"This is nice," he murmured, drawing her into his arms, his fingers already busy with the bootlace straps which were all that kept her sheer silk nightgown in place, but at her reluctant protest he bent his lips to her shoulder and allowed her to say huskily: "It was good, wasn"t it? The dinner party, I mean. You enjoyed it?"
Jake lifted his head and grinned down at her. "I know something I enjoy more," he told her mischievously, and her lips parted in knowing antic.i.p.ation. "But yes, it was a very pleasant evening. I told you you"d like Gordon."
"I like his wife, too," said Joanna thoughtfully. "She"s invited me to lunch next week." She coloured becomingly. "To discuss family matters."
Jake"s mouth took on a sensual curve as his gaze lowered to the gentle swell of her stomach. "It"s becoming noticeable, isn"t it?" he murmured wryly. "Do you mind?"
"Do you?" she countered softly, and his eyes gave her her answer.
"I love you," he told her huskily. "I love everything about you.
Most particularly the knowledge of my child growing inside you."
Joanna gave a breathless little laugh. "I like it when you talk like that. You sound so-possessive."
"I am possessive. Haven"t you learned that yet?" he demanded, probing her ear-lobe with his teeth. "Come on, let"s go to bed. I don"t want to be too exhausted to work tomorrow."
Joanna tilted her face up to him. "I told you I could help you,"
she teased. "As soon as you stopped pressuring yourself, you were cured."
"It was more than that," he told her gently. "It was you, your faith in me, in both of us. Without you, I"d never have had the nerve to try."
Joanna smiled. "I liked the smallholding, you know."
"I know you did," Jake nodded. "That"s why I"ve bought the farm. It would have been a shame to leave Matt and Mrs Parrish behind.
Besides, it"s served a dual purpose so far as Matt is concerned. It"s removed him from all the memories of his wife that used to haunt him, and Mrs Parrish says she"s always wanted to move south."
Joanna dimpled. "Well, at least the children won"t be deprived of fields, and animals, and fresh air ..."
"The children?" Jake"s brow quirked mockingly.
"Well, there will be at least two, won"t there?" murmured Joanna defensively. "Anya and ..."
"And our child," agreed Jake tenderly. "Oh, love, how did I ever survive without you?"
"You tried to," she reminded him reprovingly, and he gathered her closer, so close that she could feel the hard pressure of his hips.
"I was a fool," he averred, his hands moulding her to him. "If Anya hadn"t chosen to make her wishes known, I might never have had the chance to -"
"Don"t!" Joanna laid her fingers over his lips. We owe Anya a lot, I know it."
"And she owes you," declared Jake roughly. "You"ve restored her faith in herself and in other people." He nuzzled her cheek.
"Maybe Marcia was more astute than she knew."
"Well, she wasn"t surprised when it happened," Joanna agreed, stroking his hair back from his forehead. "It was Mummy who was appalled when I said I was going to become a farmer"s wife."
Jake frowned. "Didn"t you really mind living at Ravengarth?"
Joanna stared up at him. "You know I didn"t." She paused.
"Why? Are you finding the work too demanding? Would you rather we -"
"No. Oh, no," Jake rea.s.sured her. "My darling, Gordon"s not a philanthropist. He wouldn"t keep me on unless I was some use to him. But I have been playing with the idea of doing some freelance work, of making a drawing office at the farm and spending some of the time there. Does that appeal to you?"
Joanna touched her lips to his. "Wherever you are, I want to be," she said simply. "As long as you"re happy ..."
"Oh, I"m happy," Jake exclaimed, swinging her up in his arms and carrying her to the bed. "So long as we"re together, that"s all that really matters. Which reminds me," he shed his robe and slid on to the bed beside her, "Marcia"s offered to baby-sit. After the baby"s born, I mean. She says she"ll have both Anya and the baby while we go away together, like we did on honeymoon. What say we go back to Barbados? Making love on a moonlit beach is definitely to be recommended."
Joanna gurgled with laughter. "Anywhere," she said, allowing him to untie her straps.
end.