She opened the box with fingers that shook a little then gasped. Nestled on blue velvet were a pair of exquisite pearl and diamond teardrop earrings. "Oh, Cole they're gorgeous. How did you know I love pearls?"

"You're mother is a great source of information." He smiled in relief at her reaction, obviously pleased with himself. "She was only too happy to make a suggestion. I see she was right.

They're perfect."

He reached to take them out of the box for her, and their fingers touched for the briefest instant. They stared at each other in the mirror, wrapped in the heat they generated. All Tara could think was, How I wish we were going to have a real wedding night. Mentally shaking herself, she broke the spell.

"This is very thoughtful of you," she breathed. "I'll treasure them."

His eyes never left her while she fastened the earrings in place. "You're a beautiful woman, Tara. Today you're absolutely radiant. I'm proud that you'll be taking my name."

Tara wanted to cry. It was the most personal thing he had said to her since that momentous dinner. "Thank you," was all she could manage.

He took a slim leather portfolio from his pocket, all business again. "Here's your checkbook, with money already in the account. I'll put money in every month for your personal everyday needs and for the child's. Spend it, save it, do whatever you wish with it."

Tara looked at the checkbook and stifled a gasp. "This is so much," she protested. "And I still have a great deal of the cash you gave me."

He went on, as if she hadn't spoken. "There are also two credit cards in your name. You don't need to worry about a spending limit. Use those whenever you can and save your cash for when you need it. Oh and I'm adding your parents to the company health insurance policy.

This..." he indicated what he'd just given her, "should help you take care of any other needs they have that might arise. I think that should take care of everything."

She didn't know what to say. It wasn't as if he were bankrupting himself to do this. No one knew better than she did that he didn't have to pinch pennies. Alamo Construction was booming. Jake was even bidding on out of state projects. Well, Cole had done what he'd said he would and now she would do her part.

"I think I'm ready," she finally managed. "Let me check on Nicki and the baby, and we can leave."

Molly had just awakened and Nicki was in the process of changing her. Tara bent over and planted a soft kiss on the tiny forehead. The baby gurgled at her.

"She's so sweet," Nicki said, deftly taping the diaper in place.

"Yes, she is." And Tara's heart turned over. No matter that the baby's father didn't seem to want her. She would make sure Molly was loved and cherished.

The teenager hefted the baby to her shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry, we'll have a great time, won't we, cutie pie?"

Cole waited by the front door when Tara came downstairs. "I left the car in the driveway.

I didn't think the bride should exit through the garage."

She appreciated how hard he was trying to make the day as pleasant for her as possible. It had to be twice as difficult for him. "I guess we're set then."

Everyone else was waiting for them at Judge Hoffman's office when they arrived. The judge shook hands with Cole and kissed Tara on the cheek when they were introduced.

"I always kiss the bride," he twinkled.

Tara's mother hugged her, as did Lindsey, and her father kissed her forehead.

Even Sean gave her a brotherly peck. "You've got guts, girl," he whispered. "If he gives you a rough time, just give me a call. I'll straighten him out."

"We're always here for you, Tara," Jake said in a quiet voice when it was his turn. "Don't forget that."

She was so grateful for their support she almost wept.

Then they were standing before Judge Hoffman, Lindsey to one side and Sean to the other, and the judge delivered the words that would bind them together. For better or worse.

That covered a lot of territory for them. Sean handed them the rings to exchange, and they became man and wife.

Tara was dazed. There was an awkward moment when it was time for the bride and groom to kiss, but Cole never faltered, touching his lips to hers. For a moment, that spark hovering around them threatened to explode, but they quickly broke apart. Everyone hugged and kissed again, and she felt Cole's firm hand at her elbow.

"We have reservations at the restaurant for six o'clock," he told everyone, "so we should get going. We'll meet you all there." He shook hands again with Judge Hoffman then led Tara from the chambers, his hand still firmly on her elbow.

Unexpectedly, the dinner turned into a festive occasion, and it was well after ten before everyone said their goodnights and headed for home.

At the house, Tara paid Nicki and saw the young girl off to her car. Then she and Cole both headed upstairs. She had checked on Molly and was sitting on her bed in her robe and gown, her hair down and curling softly below her shoulders, when she looked up and saw Cole in the doorway.

"I just wanted to say goodnight." His eyes scanned the room. "I didn't think to ask. Are you comfortable in here? Is this room all right for you? Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Everything worked out very well." When he showed no sign of moving, she asked, "Did you need something else?"

Before she could react, he walked to the bed, pulled her gently to her feet and brought his lips down to hers. They were pressed together from shoulder to knee, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s against the heated wall of his chest, his erection outlined against the softness of her abdomen. Skyrockets went off in her body. Her nipples hardened into sharp points, and she felt wetness flooding her p.u.s.s.y. When Cole moved his tongue against the seam of her lips, she opened for him without protest. Oh so slowly, his tongue slipped into her mouth. She felt the texture of it as he danced through her warm, wet recess, the softness of his lips pressed against hers. The hands holding her were like burning fingers of flame, and his spicy cologne surrounded her. Her senses were on overload.

She couldn't pull herself away, and the kiss seemed to last forever. At last, Cole lifted his head, but his face was still only inches from hers. He cupped her cheeks in his large, gentle hands.

"I've wanted to do that every day since our first dinner. G.o.d, Tara, you taste like heaven."

She stared at him, heat rising in her face and her legs shaking. She didn't know which affected her more-the kiss or the fact that she'd responded. Cole looked as if he was about to say something else, then turned on his heel and strode from the room, leaving Tara more confused than ever.

Shutting himself in his room, Cole fell across the bed still fully clothed, his c.o.c.k still harder than steel, his b.a.l.l.s aching. Two more seconds and he would have yanked Tara's robe and gown from her body and carried her down to the bed. Just the feel of her against him spiked his desire to an almost unmanageable level. What the h.e.l.l had he been thinking?

The answer was simple. He hadn't been. His little head was leading his big head around with a chokehold. It wanted to be inside Tara McKee so badly it was driving him crazy.

What a stupid thing he'd done, but he'd been drawn to Tara like a magnet. She was beautiful, desirable, and not in the cheap way Maggie had been. Tara was a woman who deserved to be possessed with dignity, and he'd attacked her as if he were a h.o.r.n.y teenager. The feel of her body when he'd given into impulse and pulled her into that kiss was still imprinted on him, and he could still taste her mouth. Another minute and he'd have had her out of the robe and gown, naked on the bed, plunging himself into her.

G.o.d, wouldn't that have just taken the cake. But he'd felt her respond to him, heard her breathy little moans as his tongue plundered her mouth. She had to have been as turned on as he was.

So much for his emphasis on celibacy. She must think him either the most arrogant jerk or an insufferable a.s.s. Had he ruined a perfectly good arrangement because he couldn't keep his hands to himself? Was she insulted because he wanted her or hurt because he thrust her away before he lost his head completely? Now what did he do? Could they wake up tomorrow and act as if nothing had changed? But it, had and it would take superhuman effort from both of them to pretend otherwise.

His fingers curled as the memory of the feel of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and the hard buds of her nipples shot through him. He'd been a nanosecond away from sliding his hand beneath her nightgown to feel just how wet her c.u.n.t was. To dip his finger into that delicious liquid... At least, he was sure it was delicious. He was dying for a chance to taste it, to slide his tongue through her swollen pink flesh and probe at the entrance to her p.u.s.s.y. To take her c.l.i.t between his lips and draw on it until she was ready to explode.

Her hand closed around his shaft and she could feel the pulsing of his blood through the thick veins. The feeling was so sensual, like velvet stretched over a rod of steel.

Somehow, her nightgown was gone, tossed to the floor, exposing her flesh to him from head to toe. He lowered himself to the bed beside her, his hands going again to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s even as his mouth sought hers once more. Her hardened nipples pressed against his heated palms, and he bent to take them in his mouth, one then the other. The skin of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s tightened as she felt the hot, moist heat of his mouth, and she bowed her body, giving him greater access.

She lay almost in a stupor as he suckled her, caressed her and nibbled the pebbled tips gently with his teeth. The hard, thick shaft of his c.o.c.k pressed against her thigh, the moisture at the slit dropping onto her skin, and she rubbed herself against him. He groaned, and his hands began a further exploration of her body, drifting down the softness of her stomach, brushing the soft curls covering her mound, until he found her l.a.b.i.a, already damp from stimulation.

Slowly, slowly, he separated the lips, his thumb rasping back and forth against her engorged c.l.i.toris. Gently, he nudged her thighs farther apart, spreading her opening and inserting one of his long, lean fingers. When a second slid in beside it, he began a slow, stroking motion, her body nearly jackknifed. She reached for him, anchoring her hands in the crisp, curling hair on the hard plane of his chest. He felt the heavy thud of his heartbeat...

s.h.i.t!

He was doing it again.

He pushed himself off the bed, stripped of his clothes and went into the bathroom. He turned the shower on to icy cold. It helped but only marginally. Toweling himself off, he crawled into bed, wondering how he was going to face his brand new wife in the morning, knowing he had already violated one of the bargain rules he'd set himself.

Chapter Seven.

Needed to do some things with Sean. Be back in time for dinner. Don't cook. I'll bring home food. Call me on my cell if you need anything. C.

Tara read the note propped up on the kitchen counter. Just before she and Cole had returned home from the dinner, Nicki had given Molly a bottle. Wonder of wonders, the baby actually slept until quarter to seven this morning. Tara walked softly into the kitchen, wondering if Cole was wandering around at that hour, only to find the note he'd left. Apparently, he'd had the same thoughts she had. She sighed. Sat.u.r.day morning, the day after the wedding and her brand new husband had made himself scarce.

In a way, she was glad. She needed the s.p.a.ce to deal with their encounter last night and get her own raging hormones under control. Not to mention the fact that another erotic dream had consumed her last night and was still vivid in her mind. She shivered just remembering images of the hot coupling of their bodies. She couldn't seem to shut them away. Somehow, by the time Cole came home, she had to put distance between them, find a place where they could get past this little b.u.mp in the road, be cool, reserved Tara again and stay that way, without making him uncomfortable that they'd nearly violated their aNo s.e.x' rule.

She looked around the house before going back upstairs to get the baby. The cleaning crew had been back twice, and the windows sparkled and the wood cabinets shone. Everything had a fresh, new garden smell to it. The blinds in all the rooms were open now and sunlight flooded everywhere, casting a golden angel's kiss glow.

She had yet to venture into Cole's room, mindful of his orders. But her room was filled with her personal knick-knacks, and she'd hung some prints on the walls. The nursery was now a zoo of stuffed animals in every conceivable color, the same animals marching across the wall in prints she'd found in the children's store. Instead of the depressing environment, she'd seen that first day, the room was now lively, cheerful and smelled of the strawberry-scented lotion she used on Molly after every bath.

"Okay, sugar," she told the little girl, plucking her from her crib.

Molly sucked on her fist and stared at her with huge blue eyes.

Tara smiled, hugged the child to her heart and kissed her soft cheek.

"Looks as if it's just you and me today, kiddo. How about if after we eat, we get out the stroller and take a look around the neighborhood."

Feeding Molly was accomplished with a minimum of fuss and a lot of giggles. Once she'd washed the chubby little face and hands, she pulled out the stroller and placed Molly in the seat.

Spring in central Texas was always balmy, just on the verge of being sultry. This beautiful late spring morning was a perfect example, warm but not hot. The scent of fresh cut gra.s.s mingled with the perfume of freshly blooming flowers, swirled together on the fingers of a gentle breeze. The air had the heady feel of approaching summer.

"Guaranteed to put us in a good mood, right, sweetheart?" Tara said, fastening the safety straps.

They walked up one street and down another, letting the warmth of the day wash over them, the faint breeze kissing Molly's skin. If Tara hadn't known better, she'd have thought the infant actually smiled. It was just after ten when they got made it back to the house. The phone was ringing, and she rushed to answer it, Molly in her arms.

"Where have you been?"

She almost didn't recognize the harsh voice. "Cole? What's wrong? I just took the baby for a walk."

"Where's your cell phone? Why don't you have it with you?"

She couldn't believe how angry he sounded. "I guess I just forgot to take it. We weren't going very far. It's probably still in my purse."

"Well, take it with you, d.a.m.n it. I thought something had happened to you. I've been calling every half hour."

She looked and saw the answering machine light blinking furiously. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I guess I just didn't think. I've lived by myself for so long I'm still not used to checking in with someone. It won't happen again. Is something wrong?"

"No." She could hear him suck in a deep breath. "Lindsey's trying to get hold of you."

"What did she want?"

"She and Jake want us to come out to the ranch tomorrow for lunch." He paused for a moment. "And bring the child, I suppose."

Or what? Lock her in a closet for the day?

"That sounds terrific. Shall I call her back myself?"

"Yes," he said, his voice still abrupt but not quite so tight. "I'll be home about six. I'll pick up Chinese take-out. And don't go anywhere without that phone."

A loud click told Tara he'd hung up. She stood staring at the receiver in amazement.

Apparently, he was still confronting last night, too.

After lunch, she called Lindsey.

"My G.o.d, Tara, what's wrong with your brand new husband today?" Lindsey asked.

"When I told him I couldn't get hold of you, he went ballistic."

"You've got me. I just took Molly for a little walk."

"Maybe he thought you'd had second thoughts, run off and left him," she laughed. "It would serve him right."

After last night, Tara could believe it. "No such luck. I'm still here."

"Anyway, he may have already told you, but I just wanted to invite you to the ranch tomorrow. Jake wants to barbecue ribs, and he's got enough to feed a regiment of Marines. What do you say, about one o'clock? We'll eat around four."

"That sounds great. Can I bring anything?"

"Just yourselves. See you tomorrow. We'll have fun."

Across town, in his brother's condo, Cole Ca.s.sidy snapped shut his cell phone and shoved it into his pocket, feeling like a fool and an idiot.

Sean scowled at him, having heard one side of the phone conversation. "Well, that went well," he commented. "I thought you were going to bite her head off. That should endear you to her. Don't you think you should go home? You've been pacing and fidgeting all morning."

This morning, climbing out of the bed he'd grown to hate, Cole had felt suffocated even as his body experienced an unfamiliar emptiness. Unnerved by his actions the night before and fighting a new a.s.sault of thoughts and emotions, he'd pounded on Sean's door when the sun was barely in the sky.

Now Sean pretended to read the paper, watching his brother but keeping his mouth shut while Cole alternately paced and threw himself into an easy chair.

"I had to get out of the house."

"You just got married, and you're spending the day with me?" Sean stared, incredulous.

"Are you nuts?"