Free Hardwired For Ecstasy by Ravenna Tate Page B

thought she
was carrying my child, I was ready to commit to her long-term for the sake of
the child. What she did hurt me a great deal, and I never want to be lied to
like that again.”
    “I
can understand why something like that would make you wary of trusting anyone.”
    “It’s
not only that. It made me think a great deal about marriage and children in
general. I’m not getting any younger. I want to get married one day and have
children before it’s too late to do either.”
    “Did
you consider getting back together with Alicia?”
    “No.
I knew I’d never trust her after that. I meant what I said about trust being
destroyed in everyone. In fact, you’re the first woman I’ve trusted this much
since she and I broke up.”
    She
hadn’t expected that. “I’m flattered, Atticus. Thank you. Why do you trust me
so much?”
    He
leaned forward and reached across the table to take her hands. His skin was so
warm, and his touch sent tiny shivers up and down her spine. “Because of what
you went through. You gave your complete trust, not to mention your virginity,
to a horrible man. What he did to you was the lowest of lows. And from what you
said about your dating life before that, you were humiliated for years. No one
I’ve ever known came out of experiences like that with the kind of drive and
determination you’ve shown.”
    She
didn’t know what to say. He’d stunned her with his compliments. No man had ever
spoken to her the way Atticus did, or made her feel as worthy as he did.
    “I
know I can trust you because I’ve seen your true character under adverse
circumstances, and under favorable ones. You haven’t lied to me, and your
comment earlier about my snooping into Alicia’s medical records not being
right, no matter what my reasons were, proves to me that you’re a person who
can be trusted to do the right thing, even when it’s hard to do.”
    “Don’t
put me on a pedestal just yet. I have my flaws. We all do.”
    “You’re
right. We do. But I’m trying to explain why I trust you. Emma, it’s so damn
refreshing to feel this way again. I’ve had a tough time of it with everyone
I’ve dated since Alicia.”
    “I’m
sorry.”
    He
shook his head. “No, you don’t need to apologize. Look, I know you were hurt
badly. I know you’re gun shy. I am, too, but I don’t want to be any longer. I
want to keep seeing you. I want to make love to you. I want to help you feel
good about yourself, and I want to show you that not all men are like Leland.
Not all men lie and cheat. Not all men use women for their own gains.”
    He
released her hands, rose, and then walked around to her side of the table and
slid onto the bench next to her. Emma’s pulse raced. She gazed into those dark
eyes, wanting to throw caution to the wind and give this man anything he
wanted. She was so ready to trust someone again, and she was desperate to feel
his body next to hers. She wanted to find out if he kissed as good as she had
imagined.
    Atticus
took her hands once more. “Will you give me that chance, Emma? Will you give us a chance? Will you stay here with me
tonight, and make love to me?”
    Oh God … She swallowed hard, and took the
leap of faith. “Yes. Yes, I will. I want that so badly. I want to make love to
you, Atticus.”
     

Chapter
Nine
     
    Atticus
was afraid for a second that he’d hallucinated her answer, but the look of awe
and lust in her beautiful dark eyes told him he hadn’t. The hell with the rest
of dinner. He wanted her. Now .
    He
cupped her face and kissed her, not minding the taste of steak and lobster,
since he was certain he tasted the same. She made a surprised noise in the back
of her throat, and at first he thought she was going to pull away, but then he
teased her lips with his tongue and she moaned softly while parting them.
    Slowly,
her arms came up and circled his waist, and then she shifted her weight to face
him. He released her face but not her mouth, then pulled her closer