Chapter 16
Cody rubbed the strain from his eyes then stretched his arms over his head. Between the time he’d spent with Mike and now when he’d snuck into his office while Katherine put Ollie to sleep, he’d stared at a computer screen way too long today.
Which would be worth it if he’d found anything to lead to an arrest.
Instead, he’d tracked down more released inmates from the tri-county area.
This investigation was starting to feel like searching for a needle in a haystack in the middle of sandstorm. But he’d keep poking and prodding to ensure Katherine’s safety.
Katherine.
Just thinking about her made his heart stutter.
He’d been na?ve to think they could take things one day at a time without applying unnecessary pressure.
She was a widow with a young son. Of course they needed to have the hard conversations before anything real happened.
They couldn’t chance hurting Ollie more than he’d already been hurt.
But was he ready? Ready to commit to a woman he’d hardly known a few days before—to a young boy who’d recently lost his father?
A tap on the doorjamb raised his eyes to the doorway. Katherine leaned against the frame, her head tilted to the side and long hair hooked over her shoulder. A pretty smile lifted her lips. “Still working?”
He closed the laptop and stood, drawn to her like a magnet. He rested his hands on her hips. “Not anymore. Ollie asleep?”
“Yeah. Didn’t take much. He had a long day. Bailey’s in there with him.”
“I’d be more surprised if she wasn’t.” He grazed the pad of his thumb over her hipbone. “I’d suggest another movie, but that didn’t turn out so well last night.”
Her eyebrows rose high on her forehead, eyes wide. “Oh really? Sleeping with me was that rough for you, huh?”
The memory of her wrapped in his arms crashed against him, and he tightened his hold on her, drawing her forward until there was no space between them. “It was the best night of my life.”
She swiped her tongue across her bottom lip. “You must not have had a lot of excitement in your life then.”
“Oh, I’ve had plenty. What I haven’t had is a beautiful woman I care so much about curled against me until morning. It’s something I could get used to.”
“Me, too.” She rested a palm on his chest and rose onto her tiptoes, pressing her mouth to his.
He tried to restrain himself even as every nerve ending in his body was set on fire. He fisted her shirt in his hands, heat building in his core.
She opened her mouth, looping her arms around his neck to bring them closer. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and she darted her tongue over his.
A low growl rumbled deep in his throat. His restraint barely controlled on a very thin leash. He drowned in her taste, reveled in her movements as she deepened their kiss. He wanted more, wanted all of her, but dammit he was happy to have any part she was ready to give. “You’re killing me, woman.”
She nipped at his lip. “We wouldn’t want that, but I do think we should maybe go somewhere a little more private in case Ollie wakes. I don’t need him to tell my dad he caught us making out.”
He groaned and rested his forehead on hers. His heart raced, his palms itching to touch more than just the soft fabric of her shirt. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
He was stronger than he ever thought possible. At any other time in his life, her suggestion was all he’d need to swoop her into his arms and carry her to his bed. Keeping her there until they both needed food or water to survive.
But this was different—Katherine was different. His entire body screamed to charge full steam ahead, but his brain and his heart cautioned him to slow down. To take his time. To let her know he was okay with postponing the physical aspect of their relationship for as long as she needed.
Even if it killed him.
Taking a step back, she let her arms fall to her sides and frowned. “Sorry, am I being too forward? This is new to me. I just thought…”
The doubt he’d created played in the twisted expression on her face and tore him in two.
“I want to make sure you’re ready,” he said.
“I know if you keep kissing me like that, it’ll be hard to stop.
If you want to keep things light, for me to hold you like I did last night, then I need to step back and take a few deep breaths. ”
“All I want is you,” she whispered. “All of you. Because you make me happy and give me hope for a future I never expected. This is moving at lightning speed, but it feels right to me. I don’t need to know where things are going or hear that you love me.
I’m not a young girl with silly fantasies anymore.
I only need to know that you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you. ”
Her admission broke something loose inside him. He pounced, capturing her lips again, he lifted her so her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms circling his neck. He backed her into the wall, kissing the long column of her neck while her heat surrounded him—intoxicated him.
With her head thrown back, her breaths lifted her chest and came out in ragged pants. Her middle pressed against him. “Okay,” she said, the word a raspy whisper. “Bedroom. Now.”
He didn’t need to be told twice. He kept her firmly in his arms, his lips devouring hers, as he navigated down the hall and to his room.
She closed the door with her foot. “Got a lock on that thing?”
Struggling to find the lock, he reluctantly set her on her feet then twisted the function on the knob that would keep out all unwelcome visitors.
He turned toward her, and a feeling like he’d never had flooded his system.
She stood by the foot of the bed. Her hair a rumpled mess of wayward strands and her face flush and pink. Fire blazed from her hooded eyes.
“You’re the most magnificent thing I’ve ever seen.”
With her gaze locked on his, she found the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head before tossing it to the floor.
The sight of her lacy black bra barely containing her full breasts snapped the leash on his self-control. He stalked over to her and cradled her jaw in his palm while he grazed the knuckles of his other hand over the subtle dip at her waist. Her skin was soft, a gentle vibration shaking her body.
“Are you sure?” he asked again.
“I’ve never been more sure in my life.” She turned her face to kiss the inside of his palm then slid his hand down to slip the tip of his finger into her mouth.
In one swift movement, he hooked an arm around the small of her back and anchored her to his chest as they both fell onto the bed. He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but for tonight she was his.
Pleasure and satisfaction combined in Katherine’s body, making her bones melt against the soft mattress. She should look at the alarm clock and check the time, but then she might talk herself into going to sleep.
And sleep was the last thing she wanted, even though she wasn’t sure she could handle any more attention from Cody.
Laying in his arms, she trailed her fingertip up and down his chest. Words escaped her as she struggled to catch her breath.
Cody trapped her hand with his against his hard muscle. “Are you okay?”
The question turned her to her side. Moonlight streamed in through the window and landed on his handsome face. She studied the subtle dip at the bridge of his nose and the hard line of his scruffy jaw.
He stared down at her, nothing but concern in his eyes.
“Of course I’m okay. More than okay. Why would you ask that?”
He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.
“I told you before you can always be honest with me. Tonight’s been magical, but I’m sure it’s brought on more emotions for you.
Maybe some things you hadn’t expected. I just want to make sure you know I won’t be upset if a part of you is grieving or even wrapping your mind around what just happened. ”
A tingle of emotion started in her nose, and she sniffed it back. Her eyes burned, and she blinked rapidly to keep any unwanted tears at bay. As much as everything about tonight—everything about Cody—was perfect, a part of her mourned something that she’d lost.
Even if she was thrilled at what she’d gained.
“It’s hard to explain what’s going on in my mind,” she said, trying to find the right words. “I’m so happy. Beyond happy, really. But you’re right, I can’t help but think about how drastically my life has changed.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I can’t say I understand, but I do know there’s no right way to feel. I’m sure this is hard for you.”
She shook her head. “Nothing we did was hard. Well, almost nothing.”
He let out a hoot of laughter. “Good thing or we wouldn’t be having this discussion.”
“Definitely no problems in that department.” She smiled, enjoying the moment of levity.
He made everything so easy—so natural. She didn’t want him to think she regretted being with him, or that she’d let her past ever come between them.
“It’s hard for me to understand how I feel, let alone explain it.
But it’s like since connecting with you, my heart’s grown in size to fit you in.
Theo’s still there and always will be. Having you here,” she said, tapping her chest. “Doesn’t mean I have to toss him out. ”
“No, you don’t. As far as I’m concerned, he taught you the way you’re supposed to be treated. Showed you how to be loved. As long as I’m in your life, it’s my job to make sure I keep doing those same things, and if I slip, it’s up to you to slap me upside the head and let me know.”
“So now I get to slap you around, huh?”
“Only if that’s what you like.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Now it was her time to throw back her head on a laugh. “We might need to ease into that.”
Reclaiming her in his arms, he pulled her close to his side. “We have all the time in the world.”
Sighing, she rested her head on the crook of his shoulder. She knew better than most that time was fleeting, but there was no need to point that out right now. In this moment, she wanted to focus on nothing but the good and exciting.
And boy was Cody exciting. Her body still hummed from the things he did to her. Her toes curled, and she ran her foot up and down his leg.
He groaned and swooped both arms around her, shifting so his long, lean frame pinned her to the mattress. “You’re insatiable.”
“Tonight I am.”
He kissed her hard, his hand teasing her flesh as it moved up and down her torso. “I should set my alarm before we head into the next round.”
She arched her back, every inch of her begging him for more. “Why, so you can time us?”
Chuckling, his warm breath tickled her ear.
“Trust me, I have no desire to see how long this takes. But it’s late and you’re wearing me out.
I don’t want to fall asleep and have poor Ollie walk in on something in the morning that could traumatize him.
I can get up early and head to the couch before he wakes. ”
His consideration for her son unlocked another level of happiness and she smoothed her palm against the side of his face. “Have I told you how amazing you are?”
“Not in so many words, but you’ve said so in other ways.”
She kissed the smirk off his face. “I have a few more ways still to show you. You better set that alarm because once I’m done with you, you won’t have the energy for anything else.”
He messed with his clock then stalked over her like a hunter zeroing in for the kill.
A thrill shot through her. Giggling, she opened her arms wide as he dove toward her. She closed her eyes and let go of every thought clogging her brain, letting the man she was falling head over heels for take her to places she’d never been.