Chapter Thirteen
Catherine
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I WATCHED HIM AS HE took the verbal lashing I was throwing at him. He sat there, stern and silent. His face took on that stubborn look that I had grown so fond of, but in this moment it just made me angrier.
“Timothy,” I began my voice shaking with frustration, “you are not some knight in shining armor, and this is not the Middle Ages! You can’t go around defending my honor with your fists!”
He looked down at his hands and muttered something I couldn’t quite catch.
“What?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I said he threw the first punch. I didn’t go there to fight him. He went after Luke first. Henry was spoiling for a fight. He wanted me to hit him. He’s a dick. He’s an arrogant asshole.”
I stared at him for a moment, trying to steady my breathing, trying to ignore the rush of empathy threatening to soften me. “This isn’t about Henry being a dick, Timothy! I know he’s an asshole. But you can’t go around knocking assholes out.”
“Catherine,” he said quietly, rising from his seat and coming to stand before me. His hands moved to my arms, gently brushing across the curve of my shoulders. “I...I couldn’t just sit there knowing what he did.”
How could I be angry with him? He was trying to protect me. “I appreciate you defending me, but you don’t have to do that. What if he had hurt you?”
He chuckled. “Trust me, that wasn’t going to happen.”
“You know what I mean,” I said. “Do I dare ask what he might look like?”
“Not as bad as I would have liked,” he murmured. “Luke stopped me.”
“Luke stopped you?” I repeated.
He shrugged. “Yeah.”
I supposed the most surprising thing was the fact Luke and Timothy were now friends. It was a new development, one that I hadn’t anticipated, but one that I couldn’t help but feel grateful for. Luke had always been a bit of a mystery to me, but seeing him stand by Timothy’s side, ready to defend me, made me very happy. I did like Luke, and I wanted to be friends with him.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice filled with gratitude. “For standing up for me. I didn’t need it, but I appreciate it. Thank you.”
Timothy grinned back at me, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “You know I’ll always have your back, Catherine,” he replied.
I laughed softly, shaking my head in disbelief. “I appreciate it,” I said, my voice tinged with amusement. “But you don’t have to go around town fighting people over me. Sometimes people are just jerks. We can’t go around knocking their teeth down their throats.”
Timothy’s smile faded slightly, replaced by a look of determination. “I can’t make any promises,” he said, his voice serious. “But I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. I take care of what’s mine.”
I felt a surge of emotion welling up inside me, overwhelmed by his words. Wrapping my arms around him, I pressed a kiss to his lips, feeling a sense of peace wash over me.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice filled with sincerity.
Timothy smiled back at me, his gaze filled with love. “You’re welcome,” he replied, his voice soft.
“What happened to my professional, slightly uptight Timothy?” I teased.
“He’s gone.”
“Gone?” I joked.
“I’m a new man,” he said with a cheesy grin. “I’m retired and have a lot of time on my hands.”
“I hope that doesn’t mean you’re going to follow me around,” I laughed.
“No, but I should probably tell you Henry and I have agreed he’s not going to be staying in town. Luke has assured me he will talk to the other contractors, and everyone will stay on long enough to finish the job.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means Henry will pay you for your work, and then it goes on the market, so do a good job. We want it to sell quickly.”
“You guys actually ran him out of town?” I asked.
“Yes. Trust me, Sleepy Hollow does not want him around.”
I thought about it and then got a little sad. “That house is going to sell quickly,” I said. “And then someone is going to get in there and undo all the hard work I’ve done. They’re going to break the rules.”
“No, they won’t,” he said. “Because I’m going to buy it. But don’t tell him that. He’ll jack up the price.”
“What are you going to do with another house?”
“I’ll donate it to the Historical Society,” he said. “They can make it a museum or use it for offices or an event space.”
“Timothy!”
I squealed, throwing my arms around him in delight. “That’s brilliant! It’s exactly what I wanted, the house being preserved and everything.”
He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him. “I know,” he said, grinning broadly. “I’m nothing if not an excellent listener. My house is cooler, but I’m not giving it up. They’ll have to settle for that one.”
“You’re more than just a good listener, Timothy,” I said, looking up at him with adoration. “You’re also the most stubbornly protective man I’ve ever met. And you have no idea how much that means to me.”
Timothy looked down at me, his eyes softening. “I think I do, Catherine,” he murmured, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on my forehead. “I think I do.”
“So you and Luke, huh?” I asked. “You two are a bit of an odd couple.”
“He’s not a bad guy,” he said.
“You know my dad was trying to set me up with him?” I teased.
“I’m not surprised,” he chuckled.
“Are you worried?”
“Nope.” He shook his head.
“You’re very confident.” I grinned.
“Shouldn’t I be?” he asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “After all, I have you wrapped around me right now.”
I laughed and playfully elbowed him in the ribs. “Don’t get too confident, Timothy.”
“I can’t promise that,” he replied with a teasing smile. “But I’ll try my best.”
“I should go,” I said.
“Stay,” he whispered, nuzzling my neck. His tongue slashed across my earlobe.
“I can’t,” I moaned.
“Yes, you can.”
“Paisley.” I whispered her name as his tongue slid down the side of my neck.
“She’s sleeping over at Sarah’s. They went to a movie, and a few of the girls are sleeping over.”
“You’re all alone tonight?” I asked.
“I don’t have to be.”
“What if Paisley comes home?” My breath was barely a whisper. He had a way of making me speechless.
“She won’t. Stop making excuses. I slayed dragons for you today. Doesn’t that deserve a little something special?”
I turned into putty in his hands. I was helpless to resist the man. “Maybe a little something,” I said.
He pulled back. “I thought so. Come on, let’s go upstairs. Just in case.”
“Oh, see, now you’re worried about getting busted.”
“Oh, Kitcat, I’m going to make you scream and beg for me,” he whispered. “We’re going to bring the roof down. You are never going to look at another man.”
He scooped me up in his arms and started toward the staircase leading to his bedroom. I giggled, burying my face in his shoulder as he ascended the steps two at a time.
He put me down, turning to lock the door behind us. I watched as he crossed the room and closed the blinds. He pulled the heavy curtains closed, plunging the room into darkness. When he turned to look at me, I saw the predatory gaze and immediately felt the arousal rushing through my veins.
“Are you ready, Kitcat?” His voice was husky and filled with an intensity that further stirred my desire.
“More than ready,” I replied, unable to keep the quiver of anticipation out of my voice. It had been too long. With Paisley in the house, I didn’t feel comfortable sleeping over. It was too weird to have sex with a teenager down the hall.
He moved closer, closing the space between us. His large hands framed my face as he studied me under the dim light that peeked through the curtains. “You’re beautiful,” he declared, his voice deep and resonant in the silence of the room.
His fingers danced along my collarbone, sending shivers down my spine. Instinctively, I leaned into his touch, a soft sigh escaping my lips as he traced the delicate curve of my neck, his eyes never leaving mine.
He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my lips that instantly set my senses ablaze. The world fell away as he deepened the kiss, his fingers tangling in my hair. I pressed myself closer to him, craving the heat of his touch. His hands slid down my back, pulling me flush against him.
Suddenly, he broke away, gasping for breath. “I’ve missed you,” he said. “You have no idea how much I’ve craved this with you. I don’t know how I breathe without you near me.”
“Stop,” I said softly, putting a finger to his lips. “Don’t say things you don’t mean.”
He caught my hand in his, pressing a kiss to the inside of my wrist. “I mean every word, Catherine. Every single word. You know that.”
Something about the sincerity of his gaze made my knees weak, and I found myself leaning against him for support. His arms came around me instantly, strong and reassuring.
“I love you,” I said.
“And I love you,” he replied, his voice lowering to a whisper. He looked at me tenderly, pulling me closer to him. His hand roamed the length of my body, causing my skin to prickle with anticipation. Every inch of me was on fire, consumed by the heat that emanated from him.
“I’ve missed this,” he confessed, his lips ghosting over mine. His words were nothing more than a hushed whisper against my skin, but they caused my heart to thunder in my chest. “Missed us. I’ve craved your body. You don’t want to know what I’ve done to keep myself from going completely crazy.”
I smiled and reached between us to stroke his erection through his jeans. “Patience is a virtue,” I teased, my breath hitching as his hand dipped beneath the hem of my shirt.
“I’ve run out of patience, Kitcat,” he growled. “I need you. Now.”
As if to prove his point, he picked me up once more, this time depositing me on the bed and quickly joining me, his hands moving to undress me with an urgency that echoed in his heavy breaths.
I mirrored his actions, hurriedly unbuttoning his shirt and tracing the contours of his muscular chest with my fingers. He hitched in a breath of pleasure, his eyes darkening as he watched me stroke the length of him.
His hands on me were insistent, bold, and demanding. I lost myself in the sensation of him against my skin.
“You are too much,” he warned gruffly, his fingers digging into my hips as he pulled me closer to him.
“But isn’t that why you love me?” I countered teasingly, hitching my leg around his waist to draw him closer still.
His response was swallowed up by the sudden meeting of our lips, a passionate clash of teeth and tongue that left us both breathless. He traced patterns on my bare skin, his touch leaving an inferno in its wake.
I pushed him away. “We have some time, right?” I asked in a husky voice.
“Yes.”
“Then I think we need to take a beat,” I said and climbed over him. My hands ran over his broad chest, tracing around the defined muscles with the tip of my finger.
“Oh Kitcat, I don’t know if I can survive that,” he groaned.
“Sure you will,” I chuckled.
He nodded and reached his hand up to tangle in my curls. “Catherine?”
“Yes?”
“Just remember, we have all night,” he said, his hand sliding down to cup my breast. “Your turn first, but then it’s my turn.”