Chapter 16

Talented African American actress Dani Matthews is venturing into another role and this time it's one for keeps.

The thirty-year-old star of several TV shows including Dangerous Liaison, Summertime Fling, Gravely Ill, and Paris he was dangerously close to exploding inside her mouth.

Somehow, finding strength, he hauled her up next to him. His eyes were glittering, and his body was shaking. Climbing on top of her, he slid into her, his eyes holding hers. "You undo me." He whispered roughly. "You make my heart yearn and quiver just by being you." He took her lips in a kiss that had her clinging to him.

Her fingers tightened around his shoulders and raced down his back as she surged up to meet his frenzied thrusts. His control exploded as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her fingers dug into his back as the climax raced through her body like a violent tidal wave.

Tearing her mouth from his, she buried her face in his neck, her body trembling.

He felt the incredible tension tightening his loins. With one last powerful thrust, he emptied himself inside her, his body shuddering.

Shifting so that he was not weighing her down, he clasped her in his arms as he fought for control. He was still shuddering, his heart beating inside his chest and drowning out everything else. The intensity of the lovemaking was more than he could bear.

"I love you." She whispered huskily, completely overwhelmed.

"And I adore you." He told her gruffly.

*****

Helicopters were hovering in the sky, but he could do nothing about it and at this point, he did not care. It was his wedding day! It was finally here, the day when the love of his life would become completely his. She had spent the night in their bed, despite dire prostrations from her mother who had arrived two days ago.

A smile touched his lips, and he mentally shook his head as he turned his head to look at the woman in the front on one of the lawn chairs, wearing a completely inappropriate gown of rich blue silk with a scalloped neckline.

Dani had told her that it was a simple ceremony and at so early in the day, a nice and discreetly expensive cotton dress would do the trick.

He had listened to her complain about everything, from the extreme weather to the scent of animal flesh. Not to mention the fact that she had not been included in any of the arrangements.

"We have people to take care of it. Just enjoy the visit." Dani had told her firmly. She had later confessed to him that since she had met him, the hold Deidre Matthews had over him had diminished.

He had not interfered in the arguments, but he had told the woman firmly that he would not have her upsetting his fiancée. "She might be your daughter and I respect that, but she is the woman I am in love with, and I won't have anyone hurting her or causing her any undue distress."

She had sulkily backed off and was behaving herself.

The ranch had come to a grinding halt as every one of his men and their wives had been invited to the ceremony. Afterward, there was going to be a grand celebration near the pool.

Brushing an invisible lint from his smart sports jacket and straightening his shoestring tie, he lifted his head when the music abruptly changed. She had refused to let him see her dress, claiming that it would be bad luck if he did. He had stared at her in surprise. "I had no idea you were superstitious."

"This is the most important day of my life, and I won't have anything or anyone jinxing it."

His first sight of her had him inhaling sharply. She had insisted on a very simple ceremony with no frills. "I don't want a circus." She had told him firmly and he had agreed.

She was walking between his dad and her friend Jason and was the most exquisite creature he had ever seen.

She reminded him of a wood nymph. The dress was leaf green, a thin wispy material with tiny straps and a plunging neckline. The top was fitted to her bodice, molding her generous breasts, and nipped in at the waist by a hammered gold belt.

The skirt was voluminous, swirling around her shapely legs and drifting to the carpet that had been laid for her to walk on. Her thick dark brown hair was brushed back at one side and twisted loosely to rest on her left breast. A garland of flowers was twined around her head. And her smile was dazzling.

Unable to wait any longer for her to join him, Taj took a few steps towards her. Nodding to his dad and her friend, he took her hands in his and drew her against him.

"Wait for the ceremony," Someone shouted, sending laughter rippling through the crowd.

Ignoring that, Taj lifted her hands to his lips. "You are exquisite." "You haven't seen my footwear." She said with an impish smile as she drew back just a little and lifted her dress.

He laughed softly as he stared at the very fancy ankle-length cowboy boots, she had chosen to wear for her wedding.

"I see you are getting into the spirit of things." He murmured.

"Why not? I am marrying a cowboy. Let's get that over and done with, shall we?"

*****

It was too early in the day for a bonfire and the brilliant sunshine was bright enough anyway. Long, trestle tables had been set out on the lush green grass and were straining with foods of every kind for the guests to partake of. A champagne float had also been set up on a separate table and a live band was playing on makeshift dais.

The bride had shed her bridal dress in favor of faded denim and a crisp white cotton shirt. The speeches had been made, ending with a heartfelt one from her new husband, which caused a hushed silence to descend on the crowd.

"When I first met my bride- "He turned his head to smile at her. "She was mounted on one of our horses and very soon after, challenged me to a race." He waited until the laughter had died down. "Of course, I thought she was joking. I have been riding since before I could walk and spend every day in the saddle.

But her fearlessness and temerity struck a chord deep inside me. I was not going to indulge her, but she gave me no choice and cheated by going before we established any sort of ground rules."

"It's not my fault you were slow in starting." She told him, causing another uproar.

"And I graciously allowed her to win."

"We will be having a rematch," Dani told their guests.

"Not if I have any say in the matter." Taj's green eyes sparkled with love and humor as he stared at his bride. "I knew from that day that I would never be the same again." Taking her hand, he drew her up to stand next to him.

"You took my breath away from that day and I can scarcely breathe when you are near. You are the life and light of my life darling and nothing in this world will ever be as important to me as you are."

*****

"You are tired. You should have said something." He gently took off the rest of the clothes and took her over to sit on the bed. Removing his clothing, he sat on the side, a frown touching his brow.

"What can I do?"

Leaning back against the pillows, she smiled at him wanly. She had danced with so many people, she had lost count. The wedding had given his people an excuse to party ferociously and they had done just that. It was going on seven P.M. when he insisted, they make their way to the cottage.

"You can rub my feet."

Scooting down to the end of the bed, he propped them on his lap and started to massage her insteps.

"I think some of your men trampled my poor toes." She complained, wriggling her toes.

"They mostly have two left feet." He told her.

"Not you though. Where did you learn to dance like that?"

"I took dance lessons." He grinned at her startled expression. "Mother was a stickler for doing the proper thing and she did not want me going out there on dates and embarrassing myself."

"Good for her."

"I felt her presence." He murmured as he started on her calves. "Right there when I was exchanging vows with you. Think that's weird?"

"No." She shook her head. "I don't. Could you stop that for a minute?"

"You have had enough?"

"Not nearly. I just need you right here with me." She patted the space next to her.

Taking his large, callused hand in hers, she studied his fingers, her eyes blurring with tears. "I have been asked several times what I am going to be doing. If I will continue with my career or am I going to retire and become a full-fledged rancher's wife."

"And I am not going to stand in the way of your career, you know that." He interjected swiftly.

"That's why I am scaling back."

"Darling, you don't have to "

"Shut up and let me finish." Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. "I never dreamed there could be anything like this. Never dreamed that I would find a man who loved me beyond words.

For years, I thought I was all alone and that my career was what was important to me, now I know better." Drawing their joined hands to her stomach, she pressed down. "I wanted to confirm before I tell you the news. In another seven months give or take, we are going to be three instead of two."

He went still, his eyes meeting hers. "Your breasts felt a little fuller- "he began huskily. "I thought- "he shook his head. "I hoped that it was something like that, but I did not want to – I wanted us to spend some time with each other. I – Is it too soon? Are you happy darling? Am I- we should have taken the necessary precautions- "

"You are not making sense and you are spoiling things for me." She admonished gently. "I am over the moon happy. I have your seed growing inside me and that is something I could never be unhappy about."

His hand opened and settled on her stomach, his emotions going into overdrive. For a few minutes, he could not find the word as he stared at her. She had come into his life and brought him more happiness than he could dream of and now she was carrying his child.

His love for her was brimming over and he could not control himself.

"I adore you." He whispered achingly as he laid her gently back against the pillows. "You are my entire world; do you know that?"

"I am beginning to realize it." Brushing back the strands of his thick hair, she framed his beloved face, the tears streaming down her cheeks. "My darling husband, my soulmate. When people used that term before, I was very derisive and skeptical, but no longer. I know exactly what they mean."

"As do I," he whispered. Unhooking her bra, he cupped her breasts, his thumbs gently going over the sensitive nipples.

*****

"You were the one who insisted on having our son here." He reminded her gently. Sitting on the edge of their bed, he gazed at the wonderful sight of his wife cradling his son in her arms. They had been married for the past seven months now and each day he was surprised at another layer she revealed to him.

She had settled in as a rancher's wife and had flown back and forth to do guest appearances on several movies but had decided that her day as a full-time actress was over.

His father and grandfather had reluctantly left the room only a few minutes ago after Taj told them firmly that both mother and son needed rest.

"Is he finished, my love?"

Easing the teat out of his mouth, Dani handed Tobias to his dad, who carefully placed a blanket over his shoulder and rubbed his back to make him burp.

"Ah, there we go." Kissing the top of the dark brown hair, he went over to put the baby inside his cot. He had been there with her throughout every aspect of the pregnancy and what she had gone through to carry his son into the world had made him love her even more.

Pulling the covers over him, he glanced out the window at the snow-covered grounds, before climbing into bed next to her.

"How is my wife and the mother of my son?" He asked tenderly.

"Feeling as if I had just run a marathon." She responded with a laugh, snuggling against him.

"I cannot find the words to tell you how much I appreciate you." He whispered against her hair.

"You mean the stunning diamond and emerald set was not thanks enough?" She asked him teasingly.

Drawing back, he tilted her chin up, his expression stormy. "Nothing will ever be good enough to express how I feel. I just have to content myself with saying that I love you beyond reason."

Reaching up a hand, she touched his beloved face, her eyes bright with tears. "Then let that be enough, my darling husband."

The end…