Lover of My Dreams (37 page)

Sam closed his eyes and breathed in the sweet scent of cinnamon and sugar that surrounded him. When Rachel turned to ease herself from his hold, he pulled her so that her back rested against his chest. He slid his arms about her waist and covered her belly with his large hand. Slipping beneath her shirt, he caressed the warmth of her skin and pictured his child growing within her.

“Rachel, what you do to me,” he whispered against her temple, kissing her lightly.

“What do I do to you?” Rachel asked, confused.

“You make me forget every promise I made to myself to keep everyone out of my life.”

Rachel turned in his arms and searched his face, smiling softly at the expression of caring and desire she could see in his beautiful eyes. “You don’t really want to do that, do you, Sam?” she asked him quietly.

Sam hesitated just briefly before he smiled as he accepted what it was that he truly wanted.

“No, honey. I don’t. Not anymore.”

Roy looked down at his wife and couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her very pregnant form lying beside him. He reached out and gently placed his hand on her swollen abdomen, rubbing it lightly. Reaching around her, he pulled both her and their child toward his body as he settled to lie beside her and hold her body against his.

“Paulette,” he whispered, his eyes filled with love as he looked down at her.

Paulette smiled, her soft brown eyes sparkling with unshed tears as she looked into the gentle and very concerned face of her husband. “I’m okay,” she assured him quietly.

Roy kissed her temple. “I love you, honey,” he whispered against her face.

“I love you, too.” She leaned toward him and kissed his cheek lightly. “I’m fine. Really.”

Roy leaned back to look down at her, never letting go of her. “Paulette, I wouldn’t want to live if something happened to you.” He gently caressed her stomach as he spoke. “You have to stay in bed until the baby is born. My mom will come to stay with us. You know she would love to help.”

Paulette looked up at her husband and smiled gently. “I think that would be a good idea, Roy,” she admitted.

Roy’s face showed the immediate relief he felt, and his body visibly relaxed at her acceptance of his idea. “Thank God,” he whispered.

Paulette smiled and reached up to touch her husband’s cheek. “I do that every day,” she told him honestly. “For you and our baby.”

Roy smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. “My mom is going to spoil you rotten.”

“Sounds good,” Paulette said, laughing. “Good thing we have an extra bedroom for her.”

“I’ll call her in the morning,” Roy told her quietly. “I’ll have her go home on the weekends so she can take it easy. Then it’ll be my turn to take care of you.”

“You take care of me all the time,” she said huskily, making it obvious what she meant.

“You little devil,” Roy whispered, laughing softly before leaning down to kiss his wife deeply.

“Help me take my dress off,” Paulette told him quietly when he leaned back to look down at her.

“Paulette!” Roy choked out, looking down at her in shock at her boldness.

“No,” Paulette told him, laughing softly. “I don’t mean that. I’m just uncomfortable and I want to get into my pajamas.”

Roy smiled and stood beside the bed, carefully reaching down to pull Paulette to her feet and holding her arms with sure hands until she was standing beside him. He reached up and slowly brushed her hair back from her face, leaning in to kiss her lips gently before pulling back to smile down at her. He was filled with emotions as he gazed into the eyes of the woman who so captured his heart. It never ceased to amaze him that she actually felt the same way about him. He truly believed that every person was meant to have one person who was their perfect soul mate who was destined to be theirs, and he counted his blessings to have found his.

He reached up slowly, watching his wife’s face intently as he unhooked the straps of the maternity jumper. He smiled as he heard her breathing quicken when he began to slowly unbutton the tiny buttons of her blouse. His hands were visibly shaking as he tried to gently remove the dress from his woman’s body.

“Don’t tell me you’re nervous about taking off my clothes after all these years,” Paulette teased him as she eased herself forward to allow Roy to pull the jumper over her head and slowly remove the blouse from her body.

Roy placed the clothes on the chair next to Paulette’s dressing table then turned to help take off her slip and nylons. As he helped her remove her bra he reached out to take her pink brushed flannel top and matching gray and pink bottoms from beneath her pillow, and sat before her silently on their bed.

“What?” Paulette asked when he hesitated.

Roy smiled at his wife and reached out to gently caress her full breasts. Leaning forward he kissed her right breast tenderly, searching out her darkened nipple to lick at it lightly, smiling as it rose to a tightened peak. Paulette’s moan made him smile. He pulled away, slowly standing to trail kisses up her neck to finally find her waiting mouth. She kissed him deeply, searching his mouth with her tongue, moaning once again as his danced with hers. When he pulled away from her and looked down at her, both of them were breathing heavily and their eyes were filled with desire.

He pulled her into his arms gently and hugged her tightly then released her and helped her to put on the soft top. “If I keep touching you I won’t be able to control myself,” he told her, his voice rough with need.

Paulette smiled and tried to help Roy dress her as best she could. When she was dressed and safely tucked into the gentle embrace of her husband’s arms as they lay in their bed, she turned to hold him, gently laying her head on his chest.

“You’d better be ready for some serious ravishing when Sam and Rachel leave,” she told him seriously, reaching up to trace his lips with her index finger before leaning up to capture them with her own.

Roy moaned into the kiss, deepening it quickly to one that was filled with passion and promise. “I don’t think it’s safe to make love to you,” he told her worriedly, leaning back slightly to look down at her.

Paulette smiled and slid her hand down the length of her husband’s body, cupping his erection through his jeans and rubbing it firmly. Roy pulled her hand away. She smiled at his groan and pulled her hand free from his to return it to his body.

“Don’t make me stop, Roy,” she whispered, leaning in to kiss him as her caresses grew bolder.

Roy’s sudden movement surprised her as he rolled quickly to cover her body with his, careful not to press against her belly as his hands caressed her and his mouth claimed hers. The kiss was passionate, thorough, and devastatingly erotic. There was no sense of time or place for either of them. They were aware only of each other, their need, and their devotion. When Roy pulled back to look down at his wife there was unmistakable love shining brightly in his gentle, brown eyes.

“Paulette,” Roy whispered.

“Mmm?” she answered contentedly.

“I love you.”

Paulette looked up to see him looking at her with such emotion she knew she would always be thankful for this wonderful man. “I adore you, Roy Monroe,” she whispered before she leaned up to kiss him once more.

Roy kissed her gently, leaning in to respond to his wife’s advances. Sam and Rachel would just have to deal with it if they happened to walk in on them.

* * * *

Sam stood beside Rachel in the kitchen, holding her silently. He felt her pull away and reluctantly let her go. When he saw that she was getting things together for the meal, he watched her silently for a moment then offered his assistance and found himself carrying trays and plates into Roy and Paulette’s bedroom.

He nearly slammed into Rachel’s back when she stopped short just inside the doorway to the bedroom. He looked up and saw that Roy and Paulette were wrapped in each other’s arms and engaged in a kiss that was filled with passion.

Rachel looked back at Sam, unsure what to do. Sam cleared his throat loudly, making Rachel smile. She looked up at him and winked, trying to hold back the laughter that threatened to bubble forth. Sam smiled down at her and wished at that moment that his hands were free so he could take Rachel into his arms and kiss her.

“Come on in,” Roy called to them.

Rachel turned around and walked into the bedroom. She looked at her cousin and Paulette. “We can give you guys some time if you need it,” she offered, standing next to their bed and smiling down at them.

“No, that’s okay,” Paulette said laughing. “I’m hungry anyway.”

“Done in by pot roast!” Roy huffed.

“Have to keep my strength up for later,” Paulette whispered against his neck so that no one else could hear him, smiling when she heard his low growl against the top of her head.

Within minutes, they were enjoying the delicious meal while sitting on Roy and Paulette’s bed. Paulette was already looking much better and everyone was a little more relaxed.

“By the way, Sam, some mail came for you today,” Roy said suddenly, getting up and leaving the bedroom to return quickly with two envelopes in his hand. He handed them to his friend and took his place beside his wife on the bed.

Sam put aside his plate and looked over the envelopes. The first one he folded in half and tucked into the back pocket of his jeans. When he looked at the second envelope his face became hard with anger when he saw the writing. Rachel watched him silently, wondering what was causing him to be so upset without even having read the contents. She looked at Roy but his attention was on his friend.

“If you want, I can send it back,” Roy offered.

“No, that’s okay,” Sam stopped him. He turned the envelope over and ripped open the back flap. Pulling out the contents, he unfolded the single piece of paper and hesitated slightly when he saw the embossed invitation drop out of it and fall onto the bed.

Rachel picked it up and handed it to him. He took it from her and looked down at it to read it. He made a noise of disgust and flung it on the bed toward Roy.

“Get a load of that, Roy,” he said sarcastically.

Roy picked up the invitation and read it quickly. He looked up at his friend in silence. He handed the invitation to Paulette, his eyes never leaving his best friend’s face, and watched him silently as he read the handwritten note that was included in the envelope.

Rachel’s gaze went from Sam, to Roy, to Paulette, and back to Sam. She saw the anger on Sam’s face, but she knew that there had to be more than just that. She could almost feel the pain that was consuming him.

Paulette handed the invitation to Rachel, her eyes sad and worried. Rachel took it from her and read it, wondering what had put all three of them in such a somber mood. Without realizing it, she reached out and held Sam’s hand as she read the note. The long, lean fingers of his warm hand closed around hers and she was glad for his touch, but she saw the coldness and distance in his eyes and was worried by his reaction. The invitation was to a formal dinner honoring his father at the exclusive restaurant
Chez Pierre
in Denver.

Rachel looked up and watched Sam as he took the invitation from her and stuffed it back into the envelope. He handed the written note to Roy and waited for his friend to read it.

Roy read the note quickly and shook his head in disgust at the words written in it. He looked up at Sam and wondered how his friend could be the son of such an unfeeling man. The note from his father was arrogant and cold. In it he demanded that Sam attend the dinner in order to show the members of Denver’s elite society that he supported his father and was grateful for what he had given him.

“So, are you going?” Roy asked him quietly.

“No,” Sam said, leaving no room for discussion.

“I think you should go, Sam,” Paulette spoke up, ignoring the anger in Sam’s eyes when he turned to look at her. “He
is
your father.”

“An accident of genetics,” Sam answered seriously, facing Roy calmly. Roy and Rachel, of all people, would know what Sam’s life had been like. The only warmth and comfort he had ever felt had come from his mother, Jarod, Roy and his family, and Rachel.

“Sam, you have to face him eventually,” Roy told him logically. “You said it yourself that you want the satisfaction of telling him to his face that you won’t be returning to Denver Memorial. Here’s the perfect opportunity. Plus, with all the people there, he’ll be less likely to cause a scene.”

Rachel watched the three of them silently. She could see the pain in Sam’s eyes and wished that there was something that she could do to help. She, above everyone else, knew what his father had done to him to make Sam actually hate him so much. She knew firsthand how Sam’s father had manipulated and controlled Sam’s life. She had been the recipient of the power and cruelty of Edwin McCoy and had lost ten years of Sam’s friendship as a result.

Sam looked down at his hand and smiled when he realized that Rachel had taken hold of it without his even being aware of it. He looked up and saw the unmistakable compassion in her eyes and found his anger beginning to ease.

“Are you going to tell me to go, too?” he asked her calmly.