Free The Tenth Cycle: A Thriller (A Rossler Foundation Mystery Book 1) by JC Ryan Page B

only moments before. His hands were gentle, though, as he removed her shoes and fumbled to find the fastener for her dress.
    “Let me help.” Sarah stood and with one movement stripped the dress off over her head. The vision he beheld made Daniel forget to breathe. There could be no mistake, she had to have planned this - that teddy proved it. For a moment that felt like an eternity he was frozen, paralyzed by the emotions flooding his mind and body. With shaking hands, he reached to unwrap the rest of the gift she had for him, barely noticing that she was unbuttoning his shirt as well.

Chapter 10 – The Consequences
    Sarah woke, realizing slowly that the restraints holding her still were Daniel’s arms, and that they were sleeping curled into each other, with her head on his shoulder and her leg thrown over his. Her body tingled as full memory returned. Could their lovemaking have been as good as she remembered? Waves of memory-induced pleasure washed through her, making her wriggle even closer to him. When he spoke, a bubbling laugh forced its way to her throat.
    “Woman, are you trying to kill me? Be still, or you’ll face the consequences.”
    She wriggled in his arms again, hoping the consequences would be what she thought he meant.
    Afterward, Sarah climbed into the shower behind him just as he was washing his hair. With strict admonishment about where it was permissible to touch, they managed to get out of the shower with no more consequences, as she was now calling their lovemaking. Daniel could hardly believe that his whole world had changed overnight. It was brighter, somehow, and Sarah was more carefree. His heart constricted every time she smiled or laughed. He felt like a rooster, wanting to crow his triumph to the world. Instead, he kissed Sarah whenever he caught her within arm’s-length.
    “Sweetheart, I’ve got an idea,” he said, after they’d had coffee and bagels at his favorite coffee shop. “How would you feel about a road trip? My grandparents live less than two hours from here. I think you’d like Grandpa; he’s a retired archaeologist. I’d like to run some of this past him, get his take on it. And Grandma would love you. What do you say?”
    “I guess that would be okay. Where do they live? Would we just go for the day?”
    “They live in New Jersey, and the name of the town always cracked me up. Little Egg Harbor Township. You need a legal-sized envelope if you’re going to mail something, just from the length of that name. Did you bring anything to walk in, or just those crazy red sandals?”
    “I’ve got my hiking boots in the car. I never know when you’re going to drag me out on a muddy trail,” she laughed.
    “Let’s stay overnight then.” Forestalling her first protest, he said, “I promise they won’t think it’s an imposition. I don’t visit often enough, and they’re likely to tie us up to keep us from leaving anyway.”
    Sarah’s family was the same way. Rolling her eyes at his hyperbole, she said, “At least call them and warn them we’re coming.”
    ~~~
    They both avoided the topic of mathematics on the drive, knowing it would be the main topic of conversation with Nicholas, instead exchanging memories of their families and tacitly knitting their lives together. Daniel wasn’t certain how Sarah felt about forever, but he was already committed. It may be too soon to talk of marriage, though.
    Thinking along these lines, he didn’t realize it was coming out of left field when he reached for her hand across the console. 
    “Sarah, last night was…it was incredible. Thank you.”
    “No, thank you , trust me,” she laughed. “I can’t believe I could keep my hands off you as long as I did. Think of all that wasted time.”
    “I don’t know, I guess I thought, I mean, what if it was too soon? I didn’t want to insult you or scare you away.”
    “Daniel, I’m not as easily scared as you might think. What did you think, I’m an orchid or something