“I don’t ever want you to be done,” Flann said fervently.

Abby leaned back, cupped Flann’s face in both hands. “I never will be. I love you, Flann.”

“I need you Abby.” Flann kissed her. “I love you, if you’ll have me. I swear—”

“You’re already mine, Flann,” Abby whispered and kissed her back.

Flann caught her second wind midway through the kiss. Abby loved her. Abby wanted her. Abby was hers, as she was Abby’s. She slipped an arm behind Abby’s shoulders, the other under her knees, and picked her up.

“Flann! What—”

Laughing, Flann strode four paces to the bed and dumped Abby in the center. Abby shrieked and Flann straddled her hips, already unbuttoning the sexy shirt she was wearing.

Abby raised up so Flann could get it off and her underwear followed. Then the shorts and Abby was naked, spread out before her and so beautiful Flann forgot to breathe.

“You’ll forgive me,” Flann muttered, sliding between Abby’s legs, “if I don’t go slow the first time.”

Abby laughed, wild and reckless. “Who wants slow? Hurry.”

Flann’s mouth came to Abby’s breast at the same time as her hand slid between her legs. The fire that had been burning in Abby’s depths for days roared to life and she arched, pushing against Flann’s fingers. She grabbed her wrist, pushed her deeper. “I want you to make me come. Right now.”

Flann’s teeth closed on Abby’s nipple just hard enough to send a jolt burning through her clitoris. She arched her hips, rode Flann’s hand, and closed her eyes as everything inside her unraveled. She lost count of how many times she crested, lost awareness, lost everything except the sensation of Flann above her, inside her, owning her. At last she lay boneless with Flann stretched out on top of her. She had just enough energy to kiss her neck.

“That is unequivocally the best sex I’ve ever had,” Abby murmured in a voice she didn’t recognize. Throaty and obscenely satisfied.

Flann chuckled against her throat. “Wait till the next time.”

Abby stroked her hair. “Will that be soon?”

“I sincerely hope so.”

“You do realize it’s a package deal?” Abby wasn’t so far gone not to know she couldn’t be so exposed without being sure. For once in her life, she wanted to be selfish. She wanted it all.

Flann marshaled her strength and pushed herself up on her elbow. Her face was loose and relaxed and she looked years younger. And supremely satisfied. Such an arrogant, gorgeous woman. Abby’s heart clenched. Please.

“If you mean Blake, of course I know that. If you’d let me be part of his life, I would be honored.”

“You know you already are part of his life. And mine.” Abby caught her lip between her teeth and waited until her voice was steady. “I’m going to want the whole deal, you know. That means you and only you for me. And same for you. The three of us, together.”

Flann’s brows drew together. “That works for me, for now.”

Abby’s throat closed. “For now?”

Flann kissed her throat, the valley between her breasts, the place where her heart beat. “I know it’s asking a lot of you, but I was thinking we might work on a sister or brother for Blake.”

“I’m almost thirty-five years old.” Abby stroked Flann’s face. “So I suppose we should get started fairly soon.”

Flann grinned. “Let’s find a house and get Blake settled at school. Then you say when.”

“We should probably tell Blake about us first. He’ll be so happy.”

“Then that makes three of us.”

Abby pulled Flann down beside her and curled up with her head on Flann’s shoulder. “I’m afraid he’ll want a farm.”

“Plenty of those around. Maybe we can compromise and get a reasonable-sized spread closer to town.” Flann stroked her arm, her talented surgeon’s fingers tracing light patterns on her skin that set Abby ablaze again. “A barn, some pastureland, but not so big we can’t handle it ourselves.”

Abby nuzzled her neck. “I want to see the river. I love the sound of the water at night.”

“Anything.” Flann tilted her chin and kissed her. “Anything you want.”

Abby smiled. “You’re what I want.”

“Done,” Flann murmured. “And if we stay here much longer I’m going to want you again. Sooner or later we’ll be missed.”

“I know.” Abby sighed. “We should get back.” She laughed. “But I’m showering first.”

“Good idea. I’ll help.”

Abby sat up, pressed her palm to Flann’s belly. Muscles jumped, and her blood heated. “Not the recommended course of action, Dr. Rivers.”

“Do you have a better treatment plan in mind, Dr. Remy?” Flann stretched under Abby’s caresses, indolent and satisfied.

“Mmm, I do.” Abby leaned down, kissed her, and quickly rose before her willpower deserted her. “Much more of that as often as possible.”

Flann grinned. “Sounds like the perfect prescription.”

EPILOGUE

Three Weeks Later

Thunder pulled Flann from a deep sleep. Rain pelted the tin roof of the old schoolhouse, filling the bedroom with a melody as familiar as her own heartbeat. Beyond the window, the faint gray light heralded the dawn. She listened to the sounds of the world awakening—a tree frog’s rumbling croak, the first trill of birdsong, the distant whistle of a freight train chugging along the river. Nature’s symphony washed over her like a soothing caress, but what warmed her most of all was Abby’s slow, steady breathing—her presence still new and already achingly central to Flann’s life. Abby slept on her side with her back to Flann, her hips pressed into the curve of Flann’s body as if they had been sculpted to fit together. Flann slid her hand around Abby’s middle and gently brushed her palm over the curve of her belly. Abby murmured, arched under her touch, and edged closer. Flann rested her cheek in the curve of Abby’s neck, breathing in the pure, clean scent of her hair and skin. The night was warm and they’d gone to sleep naked beneath the sheet. The sensation of Abby’s soft, warm skin against her nipples made her loins tighten.

“Mmm.” Flann kissed her neck.

“Again?” Abby murmured sleepily.

Flann chuckled. “What’s the matter, are you worn out already?”

“Three hundred times in three weeks? Not a chance.”

“That’s good. As I think we’ve got a few thousand more times to go.” Smiling, Flann cupped Abby’s breast and swept her thumb lightly over her nipple, inflamed as always by the quick indrawn breath, the tightening surge of Abby’s hips.

Abby turned onto her back, curved one arm around Flann’s neck, and drew her down for a kiss. “At least, but who’s counting.”

Flann kissed her again slowly, savoring the softness of her mouth, exulting in starting another day beside her. “I love you.”

Abby purred. “I love you too.” Another wave of thunder rolled through and Abby frowned. “Do you think they’re all right out in this?”

“Sure. Part of the fun of these weekend camping trips is getting caught in a rainstorm. They’ll be muddy and wet, but fine.” Flann rubbed her cheek on Abby’s breast and circled a tight nipple with her tongue. “He’ll love it.”

“It’s his first time with kids he doesn’t know. Who don’t know him.”

“Margie’s there, and Bill runs these outdoor work weekends like boot camp—everybody works, everybody contributes, no favorites. Bill will keep an eye on them, and they’ll have the pond cleared and be canoeing by noon.” Flann looked up, smoothed her thumb over the crease in Abby’s forehead. “And I asked Bill to keep an eye on him. He would anyhow, but I just wanted to be sure. It was Blake’s idea to go with the mountain club—we have to be as brave as he is.”

“I love you for loving him,” Abby said quietly, “but I fell in love with you for myself. I need you.”

Flann’s heart swelled. How had she gotten so lucky? “We need to do this every day.”

“Which part?” Abby teased, running her fingertips down Flann’s spine, caressing her ass. “Waking up together, having sex before the sun comes up, or sharing the joys and terror of raising a teen?”

“All of the above. I want to come home to you every night, wake up to you every morning, plan every day of my life with you and Blake.”

Abby’s eyes gleamed as she caressed Flann’s face. “Is that a proposal?”

“Damn right. I don’t just want us to live together. I want us to get married.”

“Married married, like married?” Abby’s voice trembled.

Flann laughed. “Dr. Remy, words seem to fail you this morning.”

“Oh no, I got that word just right. The whole deal, you mean.”

“I’ve never meant it more.” For just a second, Flann panicked. Hadn’t she been clear before that she wanted Abby to be hers, Abby and Blake? Granted, they’d spent just about every spare second since the barn raising in bed or figuring out how to get there, what with the way their schedules sometimes rarely lined up, but she’d thought she’d said everything she was feeling out loud. How could Abby not know? “I love you. I don’t want a life without you and Blake in it. Yes, hell yes, I want the whole deal. You said you wanted—”

“I know what I said. I want exactly the same thing. You are the one I want. Today, tomorrow, every day.” Abby kissed her, a firm, fiery, undeniable kiss of ownership. “The answer is yes, Flann. Always, yes.”

The tension in Flann’s chest eased, and she rested her forehead on Abby’s. “We’ve still got Harper and Presley’s wedding to get through, and—”

Abby laughed. “The wedding planning is not exactly a chore, but it is going to take everyone’s free time for the next little while. And then there’s Blake…”

“We should probably let him get settled in school first,” Flann said, “but I want to house hunt, okay?”

“Absolutely. If the three of us are going to be cohabitating, which it looks as if we are, we need a little more room.”