than physical. I wanted to be able to hold my wife in my arms and stroke her hair. I wanted her to make love with me, then hug me and never let go. I wanted tenderness, not just getting off. I wanted what we have now.”
She turned back to him. Tears filled her eyes. “I didn’t know how to be tender. I didn’t know it was important. No one had ever been that way with me. I thought you would want it fun and different and exciting.”
“That part was really good, but it wasn’t enough.”
A single tear rolled down her cheek. She brushed it away impatiently. “But now when I can give you tender, I can’t give you the other part. I like being in your arms. I like you stroking my hair, and when we hug, I don’t want to let go. But the rest of it is gone forever.” More tears spilled down her cheek. “So you’re destined to be disappointed with me.”
He hadn’t known it was possible to feel this much pain inside and keep on breathing. There weren’t any more words, he realized. He could tell her it didn’t matter but she wouldn’t believe him. So he was going to have to show her it was still possible.
“You’re wrong,” he announced and rose to his feet.
He quickly pulled the salads from the table and pushed the place settings and potatoes to the side. Then he returned to her and picked her up. She shrieked.
“What are you doing?”
“Proving my point. We can talk and talk, but it won’t make any difference. You’ll never believe me. You might have learned tender, but you sure didn’t forget stubborn.”
He set her on the kitchen table. Before she could figure out what he was going to do, he reached under her dress and pulled down her panties. She yelped in protest. He ignored her. Seconds later she was sitting bare butt on the table. He tugged off her panties, then dragged over two chairs. He placed one foot on each chair so she had plenty of support. Only then did he move between her parted thighs.
He was pleased to see that her tears were gone. She looked ready to spit fire.
“Don’t for a moment think you can coerce me into having sex with you now. Let go of me right this instant. You’re nothing but an animal.”
He placed her hands on his shoulders and nestled against her. “Point one,” he said as he brushed his mouth against hers. “You’re determined to believe we can never have wild, spontaneous not-in-bed sex again. This is a demonstration to prove you wrong. Point two, stop protesting. You could have stopped me at any second and you didn’t. If you don’t want to make love right now, simply say so and I’ll stop. Point three-”
She reached around to put her hand on the back of his head and brought him close for her kiss. “Point three,” she said before claiming his mouth with hers, “shut up.”
Del had thought that Josie might resist his graphic proof that they could be as inventive as they’d been before…with a little bit more innovation, but he’d been wrong. She pressed herself against him with an eagerness that had him hard in about thirty seconds. Desire swept him up in a passionate tide from which there was no escape. Apparently Josie was equally affected, for even as her lips clung to his and her tongue invaded his mouth, she reached for the belt of his jeans.
He reached down to help her. They fumbled with the fastenings and freed him. His instinct was to plunge inside of her, but he forced himself to hold back. Instead he reached beneath her dress to test her readiness. After all, just a couple of minutes before she’d been near tears.
He slid his fingers along her thigh and made his way to the center of her being. There he encountered slick, welcoming, damp heat. She moaned when he made contact. As he moved a finger inside of her, he used his thumb to locate her most sensitive spot. He’d barely brushed against her when she shuddered. He felt the rippling response of her release around his finger. The feel was so erotic, he nearly lost it himself right there.
“Del, please,” she moaned against his mouth.
He pulled up her skirt and prepared to thrust inside of her. At the last second he swore and pulled away.
“What?” she called after him as he turned and hurried from the room.
“Protection,” he yelled, heading for the bedroom. Once there, he grabbed one from the open drawer and jogged back to the kitchen.
Josie sat where he’d left her, but there had been a couple of changes. She unbuttoned her dress and shrugged out of it so the fabric pooled at her waist. She’d also taken off her bra. Her breasts were full, her nipples hard. Sexual desire tightened her expression, but there was also a smile tugging at her mouth.
“What’s so funny?” he asked as he ripped open the condom’s packaging.
“Us. We’re in the kitchen, doing it on the table. Neither of us is completely undressed. In fact all you’ve done is unzip your jeans.”
“Yeah, well, we can get fancy next time.” He shoved his jeans down to his thighs and quickly applied the protection. “I thought you liked that we were spontaneous.”
“I do. Very much.”
She started to say something else, but he thrust inside of her, and instead of words, she screamed. He felt her instant release. She clung to him, riding him as he pushed forward, going deeper, making her climax again. Reaching between them, he cupped her breasts and teased her nipples. She whimpered his name. When he looked at her he found her eyes glazed with passion. His tension increased. He flicked his fingers against her nipples, moving faster until she was panting. His own need became overwhelming. He was trying to make it last, but it was a poorly thought-out plan. With Josie he always lost control.
With one last, deep thrust, he filled her and gave way to the sensation of release. His guttural cry joined hers as they clung to each other through the aftermath of paradise.
Later, much later, when they were both dressed and getting ready to sit down to dinner, Josie looked at him.
“Point well taken,” she said with a grin.
“Start with two hours a day,” Dr. Sanders said the following week when Josie saw her for her checkup. “Add about an hour a day, but don’t push it. You’ve recovered very nicely. I don’t want to see you have another setback.”
Josie nodded, feeling both relieved and panicked. She was being cleared to start using her cane again, albeit slowly. But in a matter of a couple of weeks, she would be back on her feet. Then what?
“I know I was really stupid before,” Josie said, smiling at the doctor. “I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll keep up with my physical therapy and do my exercises.”
“Don’t forget rest. That’s important.” The doctor glanced at her chart. “It’s about time for your next surgery. I believe you’re going to have two more. Is that correct?”
Josie nodded. “The good news is by taking it easy these past weeks, I’ve noticed a real lessening of pain. There are days when I hardly have any. According to my surgeon in Los Angeles, that’s only going to get better with the last two surgeries.”
“Will you be returning to L.A. for the surgeries or do you want a recommendation for a local physician? I happen to know someone who is very gifted.”
Josie hesitated. So many of her plans depended on Del. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “If I do decide to stay, I’ll be in touch.”
They shook hands, and Josie wheeled herself from the doctor’s office. Her mind raced. Was she staying here in Beachside Bay? Were she and her husband reconciling or just playing house? She knew the best way to get answers was to ask him, but somehow she never managed to find the right moment and the courage at the same time.
Del had been tied up with a client meeting, so Annie May had brought her to her appointment and was waiting in the reception area. The older woman took one look at her face and frowned.
“She didn’t give you the all-clear, did she? You look disappointed.”
Josie sighed. “No, it was good news. I can start using my cane for a couple of hours a day, building up from there.”
Her friend held open the door leading to the corridor. “I don’t understand. Shouldn’t you look happy?”
“I am, it’s just…” She turned at the end of the hall and headed for the elevator. “Now I have to talk to Del. I mean, the only reason I’m living in his house is that I’m in a wheelchair. Once I’m fine, I have no excuse.”
Shrewd eyes stared at her. “How about telling him the truth? I’m sure he’d like to know that you’re still in love with him.”
Josie wasn’t surprised that Annie May had guessed her secret. “I’ve thought about letting him know, but I’m afraid of what he’s going to say. I’m not sure how he feels about me. We’ve talked a little about the past, but not
