“Kate?” he questioned softly.
“I think I need a minute…I’ll be back in a sec.” Without daring to look at him or wait for his reply, she darted to their master bedroom. Her heels clicked against the hardwood flooring until she entered their carpeted bedroom. Slipping off her shoes, she tossed them to the side of the room. She flailed her hands up and down as she attempted to regain control over her tumultuous feelings. A minute later, his tall and muscular form filled the doorway.
“Kate, don’t run away. Tell me what’s going on with you,” he commanded gently.
She wouldn’t meet his eyes as she muttered, “Let’s forget about it. I’m just not ready.”
“I don’t have a problem waiting, Kate. I’m a very patient man and if I had to wait forever to have you, then it would be worth it.” As upset as she was, his words forced a smile out of her. “But I’m trying to understand your reasons for waiting. Because if it’s a commitment from me that you need, you have it—I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“I love you, Jared, and you don’t have to convince me how committed you are to me. I feel the same way. It’s just…” She cleared her throat and stared intently at his shoes. “My scars are disgusting. You’re going to see me undressed and figure out a polite way to ask me when a plastic surgeon will be able to fix me up.”
He stood before her and tilted her head, forcing her to meet his intense gaze. “Kate, we’ve been through this. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You’re stunning and I think your body is beautiful.”
It was ironic. She had spent years disliking her body, always feeling she’d look better if she could only lose a few pounds. She was ten pounds lighter because the painkillers had made her sick to her stomach, but she’d do anything to have her old body back.
She hated how her confidence had been shaken. It was humiliating to feel like he wouldn’t love her anymore because of how she looked beneath her clothes. It was harming her psyche to feel like she was damaged goods and no longer worthy of her sexy boyfriend.
“Do you want us to be together?” His voice was low and serious.
“Of course I do. I’ve wanted us to take this step for a long time. It has to do completely with my feelings about myself and nothing about how I feel about you,” she insisted.
“You trust me then?” At her nod, he continued, “Then I’d like to try something if that’s okay with you.”
He spun her around slowly, facing her away from him. Her body froze as she felt his fingers at the top of her zipper. Resolving not to stop him, she allowed him to unzip the back of her dress. Tenderly, he pulled the dress down her body until it fell to the floor, gathering around her feet. He guided her back to face him.
She gasped as she felt his forefinger trace her largest scar—the one down the center of her chest—the wound that should’ve killed her. “Do you know what I see when I look at this?”
She dared a look down. The words “ugly” and “grotesque” were on the tip of her tongue, but she remained silent. The scar was jagged with a discolored outline where the tissue healed, denoting the trail where she’d been carved. The markings on her hip and back were ghastly as well, and she cringed when his eyes darted to her side. Her concern over the scars dulled her nervousness over standing in front of him in a white lace bra and matching panties. “What do you see?”
“I see a survivor. I see you fighting for us and coming back to me.” He cradled her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. “You’re here and the scar is a reminder to never take you for granted because each day we spend together is a gift.”
His words warmed the coldness left behind after her attack. “I don’t know what I did to deserve a second chance with you, or why I survived, but I’ll always belong to you and, if you’ll have me, I’d like to give you all of me.”
Unclasping her bra, she removed it while watching him swallow. Placing her hand over his heart, she could feel it pound rapidly through his shirt. She needed the confirmation he desired her as much as she wanted him, and she knew without a shadow of a doubt he wasn’t faking his physical need for her.
His voice thickened with desire as his eyes raked the length of her body. “If you need me to stop, I will. Tonight is about you and if something makes you uncomfortable, we won’t go any further.”
By the tingling below, she doubted she’d be the one to say stop, but he was waiting for her approval. She smiled softly. “The only thing making me uncomfortable is that I’m naked and you still have on all of your clothes.”
His laughter was strangled as she began helping him unbutton his shirt. He loosened his tie, she pulled it over his head and tossed it aside. When his shirt was completely unbuttoned, she ran her hands seductively across his torso.
Jared was in incredible shape, which she confirmed as she felt the hard muscles of his chest and abs. His breath hitched as her fingertips stopped at the top of his slacks. She unbuckled his pants and he eased out of them. She fell into his arms and crushed her breasts against his defined chest.
The air had become charged since their kissing session in the sunroom. Her anxieties were left behind and she only looked forward with anticipation. Despite months of build up and her limited sexual experience, Kate wasn’t nervous. She trusted Jared, and believed what they were about to do would only cement their already strong connection.
He shuffled forward and she fell backwards on their king-sized bed. His arms encased her small body as his lips melded into her own. His lips slipped from her mouth and made their way down the center of her chest. She cried out as he fondled her bare breast and flicked his tongue over her nipple. He took his time teasing her before moving to the other nipple. Her back arched and she began to squirm beneath him, aching for him to keep tasting her skin.
He continued a sensuous path down her stomach until he reached her panties. He kissed her through the cotton while stroking his fingers over her teasingly. A boyish grin erupted across his face as she gasped, “Jared!”
His fingers stilled over her. “Is this okay?”
“Yes! Don’t stop.”
He returned to moving his fingers back and forth over her opening as she panted below him. Her hands reached out for him and she tugged at the sides of his boxer shorts. Once he was exposed, she began to stroke him tentatively at first before finding a faster rhythm—hoping to arouse him as much as he was driving her wild. Her attention to him waned momentarily when she felt his fingers slip inside her underwear and enter her.
Expletives escaped her lips as he began to move back and forth at a steady pace. Her body responded instinctively and her arousal increased tenfold. If he continued, she’d be undone in a matter of minutes. Swiftly, she removed her underwear, put her hands on her thighs and sensually opened her legs. His expression was ravenous as he took a long minute to admire her completely naked form. She did the same and was once again taken aback by how beautiful he truly was. His body was powerful with strong muscle definition while his face was classically handsome with an angular jaw and captivating eyes.
He eased down closer and she felt his erection, large and intimidating, settle between her legs. He brushed his lips against hers and his warm breath tickled her as he spoke. “Kate, are you all right with everything? If you’re ready, I was going to put on a condom.”
The soft concern in his voice only reinforced what she already knew: Jared was the most selfless person she’d ever met. He’d do anything for her—he’d always put her first. His body wanted to claim her as his own, but he cared enough about her feelings to get her assurances first.
“I may combust if you’re not inside me within the next thirty seconds. So, the answer is yes, I’m all right and you should put on a condom.”
Once he was sheathed, he laid down beside her. She climbed on top of him and straddled him with her knees pressing into the bed; flush with his sides. Her unruly hair fell to the front of her body with the ends curling across her breasts. It was nerve-racking to be on t
op, but it appealed to her at the same time. She hadn’t felt in charge over her life in a long time, and he was relinquishing control to allow her to set the tone for their first time together.
She lifted up her backside and positioned her body in alignment with his. She bit her lip in anticipation as she slid down on top of him. When she felt him inside of her, she lamented every intimate moment she missed out on because of her own hang-ups. Their bodies complemented each other in a way that made her marvel how right it felt to be with him.
“Kate…you feel so good,” he whispered. She dared a look at him as she felt him move inside of her. His eyes were hooded, and rapture had transformed his features. His cheeks were flushed and his lips parted. As they rocked in time with each other, she assumed her expression mirrored his. He filled her up, replacing all the bad stuff with the good.
In that moment, she silently promised him forever.
She arched her back and concentrated on the heat of him inside of her. Her instinct was to buck wildly, but she tried to slow her movements, savor every second of their first time together.
He couldn’t keep his hands still. They were everywhere: rubbing her shoulders, sliding down her back and tugging her behind. Each time he pushed into her was delicious, and she was getting worked into a frenzied state. Her body was overly sensitive to his touch and she’d become undone in seconds. By his ragged breathing, she was positive he was close to coming as well.
They finished together, the longing they’d carried for so long had finally been satisfied. Curling up next to him, she felt his grip around her waist tighten. He was claiming her in the same way she’d claimed him. She could never imagine experiencing the same thing with another person. Jared Corbett would have all of her tomorrows.
Chapter Fifteen
“Best morning after ever,” a voice whispered into her ear.
“Why is that?” Kate giggled with her eyes still closed.
“Because you’re naked in my arms and we have absolutely nothing to do today.”
She opened one eye and then the other. Jared stood over her while pulling on a pair of black boxer shorts. His ebony hair was rumpled and stubble had grown overnight on his chin. A surge of lust overtook her. “I think at one point last night, we did mention christening every room in the house.”
Jared laughed heartily. “Were you not left satisfied? We didn’t get out of bed for the rest of the night.”
She fell back onto the pillows and let out a content sigh. “I was satisfied all right. I think I may have seen stars at some point.”
“Then we’ll have to make sure you see stars again later. How about right now I make you breakfast? Your growling stomach woke me up,” he teased and held a hand out to her.
Grabbing it, she climbed out of bed. After throwing on a tank top and a pair of cotton shorts, she padded into the kitchen behind him. “Hey, you don’t have to cook me breakfast. We have all this food that we didn’t touch last night,” she remarked and walked over to the platter of appetizers she’d set up for their makeshift prom. After she popped a morsel into her mouth, she saw Jared’s face screwed up in disgust.
“The food has been sitting out all night.”
She shrugged. “They’re cocktail wienies. They’d probably survive a nuclear winter and still be edible.”
“No offense, but I’m not eating it. I’ll make an egg sandwich instead,” he said shaking his head.
“This is part of living together, Jared. You get to learn about all of your significant other’s disgusting habits and decide whether you can tolerate them on a permanent basis,” she said and sat at the stool set next to the kitchen’s island.
“I don’t have any disgusting habits,” he claimed while removing eggs and bacon from the refrigerator.
“Maybe not disgusting, but you do talk in your sleep. It’s a little creepy if I’m being perfectly honest.”
“I do not!”
“You do.”
“What do I say?”
“Mostly things like ‘I love you Kate’ and ‘my life makes no sense without you Kate’.” She gave him a level stare. “But the day you say another woman’s name, you’ll be on the couch for a week.”
“I’m not sure I believe you about talking in my sleep, but I do feel those things,” he said and smiled in her direction.
“Okay, maybe they weren’t exact quotes,” she admitted, “But you do mumble a lot while you’re sleeping.”
“My aunt told me I talked in my sleep after my parents died. Maybe it’s something I do when I’m stressed,” he said while laying the bacon in the pan.
“You, stressed? Pssh, it’s not like we have to worry about my attempted murderer being on the loose or abducted women that need to be rescued,” she said leaning forward with her elbows on the granite countertop.
“Yes, about all that…”
She frowned. “I know, back to reality today. It was fun to pretend for a little bit though, wasn’t it?”
“It’s not always going to be like this, Kate. We’ll have plenty of time to relax once he’s found.”
“But what if he’s never found? It’s been six months; and, not only do we not have a clue who it could be, but I haven’t been threatened. Maybe we need to think about moving on…”
Jared crossed his defined arms over his chest. “Absolutely not. If he isn’t dead or in jail, then he’ll always be a threat.”
She picked up a dishtowel set at the edge of the counter and launched it at him. “Jared, don’t say things like that! We can’t let my vision come true. And I can’t be kept under lock and key for the rest of my life.”
He dodged the towel and it flew past his ear. After it fell to the floor, he picked it up and set it back on the counter. “I get it, Kate. But please try to see things from my perspective. I don’t like asking you to stay home or calling Declan when I’m not around to guard you, but my reasoning is: The inconvenience outweighs the possibility of you getting hurt.”
His sincerity caused her defensiveness to fade. “Okay then, I better get back to work and find him before he tries anything.” What she didn’t say was she’d find the man and have the bastard locked away before her beloved could lay a hand on the vermin.
***
Kate’s father paced the floor in front of his kitchen table. His girlfriend, Carly, watched him mindlessly walk back and forth with her frown deepening each time he passed her by. The table was set for breakfast, but the food remained untouched. Glasses of orange juice were filled to the brim and runny eggs had hardened to the surface of the glass plates.
Robert and Carly shared an apartment in East Stroudsburg and had filled it with modern and trendy furnishings. She’d selected a black and white theme for their place with black leather living room furniture and a square wooden table painted a glossy white. Sleek black chairs with foam cushions were set around the dining table.
He continued to wear down their white carpet with the consistent pacing. Finally, she reached her hand out and laced her fingers over his arm. “Robert, you need to hire a lawyer,” she said emphatically.
“This can’t be happening. How can anyone suspect me of trying to murder my own daughter for Christsakes?”
“I believe you would never hurt Kate, but the fact of the matter is certain things will appear suspicious to the police.”
“It’s fucking bullshit. These idiots at the police department don’t know their asses from their elbows. I’m not an idiot. I’m sure Kate’s boyfriend has something to do with this. He’s known for a while how I feel about him taking advantage of my daughter and wants me out of the way.” He stopped in front of her and sputtered in rage. His blue eyes sharpened as he seemed to inwardly confirm his suspicions.
“I’m sure Jared would never sink so low…”
He waved her off and shot her an annoyed look. “You don’t know him the way I do. He sees my young and beautiful daughter as someone he can easily manipulate. Kate has been in constant danger since he appeared in her
life, and now he’s trying to shift the blame onto me. If anyone should be a suspect in her attack, it should be him.”
“Robert, stop worrying about Jared for a second and concentrate on how you’re going to protect yourself,” she insisted.
“What do they have on me? They can’t arrest me based on someone placing a flower order near my work or the fact they couldn’t get a hold of me after Kate was attacked.”
Carly was staring at him with disbelief clear on her face. Her green eyes bored a hole into him, but he appeared unmoved by her shock. “What about the trust fund?”
His look was unimpressed. “The cops aren’t aware of it and I don’t see any reason to bring it up.”
“But they’ll find out and it’ll look so much worse for you…”
Robert sank into one of the kitchen chairs and took a bite of the eggs. Skewering his face in disgust, he dropped the fork to the plate noisily. After taking a long sip of orange juice, he replied calmly, “It still doesn’t prove anything. The only thing that’ll happen if I tell them about the trust fund is Kate will be hurt and Jared will have more ammunition against me.”
“You should tell Kate about the fund. That money will be rightfully hers in a few years.”
“Of course Kate will get the money. But right now isn’t the time to tell her. She’ll tell Jared and I’ll be brought in for questioning again. Once all of this nonsense dies down, I’ll let her know.”
Carly’s lips were pursued, but she didn’t continue the argument. Instead, she began to clear the dishes from the table. Robert was clearly done with the discussion as well and left the kitchen table without another word spoken.
***
Kate walked into the living room and frowned at Jared. He was sitting on the couch, mindlessly channel surfing. She’d retreated to their bedroom hours before to see if she could find out more information about her case and to link up again with the missing woman.
The Final Omen: Second Sight Book Four Page 10