She looked at the stone-and-stucco, two-story home, similar to a Craftsman-style, but on a huge scale. He helped her out of the car, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go inside. This had been where Kase lived with his wife for the past five years. Laurel could almost understand why he’d left her behind. She wouldn’t fit in here.
“Johanna was the one who picked out this house. I just went along with her choice.”
She stared at the twelve-foot-high dark wood doors and released a breath. “It’s a little overpowering. I can understand why Addy was scared.”
“I don’t want to live here, either, not back then and not today especially. That’s why I’m selling this place, and moving on with Addy. Our lives are back in Hidden Springs.”
She wanted to believe him, but her doubt lingered. After this lavish lifestyle, could Kase be happy on the small ranch?
“If you’d rather go back to the hotel, I’ll reschedule with the Realtor...”
“No, I’m curious. It’s lovely.”
He slipped his hand over hers and together they walked up to the house. He took out a key, unlocked the door and swung it open. She went in first, and he followed behind. After dealing with the security system, he returned to her. She looked down at the planked hardwood floors of the massive entry that led to a sweeping open staircase. Off to her left, there was a sunken living room with a floor-to-ceiling limestone fireplace.
“Wow. You could get lost in here.”
Even though there was furniture in all the rooms, the place echoed not just with their voices, but also with emptiness. This wasn’t a home. It was a showplace.
He nodded. “I know. When I came home from work, I usually stayed in the back of the house.” He took her hand and tugged her past the staircase to an open kitchen and family room with another fireplace. Besides a bathroom, there was a den with a large desk.
“I worked in here.”
His gaze locked on hers, as if waiting for some sort of reaction. “If you like, I’ll take you upstairs to look around.”
She shook her head. “I think I’ve seen all I need to see.” She went into the kitchen and ran a hand over the smooth marble countertops. “My mother would love this room.” A huge side-by-side refrigerator glistened in the sunlight coming through the French doors.
“The place is like new. Johanna never cooked, not for me anyway. Mary Beth fixed meals for Addy.”
“It seems like such a shame to let all this space go to waste.”
He went to her and pulled her into his arms. “It took me a lot of years, Laurel, but I realize now what I thought I wanted wasn’t all this.” His gaze moved to hers, and the silver depths held her attention. “Sometimes it takes a long time to realize that everything I really wanted was right in front of me all along.”
* * *
AT EIGHT O’CLOCK that evening, Laurel stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom, eyeing the simple black skirt that hit her just below the knees. A sleeveless rose-colored silk shirt draped over her breasts and was cinched at the waist with a silver belt. She slipped on a sheer off-white sweater. She wore her hair down and her ears were adorned with silver hoops.
Satisfied with the results, she stepped into a pair of black sandals and grabbed her purse off the bed. After she released a nervous breath, she headed into the sitting room to once again find Kase standing at the window, the Denver skyline glistening as a backdrop.
He wore slate-gray slacks and a black linen shirt. She liked this look on him as much as him in jeans and boots.
He turned around and his gaze slowly moved over her, from the top of her head down to her painted toes.
She had trouble breathing.
“You look amazing.” He walked over and kissed her, slow and tender but with enough sizzle to get her humming. He broke off the kiss. “You have no idea how much I want to keep you right here.”
She found she’d been thinking about the same thing since this trip began. “If you’d rather not, we don’t have to go out.”
He groaned. “Oh, yes, we do. At the least, we both need to eat.” He took her hand and they headed out the door.
They rode the elevator down and crossed the lobby to the Palace Arms Restaurant. The hostess met them at the entrance. “We’ve been expecting you, Mr. Rawlins and Miss Quinn.”
The young girl escorted them through the restaurant to a corner table. Kase pulled out Laurel’s chair, then sat next to her.
She had trouble holding back her excitement. She hadn’t been on a date in a while, and she’d never been taken to places like this. Even with Jack, they usually hung out in her apartment, or had gone to a movie. So this was how grown-ups did things?
“Oh, Kase, this is a lovely place.”
“I hope you like the food here.”
Two glasses of water were delivered along with menus. Once the waiter left, she said, “Kase, you don’t need to impress me with extravagant hotels and restaurants. I enjoy just being with you. Of course, your sweet little girl is a nice bonus.”
He paused, leaning closer. She could see that silver glint in his eyes. “So it’s not me, it’s my child who has you so attentive.”
She laughed, not wanting to rattle off all his attributes. She sobered, feeling his heat, inhaling his woodsy scent and loving that he was so close. “Maybe I’ll tell you later.”
He gave her a slow, sexy smile and she found she was about to give him anything he wanted, her body and soul. She’d never felt this way before.
“Let’s see if I can change your mind.”
Kase ordered a bottle of wine as Laurel looked around the room. There were several couples dining. Young and old, they seemed comfortable in their surroundings, enjoying each other’s company.
She sighed and looked at Kase. Suddenly, doubts hit her, and she felt tongue-tied over what to talk about. What did he expect from her? This night was for them, without Addy between them.
The waiter poured the white wine into Kase’s glass. He sampled it, then nodded his approval. Once her glass was filled, Laurel took a quick sip.
She glanced up and saw Kase’s gaze on her. “Is there something on my face?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I just love looking at you.”
She took another drink, hoping the alcohol would take effect. “I like looking at you, too,” she admitted.
He smiled and took her hand. Bringing it to his lips, he kissed her fingertips. “I’m glad.”
She enjoyed the warmth of his hand. “Thank you for bringing me here, Kase. The hotel and restaurant are...lovely, amazingly beautiful. I just can’t think of enough adjectives to describe all this.”
“I’m glad you like it here. I wanted this time to be good for all of us. And I’m not going to mention my daughter’s name because this evening is just for us.”
Laurel couldn’t help but smile. “I agree, but I’ll say one thing about she-who-shall-not-be-named, she was a hoot yesterday at the aquarium. And I loved sharing it with her. Thank you for bringing me along.”
“What about me? Do you like being with me, too?”
His eyes were a bright silver hue, and she felt a little tongue-tied. She blamed it on the wine. “Of course I enjoyed being with you.” She knew she was admitting a lot, but she didn’t care.
“And I loved being with both of my girls.”
He leaned forward, just inches from her face. “Your mouth is sexy. If we were alone, I would be kissing you by now.”
Laurel took another drink of wine to help her dry throat. If this was a dream, she wanted it to keep going, and never wake up.
“Yours isn’t so bad, either.”
He grinned, and her heart went speeding off. Could he hear it pounding?
“We should prob
ably eat something. Wine on an empty stomach isn’t wise.” He motioned for the waiter. Immediately the young man appeared and they both ordered green salads, and for the main course, beef Wellington.
A breadbasket suddenly arrived on the table. Laurel began to nibble away while listening to Kase’s plans for the ranch.
“Dad is a proud man, so any of the changes and repairs, I have to do slowly while trying to convince him they’re needed. I’ve repaired several stalls in the horse barn, but what I’d like to do is build another barn, and buy more quality breeding stock.”
She giggled. “Well, if you get the mares, I have the stud.”
Kase’s gut tightened as he watched Laurel smile. She was so beautiful. He knew she was nervous the moment they sat down. This had to be awkward for her, but she fit in perfectly for him.
He shook his head. “I think I’ll wait until I see what that wild stallion of yours has produced before we do a repeat.”
“You know, I really tried to stop Wind that day,” she said.
“And that would have been reckless,” he said. “You know better than to get in the middle of breeding animals. You could have been trampled.”
She shook her head. “Wind would never hurt me.”
“That day, your stallion had one thing on his mind.”
She smiled innocently at him. “Don’t most males?”
He started to argue, but he had nothing, especially if she knew what he was thinking right now.
* * *
TWO HOURS LATER, full from dinner, they walked a few blocks to a small piano bar where a female singer, Caitlin, performed everything from old forties songs to classic country.
The room was dimly lit and filled with couples more interested in each other than the entertainment.
Kase looked at Laurel across the cozy booth. She was drinking ginger ale with lime, and he had a beer. He’d suggested coming here because he didn’t want their evening to end.
“Enjoying yourself?” he asked.
She smiled. “Yes, very much. She has such a pretty voice.”
He leaned close and spoke in her ear. “I’m enjoying just being with you...”
She looked at him, her eyes dark with desire. The music started and Caitlin began a Celine Dion song, “Have You Ever Been in Love.”
Kase placed his arm around Laurel’s shoulders and pulled her against him. “I like to feel you close, Laurel.” He kissed her gently, tenderly, as the singer crooned words he wished he had the right to say.
He felt Laurel shiver and his body stirred to life. “I want you, Laurel, more than I’ve ever wanted anyone...ever.”
He watched her swallow hard. “I want you, too, Kase.”
It was his turn to swallow, his throat suddenly dry. “I want to take you back to the hotel...if you’re ready.”
She touched his face. “I’ve been ready for a long time.”
Chapter Twelve
Around eleven o’clock, Kase took Laurel by the hand as they walked through the hotel doors and silently crossed the lobby to the elevators. The place was quiet, but the staff still greeted them. Those had been the only words spoken so as not to break the spell as they rode upstairs to their suite.
Alone in the elevator, Kase fought to keep from grabbing hold of Laurel. He managed to corral his hunger and escorted her down the hall. Once he opened the suite door, Laurel walked in ahead of him. He suddenly couldn’t wait any longer and reached for her. He hesitated only to see if she wanted him to go on. “I’m leaving this up to you, Laurel. If you’ve changed your mind, just walk into your room. I won’t push you into anything.”
She raised up on her toes and placed a soft kiss on his lips, then met him eye to eye. “I want you, Kase.” Her voice was laced with need. “I’ve always wanted you.”
She pulled his mouth back down to hers. This time the kiss was more demanding, driving his own hunger.
“You got me.” He scooped her into his arms and carried her into his room. Once he set her down beside the bed, he bent and captured her mouth again and again. Although it nearly killed him, he wanted to savor this time, tasting, then delving into a deep kiss that drugged his senses.
A slow heat began burning through his body and he couldn’t find a way to stop it. His lips traveled down the curve of her neck, feeling the throbbing pulse.
“I think we have too many clothes on.” He tugged her sweater off her and tossed it on the chair. Next came her top. He tugged the fabric from the waistband of her skirt and up over her head, leaving her in a sheer lace bra.
He swallowed back the dryness. “Oh, Lord, you’re beautiful.”
“Not what you expected a cowgirl to wear?”
“It’s a nice surprise.”
“I like surprises, too.” Laurel stepped in and began to unbutton his shirt, then removed it, and her hands were on his chest, next her mouth.
He groaned and closed his eyes as she placed soft kisses along his skin. He shivered and managed to tolerate the exquisite agony. He finally put a stop to it. “My turn.”
Capturing her wrists firmly in one hand, he trailed his finger along her lips, continuing down her throat, raising goose bumps along the way as he unhooked her bra in the front, then continued the journey, gliding his fingers over her exposed flesh.
“Beautiful...” he breathed, then leaned down and captured her puckered nipple in his mouth.
Laurel was unraveling as she held Kase’s head to her breasts. Slow, silky moans escaped her throat. She loved his hands on her and was quickly becoming frantic with need.
Her heart pounding in her ears, she broke his hold and unfastened her skirt, allowing it to drop to the floor. That left her in only her panties and sandals and a lot of goose bumps. She locked on his gaze, his eyes smoky with desire.
He reached for his belt and removed it, kicked off his shoes, then came his trousers. Once he was in his boxers, he pulled the covers back, then he laid her down on the cool sheet.
She cupped his face. “Make love to me, Kase.”
“Oh, baby, I plan to.”
“Please, hurry.” She raised her body against his and he released a groan, then began to trail kisses down her body, paying special attention to her breasts.
Kase raised his head, then lifted his body over hers and paused. “Look at me, Laurel,” he said in a husky voice. “I want to see your face.”
Laurel obeyed, and a soft groan escaped her lips as she felt her body arch toward his. She breathed his name and they became one...and he took her to heaven.
* * *
KASE BLINKED AT the emotion that caught him off guard. He was speechless as to what had just happened between them. He tucked her close to his side, not ready to let her go.
“Are you all right?” he finally asked her.
He felt her smile against his chest and she nodded. “Better than,” she told him.
“Better than what?”
She braced her hands on his chest and lifted her head. “Oh, maybe Christmas morning, my mother’s apple pie, best day of training, a new foal being born.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, so maybe I needed my ego stroked a little.”
In the dim light, he watched as she turned serious. “I’ve never made love like that, Kase. Ever. No other man has made me feel like you do. How is that?”
He pulled her up to his body and kissed her. He’d never been this happy, and if only things were resolved with Addy, this weekend might have a different outcome. Right now, he had to remain silent with any promises.
Laurel turned serious. “Now I’m going to ask you. Are you all right?”
“How can I not be?” He locked his gaze on her. “I just made love to a beautiful woman I care for very much.”
He held her close, enjoying the af
termath of their loving. It didn’t take long for the outside world to intrude, and his thoughts turned to his daughter.
Laurel raised her head. “It’s hard not to think about her.”
He started to speak, but she stopped him. “It’s okay, really. I’m thinking about Addy, too.” She pressed a kiss against his lips. “That little girl means a lot to me, too. And whatever the judge comes back with tomorrow, I’ll be there with you and Addy. I’ll do anything to help you keep that little girl. She needs her daddy in her life.”
His heart bursting, Kase rolled over and placed Laurel under him. He brushed away strands of hair from her face. He kissed the corner of her mouth, then the middle and the other side. “You’re incredible, Laurel. I have many regrets in my life, and you are the biggest one. I should have never pushed you away.”
She placed a finger over his mouth. “No regrets tonight. There’s just you and me. And we’re together right now. That’s all that matters.”
The moment took on a feeling that left him lighter, freer than he’d felt in a long time. Maybe they all would be given a second chance.
He leaned down and kissed her, and stroked her body to life, hoping he could show her how much he cared. He was in too deep to back away now. Never again would he leave this woman.
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING, they woke early and concentrated on getting ready for court. The one good thing about not being able to sleep, he wasn’t alone. He had Laurel beside him, eager to distract him with her own special loving.
They got breakfast from room service, then took a cab to the courthouse by eight forty-five to find his lawyer already there. They were back in the judge’s chambers. Laurel was going to stay out in the hall, but Kase refused to let her go and talked her into coming inside with them.
Laurel reluctantly agreed but couldn’t stop her racing heart. She sat in the back in a chair by the door while Kase went off with his lawyer toward the desk.
When the doors opened again, Ben and Judith Chappell walked in, behind them Mary Beth and Addy. Laurel’s heart soared at seeing the child. Immediately the little girl broke away from the nanny and went into her arms. “Laurel! Laurel!” she cried as she hugged her. “I missed you.”
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