by Cindy Kirk
Kate nodded, breathing in the clean fresh scent of his shampoo mixed with the spicy tang of his cologne. His eyes searched hers, and whatever he found must have reassured him because he took her hand and his thumb caressed her palm. “I’m a little rusty at all this.”
Shivers of desire traveled up her arm at his touch.
He cleared his throat. “But I am prepared.”
Kate cocked her head in an inquiring tilt.
“I picked up condoms on my way back from Billings,” he said. “The way I see it, safe sex is everyone’s responsibility.”
A warmth that had nothing to do with room temperature enveloped her. “I hope you bought enough,” she said in a breathless tone.
“Count on it.” He returned her smile and tugged her to him.
Desire rose and swamped her. Simply being so close made her body ache with longing. She wanted this man in a way that defied logic.
He lowered his head and pressed his mouth against hers. His hand flattened against her lower back, drawing her up against the length of his body. He spread his hands over her buttocks and pressed her against his erection.
Oh, my.
Suddenly her arms were around his neck. Her fingers caressing the soft texture of his hair as his mouth closed over hers.
His lips lingered, drawing her into a whirling spiral of emotions and sensations that seemed profoundly different. There was chemistry here, an intimacy and spark that she’d never experienced before.
Kate splayed her hands across his back, feeling the muscles tighten beneath the fabric. She explored his body with a kind of wonder, as if it was the first time she’d ever touched a man. It was new, this desire to linger. When his hands touched her through the soft cotton of her shirt, her skin quivered.
The shadows in the hall deepened and the world seemed to be bathed in a golden glow, creating a sweet intimacy made for two.
“You’re gorgeous.” Had she said that? Or had he? Did it matter?
Joel explored the soft skin behind her ears and down her neck, his mouth open against her skin. Everywhere his lips touched, she sizzled. She pressed herself against him, lifting her face to his, cursing the fabric that still separated them.
His mouth once again closed over hers, and this time the kiss turned wild, a lush openmouthed mating of lips and tongues. When she came up for air, they were both naked on the bed.
Kate drew back and looked her fill. He had a workingman’s body—corded with muscle, lean and tan. Dark hair converged on the flat planes of his stomach.
A curious humming filled her body.
“I wondered what you looked like,” he said with something akin to awe in his voice.
She ran her hands over his biceps, then trailing them over his chest. “So strong, so—”
“Soft,” he said, cupping her large breasts in his palms, his fingers brushing the tips. Her nipples puckered and tingled as he continued his exploration, skimming his hand over intimate dips and hollows.
His touch was gentle and caring. He asked, rather than demanded, and she responded without reservation. Her passion, her need for him grew with each touch, with each tender caress. By the time Joel rolled over and retrieved the condoms from the bedside table, every nerve ending was on high alert.
He entered her slowly, pushing in a little and then retreating, as if making sure she was ready for him. He was big and thick, stretching her. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her, reveling in the wonder of being filled by a man intent on pleasing them both.
They moved in perfect rhythm in an age-old ritual that somehow seemed new. She loved the way his hard body felt over hers. She loved the way his body trembled with pent-up need as he waited…for her.
Her pleasure mounted with each thrust. She closed around him, arched to him. Kate couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so happy. She celebrated her happiness noisily, determined to wring every last drop of pleasure from the moment.
Kate rode the building pressure until their bodies were damp and sweaty, and still she clung to him. When the combination of physical and emotional sent her crashing over the edge, it seemed right that she was in this man’s arms.
Chapter Twelve
When Kate had fantasized about making love with Joel, she’d worried she might feel ill at ease or awkward afterward. But she didn’t.
Lying next to him with the sunlight streaming through the half-open blinds felt somehow…right. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head.
“That,” he said, exhaling a satisfied breath, “was amazing.”
It had been amazing and fantastic and incredible and another dozen words with similar meanings. And now it was done. Over. Ended. For a second Kate was tempted to slip out from under his arm and hurriedly get dressed. It’s what she’d done any other time she’d had sex. Besides, feeling so close, so comfortable with this man had to be a mistake.
Then Kate remembered what Mitzi had said about seizing these fourteen days. Not mucking them up with worry or second-guesses. Really, what was there to worry about? Joel was Chloe’s father. That made him off-limits for anything more than a brief fling. What she should be focusing on was all the fun they could be having now.
“Penny for your thoughts.” His gaze raked over her and a spray of goose bumps pebbled her skin.
The fire that had burned in her, hot and hungry, only moments before, began to build again. Instead of immediately answering, she placed her hand against the broad planes of his chest, her fingers toying with the dusting of dark hair. “Remember that old potato-chip commercial that said you couldn’t eat just one?”
A smile slowly spread across his face. “Let me guess. You were the one who always had to have the second chip?”
“Actually—” Kate placed an openmouthed kiss on his belly, his skin salty beneath her tongue “—I’ve never had the desire to go past one. Until now.”
His smile became a grin. “That good, eh?”
“And—” Kate gave a husky little laugh “—I’m warning you now, I can’t promise I’ll be satisfied at two.”
She wasn’t sure if she had more to say but it didn’t matter. The last word barely made it past her lips when he reached out and captured her hand, drawing it toward his mouth. At the last second, he turned her fingers and pressed his lips into her palm.
The hot, damp contact provided the final fuel to the fire burning hot and deep inside her. Suddenly he was kissing her, touching her with a fierceness that both thrilled and excited her. She could tell from the urgency of his mouth, the roughness of his touch, the feverish light in his eyes that he was on fire, too.
She pulled his mouth down to hers as she began to move underneath him.
“I want to make love to you slowly,” he whispered. “But if you keeping moving like that—”
“What? What is big bad Joel going to do?” She ran her tongue up the side of his neck and wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer. She could feel his arousal against her. It wouldn’t take much for him to be inside her again.
“This.” Joel thrust into her hard and deep, filling her so perfectly, making her feel impossibly complete.
He looked down into her eyes, the muscles in his arms and shoulders tight as he held himself above her. For a second concern furrowed his brow. “I forgot the condom.”
“I’m on the pill,” she reassured him. “No worries.”
And as he began to move inside her, Kate forgot all her worries. Forgot everything except the pleasure. And the passion. And the joy of being thoroughly loved.
* * *
Afterward, Joel followed Kate into an exhausted slumber. The loud boom of an illegal M-80 firework outside pulled him awake. He glanced over and found Kate curled up beside him.
Her lips still looked like plump, ripe strawberries even though he’d long ago kissed the red lipstick off them. The hair, which normally fell in sleek, stylish strands to her shoulders, now lay tousled around he
r face. Even so, she had to be the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
What about Amy? a tiny voice whispered in his ear.
But Joel couldn’t, wouldn’t, think of Amy now. Not with Kate lying naked in his bed. Later he’d reflect on what had happened today. Not now.
Kate stirred and her lids fluttered open. For the first time he noticed she had flecks of gold mixed with the brown and green, just like Chloe. She pushed herself up to her elbows, not seeming to care that the sheet fell to her waist, baring her breasts. With one hand she brushed the hair back from her face, with the other she covered a yawn. “I fell asleep?”
“We both did.” He leaned forward and brushed a kiss across her lips. “But the noise woke me.”
A look of alarm crossed her face. “Please don’t tell me I snore.”
Joel laughed. “It was the neighbor kid shooting off a firecracker.”
“Whew,” she said, her eyes dancing with good humor. “That’s a relief.”
His gaze dropped to her breasts. They were surprisingly large with rosy pink tips. Joel remembered how they’d felt in his hands. How they’d tasted in his mouth. In an instant he was hard. With great effort he forced his eyes upward to her beautiful face and those luscious lips. “We missed the pancake breakfast.”
“Disappointed?” she asked, a watchfulness in her eyes that belied her casual tone.
“Me? Heck no.” He let his gaze linger. “Actually I’m afraid I wouldn’t have enjoyed it much. Because all the time I’d have been wishing I was here. In bed. With you.”
“I had…fun.” A tiny smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “You?”
At the last second, he pulled back the teasing reply from his lips. Something in the set of her shoulders told him Kate wasn’t as confident as she appeared. “You exceeded my wildest expectations.”
Her shoulders relaxed and a smile hovered on her lips. “Which time?”
“Both times.”
She laughed then, a low throaty chuckle that stirred his senses. “We did go a bit overboard.”
“I enjoyed it,” he said. “If you’re hungry I could rustle us up some breakfast.”
“I don’t need to stay.”
He tilted his head, not sure what she meant.
“I mean, if the purpose of our hanging out today was so we’d be more comfortable tonight when we—”
Joel waited.
“—you know…did it,” she stammered.
“When we made love?”
“When we had sex,” she clarified.
Whatever you called what they had shared, he wasn’t ready to let her go. Not yet. Not until the two weeks were up. Joel realized with a jolt of awareness how much he’d been looking forward to spending time with her.
Unable to keep his hands off her, he cupped her face with his hand and kissed her again, murmuring against the corner of her mouth, “Stay. Please.”
She smiled and kissed him back. “Because you put it so nicely, yes.”
Satisfaction flowed through his veins. “What do you want for breakfast?”
Her gaze flickered to the clock on the bedside table. “The pancake breakfast ended at ten.”
“I am not without culinary skills,” he informed her.
“You’re a true jack-of-all-trades, Joel Dennes,” she replied. “The things you can do with those hands are mind-boggling.”
“Hey, babe—” Joel shot her a wink “—you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
She arched a brow. “Are you saying you were holding back on me?”
“I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
Kate’s hand slid beneath the sheet that rode low on his hips. Her smile widened when she encountered the evidence showing that he wasn’t completely worn out by their morning activities. “I prefer not to wait.”
“But Kate, three times,” he protested weakly, secretly pleased by her desire.
“Poor Joel.” She pursed her lips and shook her head, but the twinkle in her eye gave her away. “Look at this. You’ve already risen to the occasion.”
He thought about telling her that he’d wanted her again five seconds after he’d awakened. Instead, when she pushed the sheet aside and lowered her head, he moaned.
“You’re going to be the death of me, Kate.”
Her only reply was a wicked laugh.
* * *
By the time she showed him a few handy things she could do with her hands—and her mouth—they were both famished. They ate quickly, then dressed and headed to the field by Jackson Hole Middle School.
They had to park several blocks away but Kate didn’t mind. The sky was a vivid blue with only a few wispy clouds. She lifted her face to the sun as they walked to the field and talked. Their easy familiarity was at odds with the pre-sex jitters of the morning.
The field was in sight when Joel’s phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and glanced down. A smile lifted his lips. “It’s Chloe.”
“Answer it,” Kate urged. “I can’t wait to hear how she’s doing.”
While the child was with her best friend, she was still far from home. A little homesickness was to be expected.
“Hello, princess.” Joel switched over to speaker phone. “How’s Montana? Are you having fun?”
“We’re having oodles of fun. Aren’t we, Savannah?” Chloe’s voice bubbled with excitement as she told her dad everything she and her best friend had done yesterday. “What have you been doing?”
“Well—” Joel slanted a sideways glance at Kate “—Dr. Kate is keeping me company today. We’re headed to Music in the Hole now and then we’re going to stop by a party that Mr. and Mrs. Delacourt are throwing.”
Kate had reservations about their showing up at the party together. But Joel insisted that with their spending so much time together the next couple of weeks, it would result in more talk if they showed up separately.
She listened to the father-daughter conversation, marveling at their camaraderie, knowing she couldn’t have picked a better parent for Chloe.
“Do you want to speak with Dr. Kate?” Joel asked his daughter.
“Yes, please.”
He handed her the phone.
“Hi, Chloe.”
“Thank you for keeping my dad company, Dr. Kate,” Chloe said. “I know he misses me lots.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Kate glanced at Joel, the devilish twinkle in his eyes making her smile. “Sounds like you’ve been having a blast with your friend.”
Kate asked the child a few more questions. Although almost three hundred miles separated them, the happiness in Chloe’s voice eased her worry. “I’m going to give the phone back to your dad.”
“Try not to miss me too much, Daddy,” Chloe said to Joel. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
As she and Joel continued their trek to the field, Kate decided they’d been wise to seize the morning. Because Chloe would be back before they knew it. Then she’d go back to being Dr. Kate, a family friend. And Joel would go back to being a social friend and a man with whom she’d secretly once had a fling.
It was a depressing thought.
“Is your sister’s little girl doing better?” Joel asked.
“She is,” Kate said simply. “Thank you for asking.”
“You do that a lot.”
“What do you mean?”
“Shut people out,” he said. “You barely answered my question.”
Kate stiffened. “I was being considerate. I’m sure you don’t want a blow-by-blow of Elle’s recovery.”
“Maybe I do.” He took off his sunglasses and his dark eyes met hers. “Did you ever think of that? Perhaps I’d like to get to know you better.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re my friend.” Even though they’d agreed to no public displays of affection he took her hand. “What’s important in your life is important to me.”
A tightness gripped Kate’s chest. Oh, how she wished that were true. But he was her temporary lover, not her fri
end. And she had to guard her heart. Pretend she didn’t care. Because, despite her cavalier comments to Mitzi, Kate knew she was playing with fire.
“Elle simply had a very bad virus. She was released from the hospital yesterday.” It was easier to give him a little information than argue about something that wouldn’t matter in two weeks.
“I’m happy to hear it.” Joel sounded as if he actually appreciated the information. “Did your sister have you speak with the doctor?”
Kate swallowed her irritation. His question opened a wound that had already begun to scab over. She’d left several messages for Andrea but had never heard back. Her aunt had been the one to finally call her with an update. If she had any doubts she was outside her family’s inner circle, this latest incident confirmed it.
“I didn’t speak with Andrea.” She tugged her hand from his. “But like I said, it worked out.”
“You don’t want to hold my hand?”
“No PDA. It’s what we decided.”
He scowled. “I don’t like it.”
“It makes sense.” Kate gasped as a large intoxicated man bumped into her. Hard. When she tried to move aside, he stumbled and the heel of his cowboy boot came down on the top of her toes. Pain shot through her foot. She cried out.
“Watch where you’re going,” Joel called out to him, then turned to Kate. “Are you okay?”
She tried to be strong, but the tears filling her eyes gave her away. “I think I’m going to have a nasty bruise.”
Joel swore. His eyes narrowed and his head jerked in the direction where the man had gone. But the drunkard had already disappeared into the crowd. When Joel turned back, worry filled his eyes. “There’s a first-aid tent not far from here. I’ll carry you.”
His concern warmed her heart. But the last thing either of their reputations needed was for him to be seen carrying her in his arms.
“I’ve got a better idea.” Kate gestured to a large wooden bench about twenty feet away in the shade of a large cottonwood. “Help me over there. I can put up my foot while you go to the first-aid station and get me some supplies.”
He frowned.
Kate forced a smile, despite the stabbing pain in her foot. “Trust me. It’s the best plan.”