by Debra Webb
Drake shrugged. “What can I say? We bonded.”
“It was him all along?”
Drake nodded.
“I don’t believe it.” Kennedy watched the excited commotion her uncle—the mayor—had caused. “No wonder he never kissed my mother.”
Drake offered his arm. “Come along, wench, I’m in need of some ale.”
Kennedy looped her arm in Drake’s as the band roared back into action. She waved to her parents who were barely recognizable dressed up as John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Uncle Martin shot her a thumbs-up as he twirled Celia around, then with a wicked wink he leaned her into a fancy dip. Another wide smile lit up Kennedy’s face. That, too, was right, she realized. Martin and Celia were perfect for each other. But Kennedy had a feeling there was more to this then she knew. She’d have to get the rest of the story out of Drake later.
When she and Drake got to the bar, he ordered their ale, which was punch. No alcoholic beverages could be served at a school function.
She sipped her punch and watched the couples, young and old, twist and shimmy in their own version of dance.
“Are you glad you came?”
Kennedy thought about for that a moment, but a moment was all it took. “Yes,” she said unconditionally. “I am.” She lifted her cup to his. “A toast. To success.”
Drake touched his cup to hers and took a sip of his punch, then fell silent a moment. “Your family and friends are good people, Kennedy.”
“Thank you.” She stared at her cup, then lifted her gaze back to his. “I’m glad you came with me,” she admitted. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Drake smiled one of those killer smiles that melted her, as usual. “Oh, you would have done fine on your own.” He took another sip. “But I’m glad you invited me.”
Remembering his words at the end of their dance, Kennedy laughed nervously. “Well, I didn’t exactly invite you.” She adopted an exaggerated expression of contrition. “I kind of bullied you into it.”
Drake cut her a look. “I think blackmail is the word you’re looking for.”
“I was pretty tough on you, huh?”
He shrugged. “You were a little demanding.”
Kennedy set her cup aside and drew herself up to her full height. “Well, never let it be said that Kennedy Malone refused to see the error of her ways.” She curtsied low and batted her lashes at him. “How may I make it up to you, my lord?”
Drake reached for her hand and pulled her from her low bow. “Another dance might appease me,” he suggested huskily. “We’ll just have to see.”
Kennedy’s heart skipped a couple of beats as she followed her sexy pirate onto the dance floor once more. As she had anticipated, every female gaze in the place tracked his every move. Kennedy took infinite pleasure in knowing he was hers…if only for one night.
When Drake took her into his arms, Kennedy knew exactly what she wanted: to know this man completely.
All she had to do was convince him to take what she had to offer.
~*~
For the remainder of the evening, Kennedy danced every dance with Drake. By the time the party was finally over, he felt ready to spontaneously combust. Every nerve ending in his body was on full alert and throbbing with sensory overload. Every muscle was hard and growing harder by the moment. If Kennedy touched him or simply looked at him one more time, he wasn’t sure he could be responsible for his actions.
The clean-up committee had nearly finished before Kennedy was ready to call it a night. When they reached the Malones’ car, she hesitated.
“I think I’d like to walk.” She turned to Drake. “If that’s all right with you?”
“Sure,” he agreed readily. It was only a few blocks. Besides, a stroll in the cool night air would do him good. The last thing he needed right now was to be in the back seat with Kennedy. Parents or no, he wasn’t sure he could handle the pressure.
“If you’re sure,” Chuck offered one last time.
“We’ll walk,” Kennedy told him.
Drake followed, matching his stride to hers as they crossed the nearly empty parking lot. After several minutes of silence, he decided Kennedy wasn’t in the mood for idle conversation. So he remained silent.
The sidewalk stretched out before them, the dim glow of the street lamps lighting the way. A gentle breeze swayed the nearly bare branches as they passed beneath the towering oaks and maples. Few lights were on in the quiet homes of the peaceful neighborhood. Friendly Corners was pretty much tucked in for the night. Drake glanced up at the hunter’s moon riding low in the sky. He had traveled far and wide, but the peace and serenity of this small town still caught him by surprise. This was the kind of place where a man could raise a family and feel fairly certain of their well-being. But Drake didn’t have a family of his own, nor did he have any prospects.
Despite his best efforts, his gaze moved to the woman at his side. But Kennedy didn’t want those things at this point in her life. And she sure wouldn’t want them from a wanderer like him. He just did the work he loved, wherever it took him and for however long. And, unfortunately, he had somehow fallen in love with a woman he couldn’t have.
Drake breathed a sigh of relief at his silent admission. No question. He’d fallen in love all right. He had taken Martin’s advice and opted not to live in denial.
The only downside was that now their time together was drawing to an end. Tomorrow they would say their final goodbyes to Kennedy’s friends and family, then prepare to head back to the city. Drake released a heavy breath and cursed himself for the fool he was. He had known from the beginning that this was all make-believe, but that didn’t seem to matter to his yearning heart.
The silence continued as they crossed the sidewalk leading to the front porch of Kennedy’s childhood home. When they reached the steps she suddenly hesitated. She made a couple of false starts before she finally managed to say what was on her mind. Drake waited patiently, trying not to rush her though the little time they had left.
“Can we talk for just a minute before we go inside?”
He settled onto a step and patted the space next to him. “What’s on your mind?” She had already thanked him. What else was there to say?
Kennedy sat down next to him and stared at the sidewalk for a while before she began. “Drake, I’m not sure things will be the same when we get back to D.C.” She wrung her hands in her lap. “I didn’t expect…some of the things that have happened.”
Drake knew what she meant. He had kissed her, almost made love to her. He stared at his own hands and wondered how he could be so dense as not to have seen how all this would affect her.
“Kennedy, I—”
“Let me finish,” she interrupted, “or I won’t be able to say this. And I have to,” she said softly.
Drake gave her his full attention.
“I know you think that just because I’ve never been…with a man like…” She shrugged self-consciously. “You know what I mean.”
He nodded.
“I may not be experienced but I do know my own mind. And I’ve made a decision.”
Drake listened intently to what was to come next, but nothing could have prepared him for Kennedy’s startling announcement.
“I want us to go upstairs and make love.” She turned to him, her gaze steady. She held up a hand to stop him when he would have protested. “That is not up for negotiation, Drake,” she said firmly.
Stunned, he could only look at her.
“Of course, if you can look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t want me, I’ll let you off the hook.”
That was a no-brainer. “You know I want you.”
“And I want you. So what’s the big deal?”
Drake pretended to study the stars to buy some time. “It’s a very big deal,” he said finally. He met her gaze once more. “Making love isn’t something we should take lightly. You obviously know that, since you’ve chosen not to share yourself with anyone. This would be a really big step for y
ou, Kennedy.”
She seemed to consider his words for a bit. “Do you give all your lady friends a speech before you take them to bed?” she asked pointedly.
Well, she had him there. Drake couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. “No,” he admitted reluctantly, “but then I’ve never been propositioned by a virgin before.”
“Kiss me, Drake.”
He hesitated. “Kennedy, I—”
Before he could say more, she reached up and pulled his head down, then pressed her lips to his, her fingers stroking his cheek. She kissed him hard, wantonly. And Drake didn’t want it to end. His fingers found their way to her and he pulled her closer. Need surged through him, fueling the arousal that had started when she’d first awoken him to the first moment he touched her tonight.
There was no way to pretend he didn’t want this…didn’t want her. He wanted her more than he wanted to take his next breath.
At last, Kennedy drew back to catch her breath. Her eyes never leaving his, she stood and offered him her hand. “You said tonight my every wish would be your pleasure. This is my wish.”
And Drake knew he couldn’t deny her anything.
Chapter Nine
Kennedy decided she was as ready as she would ever be and prepared to walk out the bathroom door, across the hall to the man waiting in her bedroom.
To Drake.
She tightened the sash on her robe again and took a deep, cleansing breath. She patted her pocket and refused to consider why her parents kept condoms in the bathroom—or anyplace at all for that matter. It still amazed her that she could have known these people all her life and not really have known them at all. But she was getting off track here. Kennedy took another fortifying breath. She had the condom; she was ready. No point in taking a chance that Drake wasn’t prepared for…this.
Anticipation made her shiver. She closed her eyes and summoned the image of Drake to mind. Heat simmered through her. The idea that she was about to make love with him made her dizzy. Kennedy clutched the knob and opened the door, she walked out of the bathroom and to her room without further hesitation. She wanted this one night with him. When they returned to D.C. things would be different. He had a life and all the girlfriends he wanted. She had her career, and …well, she would have tonight.
Though she couldn’t fully explain the emotions that drove her, she knew in her heart that she felt strongly for Drake. And she wanted to explore those feelings. She wanted to know what it was like to make love with a man like him. A man who could arouse her with just a look. A man whose touch made her tremble.
When Kennedy entered her room, closing the door behind her, Drake turned from the window and her breath caught. He’d shed the belt and boots, but the snug-fitting trousers and the open shirt seemed to display more than if he had been completely naked.
Heat smoldered in his eyes, turning them a deeper, gunmetal gray. Kennedy moistened her lips and summoned a tremulous smile. She walked straight up to him and offered the colorfully packaged condom.
“I thought we might need this.” Her voice quaked a bit, but that was to be expected, wasn’t it? “There’s a whole box under the bathroom sink in case...” she added lamely. “Well, just in case.”
Drake held the small foil packet in his hand a moment before meeting her gaze. He smiled, the gesture almost as tremulous as her own. “I’ll just”—he gestured in the direction of the night table—“put it over here.”
Kennedy watched as he moved to the table and carefully placed the packet there. She was struck again by the sensual way he moved. His tall, lean body made her ache in ways she hadn’t known it could. Her gaze next flitted to the bed. He had turned the cover back. The duct tape had disappeared after their second night together. His doing, no doubt. Kennedy fidgeted nervously with the fuzzy ends of her robe’s sash. What did she do now? Drake started back in her direction and her pulse skittered. He was the one with experience; surely he would take the lead.
“Would you like something to drink?” Her throat felt suddenly too dry.
Drake’s intent gaze almost proved too much, “No. Do you need one?”
She shook her head adamantly. “No, I-I just thought maybe you might.”
Drake sighed. “Kennedy—”
“Food!” She grabbed his hand. “I’m starved. Let’s eat first.”
Drake didn’t resist as Kennedy dragged him down the stairs to the kitchen. She told herself again that she wasn’t stalling. She simply wanted the first time, and the only time with Drake, to be perfect. How could she do her best if she were hungry?
The light over the kitchen sink provided enough illumination for her to gather the makings for a late night snack. She beamed her brightest smile at Drake. “Ham or bologna?”
“Kennedy, we don’t have to do this,” he said gently. He touched his fingers to her lips to quiet her when she started to argue. Drake took her by the waist and lifted her onto the countertop, then braced his hands on either side of her. “It’s okay to change your mind.”
He looked so sweetly sincere. And she wanted him so very much. How could he think she had changed her mind? She was nervous, that was all. Her heart pounded. For the first time in her adult life, Kennedy felt totally hopeless. “I haven’t changed my mind. Just tell me what to do first.”
She wondered for a long moment if he was going to respond, then he answered, “Touch me.”
She hesitated. “Where?”
He took her hand in his and he pressed it to the part of his chest bared by his shirt. “Here.”
Kennedy closed her eyes as she smoothed her palms over the muscled terrain of his powerful chest. He pushed her legs apart and moved in closer, taking her breath away with his nearness. She wanted to open her eyes, but the sensation of touching him absorbed her full concentration.
“And here,” he murmured before he touched her lips with his own.
Kennedy gasped when his trailed down her throat. His mouth moved lower, into the vee created by her robe. Restless with something she could not name, she knew only that she needed to feel more of his skin. Tugging at the hem of his shirt, she pulled it free of his trousers. Drake straightened just long enough for her to jerk the shirt over his head and drop it on the floor.
She trembled with the need rushing through her body as her hands caressed his perfect torso. She teased one small male nipple and he groaned savagely. She remembered how putting her mouth there had pleased him so. She pressed her lips there now, then licked him. His fingers tightened at her waist and his breathing changed, became more rapid.
Drake pushed her shoulders back, and drew her hungry mouth away from his chest. She opened her eyes in question. The intensity in his, the fierce desire, made her heart pound harder.
“My turn.” Her shifted her robe off her shoulders and admired her bare breasts for several long seconds before his mouth descended toward her.
The feel of his hot mouth on her skin was almost more that she could bear. Instinctively she arched her back, thrusting her breasts forward for his full attention. Heat swirled at her center, making her achy and moist. He griped her thighs, pressing his hips closer, but not nearly close enough.
“Drake,” she murmured. “We have to do something now.” She wrapped her legs around his hips and pressed into him. “Now,” she repeated.
As if knowing just what she needed, he slipped his hand between them. One finger dipped inside her. Using his thumb, he pleasured the tiny nub that sent the sensations to the next level. The tightening deep in her center spiraled out of control. Just when she thought she would scream he captured her mouth with his own. His kiss was deep and not for the faint of heart. His tongue delved inside, teasing, learning, urging her to respond. Her arms went around his neck and Kennedy pulled him closer, if that was possible. She wanted him inside her, right now.
She had to touch him the way he was touching her. The rhythmic pulsing of his fingers was driving her mad. Her hands trembling, she fumbled with the fastener to h
is trousers. She wanted to feel him in her hands. Her fingers fumbled awkwardly as he continued to pleasure her with those skilled fingers, until the sensations building inside her suddenly exploded, sending wave after wave of tremors through her. She arched hard against his hand until the waves eased a bit.
What she had just experienced would never be enough.
“I need to be inside you,” he murmured quickly.
“Hurry,” she pleaded.
He lifted her and carried her to the kitchen table. He settled her onto the edge and kissed her lips before releasing her long enough to wrench open his trousers. His eyes intent on hers, he covered her mouth in a hungry kiss as he leaned her down onto the smooth oak top. She worried briefly that her parents might walk in, but then he stroked her again and all rational thought ceased.
Her robe fell open on either side of her, exposing her fully to him. His hand worked that wonderful magic again as first then one then another long finger slid inside her, stretching and stroking. Kennedy trembled in anticipation, but her hips matched his rhythm of their own accord as he thrust ever so gently with his fingers. Just when she thought she would fall apart in his arms once more with nothing more than the touch of his hand, he stopped.
Their ragged breathing the only sound in the room, Kennedy’s eyes flew open. Drake drew back slightly, he looked devastated.
“The condom,” he said in a shaky voice. “It’s upstairs.”
The image of Drake leaving her, running up the stairs to get the condom suddenly flashed before her eyes. Her body was wet and throbbing, aching for release. Kennedy gripped his shoulders and pulled him back down. “Don’t even think about it,” she commanded breathlessly.
He smiled, then brushed a kiss across those tempting lips. His body hummed with desire.
“What are you waiting for?”
He guided himself between her legs, pressing into her, so very slowly. She writhed, unknowingly shaking his ability to hold back long enough for her to climax first. Then Kennedy stilled. Her breath caught in a small, startled gasp, then let go in a rush.