Chapter 7
Katie had just crawled into bed and picked up a book when her phone dinged with a text.
It was Ian, asking if she wanted to “chat” for a while.
Of course, she said yes. She’d given him her number before he left tonight but hadn’t expected to hear from him so soon.
Katie opened her book and read four sentences when the phone buzzed.
Hey, it’s not too late for you?
No. It’s not even midnight.
I'm wired. Can't sleep.
Me too. Don't you have to be up at six?
Laugh, and a groan. Unfortunately, yes.
So… should we continue our greatest rock n’roll band debate or do you want to tell me what pasta tastes like in Italy?
Pause, and a quiet, Whatever you want. I just like hearing your voice.
That comment put her on alert, warned her This is dangerous territory. But another part of her said Take a chance.
It was ridiculous to pretend she wasn't attracted to him, and not because of the model-perfect looks either. He saw Katie, asked questions about things other people didn’t even know she was interested in.
Ian really did want to know which soup was most popular, how many carrots went into a pot of chicken soup, and how many different varieties of tomatoes she grew in her garden.
And when she asked him about the engines he worked on and what he wanted to do with his life?
He didn't hide behind vague answers or comments like, I’ll see what’s out there when I graduate.
No, he had very specific plans. I want to work on car engines, and I'm going to find a place where I can do that.
Engines tell a story, and I want to help tell it.
I want the cars I work on to be sophisticated, edgy, definitely unforgettable.
If you've ever heard a Ferrari engine, you'll never forget it.
The more time Katie spent with Ian, the more she realized he was so much more than the rich Finnegan kid from California.
While she taught him how to chop wood, identify poison ivy, and make chicken soup, he showed her how to check the oil on the rototiller, calculate foreign exchange rates, and say I’ll see you soon, in French and Italian.
But that wasn’t all she’d learned these past few weeks, and it didn’t matter how much she wanted to ignore it, the feeling wouldn’t go away.
Desire. Hot. Desperate. Explosive. A slow burn built deep inside her when Ian was near, and when he looked at her a certain way? All she could think about was getting closer.
Now what?
If Norah were here, Katie wouldn’t be inviting Ian over, and they wouldn’t be cooking dinner together, laughing, sharing dreams, or looking at each other like they wanted to move past friend territory to something else. Norah’s presence would snuff out any possibility of that happening.
But her sister’s perpetually busy social calendar kept her out of Magdalena.
When she returned from the babysitting trip in Colorado, she’d had a few days off before cheerleading camp.
That should have been the end of her summer trips, but when her best friend asked her to spend a month in California with her grandparents, how could Katie say no?
Apparently, the grandparents had a whole itinerary for them, including deep-sea fishing, amusement parks, and “Rodeo Drive”.
Just because Katie had never been west of Ohio, didn’t mean Norah shouldn’t have the opportunity.
And then there was the other reason. Katie and Ian would have an entire month to hang out at the cabin without her sister interfering.
Did she feel guilty for not wanting her sister there?
A little, and yet Katie had spent her whole life doing for others, being responsible, and not thinking of herself.
For once, she was going to ignore guilt and “should” and do what she wanted to…
The cabin had become a safe haven for them, a place where they could be themselves without questions, comments, or criticisms from others.
The town had always looked out for Katie, and she truly appreciated it, but this time, she wanted them to mind their own business—not give input.
And there would be all sorts of comments meant to protect and warn her.
He’s a player and he’ll play you…
He’s a rich kid doing his time…
You’re just another pretty girl…
He’ll forget your name once he leaves…
He won’t come back, you know that, don’t you?
Katie didn’t want to hear any of it, and that’s why she and Ian only hung out at the cabin.
If they ran into each other in town, they were polite, yet distant.
She certainly didn’t ask if he got Mr. Hanley’s snowblower working, and he didn’t mention the new soup he’d sampled in her kitchen last night.
Besides, nothing had happened between them.
Yet.
But the way her body tingled and burned when he looked at her said it was only a matter of time, because those sensations were getting stronger and harder to ignore. And then they couldn’t be ignored any longer.
It happened the night after Norah left for California.
Katie and Ian had just come in from the deck, where they’d watched the sunset, listened to night sounds, and played around with more soup possibilities.
Ian closed the door leading to the deck and followed her into the kitchen.
He’d been unusually quiet tonight, and she figured he was tired.
Their phone chat lasted past 1:00 a.m. last night and–
“Katie.”
She placed the glasses in the sink, turned. “What’s wrong?”
He dragged a hand through his hair, brows pinched together, brackets around his mouth deep.
“Damn it.” His expression turned fierce.
“This,” he said, pointing at the space separating them.
“Us,” he clarified. “I’ve had every argument with myself about why this is such a bad idea.
It could never work…we come from different worlds…
we should just stay friends…” His nostrils flared, his jaw twitched, and he blew out a ragged sigh.
“And for a guy like me who’s always thought of himself first?
Well, this is a huge change…almost unrecognizable.
But it’s real, and the truth is, there are a lot of great reasons we do work.
We understand each other, we listen, and don’t try to force our agenda.
Do you know how rare it is for me to meet someone who doesn’t have an agenda that includes me or what I should do?
” Before she could answer, he continued.
“Never. Not until you.” Those blue eyes homed in on her, glittered.
“Only you, Katie. You’re the only person who’s ever seen me for who I am and who I could become. ”
Her voice trembled. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I care about you. A lot. I tried to tell myself we’re too young to know we belong together.” He blew out a sigh, let out a half laugh. “We haven’t even kissed, so how could I know, right?” The smile spread, his voice turned husky. “Hell, if I know, but I do.”
Joy filled her soul, snuffed out fear and doubt. Katie closed the distance between them, leaned on tiptoe and brushed her lips over his. “I feel the same.”
“I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want this.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, trailed a finger along her neck.
“I know.” Was that breathy voice really hers?
She sounded like she’d chopped a cord of wood and then rototilled the whole garden.
It had gotten harder and harder to be around Ian without losing her breath and her logic—without being aware of the strong thighs, the broad shoulders, the flat belly.
She wanted to trace the cleft in his chin… taste his mouth…touch him…
Katie glanced up, lost herself in the blueness of those eyes.
She’d never felt this need before; to touch and taste…
to learn every delicious inch of him. When he bent his head and kissed her, it was Katie who grew impatient.
“More,” she murmured as she clutched his shoulders and deepened the kiss.
When she pressed herself against him, he groaned, and broke the kiss.
“Katie.”
“I want you. I…”
He shook his head, cleared his throat. “We don’t have to do this.”
“We don’t?” He was giving her a way out, but she didn’t want it. “I think we do. I think—” she trailed her tongue along the side of his neck, “—we absolutely do need to do this.”
“You’re making it very hard to say no.” Another groan, a deep breath as she kissed her way to the cleft in his chin.
“Then don’t.” More kisses, a stroke of tongue…a sigh as she inhaled his scent. “Just say yes.”
After, she would realize that life-changing decisions should never be made in the heat of a physical encounter.
They should be dissected and analyzed, placed side-by-side, and considered with caution.
Not lust. Not abandonment. Not passion. What does a nineteen-year-old who’s never felt like this before know about caution when every part of her is ready to explode?
Ian clasped her hand, stepped back so he could see her face. His expression was a mix of concern, desire, and was that fear? “I care about you and I don’t want you to regret this.”
“Regret it?” Was he serious? “I’ve regretted a lot of things in my life—” she found the first button of his shirt, “—but this will never be one of them.”
He brought her hand to his lips, kissed each knuckle. “You’re sure?”
Her whole body tingled with anticipation. “Very sure.”
His tongue traced a knuckle. “Okay then. I will try my very best not to disappoint.”
As if that were possible.
Ian clasped her hand and led her to the bedroom. When they stood beside the four-poster bed, he framed her face with his hands and kissed her. Soft, slow, gentle. “You are so beautiful, so perfect.”
She pressed her body against him, gave in to the pleasure that shot through her, demanded more. More touching…
More kisses…
More tasting…
More.
There was no thinking after that, not when she yanked off his shirt and unzipped his jeans.
Not when he unclasped her bra and slid off her panties.
Not even when they lay naked on the bed, touching, tasting, exploring.
Need devoured her, made her desperate for more.
And when they made love, white-hot pleasure surged through her—deep, intense, all consuming—building until she burst into a million pieces of pure ecstasy.
Seconds later, Ian shouted her name and joined her. ..
After, he lay on his back, his arm slung around her waist as she curled against him, head resting on his chest, the aftermath of their lovemaking lulling them to sleep.
When she woke, it was dark outside. She reached up to stroke a lock of hair from his forehead.
He mumbled something, pulled her closer.
Regret this? How could she ever regret it?
Ian had walked into her life and been the biggest surprise of all.
A tiny smile played about her lips as she fell back to sleep, dreamed of a future with him in it.
Life was good and it was all because of Ian.