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  Lost in the mindless beauty of the pleasure beginning to throb through her, Jenny felt him tear his mouth from hers. They were both breathing heavily. As his lips settled against the ripe peak of her nipple, Jenny quivered and cried out with pleasure, arching beneath him as he suckled her. Her hands opened and closed in a frenzy as a delicious river of sunlight radiated from her breasts throughout her moving, twisting form.

  Helpless beneath his onslaught, Jenny could no longer think. All she could do as he eased one knee between her thighs was to feel herself spiral into a fiery cauldron of desire for him on the most primal, animal level. Sliding her hands over Matt’s slick, taut shoulders as he moved across her, she opened her eyes and drowned in his burning gaze. Just as she lifted her hips to meet and meld with him, his entire body momentarily froze.

  A low moan of absolute joy slid up her throat as he eased slowly into her tight, slick confines. She felt his arms holding her, cradling her as if she were the most priceless, fragile and beloved being in the universe. There was concern on his perspiring face, and silent questioning in his eyes. Was he hurting her? Was he moving too quickly? Her answer was instantaneous as she arched her hips and drew him deeply, very deeply, within her. Matt hissed, the breath coming between his clenched teeth. Raising his head, he closed his eyes, a grimace making a tortured line of his mouth.

  Jenny moaned again as he leaned down and took her lips hotly and commandingly. She felt him thrust into her, a man claiming his woman. There were no words for the sensation, for the powerful movement of his male body against her softer, more giving one. With each rhythmic movement, she felt fire building to a white-hot blaze within her wildly throbbing body. Curling her smaller legs around his massive ones, she clung to him, her face pressed against his sweaty neck. She clung to him with all her womanly strength and felt the cradle of his arms holding and rocking her in an ever-deepening rhythm.

  A powerful sensation, like a galactic sun exploding within her, surged and then swept through her, a tidal wave of heat and pleasure. Arching like a bow against him, she released a startled cry of raw gratification. No longer was she the meek, mild Jenny Wright. No, beneath the tutelage, the guidance and supporting love of Matt, she became a woman of wild, primal desire.

  Moments spun into a vortex of sun-gold colors, a rainbow of stars shimmering through her sleek, hot body as she climaxed a second and third time in the space of minutes. Matt knew how to please her, how to engage her body and her heart in a way no other man had ever done before. Jenny felt like a violin, her moans of desire and satiation keening out of her throat and whispering from her lips. He played her like a master, her taut body the instrument under his experienced direction.

  Jenny felt Matt stiffen. His low animal growl—one of possession, of loving her and making her his in every way—permeated through her. She felt his arms tighten like bands around her, pushing a rush of air out of her lungs. Clinging to him, Jenny realized his life, his love were flowing deep within her welcoming body. Sliding her arms across his torso and arching back, she smiled softly and prolonged his release by moving sinuously against him over and over again.

  Finally, he uttered her name and collapsed against her, his head next to hers. Their breathing was labored and chaotic. Jenny kissed his sandpapery jaw-line, and then his parted lips, and clung to Matt’s mouth as he tenderly ravished her in return. His hands moved lovingly across her shoulder, cupping her small breast and then sliding down the line of her hip to her thigh.

  “You are so giving,” he rasped. Beads of sweat matted his dark hair against his forehead. He felt Jenny’s hand move across his cheek to his brow and smooth his hair to one side.

  “You are,” she said. Then she laughed throatily and met his opening eyes, which were silver with satiation and joy. “I’ve never felt like I do now, darling. It’s you,” Jenny whispered, her voice tremulous. Framing his face with her hands, she held his bold, narrowed stare. “I feel like a very rare, beautiful violin that has just been played by a master—you.”

  Chuckling, Matt eased off her. He didn’t want his weight crushing her small form. “A violin?” Rolling to his side, he brought Jenny up against him, one arm behind her neck. With his other hand, he brought up the sheet to their waists. “You’re a beautiful woman, Jenny. Beautiful to me in every way.”

  Her heart fluttered with unparalleled joy. “Really? I wasn’t too bad? It was good for you, too?”

  Seeing the anxiousness in her eyes, Matt smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. “I feel adored, loved and very, very satisfied, sweet woman.” Instantly, he saw all the worry disappear from her huge, blue eyes, which once again danced with gold flecks. As Matt caressed her mussed hair, he smiled down at her. “You’re my life, Jenny. You’re all I’ll ever want or desire. We might have rough times ahead, but just know that through it all, I love you. And together, we’ll get through them like the good team we were down in Peru.”

  Glowing beneath his praise, his heartfelt, rumbling words, Jenny closed her eyes and relaxed against his damp body. His heart was thundering beneath her ear as she pressed her head to his chest. Never had she felt more desired, more loved, than she did now, as he held her in the aftermath.

  She felt Matt sigh deeply, the sound coming from his very soul and shuddering out of him. He relaxed with her in his arms. As she opened her eyes, she saw the moonlight shimmering in through the delicate lace curtains and creating a pattern throughout the room. Light and dark. Happy and sad. Joy and grief. Life was all of these things. With Matt at her side, she could weather them all.

  “Marry me?”

  The words rumbled from him. Jenny’s eyes widened. She looked up at Matt. He was studying her tenderly in the moonlight. His wonderfully chiseled mouth curved ruefully as he gazed down at her. She couldn’t help but smile in return. Lifting her hand, she moved it against his cheek.

  “Yes…”

  “You won’t be sorry.”

  “I know…and you won’t be, either…”

  “I know…” He reached across her and opened the drawer on the bed stand. Fumbling for and finding the ring box, he retrieved it. Easing Jenny upward so that she could lean against him as he rested against the headboard, he placed the small green velvet box in her hand. “Here, this is for you….”

  Heart pounding momentarily, Jenny gave him a wide-eyed look and then slowly pried the lid open.

  “Oh…Matt!” Jenny looked at the dainty gold ring that had small, rectangular, channel-cut emeralds across it. Even in the moonlight, she could see the stones sparkling as she eased the ring from the box.

  Proudly, he watched her expression as she held it up. Jenny was like a child in that moment, amazement written on her face, her well-kissed, softly swollen lips parted in awe. Turning, she met and held his gaze.

  “Do you like it?” he asked in a husky voice.

  Her face softened. “Like it? I love it, darling.” She held it out to him. “Will you?” And she extended her left hand.

  How easy it was to slide that engagement ring on her small, slender finger. Matt grinned bashfully as he held her hand and looked at her. “What do you think?”

  The corners of her mouth curved upward. She saw the hope, the love, burning in Matt’s stormy gaze. Heart bounding wildly, she whispered unsteadily, “Yes…yes, I’ll marry you, Matt….”

  It took every bit of control he had not to crush her against him. Instead, Matt leaned down and tenderly slid his mouth against hers. As the moonlight bathed them in silent radiance, Matt promised Jenny that he would cherish every moment of life with her from this moment forward—forever.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-4393-8

  WOMAN OF INNOCENCE

  Copyright © 2002 by Lindsay McKenna

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage
or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 300 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 U.S.A.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  ® and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

  Visit Silhouette Books at www.eHarlequin.com

  *Kincaid trilogy

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  **Women of Glory

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  ††Moments of Glory Trilogy

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  ‡Morgan’s Mercenaries

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  ‡Morgan’s Mercenaries

  **Women of Glory

  °Men of Courage

  °Men of Courage

  °Men of Courage

  ‡‡Morgan’s Mercenaries: Love and Danger

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  ‡‡Morgan’s Mercenaries: Love and Danger

  ◊Cowboys of the Southwest

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  ΔMorgan’s Mercenaries: The Hunters

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  §Morgan’s Mercenaries: Maverick Hearts

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  §Morgan’s Mercenaries: Maverick Hearts

  ◊◊Morgan’s Mercenaries: Destiny’s Women

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