Borrowed Dreams (Debbie Macomber Classics) (16 page)

Brand’s mouth worked sensuously over hers as Carly moved away just far enough to unfasten his buttons and slide his suit jacket and shirt from him. He helped as much as he could, his warm breath igniting her desire. Once free of the restricting clothing, Brand lifted the camisole over her outstretched arms so that her bare breasts nuzzled his chest. Wave after wave of pleasure lapped against her as her fingers sought his face, marveling at the strength of his features, sharpened now in his excitement.

“Carly.” He ground out her name as he shifted his attention to the creamy curve of her neck and shoulder. Wordlessly he took a step in retreat and, jerking aside his belt, removed the remainder of his clothes. Carly slipped out of her things and walked into his loving embrace. Brand lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.

“I love you, Carly,” he whispered.

“And I love you,” she returned. Her eyes misted with the intensity of her feelings. “I’ll make you a good wife, Brand,” she vowed. “And I’ll be a good mother.”

Tenderly, he laid her on top of the bed and placed a hand on either side of her face, his eyes boring into hers. “I already know that,” he said, and pressed the full weight of his lean body onto hers. Carly’s pulse raced hot and wild, and she knew he was just as aroused as she. His skin was fiery to the touch as she ran her hands down his back and hips. The heat fused them together.

*  *  *

“Carly?” Brand’s voice was filled with wonder and surprise after their lovemaking. “Did I hurt you?”

“No,” she said with a heartfelt sigh. “It was wonderful.”

He smoothed the hair from her face. “It gets better,” he promised each time.

He held her tightly, kissing her cheeks and eyes until his breathing had returned to normal. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a virgin?”

“I didn’t know how,” she whispered, relaxing in the crook of his arm. “It was beautiful. I had no idea it would be this good.”

“You’re not disappointed?”

Carly raised herself up on one elbow and kissed the corner of his mouth. “You’re joking.”

Chuckling, he brought her back into his arms, his hand pressing her head to his chest. “It was wonderful for me, too, Carly.”

“Can we do it again?”

“Again?” he asked. “You shameless hussy, I’ve barely recovered from the first time. Give me five minutes.”

“That long?” Her mouth made a languorous foray over his chest and up past his shoulder until she located his mouth, teasing him with short, biting kisses. She centered her attention on one side of his mouth and worked across to the other.

Brand’s fingers tightened as he rolled with her in his arms so that their positions were reversed. He kissed her deeply, urgently. They made love quickly; the explosive chemistry between them demanded as much.

Carly clung to him afterward, not wanting ever to let him go.

“Satisfied now?” he whispered against her ear.

She shook her head. “I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied.”

“Me, either,” he said, holding her tightly at his side.

The next thing Carly knew, Brand was kissing her awake. “Are you hungry?”

“No, sleepy,” she said with a yawn. “What time is it?”

“Ten. We haven’t eaten dinner yet and I’m starved.”

Carly sat up and pulled the sheet over her bare breasts. She’d hardly eaten all day and recognized the ache in the pit of her stomach as hunger pangs.

Brand slipped out of bed and reached for his pants. “I packed us a picnic basket. Wait here and I’ll get it.”

A couple minutes later, Brand returned, carrying Carly’s suitcase and a basket with a
bottle of champagne and two glasses resting on the top.

Carly slipped her white lace and silk gown over her head while Brand opened the champagne and poured them each a glass.

“To many years of happiness,” Brand said, as he touched his glass to hers.

“To us,” Carly added, and she took a sip of the sparkling liquid. The champagne tickled her throat. Laughing, she held her glass out for more. “What’s there to eat?”

After refilling her glass, Brand opened the basket and brought out a large jar of green olives, a thick bar of chocolate, and some fried chicken.

Carly was so pleased she wanted to cry. “Oh, Brand, you’re marvelous.”

“I know what you like.”

“You do?” she asked him seductively, locking her arms around his neck. “You may have to revise your list.”

He pulled her into his embrace and nuzzled her neck. “Gladly,” he whispered, just before his mouth claimed hers.

*  *  *

The only time they left the bedroom over the next two days was to make a quick run to Carly’s apartment for more food.

Sunday morning Carly phoned Diana and Barney.

Diana answered her cell. “Carly!” she exclaimed. “This is a surprise. How’s everything?”

“Great. But I thought you should know that I took your advice.”

“My advice?”

“Yup. Would you like to talk to my husband?”

“Carly, you did it? You actually married Brand. My goodness, you’re right, he is a fast worker! Why didn’t you let me know? Yes, yes, let me talk to Brand.”

Carly handed the phone to Brand and let him introduce himself to her friend. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she laid her head on his chest and was able to listen in on their conversation.

“No fair giving away all my childhood secrets.” Carly’s voice was playfully indignant when she took back the receiver.

“I wasn’t,” Diana denied, with a telltale laugh. “Well, not
everything
.”

“I like being married,” Carly admitted, with a catch in her voice. “Why didn’t you tell me how great it is?”

“That’s the problem,” Diana said quickly. “You’ve got to be married to the right man.”

Carly couldn’t imagine sharing her life with anyone but Brand. “I’ve found him.”

“So have I,” Diana murmured. “Be happy, Carly.”

Diana sounded as though she was close to tears. “I will. You, too.”

When she replaced the receiver, Brand took her in his arms. “Shall we name our first daughter Diana?”

“Diana?” Carly feigned shock, and teased him lovingly. “I was thinking more along the lines of Brandy—after her father.”

Groaning, Brand shook his head. “I think I’ll pray for sons.”

“Brand.” She took his hand and batted her long lashes. “You want to try it in the shower here?”

“Are you crazy? You nearly drowned me the last time.”

“Yes, but it was fun, wasn’t it?”

“Carly.” Brand brushed the hair from his forehead and sighed, attempting to hide a smile. “I’m too old for those kinds of tricks. I prefer a nice, soft mattress.”

“But I’m sure we must have done something wrong. Everyone makes love in the shower. At least they always do in the books I read.”

Brand rolled his eyes mockingly. “All right, if you insist.” He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her until she was breathless and clinging. “This is my punishment for marrying a younger woman,” he complained.

“No …” She giggled. “This is your punishment for marrying a virgin.”

*  *  *

Monday arrived all too quickly. Brand dropped her off at the apartment so she could drive her car to work.

“Do you want to meet back here this evening or at the house?”

Brand appeared to mull the question over. “The house. I’ll pick up something for dinner
and we can start painting after we eat.”

Carly dreaded the job. Every room in the house needed a fresh coat. She wanted to do Shawn’s and Sara’s bedrooms herself. It seemed like a little thing, but it would help her to assimilate the fact that she was going to be a mother to those two. Having come into a similar situation, Carly was determined to make them feel loved and welcome from the beginning.

Brand met her at the house with hamburgers and two thick vanilla malts.

They sat at their hastily purchased kitchen table and Carly handed her malt back to Brand.

“I thought you liked vanilla.”

“I do, but I’m watching my weight.”

He arched one brow questioningly. “You’re almost too thin as it is.”

“That’s because you nearly starved me to death this weekend,” she tossed back.

He stood and came around to her side of the table. “Is that a fact?” he asked, as he took her in his arms.

Her hands slid over his chest as their eyes met and held. The look in his eyes trapped the oxygen in her lungs.

“Ever read anything in those novels you mentioned about making love on the top of a table?” he asked her in a low, husky tone, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Mr. St. Clair, you shock me.”

Brand straightened and began undoing the buttons of his shirt.

Surprised, Carly watched him with her mouth hanging open. “I thought you were teasing.”

“Nope.” He unbuckled his belt.

“What about dinner?”

“It can wait.” He reached over and unfastened the buttons of her blouse.

Holding her breath, Carly reached around and unzipped her skirt. “I thought you wanted to paint.”

“What I want should be evident.”

The skirt fell to the floor, leaving her standing in her teddy and stockings.

Brand was devouring her with his eyes. She undid his pants and dropped them to the floor.

Slowly, his hands shaking slightly, Brand removed the remainder of her clothes until they were both naked. Then he scooped her up and carried her down the hall.

Their lovemaking was urgent, explosive, and they clung to each other afterward.

“I thought you wanted to do it on top of the table.”

“The bedroom wasn’t that far away.”

She smiled and kissed the side of his neck. “Almost too far, as I recall.”

“I don’t think you fully understand yet what you do to me,” he whispered.

Carly rolled onto her stomach and hooked one bare leg over his. “If we keep this up we won’t be finished painting the house till Christmas.”

Brand wrapped his arms around her and breathed in deeply. “The thought of hiring painters is growing more appealing by the minute.”

The clock radio clicked and immediately soft music floated into the sunlit bedroom.

“Morning.” Brand pulled Carly close to his side and leisurely kissed her temple.

“Already?” she groaned. Her eyes refused to open as she snuggled deeper within Brand’s embrace. He was warm and gentle, and she felt too comfortable to move.

“Do you want me to make coffee this morning?”

Dark brown eyes flew open and she struggled to a sitting position. “No, I’ll do it.” Pausing at the side of the bed, Carly raised her hands high above her head, stretched, and yawned.

“Aren’t you ever going to let me get up first?” Brand teased with loving eyes.

“Nope.” She leaned over and lightly brushed her mouth over his.

Brand’s arms snaked around her waist, and he deepened the contact with hungry demand. “What time is it?” he growled in her ear.

“Late,” she teased, and kissed him back spiritedly. “Much too late for what you have in mind.” Giggling, she escaped from his embrace and grabbed her light cotton housecoat from the end of the bed before heading for the kitchen. Mornings were her favorite part of the day. Waking up with Brand was the culmination of every dream she’d ever hoped would come to pass.

When the coffee had finished perking, she carried a cup in to Brand. He generally left for work an hour earlier than she needed to be at Alaska Freight, but they woke together and Carly dutifully cooked his breakfast and got him out the door. Then she turned her efforts to preparing for her own day.

Brand strolled into the kitchen as she was laying strips of bacon into a hot skillet. The fat sizzled and filled the room with the aroma of cooking meat. Nuzzling the side of her neck, Brand wrapped his arms around her from behind. “You smell good.”

“That’s not me, silly. That’s the bacon.”

His hand slid from her waist to press against her smooth, flat abdomen. “We haven’t talked about this much, but I’d like it if you got pregnant soon.” He was so pensive and serious, a
mood neither of them had had time for during these past few days.

Carly set down her fork and turned in his arms. “There’s no rush, is there? I’d like to adjust to one family before starting another.”

Brand pulled out a kitchen chair and sat down. His hands hugged the coffee mug. “There won’t be two families, Carly, only one.”

Sighing, she came up behind him and slipped her arms around his neck. “That’s not what I meant. Even if I was to get pregnant tomorrow, there’d still be six years between the baby and Sara. It would be almost like raising two families.”

Brand nodded and placed his hand on hers. “I know. It’s just that I’ve been separated from Shawn and Sara for so long that I don’t want to put any more distance between us. I want us all to be one family, no matter how many children you and I may have.”

“We will be a family,” she promised, and returned to the stove. This weekend was the time they’d arranged to fly to Portland so Carly could meet the children and Brand’s mother.

The two eggs were overcooked when she set the plate in front of Brand. He didn’t say anything, but she knew he preferred his eggs sunny-side up. “Sorry about that,” she said.

“Don’t worry, the eggs are fine.”

Carly took a long swallow of her orange juice.

“Are you worried about this weekend?” Brand wanted to know.

She was terrified, but didn’t want Brand to guess. “I’m looking forward to meeting your family … 
our
family,” she corrected.

Brand kissed her tenderly before heading out the door. “Have a good day, honey.”

The endearment rolled easily off his tongue, and again Carly had the feeling it was the same affectionate term he’d used with Sandra. She cringed. The pain was quick and sharp. She bit the inside her cheek as she pulled open a kitchen drawer and brought out a cookbook. For the sixth time in as many days, she read the recipe for chicken and dumplings. The meal was to be a surprise for Brand. This would be her first home-cooked dinner for her husband.

Before very long, cooking would be a part of her everyday life, and the sooner she mastered the skill, the better. Shawn and Sara wouldn’t be satisfied with green olives and chocolate. At least not after the first week.