It was several minutes before he was able to move. And even then, he had to force himself to push off her. Cradling her, he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the valley of her breasts.
Inhaling the scent of her moist skin, he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.
"I can't feel my legs." He muttered.
"I think I've gone blind." She responded, making him laugh.
Lifting his head, he checked. "I think it's probably because your eyes are closed."
She opened them and smiled at him. "You could be right." Lifting a hand, she brushed the thick wave of hair off his forehead.
He grinned, capturing her hand in his and pressing a gentle kiss to her palm. For a moment, they simply lay together in the hazy afterglow, hearts still beating in tandem. Softness lingered in the air between them, an unspoken connection drawing them even closer.
"Think we were missed at the pub?"
"I do believe we made quite a spectacle of ourselves on the dancefloor and when you dragged me out of there."
"I didn't drag you. Did I?"
"All you needed was a club and throwing me over your shoulder." She linked her hands around his neck.
"I thought of it." He pressed a kiss to her bruised lips. "Did I hurt you? I was pretty rough." Concern sounded in his voice.
"Please don't start. I'm fine. I bit you." Her fingers passed over the marks made by her teeth in wonder. "God, I felt like an animal out of control."
"I liked it." Taking her hand, he pressed his lips to her palm. "You were pretty aggressive, shows how much you wanted my magnificent body." He grinned at the dark look she gave him.
"Who is Catherine McKenzie?"
The question was so sudden and unexpected, it threw him for a second.
"Huh?" he asked, blinking at her.
"Catherine McKenzie. Blonde, big breasted, like a milk maiden. The woman staring at you soulfully while we were in the pub. The same one you were having a conversation with while you were building pints." She gave him a cool look. "And before you think of coming up with a story, please know that people were saying that you were involved."
He cleared his throat and tried to ease away, but she held on.
"I was just going to use the bathroom."
"It can wait. Why didn't you tell me about her?"
He shifted a little restlessly. "That's because there's nothing to tell." He sighed as she continued to stare at him.
"All right. Look, she was someone from my childhood. We used to see each other when I would come over for holidays. She was my first and I was hers. As kids, we had this insane idea that we would end up together."
"How long did the relationship last?" She had no idea why she should feel so insecure about a woman from his past, but she did. And to hear she had been his first, made it even worse.
"Two years. When I turned eighteen, I started college and stayed in the states more." He had no idea why he felt uncomfortable discussing this with her, but he did. He had broken Catherine's heart back then and had no idea the woman was still hung up on him.
"I did not come back here every summer, but went to different places where we had other pubs. I was learning the business from the inside out and was required to travel to different locations. I outgrew her."
"I see."
"What?" irritation coated his voice as guilt assailed him. "I had a past before I met you and I'm pretty sure you had one as well. I never asked you about the men you've been with, because it does not matter."
"There have been two and you made quite a stink when one of them called me while we were having dinner." She reminded him coolly. "And I have no idea why you're getting so defensive."
"She was a former lover. That's it. Nothing more. I cannot believe you're jealous over a woman who means absolutely nothing to me."
