Hearing her say that made him feel good. She’d never admitted that she liked having him around before, although he’d assumed she did. Her saying it definitely hit a positive chord. He bent his head and took her mouth gently. The warmth of his lips touching hers increased his pulse rate.
Cat reached out and cupped the back of Rory’s head. She could tell from his expression that her words had surprised him. Had he not known she had enjoyed his company? If that was the case, then she would use time this weekend to make sure he understood that now she knew how special things had been between them, and he was wrong in thinking she didn’t want love and commitment. But if a loveless affair was all he was interested in now, what was she going to do?
When he ended the kiss, she buried her face against his throat. “My overnight bag is still where I left it, by the door,” she said, needing to concentrate on something other than his mouth.
“Need help unpacking?”
“I packed light, which means I didn’t bring a lot of clothes.”
“Oh, and why was that?” he asked, sliding his palm along her cheek.
Cat inwardly berated herself for almost giving something away. “I thought I was going to be here alone and didn’t need a lot of clothes. I had planned to spend most of my time inside.”
“Well, I’m here with you, and you’ll be spending some time outside, starting in the morning. How would you like going fishing with me?”
“Fishing?”
“Yes.”
She grinned. “Umm, that will depend.”
“On what?”
“On how much sleep I get tonight.”
Rory broke out in a hearty laugh. “In that case, you won’t be going fishing with me in the morning. Just be prepared to help cook my catch when I get back.”
Cat smiled. “Okay, you have a deal.”
RORY SMILED IN undisguised delight as he watched Cat pull the items out of her overnight bag. “You weren’t lying when you said you packed light, were you?”
Startled, Cat turned, and her eyes met his. She felt heat move into her cheeks. She didn’t know he’d been standing in the doorway and wondered what he thought about all the sexy lingerie she had brought. The only clothes she packed that were decent enough to wear outside was the outfit she’d arrived in and the one she had changed into after her shower: a pair of white capri pants and a green midriff top. “Ah well—the lighter, the better.”
“Yeah, and I personally think less is best,” he said, grinning mischievously.
Cat rolled her eyes. “Aren’t you supposed to be preparing dinner?”
He chuckled. “Yes, in fact, I came to let you know that everything is ready.” He crossed the room, stood next to her, and picked up a book she had unpacked. Landscaping Made Simple.
Rory raised a brow, smiling. “You’re going after my job? I don’t see you being the dirt-under-the-fingernails type.”
Cat laughed. She couldn’t see herself being one either. “No, I decided to learn something about what you do. After we broke up, it dawned on me just how little I knew. You would mention things, but we mostly talked about my work.”
She stood still for a moment, biting her lip, and knowing he would be too kind to say that the reason they had mostly talked about her work was that her work—and only her work—had been the focus of any of their discussions. She had enjoyed talking to him about her goals, her plans for the future, her various clients, and the different proposals she and Lisa had been working on. It wasn’t until they had broken up that she realized just how little she knew about what his landscaping company was all about. She had an idea, and he had helped her put together her yard. But still, she hadn’t realized how selfish she’d been in making it “all about her” and not dwelling on his needs.
“So what have you learned so far?”
She couldn’t help giving him a flirty little smile. “One thing I learned is that landscaping is for the birds, literally. I didn’t know until I read that book that bird lovers can actually landscape their yard to attract birds. Did you know that certain birds, like the brown thrashers, house wrens, and orioles eat a variety of insects and if you landscape your yard with flowers that draw certain types of insects, then you’re in business.”
Rory nodded. “Yes, I knew that.” And he was impressed that now she did, and most important, that she had cared enough about what his job entailed to have taken the time to find out.
“What about mating?” he asked, placing the book aside.
“Mating?”
“Yes, since you learned something about birds, did you also read about how they mate?”
Cat’s brow furrowed. “No, it wasn’t in the book.”
“Umm, how unfortunate,” he said, smiling.
“Do you know something I don’t know?” she asked, smiling back.
“Possibly. They don’t mate like humans.”
She laughed. “I didn’t think so.”
“Their courtship and mating rituals are among the most varied for all species. It’s said that a bird without a mate is a bird without an offspring.”
Cat chuckled. “Now that’s definitely not true with humans.”
“Definitely.”
Cat enjoyed this sort of banter with Rory. Before, their conversations always tended to be more on the serious side. She was about to say something when her stomach rumbled.
“I think I’d better feed you now.”
“Yes, I think you’d better.”
AFTER DINNER THEY had cleaned up the kitchen together before going outside on the porch to sit in the swing. They were sitting close together, with Cat practically in Rory’s lap, and for over an hour he questioned her on how much she knew about landscaping.
“How would you like to go with me when I fly out and give an estimate for my next project? We’re about to bid on a shopping mall in Los Angeles.”
She turned in his arms and glanced up at him. Lisa would take off and go on those sort of trips with Peyton all the time, but Cat had never traveled anywhere with Rory, mainly because he’d never asked her. But then she knew why. It would have been a waste of time on his part, since she never would have allowed herself any time off from her work.
“Urn, sure. I’d like that. Thanks for the invite. Just let me know when.”
Rory looked surprised. “Just like that?”
She frowned. “Just like what?”
“You would go out of town with me, just like that? What about your own work?”
“There shouldn’t be any problems if it’s during a time we don’t have planned seminars. No big deal.”
Rory remembered a time when it would have been a big deal. They had been alone at the cabin for little more than five hours, and already he could see changes in her. Changes he definitely liked. He stood and brought her up with him. He took hold of her hand. “Come on—let’s go.”
She lifted a brow. “Where are we going?”
“Inside. To make love.”
6
Very early the next morning, Rory slipped out of bed. He glanced back over his shoulder at Cat while he slipped into his jeans. She was sleeping peacefully, dead to the world, an understandable state, since they had hardly slept at all last night.
They were lucky the cabin was out in the middle of nowhere, on private land. There hadn’t been any neighbors around to hear the sound of the headboard hitting the walls and no reason to drown out the moans, cries, and, in some instances, the screams of pleasure that had been torn from both of them. A clear indication of how their night had gone. His Cat had also clawed up his back pretty good, which was another sign. But then no pain, no gain.
“Rory?”
He turned. She had opened her eyes just enough to look at him. She wasn’t as dead to the world as he’d thought. “Yes, sweetheart?”
“Where are you going?”
“Fishing.”
She switched her gaze from him to the window. “But it’s still dark outside.”
He grinned as h
e walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge. He gently pulled her into his arms, sliding his arm in back of her so she could rest her head on his shoulder. “Yeah, and that’s the best time.”
“Umm, who am I to argue, since you’ve proved countless times that you know a lot about perfect timing.”
He glanced down at her. “You think so?”
“I know so.”
“Thanks for that vote of confidence.” He could tell she was still sleepy, and he was tempted to kiss her until she forgot all about sleeping, but doing so meant he would forget all about going fishing. He would take the time to taste her—all over—when he returned. Besides, he didn’t intend to stay away long. The lake was in walking distance and could easily be seen through the trees. If things went as planned and the fish were biting as he hoped, he would probably be back before she woke up good.
Although he decided not to kiss her, he went ahead and indulged his pleasure by nibbling on her neck for a while, knowing full well he was placing a hickey there. Then he ran his tongue along the soft little lobe of her ear, enjoying the sound of his Cat purring.
Knowing he’d better stop before he changed his mind about going fishing, he placed her back in bed and stood. “Miss me.”
When she didn’t say anything, he smiled. She had drifted back off to sleep.
CAT SLOWLY CAME awake thinking that if a person could die from having too many orgasms, then she would definitely be dead by now. The number of times he’d made her come had been relentless, extraordinary, mind-blowing madness. It had definitely been one of those record-setting nights. She gave a half-smile, thinking that she didn’t have any complaints, even with the fact that her body was pretty sore.
Turning over, she glanced at the clock. It was ten in the morning already. She remembered waking up earlier, right before Rory left to go fishing and then drifting back off to sleep. She shifted again in bed, knowing it was time she got up and faced the world.
Five minutes later, and Cat was standing under the spray of water as it washed down over her back. Eyes closed, she threw her head back, enjoying the feel of the warm gush of liquid caressing her all over. Then suddenly she felt a nibble on the soft curve of her neck and quickly turned around. Rory was back and had stripped naked to join in her shower. She could read the look in the deep, dark eyes staring at her. He wanted to make love to her again.
Right now. Right here.
He gently took the soap out of her hand and began lathering her all over, making her body quiver beneath his touch. And then he got on his knees, to lather her stomach, which brought him right in front of the area between her legs, an area he had branded his two years ago in this very cabin, an area he had reclaimed numerous times since she had arrived yesterday.
She knew without a doubt that once again he was about to give her extreme satisfaction, almost to the point of delerium. Her assumptions proved true when he tossed the soap aside and pulled her forward, out from beneath the spray of water, and he leaned closer until her hot center was right in his face.
Open.
Although he gave the command, he didn’t wait for her to comply.
RORY NEEDED THIS: the taste of her. He had gotten it last night, but it hadn’t been enough. Not nearly enough. The heat of her made her scent that much more profound, erotic, intense, and the ache inside him grew that much more unbearable.
The fish had been biting, which was a good thing. As soon as he’d been satisfied that he’d caught enough, he turned his mind to another type of satisfaction. Only the kind that Cat could provide. When he had walked into the cabin and heard the shower going, he knew what he wanted to do. What he planned to do.
He leaned closer to her, reached out, and gently parted her womanly folds, still swollen from last night’s workout. And then he kissed her there, letting his tongue taste the sweet nectar he sought. He heard her groan and widen her legs for him the same exact moment her fingers clutched his head firmly to hold it in place. Little did she know that he didn’t intend to go anywhere until he’d gotten his fill.
He worked his tongue around inside her slowly, teasingly, until the stroking got harder, more intense, and greedier. In this case, less wasn’t best. More was better, and he wanted more.
When he felt her on the verge of coming, he grabbed hold of her lips, locked his mouth tight on her, and worked his tongue like nobody’s business, forcing her to come.
She did.
And he enjoyed every bit of her.
When it was almost impossible for her to stand on her own, he gathered her into his arms and held her. A part of him didn’t want their weekend to end. They still had a lot to talk about. A lot to straighten out, and lots of assumptions to set right. But now at this moment, nothing was more profound to him than holding the woman he loved so close to his heart, where he knew she would al-ways be.
WHO TAUGHT YOU to take care of fish?”
Startled, Cat turned around. This was the third time Rory had caught her unawares. After their shower, he had taken a nap. She, surprisingly, had had an exceptional burst of energy. After dressing, she had gone into the kitchen to find his cooler filled with the fish he’d caught. Deciding since he had been the one to catch their meal, the least she could do was to cook it, so she had immediately begun the task of cleaning the fish before getting the grease and frying pan ready. Even though the kitchen vents were on full blast and the windows open, there was no way the aroma of fried fish wouldn’t make its way to their bedroom.
“My dad. He used to go fishing all the time, and once or twice he took me and my brothers and sisters with him. But I don’t ever remember getting up as early as you did this morning.”
He lifted a brow. “I didn’t know that.”
“What?”
“That you’ve gone fishing before.”
She grinned. “Yes. You even brought me here once with you to fish.”
He smiled. “I brought you here under the pretense of going fishing, but we both knew that fishing was the last thing on either of our minds. Getting it on for the first time was.”
Cat laughed. “Yes, that’s true. But still you never invited me back.”
“Yes, I did.”
She blinked. “You did?”
“Yes. Several times. But you were always too busy to come back.”
With his words, memories floated through her mind, forcing her to remember. He had asked her to spend weekends at the cabin with him fishing, but at the time she’d been too busy plotting and planning how to achieve her professional goals.
She sighed deeply, disgusted. It didn’t seem to her that she’d been much of a girlfriend. In fact, she could go so far as to consider herself one selfish bitch. It was a wonder he wanted to have any dealings with her at all, let alone repair their relationship. At that moment, she fully understood why he was satisfied with them just having an affair. If she wasn’t all that hot as girlfriend material, he probably assumed she definitely would not make a good wife … if he’d still been in the market for one.
“So what can I do to help?”
She glanced over at him, and he had that incredible smile on his face that had the dimples to die for right along with it. Any woman would be stupid not to want this loving, handsome, unselfish man in her life. “It depends on what you want to go along with it,” she finally answered. “The fish is already done.”
“Yeah, and it smells good too.”
“Thanks.”
“How about if we include a salad and baked sweet potatoes?”
“Sounds good to me.”
When they sat down to eat a half hour later, she told him she wanted him to talk about his work for a change. He told her that the business he and Peyton had started together right out of college was doing great, and now that they had expanded nationally, a lot of good contracts were coming in. It surprised her to see that she hadn’t been the only one of them who’d had dreams and goals. But it seemed she was the only one who had gotten totally obsessed with them.
“You’ve been busy,” she commented as they both cleared the table.
He smiled over at her. “And so have you. Peyton has kept me abreast on how well things are going for you and Lisa.”
“I’m surprised you wanted to know.”
“Why would I not?”
“My obsession with work is the reason we broke up.”
“Not it wasn’t. Your obsession with not wanting to ever get married was.”
She shrugged. “Same thing, since I considered a commitment of that sort as interfering with the long-range goals I’d established.”
He nodded. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore, since I’ve told you my new philosophy. I understand why you felt the way you did, because I now find myself in the same predicament. Our company is expanding, so I’m a busy man these days. I’ve increased my traveling, and taking the company on a national level is the most important thing going on in my life right now. I don’t have time for anything else remotely serious.”
Cat placed the dishes in the sink and then leaned against the counter. “And your views changed just because of me?”
Rory came to stand beside her. “No, they didn’t change just because of you. But what happened between us did make me question why I had made such a fuss. Things had been good between us, and if no strings attached and no expectations was what you wanted, then so be it. Although we weren’t married, we spent a lot of time together, and got along better than some married people, so I asked myself, why did I even rock the boat.”
Because at the time you thought you wanted more, she wanted to tell him. And now she was the one who wanted more, but he didn’t. “So what would you like to do now?”
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “How would you like to take a walk? I’d like very much to show you something.”
Her curiosity piqued, she said, “All right. I’d love to go for a walk with you.”
Mr. Satisfaction Page 4
