When the hot air balloon finally landed, their early morning ride ending with a decadent breakfast of champagne, strawberries and freshly baked croissants, Matthew was still holding tight to Katrina, their love for each other shimmering like gold between them.
At the entrance to the hotel, Matthew suddenly swept her off her feet, lifting her into his arms. Katrina’s eyes widened in surprise as he carried her through the hotel lobby and into one of the waiting elevators. As the elevator door hid them from prying eyes, he kissed her boldly. He kissed her and marveled at the sheer beauty of it.
With her arms wrapped around his neck, Katrina kissed him back, desire rising like the morning mist. She could feel that everything between them had changed, becoming stronger, fuller, more intense, and she was enthralled by the magnitude of it all. It was a new day, and a new start, and together they could only just begin to imagine the possibilities.
Chapter 18
Katrina was anxious to be done with court, but the prosecuting attorney was dragging out his summation. In the back of the courtroom, Matthew had locked his stare on her, completely oblivious to the case that was playing out in the courtroom. She struggled to avoid his eyes, not wanting to draw any attention to the fact that she was more focused on Matthew, and the words he’d whispered into her ear before the session started, than on the case at hand.
She shook her head from side to side and took a deep breath. It had been three weeks since they’d returned from Paris. They’d spent the past twenty days negotiating how to navigate their relationship. Matthew was ready for them to commit, wanting her and Collin to move in with him. Katrina wasn’t ready to push Collin, her son clearly not amenable to her and Matthew being in a relationship. In fact, the boy had become even more rude and ill-tempered than before, making it quite clear that he had no want of a stepdaddy. Her home had become battleground central for his teenage angst, and she wasn’t ready to put Matthew through the tribulations of that.
She glanced up to see Matthew still staring at her, a smug expression painted across his face. A wave of heat spiked from the core of her feminine quadrant, and she pressed her knees together to still the urgent wanting. Matthew had called her early that morning, his tone teasing. He’d promised that he would be there to watch her in action, and he’d shown up just as promised. Behind the locked door of her office, Matthew had kissed her passionately, leaving her weak in the knees and wanting more. Before she knew it, she’d been stripped out of her clothes, her plaid skirt and white blouse draped meticulously over the leather upholstered chair. As she sat on the edge of the mahogany desk, her legs parted just so, Matthew had teased and taunted her femininity, his fingers stroking that sweet spot between her legs as he nuzzled delicate kisses against her neck.
She’d been a penny shy of unzipping his pants and releasing him from his shorts when the court clerk knocked on the door to announce that court was in session. The interruption had thrown her completely for a loop, and it had been compounded by Matthew pausing to whisper in her ear that he couldn’t wait “to taste her.”
There had been no time for her to re-dress, and now she sat in her judicial robe, with nothing on beneath it but a red G-string, lace-topped stockings and her conservative black pumps. Matthew knew it, and his stare indicated he fully intended to take advantage of such the moment court was concluded. Katrina’s eyes widened as he pushed his tongue past the line of his full lips and licked them slowly, the gesture deliberate and teasing.
“The prosecution rests, Your Honor!”
Katrina nodded, her mind shifting from her dazed thoughts back to the suited attorney standing before her. “Thank you, Counselor.” She turned to the defense table. “Mr. Hayward, are you and your client ready to present your defense?”
“Yes, Your Honor. We are.”
“Then I suggest we take a short recess and break for lunch. We will resume in one hour with your first witness,” she said as she came to her feet.
“All rise!”
By the time she’d stopped by her clerk’s desk to pass him her files and wish him a good afternoon meal, Matthew had made his way back to her chambers. She’d barely gotten the door locked behind them before he swept her into his arms, his lips meeting hers in a fervent kiss.
When they came up for air, Katrina laughed heartily. “You are not funny, Mr. Stallion. Not one little bit.”
Matthew laughed with her. “I really wasn’t trying to be,” he said, “but your reaction has been priceless.”
“I’d have been able to get my clothes back on if you hadn’t tossed them into the closet and opened the office door.”
Grinning like a cat with a mouthful of canary, he said, “I know. I didn’t want you to put them back on. Do you know how sexy it is knowing that you are practically buck naked under that robe, Judge? I’ve been hard just thinking about it,” he said, his seductive voice dropping an octave.
Katrina smiled smugly, her hand dropping to the front of his pants. “I just bet,” she said, squeezing him boldly. “But I’m supposed to be working, and you are seriously distracting me!”
“Mmmm,” Matthew hummed. “Yes, but you know you want to take the risk. Go on, girl! Be a little bad!” he said, leaning forward to whisper into her ear, his hands pressed against her shoulders.
Katrina placed a hand against Matthew’s chest and pushed him down on the cushioned sofa. His smile was wide as he sat back, Katrina pushing his legs open with her own as she dropped down to her knees between his. He felt a twitch in the basket of his pants, jets of heat coursing through his bloodstream. His gaze locked with hers as she slowly undid the clasp to his belt and drew down his zipper.
Katrina slipped a warm hand into his pants, boldly clasping his erection in her palm. He was rock hard, his pulse throbbing in the taut muscle. A gentle groan eased past his lips as Matthew tossed his head back, his eyes shut tight. He lifted his hips to allow Katrina to pull his pants from his buttocks and down his thighs. She pushed the wealth of fabric to the floor around his feet.
His manhood waved free, eager for attention. The appendage was a rod of solid steel. His expression was coy and taunting, his eyes simmering with desire. When Katrina lowered her lips to him, sucking him in slowly, he felt as if he were ready to bust from the inside out.
Matthew felt himself becoming more and more heated beneath Katrina’s ministrations. It was the sweetest sensation as she milked him gently, intent on bringing him to climax. Both marveled at how she worked him until he swelled even fuller. He moaned and made a grunt of pleasure as he spread his legs wider, allowing her full access to every square inch of his manhood.
Matthew was nearing a point of no return when Katrina sheathed him with a condom, then lifted herself from the floor, turned around and backed herself up against him. She tossed an alluring glance over her shoulder, meeting his gaze. As he grabbed her hips and ground his pelvis against the cushion of her ass, his breath caught deep in his broad chest.
Centering herself in position, Katrina gripped him tightly as she lowered herself slowly down onto his shaft. Intense ecstasy rippled through them both as Katrina rode him steadily, bouncing up and down against him. She gripped his upper thighs tightly, her body pulling and pushing him as she rode herself into a state of unrivaled bliss. Beneath her Matthew was pumping himself in and out of her, his hands clutching her hips and waist. He was enjoying the moment immensely, Katrina on him like a rodeo cowboy, and then she dropped herself down hard, her inner walls like a vise around him. The sensation was overwhelming, and all he could think of was how much he wanted to plow deeply into her.
Unable to take much more, Matthew wrapped one arm around her waist and the other around her torso. He lifted himself and her up, rolling her onto her back and down on the sofa’s cushion. He planted himself firmly back inside of her, then clutched her hips as he pulled himself backward an
d shoved himself back in. Katrina moaned with pleasure, a look of pure delight on her face, as he stroked harder and faster. And then he exploded, spilling himself deep inside of her, fighting not to scream out loud as they both erupted in orgasm.
* * *
It had felt like forever before the couple both stopped panting heavily, gasping for cool air to stall the swell of heat that had consumed them. Sweat beaded across Matthew’s brow, and a line of perspiration trickled between Katrina’s breasts. When she was breathing normally, she reached for Matthew’s wrist and the diamond-encrusted watch that adorned it. Making note of the time, she shook her head from side to side. She had all of fifteen minutes to regain some semblance of decency before she had to return to the judicial bench, and Matthew wasn’t making that easy with the way they were wrapped so warmly around each other. He hugged her tightly as he pressed a damp kiss to the side of her face.
“I have to wash up and get back to work,” Katrina said, untangling her limbs from his and moving into the bathroom that adjoined her office.
“Wouldn’t you rather stay right here?” Matthew asked, leaning up on his arms, his naked body stretched across the length of the upholstery.
Inside the bathroom Katrina giggled, the running water muffling her words. “Can you imagine the scandal? I’m sure after they called a mistrial, someone would insist on my disbarment, while you’d be able to run right on down to the country club and gloat to all the boys, who would be slapping you on the back and congratulating you on your conquest.”
“I wouldn’t gloat.”
Katrina poked her head out, laughing heartily. “Sure you wouldn’t!”
Matthew laughed with her. “What kind of man do you take me for, Your Honor?”
“A man who can get away with getting a little afternoon delight, with no one batting an eyelash at him for doing so.”
“And you can’t?”
“Not without folks looking at me funny.”
Matthew moved into the bathroom and stood beside her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing the back of her neck. “Well, I’d have to argue against that theory, Judge. ’Cause you just got yourself some really, really good afternoon delight and I have no doubts that you’re going to be sitting up on that bench just gloating all over the place this afternoon.”
Katrina leaned back against his chest, pondering their reflection in the mirror above the small sink. She smiled, a broad grin spreading across her face, and then she laughed out loud, self-satisfaction washing over her spirit.
* * *
The evening ride was uneventful. Katrina navigated her car from the courthouse to her home the way she did every other day of the week. But today she was feeling different. She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face, the Cheshire-cat grin giving away every hint of a secret that she might have wanted to keep hidden.
Matthew had been right. She’d sat through the entire afternoon court session wallowing in the sheer joy of her good time with the man. It had been a challenge to keep the smirk off her face, and both the defense attorney and the state’s prosecutor had eyed her strangely more than once. She’d been too pleased when it was time to conclude, opting to recess for the afternoon and resume testimony the following day. And now she was headed home, content and satisfied, nothing and no one able to ruin her good mood.
Matthew had left her a dozen text messages throughout the afternoon, little notes professing his love and adoration for her. They had left her giggly, riding an emotional high, and Katrina couldn’t imagine feeling any giddier. And then she pulled her car into her driveway to find his car already parked in front of her garage. If it had been possible, her grin would have widened even further.
Matthew hadn’t said anything about meeting her. She couldn’t begin to imagine what he was doing there. She glanced up to Collin’s bedroom window. There was no light coming from inside. She’d spoken to the boy earlier, as he was heading to the ranch to fulfill his obligation. He’d been ecstatic about riding the horses and hanging out at the stables. No one had called to say anything was wrong, and she didn’t want to imagine any antic her son might have tried causing any problems.
Letting herself inside, she called out warily. “Hello? Collin? Matthew?”
Matthew poked his head out of her kitchen. “Hey, beautiful. It’s just me. Collin is at the ranch with the family. He’s going to watch the football game with my brothers. I borrowed his key to let myself in. I hope you don’t mind.” He smiled broadly as he moved to her side, swiping his hands against a kitchen towel. He leaned forward to kiss her lips.
“No, I don’t mind at all,” Katrina responded, still taken by surprise.
Matthew smiled at her sweetly. “Dinner is almost ready. Why don’t you go upstairs and change into something comfortable. By the time you come back down, the food should be ready to eat.”
She eyed him with surprise. “You cooked? I didn’t know you could cook.”
He laughed. “Why do you say that like you’re surprised?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I really don’t know,” she said with a soft giggle. “I just am.”
He kissed her again. “Well, hurry back. We’re eating my famous linguine and clam sauce.”
Katrina purred. “Mmm… That sounds good.”
Matthew tapped her on her backside and pointed her in the direction of the stairs. “It tastes great. Now, hurry back while I put the garlic toast in the oven.”
Katrina stood staring after him as Matthew moved back into her kitchen, disappearing from view. A warm smile blessed her face. She liked having a man to come home to. She’d never realized just how much. Moving up the stairs to her bedroom, she dropped down against the mattress, kicking off her high-heeled shoes. Thoughts of Matthew downstairs, puttering around in her kitchen, warmed her spirit. She felt full and content, and she found herself wanting it to last forever.
Minutes later she had tossed on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top and had pulled her hair back into a casual ponytail. Downstairs the sweet aroma of comfort food tantalized her senses. Matthew had set her dining-room table for two, her best china and crystal adorning the tabletop. Two pillar candles burned softly, and a low arrangement of fresh flowers complemented the decor.
“This is beautiful,” she said as he pulled out a chair and gestured for her to take a seat. “Spectacularly beautiful,” she added for emphasis.
“I’m glad you’re pleased,” Matthew answered with a soft smile. He moved back to the kitchen and returned swiftly with two platters of food in his hands. As Katrina watched, he used a pair of tongs to dish up plates of salad for their first course.
“Bon appétit!” he said.
Taking the first bite, Katrina realized she was hungry, not having had anything to eat since her cup of coffee and two slices of buttered toast that morning. Lunch had proven to be nourishment of a sensual kind, so as she took a forkful of baby spinach and romaine lettuce with a mix of cranberries, mandarin oranges, sweetened almonds and feta cheese, she was suddenly famished.
“Oh, my gosh, this is good!” she gushed after savoring the medley of flavors with the light balsamic vinaigrette.
Matthew grinned. “You keep saying that like you expected it to be bad! Woman, I told you I could cook.”
The rest of the meal proved him true to his word as Katrina savored the linguine with its creamy sauce of garlic, mushrooms and clams.
“So how was your day?” Katrina asked as she sat back in her chair, her stomach full. She took a sip of the white wine in her crystal glass.
Matthew was savoring his own drink. “Actually it was quite productive. We had a great staff meeting this morning. And I spent the afternoon at the ranch, working with the kids. And you know what I did for lunch,” he said, his eyebrows raised.
Katrina laughed. “Yes, I
do.”
“So, how about your day? Did you convict or not?”
“I’m still taking testimony. We reconvene in the morning.”
“Maybe I should stop by to observe—”
“Maybe not,” Katrina interrupted.
Matthew eyed her teasingly. “No more afternoon delight?”
“Not when I’m in the middle of a trial. It’s not very professional.”
Matthew snapped his fingers. “Shucks!”
The couple burst out laughing together.
“So what’s for dessert?” Katrina asked.
“Woman, didn’t you get enough food? That’s some appetite you have.”
“Don’t you worry about my appetite. You can’t tease me with a great meal and not give me any dessert. You just can’t do it,” Katrina said with a shrug of her shoulders.
Matthew’s head waved from side to side. He rose from his seat, extending his hand in Katrina’s direction. “Come on, then. You need to help.”
As he slipped his fingers between hers, Katrina let him lead her back to the kitchen. She leaned across the center island as she watched him pull a frying pan from her cabinet. Setting it on the stove, he tossed in cherries, a pat of butter and a half cup of brown sugar and began to heat the mixture over the gas burner.
“So, how do I help?” she asked as he slowly stirred the fruit mixture.
“Fill two large glasses with vanilla ice cream,” Matthew said, pointing at the refrigerator.
Following his instructions, Katrina grabbed a new container of Breyers ice cream from her freezer. When she was finished filling two oversize goblets, she stood with one hand on her hip, waiting for Matthew’s next instructions.
“Do you have any brandy?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.
Katrina smiled as she reached into the upper cabinet where she stored her alcohol.
Seduced by a Stallion Page 14