm a man who knows his own mind. Or so they tell me," he chuckled.

"I feel like a kept woman," she smiled.

"You are," he said. "And I'm the one who's keeping you. For a very long time."

"Where did you learn so much about women's clothes, anyway?"

"Watching my brother. And don't ask me for details," he grinned. "My lips are sealed."

Cole had planned for dinner on the Riverwalk, but by the time they finished at the mall, he agreed with Tara that home looked a lot better. "We can pick up pizza or something on the way," he said. "That okay with you?"

"You bet. I'll be glad to get home."

It took both of them to carry the bags to the bedroom. Tara hung up the things that needed hanging and left the rest for the next day.

"Right now, all I want is a shower," she said.

She was already standing under the streaming hot water, letting it work on her still sore muscles, when she felt someone beside her, a hand sliding the soap along her spine.

"I believe this is my bathroom now, too," Cole said in a low voice. "And my shower."

Her fatigue dissipated as he slowly lathered her body. He made her lean forward, bracing her arms against the wall, while he covered her back from her shoulders to her ankles, up the insides of her thighs and into the cleft of her b.u.t.tocks, his fingers lingering there and moving in a gentle motion. Then he turned her around and did the same with her front, circling the nipples and sliding lathered fingers into her sheath, paying careful attention to the sensitive flesh inside.

As she began to shake with desire, he stopped and handed her the soap.

"Not yet," he said. "My turn."

He stood while she moved the soap over his rock-hard body, covering every inch of it, rubbing his flat nipples until they were stiff, spreading the lather over his erection, running her finger over the tip, watching his face darken with desire. He turned off the shower, dried them both off and carried her to the bed. She had thought herself too tired to want this tonight, especially after making love that morning, but just his touch inflamed her and gripped her with a violent need.

He made slow, careful love to her, drawing out each o.r.g.a.s.m until she was sure she would lose her mind, bringing her to climax again and again before entering her.

"Tonight I want nothing from you except to enjoy what I do to you," he murmured in a husky voice. "You make me feel like a man possessed, Tara. I can't get enough of you."

He was fierce and wild, at the same time gentle, claiming her with his love.

At last, he let her rest, tucking her in against him, her head on his shoulder. The last thing she remembered was saying, "We forgot to eat the pizza," and hearing his laugh rumbling deep in his chest. Then she slept.

Chapter Thirteen.

"I've been thinking," Cole said the next morning. "I want us to have some time alone away from this house. We never had a honeymoon. I guess it wouldn't have been too appropriate before, but things have changed."

"Yes," she grinned, "they certainly have."

"I'm not talking about some big trip here," he went on. "I just want to hide us away somewhere for a while." He smiled at her. "A client of ours has a weekend cabin up in the hills about an hour from here. Right now, he's taking his family to Bermuda for two weeks so he was glad to give me the keys."

"How long will we be there?"

"Just two or three days. I wish it could be more, but Jake said the Colorado contract's been signed so I need to get back to the office."

"But who will watch Molly?" She tried to think what arrangements she could make. "An agency is out, Nicki has school and I think more than one night would be too much for my folks.

She's getting to be a real handful."

"Already taken care of." He sounded pleased with himself. "She's going out to the ranch.

With Luisa and Emilio there, Lindsey can manage nicely."

Tara's jaw dropped. "You already arranged this?"

His lips turned up with a self-satisfied smile. "Didn't think I could do it, did you?"

"I guess I think you can do anything," she said, still flabbergasted. "Oh, Cole, what a nice thing for you to do."

"Think we can find something to occupy us?" he teased and laughed as heat crept up her cheeks. "You can bring some of your new finery, although I might not give you a chance to wear much of it." He looked at her with uncharacteristic nervousness. "So, is this okay?"

"It's wonderful." She jumped up and threw her arms around him, kissing him. "When do we leave?"

"Today, as soon as we pick the baby up from your folks. We should pack now so we can leave right from there."

Their arrival in Cibolo created a flurry of activity. Emilio, stolid and implacable as ever, carried in all of Molly's paraphernalia, and Luisa took the little girl off to find Jason. Jake gave Cole the key to the cabin and the directions he'd picked up the night before.

Then, at last, they were off.

If Tara had wished for heaven on earth, it would have looked like the cabin in the Hill Country. Although cabin couldn't begin to describe their vacation hideaway. Rising majestically on the crest of a hill, its limestone exterior looked as if it had been quarried out of the very ground on which it sat. Guarded by ancient oaks and sycamores, with crepe myrtles blooming in riotous profusion, it had the appearance of a painting on the cover of a western novel.

Deer roamed over the hundred acres that surrounded the house, along with wild turkey, rabbits and hundreds of birds flying in every direction. The air was redolent with the aroma of mountain cedar and Texas sage. A soft breeze rustled the finery of the oak trees and swayed the giant oleander bushes.

Tara gasped in wonder at her first sight of it, stunned by the magnificence the entire scene displayed. She wanted to capture it in a painting and hold onto it forever.

"Like it?" Cole grinned at her, helping her out of the car.

"You're kidding, right? What's not to like? My G.o.d, it's unbelievable." She drew in a breath, her nostrils filled with the clean scent of outdoors.