it behind him. Her heart thudded against her ribs. She took one look at him and knew her job was over.
Vitality radiated from him as if he had been energized while he was in Dallas. She didn’t have to ask what the doctor had said. Zach crossed the room to pull her to her feet and kiss her heatedly
In minutes, clothes were tossed aside. The fire was glowing orange embers, giving the only light in the darkened room during early evening.
“Zach, we’re downstairs and not alone in the house.”
“The door is closed. No one will bother us,” he whispered between kisses. “I want you, Emma.” He kissed her before she could argue and she yielded, loving him back with a desperate urgency.
They moved to the rug in front of the fire. Heat warmed her side while Zach’s body was hot against her own. He got a condom from a pocket and returned to kneel between her legs while he put it in place.
Orange sparks and embers highlighted the bulge of muscles and his thick manhood while the planes of his cheeks and flat stomach were shadows. Another memory to lock away in her mind and heart.
A log cracked and fell, sending a shower of sparks spiraling up the chimney. The sudden flash of red and orange dancing sparks illuminated Zach even more for a brief moment. He looked like a statue, power and desire enveloping him. She drew her fingers along his muscled thighs and heard him gasp for breath.
Lowering himself, he wrapped his arms around her to thrust slowly into her, filling her. He was hard, hot, moving with a tantalizing slowness as she arched beneath him.
“Zach,” she whispered, wanting to confess her love, longing to hold him tightly and tell him she loved him with all her heart.
Their rhythm built, increasing need and tension, until release burst, spinning her into ecstasy, taking him with her seconds later.
She lost awareness of everything except Zach in their moment of perfect union. A physical bonding at the height of passion that carried with it an emotional bonding. Clinging to him with her long legs wrapped around him, she did not want to let go as if she could hold the moment and delay time itself. This man, so totally different from her, had become vital to her. Right now she couldn’t face letting him go.
They slowed, calmed while she caught her breath. Her hands were light touches, caressing his shoulders and back while she drifted in paradise.
When he rolled over, taking her with him, he kissed her tenderly. There was still enough glow from embers to reflect on Zach and she touched his cheek lightly. “The doctor said your foot is healed, didn’t he?”
“Yes, he did,” Zach said, smiling. “I can toss this boot and wear my shoes. My own boots have to wait a while, but eventually, I can wear them.”
“So my job ends this week. Christmas is coming and I wanted off anyway.”
“I’ll be gone for Christmas, but I’ll come back afterwards and that’s when I’m taking you out. I’d stay if you’d stay with me for a few weeks, but you’ll want to be home for Christmas.”
“Yes, I will,” she said, hurting, even though she had known this time was approaching.
“I’ll be in touch with you,” he said. Glancing over his shoulder, he shifted away to stand and put another log on the fire. He returned to pull her close against him, warm body against warm body as he wrapped his legs with hers.
He combed her long hair away from her face with his fingers. Tingles followed each stroke and she could feel their hearts beating together.
“This is paradise, Emma.”
How she longed to hear him say words of love. Common sense told her that would not happen, but wishes and dreams came with his strong arms holding her and his light kisses making her feel loved.
All were illusions that would disappear with the morning sun. For now she could pretend, wish, hope, give herself to fantasies that normally she wouldn’t entertain for a minute.
She kissed him lightly in return.
The fire crackled and burned, causing dancing dark shadows and bathing Zach’s body in orange.
“You’re very quiet,” he said.
“I’m savoring the moment.”
“I’m savoring holding you close. Sometime tonight we’ll get in a bed, but not yet.”
Eventually, they gathered their clothing and each went to shower. They put away the dinner Rosie had cooked and made sandwiches to eat in front of the fire and sat and talked until Zach stood and took her hand.
“Let’s go upstairs and I’ll build a fire in my room. I can do stairs now with ease.” He placed his arm across her shoulders as they climbed the stairs, leading her down the hall to his suite of rooms where he took her into his arms to kiss her.
Wednesday, she gave all her time to the letters. Zach’s work had dwindled as Christmas approached, so since Thanksgiving she had devoted her time to trying to get through as many of the letters and memorabilia as she could.
She hoped someone else in the Delaney family wanted the letters because the few she had read to Zach and the ones he had read himself had not changed his feelings about them. He always sent them to the discard pile.
By Friday, the tension from being constantly around him—loving him, but not able to make him truly hers—was greater than ever. Today would change everything. Today she would return to Dallas, to her life before meeting Zach. Even though he had talked about seeing her after Christmas, she didn’t expect to see Zach again.
Early that morning Rosie cooked while Emma ate breakfast. Halfway through breakfast, Emma felt sick and dashed to the bathroom. When she returned, she carried what was left of her breakfast back to the kitchen.
“Rosie, I can’t eat any more. I felt sick and now food doesn’t look good.”
Rosie turned to study her while she dried her hands and took the dishes from Emma. “You were sick yesterday morning.”
Emma looked at Rosie and met a speculative gaze. “My period is late,” Emma said, confessing what had been worrying her each day. “I shouldn’t be sick no matter what, but I am.”
“Bless your heart,” Rosie said, hugging Emma lightly. Emma stood immobile, stunned. Fear had blossomed earlier over a week ago. She had pushed away the nagging worry, telling herself it was her imagination. But it was too many days now for it to be her imagination. Two days in a row, she had been sick during breakfast and then it was gone.
“Rosie, I have two married sisters and a sister-in-law. They all have babies. I’ve seen both my sisters have morning sickness.” Emma felt chilled and trembled. “Rosie, this wasn’t in my plans.”
“You don’t know for certain, do you?”
“No. I’ll get a pregnancy test this weekend when I go to Dallas. I already have a doctor’s appointment for next week.”
Rosie placed her hands on her hips while she faced Emma. “Then don’t start worrying now. The stomach upset might be something you ate and your
