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She pulled to a stop and lifted her face. Walter DeVane's face was hard and his eyes unreadable. But she smiled anyway and threw her arms around him.
"Thank you," she whispered in his ear.
Even though she knew he was disgruntled with Malloy and would cheerfully send the deputy to the electric chair right about then, he had still stood up for Raith, because of her.
Her father softened and pulled away. Kissing her cheek, he said, "This is the best birthday present a father can get. Nothing is as precious to me as seeing you and your mother and brother as happy as you are right now."
Tears glittered in her eyes even as her mouth tipped in a smile. A hand touched her arm and familiar fingers wrapped supportively around her elbow. "Willow?" Raith asked. She lifted her gaze. He frowned slightly and
reached out to touch the moisture on her cheek.
Before he could ask if she was okay, her father held out his hand. "Raith. I hear congratulations are in order."
Willow could almost feel the confusion oozing off him. An hour ago, her father had openly declared his hatred for Malloy, and now he wanted to shake his hand and congratulate him. Someday, Willow would explain nothing was as important to Walter DeVane as his family.
"I may be a little biased, but I don't think you could've picked a finer woman."
"Thank you, Your Honor," Raith said solemnly and took the judge's hand.
"You can call me Walt, you know," the judge answered. Glancing at Willow, he added, "Or Dad."
Winking at her father, Willow hooked her arm through Raith's. "Ready to go?"
He met her gaze. "Whenever you are."
"I'm ready," she said and waved to her family as she hustled Malloy toward the first available exit. They made it back to his place in record time. Raith barely had the front door closed and locked before she was grabbing the lapels of his tuxedo jacket.
"Here," she offered in a husky voice. "Let me help you get this tight thing off." Wrapping her hands around his shoulders, she slipped the jacket off, running her palms down his sleek, muscled back as she did so.
"Thanks," he replied huskily, dipping his head toward her neck, but not actually touching his lips to her skin.
The close contact caused her to shudder. "Need help with anything else?" she asked, smoothing her hands around his sides to rub them up his ribcage and around to the front, covering his hard pecs with all ten fingers.
His hot blue eyes slid to hers. "I'll take all th
e help I can get."
~ * ~
"I'm nervous."
Willow glanced over her shoulder where a naked Raith spooned up behind her on his queen-sized mattress. His hands had been stroking her shoulder and arm, so she knew he was awake. But she figured he was too exhausted to talk.
"About what?" she mumbled, her brow furrowing as she rolled onto her other side to face him fully.
He sighed. "Having a baby. Trying the whole marriage thing again. Just… everything. It's a hell of a lot more than I was doing last month." He scooted up so they were eye-level.
"Well, so far, I gotta say, you're doing a damn fine job," she said as she stretched out her nude body, purring like a contented cat.
He grinned, skimmed a finger down a bare breast and whispered, "Will you do me a favor?"
"Anything."
Raith touched her face. "Tell me if I start to slide, will you? Don't let me ruin this thing we've got going, because it's the best damn thing that's ever happened to me."
Willow smiled, pleasure glittering in her eyes. "Do you really expect me to keep my mouth shut if you do something to tick me off?"
Raith chuckled. "Good point." He nuzzled his face against her neck.
