“And I’m worse than you,” he said, raking his fingers through his hair. “You can tolerate Webb for a brother-in- law?” Cal said, feeling something loosening and unfolding inside him.
“Yes,” Juliana answered carefully. “But I can’t tolerate you shutting me out of your life. Particularly with any- thing that affects the boys as well as us.”
He walked toward her and her pulse jumped. Cal’s strong arms slipped around her waist and pulled her up against him. “I swear I’ll share things with you. There’s nothing in my life that I wouldn’t want you to know. I needed the money for Webb’s defense because I didn’t want our folks to know about his latest crime. I pay their medical bills. Dad lost everything in the oil bust.”
“Cal, why didn’t you tell me?”
“In the future, I’ll try to, I swear, but be patient with me. That’s not in my nature.”
Her blue eyes darkened as she gazed up at him. “Get it in, Buster, or I’ll do something violent.” Relief made tears sting her eyes.
Joy poured through him as he tightened his arms and yanked her close to lean down and kiss her hard and long.
Juliana’s heart jumped and she flung her arms around his neck to return his kisses, knowing even if he had lapses and forgot to share parts of his life with her, she would work on getting him to open up.
His tongue played over hers and her insides did a somer- sault. Heat pooled in her body and her hips arched against him. She leaned back to look up at him. “I need you so badly.”
“Thank heaven,” he said huskily, his hands going to the button of her cutoffs.
She trembled as her hands slid over his bare chest. “You’re certain we’re alone?”
“Absolutely. This whole bunch wants us to get back to- gether and none of them will do one thing to hinder that result”
She paused to look at him as tears spilled over her cheeks. “I need you so badly,” she repeated.
“I’ll show you how much I need you,” he said, wrap- ping his arms around her and drawing her tightly against his strong chest as he bent his head to kiss her again.
Juliana clung to him, running her hand over his smooth bare back, down over his hard buttocks and then flinging her arms around his neck again. They ripped away clothing with an urgency that built until they both cried out in re- lease.
As they were entwined in each other’s arms in bed, Cal raised his head. “I just thought of something. Don’t move.”
He climbed out of bed and went to his dresser to open a bottom drawer.
Mystified, she raised herself to look at him. “What are you doing?”
“I left this behind.” He returned to bed with a white en- velope in his hand. He was nude, and her gaze ran over him boldly.
“I’m married to a very fine specimen of a man. A gorgeous hunk.”
He grinned and ripped open the envelope. “Move over.” He sat beside her and pulled her into his arms as they re- clined against the fluffy pillows.
“Is that the letter Willard Mason gave you from Elnora? You aren’t supposed to open it until the year is up. Cal, you’re so cavalier—”
“If this contains what I think it does, we might as well open it now.”
He shook out a folded letter. Puzzled, Juliana read aloud: “Dear Juliana and my darling Caleb, If you are opening this at the end of your first year of marriage, then all my hopes and dreams for you have come true. I was so certain you belonged together that I could not resist a little meddling. Take care of Snookums, Green Oaks and each other. My love to you forever. Elnora.”
Cal let the letter flutter to the bed as he turned to kiss Ju- liana and pull her over on top of him. After a few minutes, she raised her head. “How did you know what that letter was about?”
He shrugged his shoulder. “My keen mind,” he said with a twinkle in his dark eyes.
“I love your keen mind almost as much as your spectac- ular body,” she whispered, leaning down to kiss him again. His arms tightened around her as she stretched out over him. She clung to him, her fingers running across his strong shoulders. Joy and desire filled her and she knew this was the man she would love forever. “Thank you, Elnora,” she whispered as Cal rolled them both over.
* * * * *
eISBN 9781459278943
THE BRIDE’s CHOICE
Copyright © 1996 by Sara Orwig
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office. Silhouette Books, 300 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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