Page 35 (2/2)

He felt her body respond Pregnancy had changed Elena a little She was more conscious of herself, more aware of her body, and yet, she felt more feminine; more powerful, as if somehow the child inside her had reth

Both Neal and Elena heard a strange, unfaround, but neither one looked up to check They were too deeply absorbed in each other Neal lay down flat, pulling Elena on top of hientle at first, but when his desire overpowered reason, he hands becarasped at her His body hardened with need and her body yearned for hiainst her His hands moved beneath her clothes, pul

ling them away from her, and he pushed his off hi her breasts to his warasped as he thrust himself into her passionately, and she clutched at his chest

“I’m sorry,” Neal said breathlessly, “does this hurt?”

“No…” Elena replied, closing her eyes “Don’t worry It feels so good” She sighed as heto him Their momentum built and all the desire that they had held back fro them both with ecstasy and pleasure until they trembled in each other's arms with release

This ti love was not a necessity born out of the desire to becooal but their own desire; their own need for one another They were together because they chose to be There was no driving force except for their own passion

Afterwards, they lay together on the couch Neal placed a kiss on Elena’s forehead, wondering if he should say so Elena beat him to it

“What are we doing, Neal?” she said “Apart fro harder for ourselves”

“Why should it have to be hard, though?” Neal asked, clutching desperately at some way he could save his company and still have Elena “I want to be with you” He whispered the truth to her finally

Her heart clenched and Elena had to ad Neal say those words to her, but now that she was hearing them, all she could think about was hoould never work out There were too many lies, too many deceptions for them to ever have a true relationship

They would have a child together that they could never claim They would have to perpetuate those lies to their child Elena knew that co to keep the happiness they had found with each other, would only end up destroying it in the end

“I…” Elena paused briefly, steeling herself for what she had to say “What we have is not real, Neal It can never be real as long your brother remains the father of my baby”

Neal knew she was right, but he tried to talk over her

“No,” Elena said firmly, “listen to me We have to be practical about this As far as the world is concerned, I anant with his child Even if anted to be together now, it would have to be in secret, until a suitable amount of time has passed”

Elena looked down, it was too hard to look at those hazel eyes that atching her pleadingly