Instead of walking back to her apartment, he flagged down a taxi and gave the driver his address. When she raised her brows in question, he explained, “I’m going to make love to my woman in my bed.”
“I like the sound of that.” She rested her head on his shoulder and pressed her lips against his neck. His scent, a mix of leather, cologne and aroused male musk, intoxicated her and she slid her palm up his thigh. He grasped her hand to keep it from its intended target.
“Keep that up and I’ll take you right here, right now,” he growled.
“Promises, promises,” she teased, running a finger along his fly as the cab pulled to the curb.
They ran through the lobby hand in hand in a replay of the night they’d had sex for the first time, only now there was no uncertainty about what each wanted. Once in the elevator he slid his arms around her waist to draw her against his body. The humor of a moment ago left his face, replaced by a heated gaze so intense that it could have set off a smoke alarm. Kate melted into his arms and their bodies stayed glued together until the elevator reached the top floor.
As soon as he unlocked the door to his apartment, Kate tugged his shirt out of his jeans and ran her hands up his back. His skin felt warm and smooth and her touch made his muscles quiver. She bent to kiss his stomach and slowly worked her mouth up his body as she lifted his soft t-shirt shirt higher, baring the sprinkling of dark hair on his broad chest and the small green shamrock tattoo on his left side over his ribs. She sensed it was sacred in some way. As her lips hovered over it, her eyes met his and he moved closer, silently granting permission. She ran a fingernail around the tattoo’s outline. Drew hissed when her lips met the green art before she returned to his nipple and drew it into her mouth. The pebble of flesh hardened and he gasped when she nipped it then soothed it with her tongue the same way he’d often done with hers. She straightened and looked at him. “I thought I’d lost you, that I’d never touch you again or feel your hands on me.”
“I love you,” he murmured as he tenderly tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and kissed her neck. “Never doubt that or me.” He lifted her into his arms, overwhelmed by the need to be one with this woman again. She rested her cheek against his chest as he carried her to his bed. “I need both of us naked. Skin to skin.”
“Yes,” she sighed.
Seconds later their clothing lay in a heap on the floor, their bodies entwined as if each wanted to consume the other until their separateness disappeared.
“Drew,” she murmured as he gently stroked her breasts. “Thank you for being stubborn enough to fight for me, for us,” she said between kisses.
“I always will. I’ve had to fight for all the things that matter in my life. You’re so worth it,” he murmured positioning himself between her legs.
When he slid into her all talk ended, replaced by soft kisses, breathy sighs and gentle caresses. Their eyes locked and never wavered as they connected physically and emotionally. The outside world ceased to exist and the only thing that mattered was the two of them.
CHAPTER 22
Drew woke with a smile on his face. He stretched, yawned and reached for Kate, only to discover that he was alone. He checked the time on his phone. How could it be nine o’clock? He never slept late. There was a note on the pillow reminding him that today was Kate’s first day back at work and she’d gone to her apartment to shower and dress. After the night they’d had, he wondered how it was possible to miss her, yet he did. He was learning that the best way to start his day was to see her face when he opened his eyes. The next best was to slowly slide into her warmth. Maybe he had that reversed, he thought as a satisfied grin lit his face. Yeah, definitely.
He flopped back onto the pillow and rested his head on his bent arm. He was undeniably, absolutely in love. He never thought it would happen to him and he wasn’t sure he’d even wanted it, but there it was. He loved Ekaterina Louise Porter. Even better, by some miracle, she loved him and he felt great.
He quickly threw on shorts and a t-shirt, downed the coffee Kate had left for him and headed to the gym. Except for an occasional run, he’d ignored his workouts while they’d been in Ireland and he not only needed to maintain his fitness, he wanted to. As an athlete at the top of his game for so many years, training was as much a part of him as brushing his teeth and his body could tell that he’d been slacking off. The companies that paid him huge amounts of money wouldn’t be happy if he wasn’t in the same shape as when they’d hired him. His looks were part of the deal.
He’d sent Charles a text before leaving his apartment and spotted his friend, agent, and sometime workout buddy waiting for him on the sidewalk outside the gym.
“Those fish and chips you downed in Ireland are beginning to show,” Charles teased, patting Drew’s flat abs.
Drew lifted his shirt to display his very obvious six-pack and patted it for emphasis. “What are you talking about? I’m ripped. If your girlfriend keeps stuffing you full of biscuits and gravy, it’s you who’s going to develop a gut.”
They threw their arms over each other’s shoulders as they walked into the gym. Drew’s longtime trainer spotted him immediately. “My man! I was starting to wonder if you’d given up working out.”
“No way. I’ve been out of the country, so I need you to push me today to make up for it.”
“Oh, I’ll push. Count on it. Let me finish up with another client and I’ll see you guys in fifteen. Meanwhile, hop on the treadmill, warm up your muscles, and get ready to sweat.”
Drew and Charles began their runs on adjacent machines. “When I dropped you at Kate’s yesterday, you didn’t know if you two were finished, but judging by the look on your face she didn’t dump your sorry ass,” Charles said, settling into a steady pace.
Drew’s speed was faster, but he wasn’t even breathing hard. “Seeing me with other women makes her feel insecure. I get how that would make anyone a little crazy and we’re working on it. You know what my life is like so she has to trust me or we’re going to have these battles over and over. I don’t want that and neither does she.”
“So all’s well?”
“All’s great,” Drew said and raised the incline on his machine. “I told her that I love her.”
Charles raised his brows, surprised. “No shit. It was obvious that you felt that way, but I wasn’t sure if you’d say the words. What did she say?”
“She feels the same.” Drew smiled and whooped loudly enough to make heads turn.
“I’m happy for you, man. Have you set a date? Popped the question? Discussed how many kids you want?”
Drew shot his friend a look. Charles was pushing it, but it made him start to think. Was he ready to decide who to spend the rest of his life with? He’d thought so when he was eighteen and look at what a disaster that turned out to be. “You know my history. I don’t picture myself ever walking down an aisle, let alone having kids.”
“Before you and Kate get in much deeper, you need to tell her.”
“Of course I should, but how do you tell the woman you’re in love with that you’re still married to a girl you thought you’d knocked up when you were eighteen, haven’t seen in years, who insists that she’ll love you forever, and that Catholics don’t get divorced?”
“Honestly? You tell Kate the truth and then take care of the problem once and for all.”
“That was the plan when we were in Ireland, but you know how that ended. Shit.” He ran his hands over his face. “Erin is a beautiful girl, or at least she was. I don’t get why she hasn’t found someone she wants to spend her life with and dump my ass.” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. It’s time for both of us to be free. I’ll hire a lawyer and set things in motion.”
Both men were sweating when the trainer leaned his elbows on the front of Drew’s treadmill. “Time to get serious. If O’Connor doesn’t mind, you can join us. A little competition never hurts.” He looked from one to the other.
“Mind?” Drew reached for a towel t
o mop his face and grinned at Charles who wasn’t looking very happy. “I love kicking this guy’s butt. Let’s do this.”
They emerged from the gym two hours later. “I don’t think I can walk,” Charles moaned as he looked up and down the street, a scowl on his face. “I texted the driver so where the fuck is my car?”
Drew threw an arm over his friend’s shoulder. “Patience. I hate to admit it, but I think I’m going to bum a lift instead of dealing with the subway.”
“Oh?” Charles smirked, his mood improved by Drew’s confession. “Is the superstar athlete feeling some pain?”
“Fuck off. My body’s taken a lot of abuse in its twenty-nine years so yes, I’m a little sore right now.”
Charles held his hands up in surrender, but the grin never left his face. “The endorphin high is wearing off and there’s only one way to bring it back.”
Drew returned his friend’s grin. “Yeah, I know, but she’s working. As much as the idea appeals, I don’t think bending her over her desk would be a good idea after the shitstorm I caused by cancelling my contract with her company. ”
“Right. So you’ll go to your place and me to mine, we’ll each sit in a hot bath and jerk off.”
“What are you, fifteen?”
“The way I become hard just thinking about Liz, I feel like she’s brought back the hormones of a fifteen-year-old. Doesn’t Kate do that for you?”
Drew didn’t answer right away. He gazed out the car’s window at the beautiful women strolling down Madison Avenue, the kind of women he used to lust after, but now they were simply scenery. None caught his eye, but his gym shorts instantly tented when he pictured Kate. He nudged Charles with an elbow and pointed downward. “Does that answer your question?”
“We’ve both got it bad.”
“That we do,” Drew said as the car stopped outside his apartment building. “I need to figure out how to tell Kate about Erin and that’s a surefire way to kill my libido, but I can’t keep pretending that she doesn’t exist. Maybe I’ll take Kate someplace romantic. Get out of the city.”
CHAPTER 23
The weekend after his workout with Charles, Drew let himself into Kate’s apartment using the key she’d given him. She had one to his place, too. At seven in the morning on a Saturday, all was silent. He walked toward the bedroom and found Kate asleep, the covers pulled up to her chin. A feeling of contentment spread through his body at the sight of her. He watched her for a few minutes, then turned away from the siren call of her body. As tempted as he was to strip and kiss her awake, the weather was spectacular and he had other plans for them. He decided to let her sleep until he’d made coffee. They’d grab breakfast somewhere once they were on the road.
Five minutes later Kate wandered into the kitchen, drawn by the scent of coffee. Her face was flushed from sleep, her dark hair gloriously tousled. The light pink tank top and matching lace bikini panties she’d slept in were more arousing to Drew than if she’d stood there naked.
He’d been able to resist getting into bed with her while she slept, but the way she looked now told him that his will power wasn’t worth a damn. Drew pressed his body against hers and kissed her forehead. “Morning, beautiful.”
“Good morning,” she said in a voice that was not quite ready for speech. Her eyes never left his as she reached for the mug of coffee he’d poured for her. She took a quick sip, then set it down. Drew watched her flimsy tank top tighten when she leaned back, her elbows resting on the counter.
Aw hell, screw the early start, Drew decided. Giving up the fight, he lowered his mouth to her breast and used his lips to tug on its nipple until it hardened. He dragged his tongue across it, leaving the thin cotton damp and transparent. He gave her other breast the same treatment and her face flushed. She thrust her hips against his hardness and moaned his name. One large hand cupped her ass while the other slid over her stomach, gradually making its way lower until his fingers found her wetness.
“I need you now, Drew,” she demanded, fumbling with his belt. He quickly unzipped and tugged his jeans and black boxer briefs to his knees. Her legs came around his waist and he filled her with one quick thrust. They both groaned as mouths met and tongues tangled, their bodies trying to get even closer as if the physical connection wasn’t enough.
Passion should have driven all rational thought from his mind, but Drew couldn’t ignore the voice in his head reminding him that after what he planned to tell her today, this might be the last time they made love. He pounded into her and willed himself to last, almost desperate to extend this moment, the bliss that he felt whenever he was with this woman. He shifted the angle of his hips and Kate moaned her approval as she rubbed against him. A moment later, her intense orgasm grasped his cock, her inner walls throbbing rhythmically around it. Two more thrusts and he was gone. They held each other until their heart rates slowed and breathing normalized.
“Wow,” Kate said. “Each time I think it can’t get better and then it does.”
“Yeah, we’re pretty amazing.” Drew bent to pull up his jeans and planted a kiss on her belly. “I thought I could resist you, but I should have known that’s not even remotely possible.”
Kate nodded her agreement, then picked up the mug of her now cool coffee. As the caffeine kicked in, she noticed that he was wearing the exact clothing he’d had on the day they’d met at St. Patrick’s — heavy boots, jeans and his leather motorcycle jacket, all in black. It wouldn’t take a genius to conclude that he’d ridden his Harley to her apartment. “Were you waiting a long time for me to wake up?”
“I got here about five minutes before you had your way with me,” he teased. His eyes twinkled with humor as he smiled at her. “We’ve had a perfect start to the day, but the sun is shining, the air is warmer than it’s been for months, and I thought we could head out of town either for the day or the weekend. That is unless you have other plans.”
“None. I didn’t even bring work home so I wouldn’t feel guilty when I ignored it to spend time with you.” A small grin accompanied her words.
That statement pleased him more than he could have imagined. Work had always been her focus, her first priority, and now it seemed that he’d jumped to the front of the line. He wondered if she knew what that meant to him, especially today.
She took a last sip of coffee and placed their empty mugs in the dishwasher. “Where are we going or is it a surprise?”
“Just a couple of hours upstate. I’d like us to have some uninterrupted time together.”
“Sounds good to me. I just need a few minutes to get dressed.”
She’d already turned toward her bedroom when Drew stopped her. “Wear jeans, something with long sleeves, socks and closed shoes.”
Her brows drew together. “I may love you, Andrew O’Connor, but you can’t tell me what to wear unless…” She tilted her head and gave him a look that said she didn’t like what he had in mind. “We’re not going by car, are we.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Smart lady,” he grinned. “My bike’s outside and I bought you your own helmet. You already have a leather jacket, so that’s all you need and maybe some gloves.”
“Yeah, right,” she muttered and began to pace. “It’s not like I don’t trust your ability to handle a motorcycle, I do. But on a highway, going fast, if another driver is distracted by something, there’s only air for protection. No seatbelts, no airbags, nothing between us and thousands of pounds of speeding metal headed our way.”
He wrapped his arms around her and waited until she raised her chin to look at him. “I never take risks on my bike and definitely wouldn’t with the woman I love behind me.” He stroked her face. “Kate, I may ski like my ass is on fire, but I respect my limitations with the Harley.”
“It’s just that…” she hesitated.
“It’s what?” He tipped her chin up with one finger. “Tell me.”
The warmth of Drew’s body helped to soothe the cold fear that had gripped her at the th
ought of riding behind him. She needed him to understand why she was so afraid. “I’ve told you about my college boyfriend and how badly he treated me. He rode a motorcycle that looked a lot like yours and did things while I was on it that terrified me. He thought it was funny to make me think he was going to kill us both. I swore I would never let anyone do that to me again.”
“Sweetheart…Kate,” he said, rubbing his palms up and down her back to soothe her. “He sounds like a sadistic bastard. I’m not him. If you don’t want to do this, we’ll stay in the city or rent a car.”
“No.” She took a settling breath. “I’m not going to let what happened in the past interfere in my life now, but if I can’t handle it once we’re on our way, would you turn back?”
“Cross my heart. This is supposed to be fun. It’s not a ‘love me, love my bike’ test. But you need to know that I’m proud that you’re strong enough to face your fears instead of refusing to try.”
“I guess having my thighs hugging yours and my arms around your waist for an hour or so would be tolerable,” she teased and the tension in her body eased. “Let’s do it.”
As promised, Drew carefully navigated them through the city’s vehicular craziness. Each time they stopped at a traffic light, he turned to see if Kate was okay and she would nod.
Once they were out of the city, they reached a winding two-lane road that gave them occasional glimpses of the Hudson River and her fears evaporated. She rested her helmeted head against Drew’s strong back and began to understand the bike’s appeal. It required skill, strength, quick reflexes and fearlessness, qualities Drew had to have in abundance to succeed as a world-class skier.
An hour after leaving the city, they stopped at a café in one of the small towns that line the river.
Drew unstrapped Kate’s helmet and pulled it off her head. He wasn’t prepared for the way she threw her body against his and stumbled backward. He regained his balance before landing on his ass and tugged her closer. She laughed and hugged him back, then covered his face with kisses.
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