by Rachel Lacey
Beneath that girly stuff, though, she was tough as nails. She’d beaten him easily on the rock wall at the gym the other day. He’d seen photos of her scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef and hiking in the Grand Canyon. She was fearless and adventurous, and she never backed away from a challenge.
Bottom line? Anything he might have assumed Katherine Hayes would be, Kate was not. She was funny, intelligent, hardworking, compassionate, and sexy as hell.
He was no fool. This was a big deal. In a little over two weeks, he’d gone from a cynical bachelor who shied away from anyone without a Y chromosome to a man comfortably in a relationship. So what if the relationship came with a no-strings clause and an expiration date just a week away? He’d taken a monumental step out of the quicksand that had been slowly sucking him down for the past two years. But what was going to happen to him after she left?
* * *
As the sun sank below the horizon, Kate spun in Josh’s arms to face him. She threaded her hands behind his neck and brought her lips to his. The kiss started out tender but soon ignited all the passion between them. She and Josh had spent every free moment together this past week, and yet it never felt like enough.
Would it ever be enough?
“Kate,” he murmured as he kissed his way down her neck.
The ocean crashed below them, rough and wild, much like the emotions swelling inside her. He brought his face back to hers, and they kissed until they were breathless, until her heart beat a frantic dance against her ribs and the restless ache between her legs throbbed in time with her runaway pulse.
“Let’s stay,” she whispered.
Josh lifted his head. “What?”
She hooked a leg around his hips, bringing herself into alignment with the bulge in his jeans, and oh, he was deliciously hard behind that denim. “Here, in Newport. Tonight. Let’s stay.” Because this week had been full of so much hurt and uncertainty, and she needed to make at least one perfect memory with Josh before their time together was up.
“But your meeting…”
“Doesn’t start until ten thirty. We’ll drive home early. So what do you say?”
“Hell yes.” A wicked grin creased his face, and he bent his head to kiss her again. This kiss was full of promise. Their tongues danced together as her body burned until she couldn’t wait another moment to get him naked.
“Hotel,” she whispered.
Josh nodded, and together they walked toward the strip of shops and quaint little inns across from the ocean, their steps hurried.
“That one,” she said, pointing at a sleek building that stood above the rest. The smaller bed-and-breakfasts were likely to be booked, and their owners might be too nosy for her taste in any case. She led him toward the hotel, and they strode into the lobby, hand in hand.
To keep from attracting a scene, she let Josh book the room under his name. He requested the nicest room they had, and the receptionist offered them the penthouse suite, while sliding a sly look between them.
“Perfect,” Kate told her. “And could you send up all the toiletries we’ll need? We hadn’t planned on staying the night.” Another reason she’d chosen the nicer hotel.
“Certainly.” She handed Josh two key cards.
Kate gripped his hand and hurried him toward the elevator. As soon as its silver door slid shut behind them, they were on each other. Josh lifted her, pressing her against the wall, and she wrapped her legs around his hips, kissing him with a frantic sense of urgency. When the elevator opened on the top floor, Josh set her down, and they hurried toward the door at the end of the hall. He inserted the key card, and they tumbled inside.
“Wow,” he murmured, looking past her to the expansive suite they’d just entered. A huge window on the other side of the room overlooked the cliffs and crashing ocean below.
“Yeah, the view is stunning,” she said, yanking his shirt over his head so she could run her hands appreciatively over his abs. Josh’s chest, always lean and muscular, seemed to have become even more well-defined since they’d first met. “Triathlon training looks good on you.”
They stumbled together into the bedroom, kissing and groping, leaving a trail of clothes in their wake. By the time they’d reached the bed, they were both naked. She tossed back the covers and crawled onto the sheets, turning to face him, and holy hell. He walked toward her, his cock standing proudly at attention, his eyes gleaming hot. Absolutely beautiful.
“You take my breath away,” he murmured as he slid into bed beside her.
“Ditto.” She kissed him, a deep, drunken kiss as their hands explored, touching, groping, teasing. The world could have been burning around them, and she wouldn’t have noticed. She was completely consumed by the friction between their bodies, the magic of his kiss, and the need rising like a tidal wave inside her.
He broke away from her mouth, kissing his way down her neck and across her chest. He nipped at her breast, sending a bolt of fire straight through her core. She whimpered, drowning in sensation as he trailed hot kisses across her stomach before settling between her legs. Her body clenched in anticipation.
He stroked her first, his fingers gentle, and she arched into his touch. “More,” she whispered, not even caring how breathless and needy she sounded.
He put his mouth on her, and she almost levitated off the bed.
Yes. Yes. God, yes.
Josh nipped and plunged while his tongue did some kind of magic thing that had her tumbling straight toward ecstasy. She closed her eyes as need curled tight and hot inside her, building to an almost painful pressure.
“Josh,” she moaned.
He lifted his head to look at her, his pupils blown with lust. “Tell me what you need.”
She squirmed, desperate for release, aching for him to fill her. “You. Inside me. Right now.”
He slid up to claim her mouth with another breathless kiss, his fingers still stroking her, and oh God, she was so close. And then she felt his cock nudging at her entrance. She wrapped her legs around his hips, drawing him in.
He thrust inside her, holding still for a moment as he always did, the expression on his face one of reverence as he kissed her slow and deep. She felt his throbbing length inside her, filling her so perfectly, and it was too much. She broke, convulsing around him as she came.
Josh swore under his breath as he began to move, each thrust sending her higher until she thought she might actually shatter into a million blissful pieces. When she’d regained her senses, she kept moving with him, kissing him, reveling in the magic they created together. They rolled together, lying side by side as Josh stroked in and out, then rolled again so that she straddled him, finding new pleasure in each position.
She moved her hips, riding him as desire burned again inside her. “So good…”
“Fucking unbelievable.” Josh rose to a sitting position so that she was in his lap. “Holding on by a thread here.”
He angled his hips, and his cock seemed to reach someplace new inside her that had stars dancing behind her eyes. The rhythm of their bodies felt like music building to a crescendo inside her. “Yes. Yes!”
He lifted her up and down as his hips pistoned beneath her, each thrust bringing him against that magical spot inside her, and… She moaned as another orgasm ripped through her, this one bigger and stronger than the first. Josh thrust faster, swearing a blue streak as he found his own release. They rocked together, gasping and clutching at each other as they rode out their pleasure, then collapsed together in a tangle of arms and legs.
“Holy shit.” Josh’s eyes were closed, his expression dazed.
Her chest felt full and tight, as if her heart had grown too big to be contained inside it. “This was… It’s like music, like we create this beautiful music together.” Her ears were still ringing with it.
“I feel it too.” He held her close.
She pressed her cheek against his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heart, her mind still buzzing with song, blissed out on tw
o of the most powerful orgasms of her life. This thing between them was so big, so strong, so intense. She had no idea what to do with it.
She lay quietly in his arms as Josh drifted off to sleep. And even then, she lay there, enjoying the feel of his arms around her as he slept. She’d never spent the night with a man before. Why did she break all her rules with Josh? She just needed him, needed more of him. Needed this.
Finally, her eyes grew too heavy to ignore. The temptation to lie here in his arms and sleep was almost overwhelming, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t risk him witnessing her nightmares or the questions they would undoubtedly raise. Because she was no fool. Josh had already seen more than he should have, and he wouldn’t let it go.
He would want to know the truth.
And she couldn’t tell him.
She slipped out of bed and tiptoed into the bathroom for a robe. After freshening up, she curled herself comfortably in a chair by the window, overlooking scenic Newport. Past experience had taught her that she could doze here safely, never falling deeply enough into sleep to allow the nightmares to reach her. This night with Josh was more than worth the sacrifice. As her eyes drifted shut, the music she and Josh had created together still rang in her ears.
* * *
Josh drifted awake slowly, coming up through layers of happy memories…of him and Kate walking through Newport, burning up the sheets together with sex so hot, he’d almost lost his damn mind. His arms reached automatically toward the other side of the bed.
It was empty. Cold.
His eyes popped open. Surely it hadn’t all been a dream…but no, he was in their hotel bed. Alone. He sat up, looking around.
Kate was in the chair by the window, wearing one of the hotel’s cream-colored robes, her head bent as she scribbled furiously in a green notebook.
A smile touched his lips. “Writing our song?”
She looked up, and a wide smile broke across her face, like the sun coming out from behind clouds. “Something like that.”
“Will you sing it for me?”
“When it’s finished.” She closed the notebook and crossed the room to him, sliding back into bed. Up close, she looked exhausted. Dark circles shadowed her eyes.
“Trouble sleeping?” he asked, sliding the robe from her shoulders so he could kiss her neck.
She nodded. “I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“You could never disturb me.” He kissed her again, drawing a happy sigh from her lips.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She untied the robe and tossed it onto the floor, sliding closer against him. Her fingers gripped his cock, which had been hard and ready for her ever since he’d awakened.
He thrust into her hand. “Think we can top last night?”
Her eyes twinkled naughtily. “First rule of music, baby. Every great performance deserves an encore.”
11
Kate looked out the window and sighed. She and Jenn were on their way back to Kate’s condo after taping an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Exhaustion tugged at her limbs, and the shadow of a headache pressed behind her eyes.
She’d give anything to go home and take a nap. Afternoon naps had become her salvation, as the nightmares hadn’t yet become bold enough to attack in broad daylight. Not today, though. The rest of the afternoon was booked with meetings for the tour. A caffeine fix from Olive’s would have to suffice.
The Mercedes slammed into a pothole, jostling her sore brain, and she winced. She wished she were still in Newport with Josh. She was tired of talking about the nude photo scandal every time she gave an interview. She was tired of worrying about things with her mother. She was tired of worrying about the Fans Voice Award nominations. A month ago, she’d been a shoo-in. Now she was a long shot.
She was just so damn tired.
“Things seem to be going well for you and Josh,” Jenn commented.
Kate leaned back and closed her eyes. “Yeah.”
“I’m really glad. It’s good to see you so happy with someone.”
“If only—” Her eyes snapped open. She’d almost said, If only I didn’t have to give him up at the end of the week. “We’ve certainly made the most of our two weeks together, anyway.”
“You know you don’t have to say goodbye just because you’re leaving New York,” Jenn said.
“I really do. I’m about to go on tour for the next year, and he’s moving to Spain. And anyway, I don’t do relationships. You of all people should know that.”
“I do. Just don’t be afraid to break the rules if the right guy were to come along and, say, sweep you off your feet one afternoon in Central Park.” Jenn winked.
Kate frowned. “You’re such a romantic.”
“Guilty as charged.” Jenn looked down at her iPad with a shrug.
Kate closed her eyes again. Nausea roiled in her belly. It was a sure sign of another migraine coming. If they kept up like this, she was going to have to see the doctor and get a better prescription.
The car slammed into another pothole.
“Jesus,” she muttered, rubbing her forehead.
Jenn was tapping away on her iPad, a wide, dreamy smile on her face.
“What about you?” Kate asked. “Are you still seeing that architect in LA? Chris, right?”
Jenn nodded, her cheeks blooming pink. “I flew out to see him last weekend while you were in Newport.”
“So things are going well?”
“Really well.” Jenn slid the iPad into her bag. “I mean, he’s so thoughtful. When he picked me up at the airport Friday night, he had a huge bouquet of flowers for me and a whole romantic evening planned.”
“That’s wonderful, Jenn. I’m really happy for you.” Something funny twisted in her gut, something that felt an awful lot like jealousy. She pasted a smile onto her face. What in the world was the matter with her?
“Anyway, we’re proof that long-distance relationships can work, so don’t you dare tell me you couldn’t make things work with Josh too, if you wanted to.” Jenn gave her a pointed look.
“It’s not just that.” She tried not to let herself dwell on Josh’s words in his apartment last week, when he’d told her he could never love another woman the way he loved his dead fiancée, but the knowledge was always there in the back of her mind. “He’s got his own relationship hang-ups. We both agreed to a no-strings fling, and nothing has changed.”
* * *
Three girls in the back row spent the majority of class with their heads buried in People magazine. Josh heard giggles, saw the magazine passed around the classroom. With a frown, he continued his review of the subjunctive tense. He had a bad feeling he knew exactly what they were looking at. As he stepped into the hall after the end of class, he found several students gathered outside, still looking at the magazine.
“It’s totally him,” Eliana whispered.
Carlos scoffed. “Dr. Randall? With Katherine Hayes? No way.”
Dina shrugged. “I’ve seen him wear that coat. It’s him.”
Carlos glanced up and saw Josh. He cleared his throat. The magazine was shoved into a backpack. “See you on Friday, Dr. Randall.”
The kids quickly scattered down the hall.
Josh grimaced. It wouldn’t be long now before the whole campus knew about him and Kate. If only he could keep it quiet for a few more days, until she’d left for LA. Once she’d gone out on tour, no one would care about her “mystery man” anymore. He scraped a hand through his hair and headed for his office.
A copy of the same issue of People magazine lay on his desk chair. Page six was flagged. Gabe’s calling card. Josh flipped it open and scowled at the photo of him and Kate inside, strolling through Central Park. He stuffed the magazine in the trash and headed downstairs. Outside, he crossed Broadway and caught the 1 train at 110th Street. He rode to Lincoln Center, then walked a block to Central Park West, arriving at Kate’s condo just before five.
Jenn answered the door, iPad in hand. She motioned him in
side. “Oh hey, Josh, she’s running a little behind. You can wait in the study.”
Josh forced a smile as he followed her. He hated when he arrived to find Kate’s condo swarming with people he didn’t know. He felt uncomfortable around the industry crowd: reporters, producers, directors, the whole bunch.
He sank into an oversized chair in the study and watched as Kate spoke with three men in suits in the living room. One of them he recognized as Harry, her manager. The others he had never seen before.
Kate wore a pale pink pantsuit, her hair long and straight down her back. She shared a laugh with a man in a blue suit. He touched her shoulder, then pointed at the laptop on the table before them.
Hands off, buddy. She’s mine.
Josh stiffened. He was feeling very possessive around Kate lately. He wasn’t sure what that said about the status of his heart. Was he ready to move on after all? Or had he just gotten too comfortable with the luxury of a no-strings relationship?
“They’re signing papers for her tour,” Jenn told him from the doorway. “It’s going to be huge. Thirty cities in America alone.”
It was a solid reminder. Kate was going to be on the road for a long time. No use getting any silly ideas in his head. By the time her tour finished, he’d be living in Spain.
Kate gestured at the laptop as she spoke, nodding with excitement. He loved the way she spoke with her hands; it was so European. One of the men placed several papers on the table in front of her, which she signed. Sitting up, she swept her hair over her shoulders, then twirled the loop of her right earring around her fingers.
Jenn sprang to attention. “Uh-oh. That’s her distress signal.” She walked into the living room and ended the meeting with words Josh couldn’t hear.
Kate stood. She shook hands with everyone and gave them each a quick peck on the cheek. Her smile never wavered. Jenn escorted the men from the room. As soon as they were out of sight, Kate crumpled onto the couch, her face drawn with pain.
