Chapter 9
The feel of her body under his hands made them tremble. Or was it she who was trembling? He didn’t care. The feel of her lips against his poured gasoline on the smoldering embers of their long-ago relationship. Her arms slipped around his neck, and he pulled her into his body, feeling the softness of her breasts against him.
Never tentative, Kate moaned into the kiss, and he let his tongue dance with hers. Tegan ran his hands up and down her body, feeling everything at once. She broke off the kiss and whipped her t-shirt and bra off. He found her mouth again, and her hands pushed his t-shirt up. Tegan wasn’t dropping the kiss that time. He ran his fingers through her hair, gripping it tightly to keep her head still as he deepened the connection. With his other hand, he grabbed her ass and drove his hips forward, letting her feel how hard he was for her. He was leading the show, not her. And that was when she melted in his arms.
He moved them backward toward the bed, not breaking the kiss as he lowered her to the mattress. He snaked his hand between them and unfastened and unzipped her jeans. He reached down and found her sex with his fingers. She bucked as his fingers moved inside her, stroking her clit.
He knew this woman. He knew how to make her fly. Finally lifting from the kiss, he stripped her jeans and panties from her and dropped down to his knees. He wrapped his arms around her legs and pulled her to the edge of the bed. He growled as he dropped to her sex and opened her with his tongue. Tegan consumed her while his arms kept her still. Kate fisted the bedding as her body shook. He worked her flesh, teasing, nipping, licking, and then he added his fingers. Her body was familiar yet different. Time had accented her sexuality and the sensations and pleasure he received. Her hands rifled through his hair, grabbing on as her thighs trembled. Tegan fingered her in the same rhythm as her straining hips. He could hear her heaving breaths and knew she was close. He sucked her clit into his mouth and nipped the tender bud. Kate’s body shattered, and he lapped up the reward of his ministrations.
He waited until she shivered and tried to move away from his tongue before he stood up. Then he watched her lying on the bed as he undressed. Her hair was splayed out around her, the rose color that ran from her chest to her cheeks bloomed every time he made her orgasm, and it was his favorite color. He stroked his diamond-hard cock once before tightening his hold at the base of it, stalling his own orgasm.
“I love the stars,” she said before opening her eyes. “Damn, Tegan. Time has been very good to you.”
He wasn’t sure if she meant his technique had improved or if she were commenting on his muscles or cock, and he really didn’t care. “Do we need a condom?”
She shook her head. “I have us covered.”
“Move up.” He dropped one knee on the bed and followed her as she centered herself in the bed. Dropping down, he wrapped her in his arms, his hands at the side of her head. Staring down at her, he entered her. Her pupils widened, and her breath pushed out of her. He moved again and again until he hilted inside her.
“I’ve never found anyone like you,” Kate whispered while staring at him.
“Because we’re perfect together.” He lowered and held her still as he ravaged her mouth and moved. Her legs wrapped around him as he drove himself mad with the taste and feel of the woman in his arms. She whimpered in their kiss, and Tegan took the clue, separating their lips. His hips pounded into the heat that was torturing him in the most blissful way. He felt her body tighten, and the sensation of her orgasm tightening and gripping him ignited the pool of heat at the base of his spine. He exploded. Detonated. His reality realigned, and he emptied himself into the woman he’d always loved. He stayed where he was, trying to catch his breath. Kate’s fingertips trailed up his spine, causing a full-body shiver. “We’re perfect together, aren’t we?” she whispered.
“Yes.” He opened his eyes and stared down at her. “I wish you’d never left.”
“I tried to get out of it.” She pushed his damp hair away from his brow.
“I know. Lawrence told me.” He rolled and brought her with him, drawing his fingers through her hair as she rested on his shoulder.
Kate lifted up onto her elbow. “Where do we go from here?”
Tegan smiled. “The shower, probably.”
Kate rolled her eyes and dropped down onto his chest. “You know what I meant.”
“I do.” He pushed her hair back and stared at her. “Exclusive.” He wasn’t giving her an option.
She blinked and then nodded. “Without a doubt. I want it all this time.”
Tegan put his hand on the small of her back. “I don’t know what that means.”
“I want it all, Tegan. I want you, a family, my white picket fence, which I thank you for building.”
He chuckled. She’d always said the house she’d live in would have a white picket fence when she got married. “It was a pain in the ass.” Which was true, but he’d built it for her. He figured she’d never see it, but she was in his heart when he built it.
She laughed a bit and then was quiet momentarily before asking, “What do you want?”
He stared at her. She was being open and vulnerable. That was something Kate rarely allowed anyone to see. “I want us. I want you to have your business. I want a family, but if that never happens, I want us any way I can have us.”
She smiled and dropped her chin to her fist on his chest. “I have to make sure Lawrence and the kids are through this mess. He needs help, and I’m making him an appointment tomorrow.”
“I’ve waited twelve years with thousands of miles between us. I can wait until your family is settled. We can catch moments like these.” She was worth any delay as long as he knew they’d live there together someday.
She ran her finger down his ribs. “Was it hard? The years in between us?”
“The last year was the hardest. I saw you at the funeral.”
She lifted up onto her elbows and looked down at him. “I didn’t see you. I wanted to, but with everything going on, I …”
“You did what you needed to do. I didn’t want to take your attention away from the family. But I did get close enough to see you weren’t wearing a wedding band. Before Bridgette got sick, Lawrence and I would occasionally have a beer together. He said you were dating, but he didn’t think anything was serious.”
“He told me the same thing about you when I’d ask. But after Bridgette got sick, I didn’t ask. It seemed self-serving.” She dropped down to his chest again. “I’m so glad Blessing told me what she’d seen.”
“You lost me.” Tegan had no idea what she was talking about.
“That friend I told you about downstairs. She has the sight. Last year, on my way back to Germany from Bridgette’s funeral, she told me my destiny was at home and that I needed to go back.” Kate winked at him. “Hello, my destiny.”
“Let’s not say that in a public place, okay? I can only imagine the razzing I’d get if you called me a girl”s name.”
Kate blinked and then puffed out a laugh. “I wasn’t thinking names. I was thinking fate, destiny, you know.”
“Oh, I know, but let’s not tempt that fate of yours by calling me that in public.” Tegan grabbed her and rolled her to her back. “But let’s not talk about destiny. Let’s make it.” He dropped for another kiss.
Kate sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, and he forgot everything but the woman in his arms.