♫~♫~♫
KAI NORTHAM. THE woman of his dreams, the love of his life. In the flesh. Certain she was a figment of his imagination, nothing but wishful thinking, Tilly rubbed his eyes. When she didn’t disappear in a puff of frustration and disappointment, he gaped like an untried schoolboy.
Smiling, on the verge of laughing, if Tilly wasn’t mistaken, Kai held his gaze as she crooked a finger at him.
“Join me,” she said. “There’s plenty of room for two.”
“Am I dreaming?” Tilly asked.
“No,” she assured him. “I’m here. You’re here. Together. Finally.”
Nobody’s fool, Tilly tugged off his boots. Naked, warm, welcoming. Perhaps Kai was a dream. If she was, he prayed for a long, long uninterrupted sleep.
“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to see you naked?” she asked as he discarded his jacket and went to work unbuttoning his shirt.
“Ten years?” Tilly tossed away his shirt. “Same amount of time I’ve fantasized about you.”
“Long time.” Kai pulled her legs to her chest. Resting her cheek on her knees, she smiled. “Too long.”
“Won’t hear me argue.”
Wearing nothing but a pair of navy boxer briefs and a bemused expression, Tilly approached the bathtub. If he were asleep, now would be the time for him to awaken—exasperated and hard as a rock.
“What are you waiting for?” Kai inquired. “Plenty of room, and the water’s fine.”
“Waiting for you to disappear,” he said, his tone matter of fact.
“Literally or figuratively?”
“Either.” Tilly sat at on the lip of the tub and shrugged. “Both.”
Taking his hand, a glimmer of understanding in her blue eyes, Kai nodded.
“You aren’t dreaming,” she assured him.
“Ouch.” Tilly started. “Did you just pinch my ass?”
“How else could I prove my point?”
“Let me pinch you.” Tilly considered his suggestion as his gaze wandered over what he could see of Kai’s body. “Better yet. Let me bite you. Here.”
Dipping his head, Tilly brushed a kiss across the sensitive skin just below her ear. His teeth followed, nipping lightly. Kai’s indrawn breath, a gasp of pleasure, brought a grin to his lips. She was real, all right. And soft. And warm. And willing.
Kai placed her hand on his leg, her fingers tightening as Tilly took another taste of her neck. Slowly, her touch moved higher.
“Lose the underwear, soldier,” Kai said in her best superior officer voice. “Then get your fine ass in the tub.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Three seconds later, Tilly stood before her naked and at full attention.
“Very nice,” she said, giving him a crisp salute. “Very nice, indeed.”
Grinning, Tilly climbed into the tub. He ran a foot up Kai’s thigh, repeating the motion on her other side as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs sliding around his waist. They let out twin sighs of relief mingled with happiness the moment her breasts pressed to his chest.
“Waiting for further orders, ma’am,” Tilly whispered, his tongue tracing the curve of Kai’s ear.
“Um.” She shivered and shuddered. “Where to start?”
Filled with endless suggestions, Tilly dipped his hands beneath the water. Cupping her butt, he pulled her closer. Hard met soft, and the combination was explosive. Kai’s head fell to his shoulder, her nails biting into his back.
“Good start,” she said, clearing her throat. She threaded her fingers through his hair. “Now, kiss me, Tilly. Like you’ve wanted to for ten years.”
No amount of imagination, from the most creative mind, could come close to the reality of Tilly’s need for Kai. Touching her mouth, his finger tracing the curve of her lower lip, he held back, tamping down his emotions.
Tilly believed in the power of a first kiss. Good, bad, or horrible, the memory could last a lifetime. The last thing he wanted was to run at Kai like an overeager puppy.
“You’re beautiful,” Tilly said as he lightly brushed her lips with his. “Smart. Sexy. Literally, the woman of my dreams.”
“Not today,” she whispered.
“No. Today is real. You. Me.” Tilly’s lips lingered, just a second longer. “Finally.”
Tilly kissed Kai in stages. Slow and sweet to start. She melted into him, opening her mouth with a sigh. Deeper, his hand sliding around her neck, his fingers caressing her skin as they left the gentle, exploratory phase and plunged headfirst into swirling passion.
Holding Kai tight, Tilly ran his hand up her side, finding her breast, reveling in the way she fit into the palm of his hand as though made just for him. Her nipple was hard and when he scraped the tip with his nail, she arched her back—not pulling away but pressing further into his embrace.
Tilly couldn’t get enough of Kai’s body, so responsive, so welcoming. Needing more, he moved his hand between her legs, finding her hot, slick core.
“Yes,” Kai gasped. “There. Right there.”
And when she dissolved into his arms, Tilly held her like a lover, his touch tender, his mind in awe of her strong, responsive, giving body.
“Holy…” Laughing, Kai pressed her cheek to his. “Didn’t expect to blast off so quickly. You have the magic touch, my friend.”
“Maybe I—” Tilly groaned. “What are you doing?”
“Returning the favor,” Kai said as she ran her hand along the length of him. “With pleasure. Unless you object. No means no.”
“Yes!” Tilly grabbed her wrist, holding her in place—just in case she decided to act on the teasing twinkle in her eyes. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”
“Excuse me?” Kai sent him a mock frown. “Was that a yes?”
“Careful,” Tilly warned. “You play with me; I’ll have to play with you right back.”
“Promise?”
Everything Tilly knew about Kai told him she was a thrill seeker. A danger junkie. She traveled the world, racing from one adventure to another because she wasn’t happy any other way. Naturally, a reminder of the consequences when she played with fire didn’t worry her. Instead of stopping, she jumped into the flames, feet first, a gallon of gasoline in one hand, a live grenade in the other.
Tilly accepted who Kai was, admired her free spirit. And, cursed her very talented hand. If she continued, he wouldn’t last past another stroke—two if he turned his thoughts to less pleasant subjects. However, viper pits and tubs of organ meat only went so far. Her touch was mesmerizing. Intoxicating. If he didn’t act fast, the fun would be over much too soon.
Rising to his feet, Kai locked in his arms, Tilly stepped from the tub.
“Hey,” she protested. “I was just getting started.”
“And I was one second away from finishing,” Tilly said. He didn’t mind sharing the truth.
Kai looked unbelievably pleased with herself.
Tilly set Kai on her feet and reached for a towel. Kneeling, he dried her foot, kissing each toe.
“Fooling around in the bath—great. But have you ever attempted full-on underwater sex?”
“Nope.” Kai smoothed the wet hair from his face and winked. “I wanted you to be my first.”
Chuckling, Tilly moved to her other foot.
“Movies and books get it wrong. For starters, water’s an astringent, not lubricant.”
“Oh.” Kai cringed. “Oh.”
“Exactly. You’re the one who would suffer most. Want to hear about possible tearing and infections?”
“No. Thank you.” Kai placed a finger under Tilly’s chin, raising his gaze to meet hers. “Really. Thank you.”
Lord, she took his breath away. Naked, stunning, completely comfortable with her body, she tucked her long, dark hair into a dry towel. He rose, wiping the water from her smooth, soft skin.
“We need to take care of that.” Kai pointed toward his erection. “The bed seems the logical pl
ace to do the deed.”
“The deed?” Tilly asked as she led him from the bathroom.
“Mm.”
At the edge of the biggest mattress Tilly had ever seen, Kai gave him a push. He fell onto his back, delighted when she fell with him.
“Condom?” she asked, taking a foil packet from the drawer.
“You came prepared.”
As did Tilly. But he anticipated going in search of a bed partner, not finding her waiting with a ready supply of protection. Damn, life was good.
Before Kai could come up with a clever remark, Tilly rolled on the condom and positioned her exactly where he wanted. Legs straddling his hips. Hands resting on his chest. He tugged the towel from her head. His body tensed, then relaxed as her hair tumbled across her shoulders, the damp ends brushing across his face.
“Like wet silk,” he said. “Dipped in strawberries.”
Sitting up, Tilly wrapped his arms around Kai, burying his face in the crook of her neck as she joined their bodies in one smooth, agonizingly slow motion. Still, as her body adjusted to the feel of him, as he reveled in everything about her, she rose, then fell. In unison, they sighed with relief.
No missions to complete. planes to catch. No phones to answer. No interruptions. Just the two of them. Together. At last.
Shifting, placing one hand on Kai’s hip, the other in the small of her back, Tilly raised his hips, covered her mouth with his and groaned. Velvet heat surrounded him, making his every move feel like a new and glorious version of heaven. As she deepened the kiss, tightened her inner muscles, he knew he couldn’t take much more.
“Are you with me,” he asked, not sure what he would do if the answer wasn’t yes.
“All the way,” Kai said, a rush of air pushing the words from her throat. “Now. Now.”
The world spun out of control, lights flashing, a roar like the ocean in his ears. But when Kai called out his name, he heard her joy, her pleasure, with perfect clarity. And as they floated back to earth, they collapsed onto the bed. Tired yet energized, sated yet hungry. Knowing their coming together wasn’t the end but just the beginning.
At least, Tilly thought, the beginning of the next ten days. He didn’t know what would happen after, when they had to say goodbye again. He didn’t want the answer.
For now, Tilly was content to hold Kai, touch her, feel her body curled next to his. Forget tomorrow. For now, all that mattered was today.
CHAPTER SEVEN
♫~♫~♫
AFTER SO LONG, all the times she began to think they—this—would never happen, Kai was happy to simply lie in Tilly’s arms and be. Then, as she recovered and her mind no longer felt like a wonderful swirl of after sex mush, she started to explore his wonderfully toned and muscled body.
Resting her head on his chest, Kai ran her finger over the tattoo on Tilly’s right bicep. Fascinated, she studied the intricate design. A piece of art, really.
“A mustang in full gallop. Any significance?”
“Wild horses are a dying breed,” Tilly said. “But they still exist, free, refusing to be tamed.”
“Like you?”
Kai held her breath as she waited for Tilly to answer.
“When I was twenty-one and thought I was invincible.” Tilly chuckled, absently caressing the curve of her back. “I’m older, and hopefully, wiser. No one is completely free. I like my job, my friends, my home. They tether me to one place. And I’m more than okay with that.”
Kai was surprised when she had heard Tilly had settled down in one place. His vagabond lifestyle was one of the things they had common. When she was little, her parents moved around a lot. Always searching for their inner joy—their words, not hers—by the time they finally settled in Oregon, Kai was an adult, on her own, and restless when she had to stay in one place for too long.
“How about you?” Tilly asked, the expression in his eyes hard to read. “Ever think about slowing down, finding a permanent home?”
Kai rented a place in a small town just outside New York City, but she wouldn’t call the one-bedroom furnished apartment home. More of a storage locker for her things and a place to crash when she had some rare downtime. But recently, she’d felt a shift in her thinking. A desire for something more. Still working out the details in her head, she hadn’t come up with an answer. However, lying here with Tilly, tangled sheets, tangled limbs, she felt close. As though what she wanted—her heart’s desire—was almost within reach.
Kai didn’t know why she hesitated to tell Tilly how she felt. He was her friend, one of her best friends. When he called, or when she called him, they talked about so many things. Nothing and everything. The past. The present. Yet, like two skittish birds ready to take flight, the subject of the future—beyond a month or two—was one of the few things they didn’t discuss.
“Guess I caught the wandering bug when I was little,” Kai said with a shrug. “Though my mom and dad finally found their place. And they seem happy.”
“You don’t sound convinced.” Tilly frowned. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” Kai rushed to assure him. “Just the opposite. Mom has a garden. Dad joined a reading group. Very normal activities for people I always considered the definition of unconventional.”
“Aren’t you happy for them?” Tilly asked.
“Of course I am.” Kai sighed. “I didn’t know they were thinking about changing their lifestyle—had been for some time. When they sold their RV and bought a house, I was shocked.”
“And now?”
“The change suits them,” Kai said with a slow smile. “Thank you.”
Tilly raised an eyebrow, a bemused look in his eyes.
“What did I do?”
“You listened. And asked the right questions.” Kai raised his hand to her lips. “If Mom and Dad weren’t happy, then I’d have a reason to worry.”
“Just a matter of readjusting your thinking,” Tilly said.
“Exactly. My parents are homebodies. After a lifetime of searching, they’ve found their joy.”
“What are you searching for, Kai?” Tilly asked. “What do you want?”
Tilly’s gaze was so focused, Kai had to force herself not to squirm under the intense heat. How could she tell him what she wanted when she couldn’t put her desires into words? Part of her knew the answer. The other part, stubborn and scared, wasn’t ready to listen.
Desperate to change the subject, Kai used an age-old trick. She kissed Tilly, and when she finished, she doubted Tilly could remember his name, let alone the fact his last question went unanswered.
“I know you were surprised to find me in your cabin, in your tub.” Laughing, pleased with herself on many levels, Kai kissed Tilly again. “Yet, you haven’t asked how I came to be here.”
“I didn’t care,” Tilly said. “When I realized you weren’t a dream, why you were here didn’t matter. I moved fast before we were interrupted by your phone ringing or, I don’t know, the bat signal popping up in the sky.”
Kai shifted until her body covered Tilly’s. She leaned over him, sympathetic and amused.
“Turned off my phone the second I arrived. As for the bat signal.” Kai shrugged. “Commissioner Gordan knows I’m on vacation.”
“Does he?” Tilly asked, willing to play along.
“She,” Kai corrected. When he laughed, her heart stopped—just for a second. She shook her head. “I’m not a superhero, Tilly.”
Tilly’s raised eyebrow said he wasn’t convinced. The twinkle in his eyes an indication he enjoyed their banter—whether she had a secret crime-fighting identity or not.
“Are Beck and Sawyer behind our very welcome rendezvous?”
“Your friends helped get you here,” Kai said. “However, the idea was all mine.”
“Beck didn’t pay for the trip?” Tilly asked, looking around. “For everything?”
Kai hesitated, unsure what she should say. Was Tilly one of those closet mis
ogynists who believed a man paid for everything with money, and the woman said thank you with her body? She’d always thought of him as all alpha male on the outside with the heart of a true feminist. To discover the opposite was true would crush her. However, better to find out the truth now while she could still salvage a bit of her pride.
“Money isn’t a problem for me.” Kai kept her tone casual while her heart raced a mile a minute. “Is it for you?”
“You mean is my ego crushed because your bank account is fatter than mine?” Tilly almost laughed, stopping when he realized Kai was serious. “Let’s compromise.”
“I’m listening,” Kai said, still wary.
“While we’re here, I pay for the meals. When we eat in—I’ll cook.”
“Won’t hear me complain. I can be your sous chef, but nothing more,” Kai warned, feeling lighter by the second. “Unless you want a bad case of food poisoning.”
“And spend what precious time we have bent over a toilet bowl? No. Absolutely not.” His expression turned serious. “I don’t resent your success, Kai. You’ve earned every penny.”
With every word Tilly spoke, Kai’s smile grew, wider and brighter.
“Yay, Tilly.”
“Damn straight,” he agreed. “I’m one lucky man. Your body drives me crazy. But, your nimble brain? Sexy as hell. A freaking aphrodisiac.”
Of course, Tilly exaggerated. However, Kai was okay with the hyperbole because she felt the same about him. Smart and funny, combined with the physique of a Greek God? The man was mouthwateringly yummy.
And, though Kai didn’t dwell on her insecurities, she was human. Now and then, she liked to know her charms could bring a man to his knees. Especially if that man was Jedediah Tillman.
“All these years. The wanting. The not having. Was I worth the wait?”
“I would have waited longer,” Tilly said, his voice dropping to a sexy growl. “I’d have waited forever.”
Oh, boy, Kai thought. Tilly’s words, his voice, his sizzling-hot gaze, made her melt like a pat of butter.
“Do you think ten days is enough to make up for ten years?”
Something passed across Tilly’s face, the emotion came and went before Kai could read his thoughts.
ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE Page 3