Chapter 14
Katherine's pulse still races, and a pleasant tingle spreads through her belly as she watches Jodie disappear. Marjorie García looks first at Jodie and then at her boss, initially with amazement, but that initial surprise quickly transforms into a sinister smile as her devious mind starts working to take advantage of what she has just witnessed.
"Do you need something, Marjorie?" Katherine asks suddenly, while searching in her purse for the card to open her penthouse door.
"No, Mrs. Taylor, everything is in order," Marjorie responds, entering the elevator the two women have just left.
As soon as Katherine closes her penthouse door, the first thing she does is grab her phone and dial Jodie's number.
"Are you okay?" she asks as soon as the cleaner answers after several rings.
"Yes, I'm sorry I left like that, but I felt very uncomfortable when I saw Marjorie. That woman has it in for me and I just, I didn't know how to react, I'm really sorry."
Katherine sits on one of the stools at her kitchen island.
"Don't apologize, I understand, but listen, Jodie, I don't want what happened to leave us tense like what happened the other afternoon on my terrace," Katherine says, running her fingers through her hair nervously. "I want us to talk about what happened in the elevator."
"Over the phone?" Jodie responds.
The cleaner hears Katherine smile and feels a jolt between her legs.
"No, in person, all I ask is that you don't avoid it and that you're not tense or distant, that makes me nervous."
"I won't," Jodie smiles too, so nervous about what happened and, above all, what she felt, that she just realizes she's walking aimlessly through the streets of New York.
"I hope not," Katherine says just as her doorbell rings. "Listen, I have to go, we'll talk tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure."
When Katherine opens the door, she finds Mike on the other side.
"Your sister sent me to tell you that she and your father are waiting for you at the hotel restaurant for dinner," her trusted man says.
"She's using you as a messenger now?" Katherine arches an eyebrow.
"She's the boss's sister, I can't refuse," Mike smiles.
When Katherine arrives at the table, she leans down to kiss her father's cheek and does the same with her younger sister before sitting down.
"Where have you been?" the hotel owner asks after signaling one of the waiters to approach.
Her father refills her wine glass while Caroline responds.
"I took Dad shopping, I have a meeting tomorrow and I want him to come with me."
"Dad has a thousand suits," Katherine says.
"None of them are new," her sister responds.
"What's the meeting for?" Katherine asks with interest.
"A potential new provider. I'm having problems with the agency that handles cruise reservations. Lately, they're not meeting occupancy goals and I'm getting tired of it. I've been looking for several weeks and this guy's proposal looks good, seems serious. So I'm going to meet with him and if we like it," she says, pointing to herself and her father with a smile, "maybe I'll reach a preliminary agreement to test it with the next cruise."
"If we like it?" Katherine repeats mockingly. "You run one of the most powerful cruise companies in the state, you have an above-average IQ, and you were in college when you should have been in high school. When are you going to stop taking Dad with you to meetings?"
"Katherine, leave your sister alone," her father warns with a smile.
Caroline fixes her gaze on Katherine, but she's not offended at all because she knows it was just a compliment from her sister.
"I plan to keep taking him as long as he wants to come," she says, taking her father's hand, "with that ogre face of his, he commands respect and nobody tries to hit on me," she adds, and Katherine's snort can be heard above her father's laughter.
The rest of dinner proceeds peacefully as the family discusses a possible visit to Ithaca to see the eldest Taylor sister.
"Well, with your permission, I'm going to retire now," Warren Taylor says, "one's getting old and needs rest."
Both sisters stand up to say goodbye to their father, and Katherine gestures to Mike to ask him to take him home.
"Well," Caroline says when the two sisters are alone, "now tell me what happened this morning."
Katherine makes a puzzled face.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I'm talking about that strange scene you made in your penthouse when the cleaner came."
Katherine feels a rush of heat.
"What scene? I just asked you to behave."
Caroline's laughter is so sudden that even Katherine ends up joining in.
"Come on, Katherine, that might work with Rachel, but not with me. I've jokingly tried to hit on your lovers a thousand times and you've never cared. And with this girl, who I want to point out I had no idea you had something with, you nearly jumped down my throat..."
"I didn't..."
"Shut up," Caroline requests, "I'm not finished. You were so bothered that I asked her out that you not only forbade me from approaching her but from approaching anyone at the hotel. When have you ever done that? I'll tell you when - never. So you better tell me what's going on between the owner of the Mallois and that cute cleaner."
Katherine closes her eyes and rubs her temples. She's not sure what she should answer, or even if she should, but she needs to release what she has inside that's starting to burn.
"I think I'm falling in love with her," she blurts out.
"Wow!" Caroline exclaims, completely surprised. "Are you serious?"
"Do you want me to draw you a picture?" Katherine asks, annoyed.
"Sorry, sis, but damn," Caroline smiles, "admit this is huge. Katherine, the ice woman, in love. That's intense, does Rachel know?"
Katherine sighs.
"No, she doesn't, and if I'd known better, I wouldn't have told you either."
"Oh, come on," Caroline takes her hand and wipes the smile from her face, "I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting it, but tell me more. How did it happen?"
"There's not much to tell," Katherine summarizes what has happened with Jodie since they met. "At first I felt very confused, I thought I just wanted to protect her or whatever, but for the past few days I've been very clear that it's not that, I'm very attracted to her and I can't get her out of my head. And when I kissed her in the elevator," Katherine doesn't even know how to express it, so she just smiles.
"And her?" Caroline asks.
"I don't know, honestly I have no idea what she really thinks about this."
"Then what are you doing here with me?"
"What do you mean?" Katherine asks.
"If you want to know how Jodie feels, you need to go and ask her."
"Now?" Katherine looks at her watch and confirms it's not late.
"Why wait? Stop wasting time with me and go clear things up with her."
"Have I told you I love you?" Katherine says smiling.
"Many times, now go, Mike just got back."
During the ride to Jodie's house, Katherine is nervous while trying to devise a thousand ways to start a conversation that even she doesn't know how to approach. The sound of a notification on her phone pulls her from her thoughts, and when she opens it, she sees it's a message from Caroline in the Taylor sisters' group chat, and she feels like breaking something.
"Katherine is in love!"
The news is accompanied by several emojis including speakers as if it were breaking news, champagne bottles to celebrate, and two women hugging. Flustered, Katherine watches in horror as Rachel is typing, so she locks her phone before seeing what her older sister says.
"Damn it," she mutters, putting the device in her purse.
"Any problem?" Mike asks, looking at her through the rearview mirror.
"Caroline, she's such a blabbermouth."
Mike smiles without commenting and twenty minutes later, stops the car in front of Jodie's door.
"If I haven't come out in an hour, leave," Katherine says before getting out.
"Alright, have a good night," Mike says goodbye, and Katherine narrows her eyes at him.
Jodie is about to go to bed when she hears the doorbell. Her heart speeds up and she feels a certain fear as she approaches because she's not expecting anyone, much less at this hour. With the chain on, she opens the door slightly and her breath catches when through the small opening she sees Katherine Taylor.
"What are you doing here?" she asks in astonishment, while a pleasant tingling spreads through her body, conquering every last corner.
"Can I come in or do I have to explain from the street?" Katherine responds.
"Yes, of course, sorry."
Jodie closes the door, removes the chain from the latch, and opens it completely to let Katherine in. The owner of the Mallois feels her heart flutter when her gaze locks with Jodie's for a few seconds, then, unable to control her curiosity, she looks around after feeling that it's almost as cold inside the house as outside. Jodie wears pajama pants, thick socks, and on top, a sweatshirt that Katherine would only wear in the dead of winter.
"The heating doesn't work," Jodie explains, embarrassed. "If you want, we can go to the kitchen, I have a space heater there and it's where I usually spend time when I'm home, it should still be warm."
Without a word, Katherine follows her while observing everything she sees as the wooden floor creaks under her feet. Without a doubt, the house needs urgent renovation, both in the walls and ceiling and windows, but it's evident that her employee's current situation doesn't allow for it.
"Sit there, would you like some tea?" Jodie says, closing the kitchen door as soon as they enter.
Katherine feels the warmth of the room immediately.
"It's not necessary, I think I shouldn't have come without warning, you were about to go to bed, weren't you?" Katherine concludes as she watches Jodie turn the heater back on.
"Yes, though not to sleep. At this hour I usually read, but I'm warmer here than on the couch."
"I see," Katherine says, looking at her so intently that Jodie blushes.
"Why did you come?" the cleaner asks, noticing the air becoming electric.
Katherine, who hasn't sat down, takes a step toward her and positions herself right in front, leaving Jodie with very little room to maneuver.
"Earlier I told you on the phone that I wanted us to talk about what happened in the elevator."
The words leave Katherine's mouth like a caress for Jodie, who shivers from head to toe and her core dampens when her boss moistens her lips before continuing to speak.
"But now that I'm here, my mind has gone blank, you cloud my thoughts, Jodie," she adds in a whisper, closing the distance until they're so close that Jodie's hands rest on Katherine's chest.
"I don't think we're going to talk much tonight," Jodie concludes as one of Katherine's hands slides down her neck to sink into her hair.
"No, I don't think so."
This time, the first thing to touch Jodie's lips is Katherine's tongue, which makes its way and enters fiercely into her mouth. Jodie stops breathing and feels vertigo when she grips her waist to keep her balance as Katherine overwhelms her with her body. In less than a second, she has her cornered against the kitchen counter and is kissing her neck. Jodie feels dizzy with each caress and isn't sure she can handle them because the sensations she experiences far exceed everything she had imagined she would feel if Katherine ever touched her.
"Your clothes are in my way," Katherine pants, unleashed, eager to touch Jodie's skin and trace every inch with her tongue.
Suddenly, Jodie stops her.
"I need to go slower," she asks nervously, "it's been a long time since I..."
Katherine blinks a couple of times until she manages to get blood flowing to her brain.
"Of course, sorry. Would you prefer to go to the bedroom?"
Jodie nods and takes her hand to guide her to her room. Along the way she feels stupid, she's very aroused and eager for Katherine Taylor to devour her whole and shouldn't have problems having sex in the kitchen, but she's gone too long without sex and wanting Katherine Taylor to let everything happen so quickly. Once in the bedroom, Katherine has to concentrate hard not to get carried away by desire and be more measured. It's not her style, but she understands Jodie and wants to please her, so the hotel owner undresses her very slowly while distributing kisses over her body and lets Jodie guide her mouth to her sex to allow her to lick it. At that moment, Katherine doesn't hold back and Jodie comes so quickly that it frightens her.
"I'm sorry," she says blushing, still between pants, "it's just that so long without..."
"Fucking?" Katherine completes between her legs, with a crooked smile that sends a jolt through Jodie. "Relax, I promise I'll go slower now, you have no idea how good you taste," she assures, before plunging her tongue back between her folds.