EMBRACE YOU Lone(liness Book Two)(8)

"Johanna, we need to make an offer on the other house we found. I'm calling the estate agent and put in a bid. I think, if we have a high wall and gate built, we can make ourselves a little safer," says.

Fortunately, we call on the right day. The estate agent has told us that our bid was accepted and we got the house! We can close on the house in as quick as two weeks! We set up the closing appointment and then we call Marcus' parents. We tell them how Cara tracked me down at the shop today by looking for Marcus' car.

"Mum, dad, our bid was accepted to buy an estate in downtown Saint Albans. Obviously, with this nutcase following us all over the place, we need to increase our protection. I'm going to find a contractor to build a high brick wall all around the property, with an automatic gate. In the meantime, what do we do about my car? Should we go ahead and buy a new one?" Marcus asks.

"Simple," says Marcus' dad, Gerald. "We do a switch. You use one of our cars and we use yours."

"Well, Gerald, that takes the heat off of us. But what about when she spots it and you're driving it?" I ask.

"Again, Jo, that's a simple solution. We paint it a different color - if Marcus doesn't mind. We'll, in effect, make his car disappear. Change the license plate on the boot and, voila! It's gone."

Thank God for clear, un-panicked heads! It's perfect! That week, Marcus and his parents put the car switch into effect. His dad signs the car over to us and we set up the insurance. Dad takes Marcus' car to a car shop and has it painted a completely different color, then he goes to the motor vehicle office and changes the registration, asking for a different license plate.

I feel a bit better now. We're in a "new" car and we're going to move - again. First, Marcus finds a contractor, who agrees to build a wall all round our new property. This won't be just any wall. It will be ten feet high, with a car entrance on the main road and a secondary one connecting to the small alley behind our back yard. The gates will be electronic, with a keypad and a code required for entry. Marcus and I will be the only ones in possession of that code. Marcus pays quite a down payment, asking the contractor to start on the wall and gate straightaway. Now, I feel more secure. With all of this decided and done, we call a moving company and sign a contract to help us move house yet again.

With all the kerfuffle going on, my mum wants to hold a housewarming party. I'm all for that - until Marcus and Tim remind me that I'm a public figure now. News of the housewarming and our new address will be reported in all the rags, so that idea goes down the tubes.

I'm nearly crying when I have to tell mum we can't have a party. She is, too. Instead, she suggests that she and my family will bring housewarming gifts - with no party. I'm not a hateful person, generally. I mean, I have my moments of frustration or anger, but in this one, I can honestly say I think I hate this Cara person. She's ruining what should be one of the happiest moments of our lives, bar Lizzie's birth.

Finally, the movers come and load all our things. Marcus and I separate out everything we need immediately for Lizzie and store that in our "new" car. It takes us the whole day to move house and, thankfully, the moving guys actually put our furniture where we want it. That means that all Marcus and I have to do is empty boxes, put dishes away and hang things on the walls. Our parents and families follow the moving van in and help us get everything put away. They also bring the gifts they had intended to give us during that housewarming party. After everything is put away, we pick up take away meals and that's our "housewarming party." Everyone leaves quietly after Marcus unlocks the back gate.

I do have to admit that I feel much, much safer in our new home. That ten-foot wall with electronic gate goes far toward that feeling. This means that if anyone like Cara or her ilk try to snoop around our property, they'll have a right difficult time of figuring out which house belongs to the Hadleys. And that's exactly as I want it.

Once Marcus, Lizzie and I are safely ensconced in our new home, we feed the baby, change her nappy and tuck her into bed for part of the night. She's still waking for night feedings and will for a while. We sit in the living room, in front of a very comfortable fire and relax. Soon, we're creating a fire of our own.

Marcus has begun playing my body like a musical instrument. His fingers play over my back, shoulders, breasts and in between my legs. I climb onto his lap and begin unbuttoning his pants and shirt. My fingers make very short work of his belt and soon he's bare-chested, giving me a much larger playing field. I begin licking and nuzzling his nipples and he lets out a low roar of desire.

Marcus allows his fingers to go wild. He rips my old sweater off over my head and opens my bra, giving him easy access to my tits. Before he goes for them, he lifts me off his lap and feverishly pulls my pants and thong down my hips and legs. He slips his fingers in between my legs once again and begins playing with my clit and *. Knowing what's about to happen, I pull the old afghan from the back of the couch and tell Marcus to stand for a minute. I drop the afghan over the couch and we lie down on it. I play with Marcus' body and he plays with mine. Soon, we're both coming. I sob as I come repeatedly - the warmth and shimmering sensations echo the love I feel for this man.

Soon we make our way up to the bedroom. Marcus begins sucking and licking at my clit and I come hard all over again. I kiss and lick my way down his body until I am cupping his balls in my hand and sucking on the tip of his penis. I hear my beloved husband grunting as the sensations multiply inside his beautiful body. We play with each other's bodies until we both come explosively once more. Exhausted from my day's efforts, I fall asleep heavily...until I feel Marcus' hands roaming over my body just a few hours later. We make love yet again, this time, with Marcus buried deep inside me. I don't have to worry about becoming pregnant again - my midwife recommended a form of contraception that doesn't affect Lizzie while I'm breast feeding her. I'm thankful for this, because I fully intend to make love to Marcus whenever I can! And I know he intends to do the same with me.