Catch

by Bladon, Deborah

  One said he wanted a celebratory drink at…and I quote, “ That rundown place in Lower Manhattan where we met Chelsey and Kelsey .”

  Another mentioned a bar called The Tin Anchor where Keats drank body shots off a brunette.

  I took down the messages and then cursed under my breath when I hung up the phone.

  I can’t expect anything from Keats but a good time.

  I was worried about falling for him and trapping myself in the same situation I was six years ago when I dated Kollin Raiken, my supervisor at a radio station. He was two years older than me, handsome and charming.

  I fell in love. He said he did too, but when things got complicated, I was dumped. The call from HR telling me I was fired came hours later.

  I was dismissed from my job and his apartment on one of the worst days of my life.

  Taking a deep breath, I climb the steps up to Keats’s front door. I press the bell and hope that I’m not making another mistake.

  Chapter 42

  Keats

  You never know what is waiting around the corner for you.

  Tonight, I’m dressed in my tuxedo, my niece is wearing a pink dress with a hem that skims the floor, and I’m about to open the door to a woman I’m falling hard and fast for.

  I look down at the doorbell app on my phone to see the live stream of Maren standing on my stoop.

  She’s wearing a white dress that stops just below her knee. It’s buttoned up the front with a lace collar.

  She’s clutching a bunch of fresh flowers in her hand. The stems are tied together with a pink ribbon.

  I didn’t think to give Stevie flowers tonight. I’m glad Maren did.

  I want this night to be perfect for both my niece and Maren.

  Stevie comes skipping towards me, wearing flat white shoes. “I heard the doorbell. Are you going to open the door, Keats?”

  Glancing over to where my brother is standing, I wink. “It seems that our special guest has arrived.”

  “It’s Maren.” Stevie jumps up and down in place. “She’s our audience.”

  “What am I?” Berk shoves his hands into the front pockets of his black pants.

  “The best daddy ever.” Stevie blows him a kiss.

  He does the same in return before he looks at me. “Get the door, Keats.”

  I do.

  I walk across the floor and swing open the door.

  A quiet sound escapes Maren as she takes me in. I slicked my hair back tonight, put on my best cologne, and tied my bowtie perfectly.

  “You look great,” she says quietly.

  I smile. “You look better than great.”

  She fists the skirt of her dress. “The ticket said to wear a fancy dress, so I did.”

  “You sure did.” Stevie peeks around me. “You look beautiful.”

  Maren takes a step forward, holding out the pink and white flowers in her hand. “You look like a princess. I brought you these.”

  “For me?” Stevie’s voice quakes. “Really?”

  Berk steps in place beside her. He strokes his hand over her hair. “That was very kind of you, Maren. Thank you.”

  “Yes.” Stevie’s head bounces up and down. “Thank you.”

  Maren sucks in a deep breath. “You’re welcome.”

  “Come and sit.” Stevie grabs hold of Maren’s hand and yanks her forward. “I set up two chairs by the piano. One for daddy and one for you.”

  Maren glances back as she’s pulled toward the living room.

  “You’re falling hard, Keats.” Berk chuckles.

  I don’t argue. How the hell can I argue with the truth? I look at him. “She’s different, Berk.”

  “I see it.” He nods. “Stevie does too.”

  I turn to face him. “Maren is scared.”

  “Why?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know, but I sense it.”

  “If you like her, it’s your job to find out why and then chase those fears away.”

  I can do that. I’ve chased my own fears away since I met Maren. Tonight, I start showing her that there’s nothing for her to be afraid of when it comes to me.

  ***

  Maren and Berk jump to their feet at the same time for a standing ovation.

  Stevie beams in the adoration. She should. She hit every note on the mark. I’ve never heard Mary Had a Little Lamb played at that slow of a tempo, but dammit, it doesn’t matter.

  My star, and only, pupil made me proud.

  “I did good?” She glances up at me. “Did I do it right?”

  I pat the top of her head. “I couldn’t have played it better myself.”

  Her smile tells me that she knows that’s a fib. I’ve been playing the piano since second grade. I was forced to at first. Berk was too, but he switched over to the guitar.

  Since Sinclair doesn’t have a musical bone in her body, my parents insisted I stick with the piano. They didn’t want their investment to go to waste.

  It hasn’t.

  I kept up with the lessons, and when I bought this townhouse, my parents had the piano moved here as a housewarming gift.

  Their granddaughter just belted out a tune tonight during her first private recital. I only wish they could have been here to see it.

  My folks were bit by the same travel bug as my sister. They are currently RVing their way across the southern states.

  By the time they drive back into Manhattan, they will have visited at least one city in every state.

  Stevie yawns. “That was exhausting.”

  Berk, Maren, and I laugh in unison.

  “It’s time to go home to bed.” Berk points at the flowers Maren brought. I put them in a vase I found in a kitchen cupboard before the recital started. “I’ll carry that home if you carry Budley.”

  Stevie turns to me. “You’re the best teacher.”

  “You make it easy. Do you know why?”

  “Because I’m the best student?” She grins.

  I drop to one knee to gather her into my arms. “You’re the best student and the best niece anyone could have.”

  “Will we start on a new song tomorrow?” she asks as she messes up my hair with her fingers.

  “I can’t promise it will be tomorrow.” I kiss her forehead lightly. “But it will be soon.”

  Chapter 43

  Maren

  I watch as Keats closes the door behind his brother and his niece.

  Moments like this make me wish I had a sibling. I’ve often wondered if the bond between siblings is as strong as I imagine it to be. I’m close to Arietta and Bianca, but we didn’t grow up together. We don’t have the shared history that Keats has with his siblings.

  Keats turns back to face me, tugging on the bowtie around his neck. “She did great, didn’t she?”

  I nod in agreement. “I thought it was perfect.”

  “Can I get you anything to drink?” He gestures down the hallway. “I have some wine in the fridge. If you want a cocktail, I can whip up something.”

  I smile. “I’m fine.”

  He rakes a hand through his hair, messing it. “You look beautiful tonight, Maren. I don’t know if I told you that yet.”

  I could see it in his expression every time he glanced at me. “Thank you. You look great too.”

  “Better than the last time you saw me in this tux,” he quips. “I’m sorry about that morning. I’m shocked you didn’t quit.”

  “I am too,” I joke.

  “I know I’m not the easiest guy in the world to work for.” He steps closer to me. “I’ve never had an assistant who felt like my partner before.”

  That’s an unexpected compliment.

  “It feels like I’m your partner?”

  He takes a step closer to me. “Maybe I’m bullshitting myself, but from where I’m standing, you’re as invested in signing Fletcher to a contract as I am.”

  “You swore,” I say, following his lead and narrowing the distance between us with a step too. “I want you to sign him, Keats.”
<
br />   “Us.” His gaze drops to my lips. “You want us to sign him.”

  I nod because I do want that. I want us to be us. I want it to go beyond a contract or a business deal.

  Silently, he steps forward until we’re mere inches apart.

  “Maren.” My name escapes him wrapped in a sigh.

  Trying to calm down, I take a deep breath. I want to savor this moment because I know what’s about to happen.

  “I want you.”

  My eyes widen at the raw abandonment in his voice and fierce need in his eyes.

  I see the want in him. I feel it in me.

  “If I’m out of line, tell me,” he groans out. “Tell me to go to hell and leave you the fuck alone.”

  I tell him, but it’s not with words.

  Instead, I lean forward, rest my palm against the center of his chest, and press my lips to his.

  ***

  The light from the hallway is enough that I can see Keats as he strips at the foot of his bed.

  I’m still dressed.

  He brought me up to his bedroom after we kissed.

  As he rested his forehead against mine, he whispered that we’d only do what I’m comfortable with.

  I want it all.

  I want him.

  I watch as he slides the shirt from his shoulders.

  His chest is covered with a light dusting of dark hair. His body is as sculpted as I imagined it would be.

  He drops his hands to his pants. I should look away, but I’m transfixed. His eyes haven’t left me.

  This might not be a slow striptease, but it’s pushing me closer to the edge already. My hands are trailing over my stomach. The need in my core is so intense that I’m tempted to slide my hand into my lace panties and bring myself to orgasm.

  I watch his chest move on a deep exhale when he pushes his pants, and then his boxer briefs down.

  My gaze travels over his body, stopping to admire how hard he is already. I bite my lip to ward off the moan that’s trying to escape.

  He drops his hands on the bed. “Tell me you want me, Maren.”

  I nod.

  “Tell me,” he orders as he climbs on the bed.

  His legs edge between mine. I feel the brush of his cock against my bare skin.

  “I want you,” I whisper.

  He stops. “Say it again.”

  “I want you,” I mewl. “So much.”

  His head dips, and I almost scream when I feel his lips skim over my thigh. “Spread your legs, beautiful. I want a taste.”

  With shaking knees, I do as he asks.

  My hand drops to his hair when he licks a path over my hip. I edge my ass off the bed as he gently slides my panties down, and when his tongue touches my flesh, I let out a moan that is so deep and filled with raw need that he groans.

  I come quickly and violently, jerking with the spasms of pleasure that roll through me.

  “Keats,” I call out his name as a plea for more.

  I want more.

  “Yes. Yes,” he chants as he slides one finger into my slick channel. “That was only the beginning. I’ll give you what you need. I’ll give you everything.”

  Chapter 44

  Maren

  Keats undresses me with such tenderness that it almost brings a tear to my eye.

  He kisses the skin he uncovers as he unbuttons the front of my dress before he gently tugs it over my head. When he unclasps the front of my bra, he presses his lips to the soft spot between my breasts, taking a moment to breathe in the scent of my skin.

  “You smell like heaven,” he whispers. “Heaven and home.”

  The solitary tear that’s perched in the corner of my eye slides down my cheek. I chase it away with a brush of my hand.

  I’m freefalling.

  I thought I could control my heart, but that was a fool’s wish.

  My intimate experiences have never been like this. There was always a rush to the main event, a sprint toward an orgasm.

  Keats is different. He’s taking his time and showing me that every second of this encounter is important to him.

  I feel treasured in a way I never have before.

  His lips run a path over my neck before they rest on my cheek. “I want to fuck you, Maren.”

  I turn toward him, resting my hand on his shoulder as I stare into his eyes. “I want that.”

  His gaze drops to my lips. “I’ve never met anyone like you. Your body is as beautiful as your soul.”

  Sliding my hand from his shoulder to the back of his head, I smile. “I have a beautiful soul?”

  He nods. “You do.”

  “Tomorrow,” I start on a stuttered breath.

  “Tomorrow, nothing will change,” he interrupts before he kisses me softly. “I’ll still think you’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met.”

  I let my fears slide away as I stare into his vibrant green eyes.

  He moves slightly, and I feel the plush crown of his cock brush against my hip.

  I want him. I want this experience more than I’ve wanted anything, so I kiss him softly. “Get a condom, Keats.”

  His eyes widen. “Fuck.”

  “You swore.” I press my body against his. “You owe a hundred more.”

  He tosses his head back in a chuckle. “I might as well write a check for ten grand right now because I’m going to lose it the second my cock slides into your sweet, tight pussy.”

  I drop my head. Desire pulses through me. “Keats.”

  He tips my chin up with his fingertip until our eyes meet. “I want you, Maren. I’ll tell you every fucking chance I get.”

  “Show me,” I say. “Show me, Keats.”

  ***

  When he pushes inside me for the first time, the grit in his voice sets my body in motion.

  I curl around him. My hands dive into the thick, black hair on his head. My legs circle his big, muscular body.

  He responds with another series of words that I can’t comprehend. Words that are spoken out of need and sheer determination.

  He’s trying to keep it together.

  The short pulses of his hips as he works to slide in drag me closer to the edge of an orgasm.

  I can’t come if he’s not completely inside of me. I can’t. I won’t.

  He’s bigger than anyone I’ve ever been with. The fullness of his cock in my pussy is enough to steal my breath away.

  He cups a hand under my ass. “You’re so goddamn tight.”

  I open my mouth, but the only thing that spills out is a moan.

  The next push fills me. The sound comes from him this time. It’s a low-tone growl of approval.

  “Fuck, Maren.” He ups his tempo. “Shit. So good. So goddamn good.”

  He fucks me hard. Each thrust a testament to his need for me.

  I cry out when his teeth find my nipple, and when I come, I crash into a wall of pleasure so intense that I lose myself. I lose all rational thought, and I scream his name over and over.

  “So beautiful.” He breathes the word over the skin of my neck as he fucks me slowly through my climax.

  “Again, Maren,” he bites out before I can catch my breath again. “I want another before I take mine.”

  The command is enough to send me straight into another orgasm as I writhe beneath him. He follows with a series of deep, slow thrusts before he comes with a toss of his head back and a hard groan.

  Chapter 45

  Keats

  I woke with a sore body and a full heart.

  My bed was empty. I must have drifted off after I fucked Maren. I held her close as soon as I tied off the condom and tossed it in a waste can in the corner of my bedroom.

  Her breathing leveled off as I ran my fingers through her hair.

  I whispered that I was the luckiest son-of-a-bitch on the planet. In a sleepy voice, she reminded me that I was breaking the rules by swearing.

  I broke every one of my goddamn rules last night when I took her to bed.

  I promised myse
lf I’d never fuck anyone I was falling for again.

  The one and only time I let emotions lead me, I ended up alone in this townhouse wishing for a future that never transpired.

  I swing my legs over the side of the bed and catch wind of the smell of coffee.

  Maren must have wandered downstairs to put on a pot for us. I’ll whip up some heart-shaped pancakes and then bring her up here for another round.

  After I run my hand through my hair, I slide on a pair of sweatpants.

  A thorough brush of my teeth follows a quick splash of cold water on my face.

  I looked well-fucked and happy.

  Jesus, do I look happy.

  I smile at the lucky bastard in the mirror and silently remind him to pace himself. I may be feeling things for Maren that I’ve never felt before, but I can keep that to myself until the time is right.

  I take the stairs two at a time as I race to kiss her.

  That’s my first task.

  I’m going to pick her up, swing her in the air and then dip her down for a kiss, a slow, lingering kiss that will set her on fire.

  “Good morning, beautiful,” I sing as I sprint into the kitchen.

  “Since when do you call me beautiful?”

  My mouth falls open as I stare at my brother. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  My hand slams over my lips once I realize I swore.

  I look around the kitchen for Stevie.

  “She’s at school,” Berk says as he sips from a cup of coffee.

  “School?” I question. “This early.”

  “It’s almost nine.”

  My gaze shoots to the digital time displayed on the microwave on the counter. “Holy carp. I’m late.”

  “Carp?” Berk chuckles. “That’s a saver. I’m stealing that one.”

  I cross the kitchen to pour myself a coffee. “Why are you even here?”

  “Stevie and I saw Maren.”

  That turns me around to face him. “When?”