Nice Couples Do by Joan Elizabeth Lloyd Page B

the heroine’s objections. “I’m going to make love to you, since this is our wedding night.” That was the first line in the scene and Gary tried to say it as the hero would have.
    He swallowed hard and held his breath. What would Peggy do? After a moment’s hesitation, Peggy pulled her knees up slightly and backed away toward her side of the bed. “But it’s early yet. Maybe you’d prefer a glass of wine. I could get one for you.” Gary’s heart pounded. Peggy had just repeated the heroine’s line.
    “I promise I won’t hurt you,” Gary continued. He slid out of his side of the bed and took off the top of his pajamas. He stood for a moment, wearing only the pajama pants.
    As Peggy looked at him, she saw the same nice guy she had been sleeping next to for twenty years. He was a bit paunchy and his hairline had receded so far that he was soon going to have to admit that he was bald. She noticed also that he had broad shoulders, long arms, and beautiful hands.
    In another part of her mind, however, he was Bret, the hero of the novel. He was about to ravish the teenage girl he had just forced to marry him. Peggy worried that, as much as she wanted to become Leona, the heroine, she couldn’t become a sweet, beautiful, sexually ignorant girl. Gary would laugh.
    As she looked at his face, though, she saw the languid look that she had always read about, the look that made his eyes say, I want to seduce you.
    “I’m afraid,” she said, as she thought Leona would have.
    Gary climbed back onto the bed. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “You will want it as much as I do. Just relax and let me love you.”
    Gary touched Peggy’s face with the tips of his fingers. As his wife gazed at him, he stroked her chin and cheeks. He softly touched her eyelids and she closed her eyes.
    “You really are beautiful,” he said. There was such sincerity in his voice that Peggy didn’t know whether it was Bret talking to Leona or Gary talking to his wife. She didn’t want to know. She just wanted to enjoy.
    She felt Gary place tiny kisses on her temple and then his lips wandered over her face. The moment was wonderful, but Peggy felt a hunger to have Gary’s lips on her mouth. She reached for the back of his head to press his mouth against hers.
    “Leona,” he said, “you’re very forward.” He was gently reminding her that, in the scene, Leona had been totally passive, frightened of lovemaking until Bret was actually inside of her. Peggy dropped her hand.
    Gary continued to kiss her face. He enjoyed denying her the kiss she obviously wanted. He kissed her ear and ran the tip of his tongue around the outside. As he heard Peggy purr, he moved to her neck. He placed a line of light kisses down the side of her neck to where her neck met her shoulder. As he nibbled at that tender spot, he felt her reach her body toward him.
    Gently, he reached for the back of her hair and pulled her away. He saw the pleasure on her face as he bent to touch his lips to hers. To his delight, she didn’t open her mouth immediately but kept her lips together as the girl in the story had. He kissed her closed mouth and then ran the tip of his tongue over her lips. Gradually, her lips parted just enough for him to slip his tongue inside.
    It was heavenly. Somehow it was like Bret kissing Leona. Gary enjoyed Peggy’s kiss as he hadn’t in many years. They kissed for a long time, exploring each other’s mouths for the “first time.”
    Gary’s hands kneaded Peggy’s lower back. He cupped her buttocks and pressed her belly against his erection so she could feel the heat of his excitement.
    They separated just enough for him to slide his hand onto her breasts. She stiffened as Leona would have, but he said, “It’s all right, darling, just relax.” Through her nightgown, he kneaded her flesh and rubbed his palm across her swollen nipple. She was trying to react like an innocent, but her body responded like a woman.
    After minutes of just