“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 whythisis 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 wedowork.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 breathandher 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.Notpassion.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 formore.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.
