Ellie smiled back. “You were wonderful.”
“You are, love.” He kissed her gently while his eyes remained open in a warm caress. When the kiss deepened, Ellie’s eyes drifted closed. Clay’s lips felt soft and determined and to her surprise, fresh desire washed over her.
Ellie shifted restlessly on the bed.
“Such a lusty little baggage,” Clay teased, nibbling the side of her neck. He was hard again, she realized as he came up over her, careful to keep his weight propped above her. “But then you’ve always been a quick study.”
Ellie gave him an impish grin and welcomed him inside. Clay groaned. Ellie felt no discomfort this time, just a deep hunger that seemed to match Clay’s.
Afterward, they slept, only to awaken several hours later and start all over again. Ellie didn’t remember sleeping, though she knew they must have. But she remembered every moment of their lovemaking.
Exhausted, she snuggled against him, the sheen of their exertion mingling beneath the crisp white cotton sheets. Clay’s breath felt warm against her hair. He smelled male and musky, and they shared the intimate odor of sex.
Her body still tingled, yet Ellie felt strangely complete.Wholewas the only word she could think of to describe it. As if she’d found the lost half of herself. It was the most wonderful sensation she’d ever known.
And the most terrifying.
Because Clay Whitfield couldn’t possibly feel the same.
It doesn’t matter,she told herself, ignoring the painful lump that rose in her throat. She’d known what she was getting into, in the end, had forced him to take her to bed.
But she hadn’t anticipated the emotions making love to Clay would bring.
It had to happen sometime,she told herself.Sooner or later, you would have made love to someone. It just happened to be Clay.
But the hard truth was, she was in love with Clayton Whitfield. Sleeping with him had only made her love him more.
She felt him shift beside her, snuggle her a little closer.
“Tell me about the extenuating circumstances,” he said softly, smoothing a lock of her hair between his fingers. Ellie shifted and turned on her side to look at him. A sliver of weak sunlight peeked through an opening in the heavy silk draperies, signaling the dawn and bathing the room in a dim yellow glow.
“I had a vision disorder. A little over four years ago, I had an operation that corrected my eyesight. I’d been riding horses since I was a child, mostly by feel, tuning into the horse’s movements. It wasn’t until after the surgery that I was able to see well enough to compete.”
“You mean you were blind?” Clay looked incredulous.
“Not exactly. I could see colors and shapes and light. I just couldn’t focus. Sort of like seeing through wavy frosted glass.”
“Good God.” Clay pulled her back into his arms and kissed the top of her head.
“I didn’t date before my surgery,” Ellie said. “I was kind of a loner. People always felt sorry for me, and I hated that, so I just sort of kept to myself.”
“What about your schooling? You’re obviously well-educated.”
“I could see up close. If I held the book just a few inches from my nose, I could read. My parents hired the best tutors money could buy. After the surgery I went on to college. I dated a little then, but most of my time, I was either studying or working with the horses. They were always my passion.”
Clay leaned over and kissed her. “How about now?”
Ellie grinned. “Now I have two passions.”
Clay hoped she was referring to him and not just the lovemaking he’d taught her. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“I didn’t tell anyone because I wanted to be accepted as an equal. I didn’t want to be different. I was always looked at and talked about...pitied. I wanted to make a fresh start.”
Ellie gazed up at him. “Flex and Jake know. Maggie Delaine. Nobody else. I’d like to keep it that way.”
“I’d never do anything to hurt you, Ellie.” But as he said the words, his stomach tightened. The bitter truth was, hurting her was inevitable. He was Clayton Whitfield, dedicated bachelor, womanizer. Bastard. If he had it to do over, he wasn’t sure he’d take her to bed.
Who was he kidding? He’d do it again in a heartbeat. He’d wanted Ellie Fletcher since the first time he’d seen her. And he was the kind of man who took what he wanted.
