Unexpected Hope (Book 2 in the Red Valley series)

Chapter 12

He would never get tired of feeling her body against his. How many nights had he laid in bed alone wondering if he would be sleeping by himself for the rest of his life or would he find someone to love and share his life with? He'd pretty much given up hope of ever finding happiness. Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Hope awoke some time later with her head still on her husband's chest and her hand was laying flat on his stomach. She smiled wickedly as she flexed her fingers and felt his firm muscles jump slightly beneath her touch. She couldn't help herself and after a few more minutes her hand slid slowly down his hard muscled stomach. Finally her fingers found what they were searching for. Slowly she traced the hard length of him. Wrapping her fingers around him her eyes widened.

She had not seen him naked – except for the morning she had seen his chest and back. She'd tried to imagine what he would look like but was unable to because of her innocence. Her courage was bolstered with Levi sleeping soundly so, Hope slowly lifted the covers allowing the weak light of the half-moon to illuminate what she'd tried to imagine.

Hope lifted herself up on her elbow to see the object of her curiosity. It was much larger than she thought it would be. No wonder why it had hurt so much at first. Again she ran her hand down the length of him. Wrapping her fingers around him, she marveled at the velvety soft skin on the outside while overall being hard. Was it like this all the time? It had to be cumbersome or even painful.

"Has your curiosity been satisfied yet, Love?" A deep husky voice asked.

Hope jumped squeezing her hand hard enough to cause Levi to grimace. "Oh no. I - I'm so sorry! I – I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me." Embarrassment roared through her body as she laid back down and rolled over hiding her face and putting her back to her husband. Levi gently took her shoulder easing her to her back then rolled over her and propped himself up on his elbows.

"It's ok, Hope. I was definitely enjoying everything you were doing." He whispered as he nuzzled her neck.

"Is – is it always like that?"

"Since I met you, yes." Hope's eyes widened in surprise. "No, it's not always hard like that. It only gets this way when I want to make love to you."

"Oh." Hope looked at him then drew her brows together in a question. "But it was like that when you were asleep."

"Ahh, but I wasn't asleep." He replied kissing her lips again.

"You weren't asleep?" As Levi shook his head Hope tried to cover her face again.

"Look at me."

"No." Hope whispered shaking her head.

"Hope. Please Love, look at me. Finally she removed her hands and looked into his slate blue eyes. There was no mocking laughter only love and tenderness. "You don't ever have to be embarrassed when you are with me. I want you to touch me and to look at me just like I want to touch and look at you."

Hope wound her arms around her husband's neck. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For placing an ad for a wife; marrying me; giving me Ellie; making me truly your wife and most of all for loving me."

He could only look at her in shock. "Oh, Hope, I'm the one who should be thanking you. You've changed our lives so much, given us so much and brought true happiness to us. I never thought I would find love, not after being forced to marry Alicia. It was a very lonely life; the only bright spot was Ellie."