Embraced by Faulkner, Carolyn (books for 8th graders .TXT) 📕

and started to get undressed. Meg’s back was to him, so she had no idea what he was doing until she heard the thud of his dress boots hitting the floor. By the time she turned around, he was standing unselfconsciously in just his black briefs.

“Will you put some clothes on?” she asked, sounding like a prude even to herself.

Barrett snorted. “No. You’re my fiancée,” at least for the moment, he thought to himself. “And you’ve seen me in swimming trunks. That’s not much different from underwear, really.”

Meg turned back to the window as he walked up behind her, pulling her back against his long, hard body, and she knew instantly that he was naked. “Barrett!!”

He held her tight in his arms so that she couldn’t maintain any separation of their bodies. “I’m not the exhibitionist type, Meg. I did this for a reason. Clothes are a defense. They’re a barrier. I don’t want to have any barriers against you. I’m completely defenseless and unarmed with you. That’s the way I learned love is supposed to be, from my parents. They truly loved each other every day. They smooched hello and good bye, gave each other mushy cards, walked hand in hand almost everywhere.

They enjoyed each other’s company, even when they fought,” he

- 89 -

BacksideOfLove.com

Carolyn Faulkner

smiled wryly. “Which they did, loudly, but infrequently. My dad was my size, and very much my personality. My mom was a little smaller than you, but she never backed down to Dad if she had something to say. They went toe to toe, nose to nose about things.

But, in the end, they could usually hash out a reasonable compromise, I guess, because their fights never seemed to last long.

“Although Dad was the undisputed head of the house, just as I am, he would never have wanted Mom to stifle herself for him.

He didn’t expect that of his children, either. I believe, as often as not, they decided things together. But I know that when it came down to it, Dad’s word went. I don’t know how my Mom learned to be comfortable with that, or if they were just so much in synch that there weren’t many instances where he had to put his foot down.”

Barrett kissed her neck. “I would be hard pressed to think there was a day that my Mom didn’t feel loved and cherished and protected. I guess that’s old-fashioned, but that’s how I want my wife to feel.” He swallowed. “It’s how I want you to feel with me.”

When he put it that way, she felt like a royal idiot for making a fuss. Instead of answering him, she turned in his arms and struggled out of her t-shirt. She was braless beneath it. He stepped back with a smile and she took off her pants and panties quickly, before sanity had a chance to set in again. Meg cuddled up to his big brawny body, whispering, “No defenses,” just as his mouth closed over hers.

- 90 -

BacksideOfLove.com

Embraced

Chapter X

arrett couldn’t believe that she’d stripped down and pressed her beautiful naked body next to his. But he Bwasn’t going to question his luck. Instead he pulled her up and into his kiss, making her toes lift off the ground. She leaned against all of him, feeling the full extent of his arousal, and shuddered delicately. “If you’re cold, I know how to warm you up,” he teased, bringing the both of them to his big bed. After tucking her carefully under the covers, he doused all of the lights except one soft light on the lamp table near the window, so that the room was bathed in a warm, yellow light. Then he joined her beneath the covers. She was still shivering and couldn’t seem to get warm, so Barrett kept her very close to him, letting his mouth explore her as he had been wanting to since he didn’t know when.

When her teeth began to chatter, he pulled away, looking at her with concern. “Angel, are you all right, Honey?”

Meg blushed becomingly. “I – I think it’s more reaction –

to your proposal, to –“ she looked around them. “ – being naked in bed with a man who makes two of me easily.”

“Ahhh.” He was soooo dense, he almost hit himself in the head. “Understandable.” Barrett gave her some room so as not to crowd her, crooking his elbow to lean his head on his palm.

“Better?”

- 91 -

BacksideOfLove.com

Carolyn Faulkner

She giggled nervously. “I don’t know. This is going to take some getting used to.”

His big rough finger traced down her arm and over one tight tipped breast, and he heard her sharp intake of breath. “Are you feeling a little better about the engagement?”

Could he possibly expect a coherent response when he continued to worry her nipple teasingly? “Y-Yes.”

His mouth captured the little nub to lave it thoroughly.

“You’re not going to be gone in the morning, are you, Baby?”

“Ahh!” At the touch of his lips, Meg arched her back and tried to push him away, but he caught both of her hands and kept them easily in one of his, then transferred his delicate attentions to the other nipple, making her react the same way again.

“Does ‘ahhh’ mean ‘no, Barrett, I won’t be gone in the morning?’” he asked in an overly patient tone.

“N-no, I w-won’t leave,” she was finding it progressively harder to breath as he let his hands wander over her in a very soft, gentle exploration of her tummy and thighs, skimming deliberately over more intimate