by Mari Carr
“Please.” She thrust her ass toward his wandering hand.
Offering no reprieve, Rick quickly pulled her panties down and covered her bare buttocks with several hard, quick slaps. Pausing, he caressed the red flesh and tried to gauge Kate’s response.
She was panting and he could feel her heart racing against his thigh.
“Kate.” His fingers slowly descended to her clit. Toying with the hard nub, he was rewarded with her cries of delight and pleas for more.
“Please, Rick.”
“Please what, Kate?” After all the torment she’d caused him today, he was finding himself a bit low on charity. Not that Kate seemed to mind or even notice. “What do you want?”
“More.”
“More what?” He dragged his fingers back to the drenched opening to her body. He ceased movement and let her feel the tip of his finger hovering on the brink.
“Oh no, please don’t tease me! Touch me,” she cried. “Put your finger inside me.”
Her words were like manna from heaven and Rick quickly plunged into her hot, wet pussy. “Just one finger?” he asked, leaving the single digit buried deep and still.
“Two,” she amended, “three. Stop teasing me, Rick. I can’t take much more.” Her hips were thrusting hard against his hand. Rick didn’t doubt her words for a moment.
Rick added two more fingers to the one slowly fucking her, her pussy clamping down on him as the muscles contracted with the onset of her coming orgasm.
“You don’t have permission, Kate.”
“Say it.” Her mind was clearly fighting to win the battle against her own body’s needs. “Please!”
The woman was an inferno. Her orgasms were amazingly strong and quick, leaving Rick in awe of her passion.
Continuing his movements within her body, he watched her hover at the edge of completion before denying it and removing his hand from her wet body and gently lifting her from his lap.
“Hands and knees.” He pushed her down into the position he wanted. Without warning, he thrust into her open pussy, taking her hard and fast. On the second shove, he knew she wouldn’t win the war raging inside her and granted her mercy.
“Come, Kate.” No sooner had he issued the command than she disintegrated into a quivering mass before him. His leniency spent, Rick reclaimed her body, shoving into her again and again. Each thrust a punishment for all the worry she’d caused him, a promise he would always take care of her and a pledge that she could indeed trust him with her heart. Her body shook with continued pleasure as her climaxes hit her one after another without ceasing and still Rick claimed her, pounded into her with all the love in his own heart.
“Mine.” He felt his climax shake him. “You’re mine!” he yelled as he filled her with his seed.
“Yours,” she whispered, as she sank to the floor. Rick collapsed beside her, gathering her trembling body tightly against his. A brief smile crossed her face as Rick watched her blue eyes slowly close and her rosy lips part with sigh.
Rick, thinking she was asleep, was surprised to hear her speak.
“Is that your idea of punishment?” Her voice was still breathless from their exertions.
Rick chuckled at the question, but before he could answer she continued to speak. “Because I have to tell you honestly, that sort of punishment inspires a person to misbehavior more than good conduct.”
“Very smart, Kate.” He leaned down and peppered her cheek with soft kisses. “You figured that out quickly.”
Chapter 17
Wes’s homecoming was remarkably less dramatic than Rick’s had been the previous week. Unless Kate took into consideration the number of times Jill and Wes got into a screaming match over her hovering care or his refusal to follow doctor’s orders. Then it was considerably more dramatic.
After two days of dealing with the “Bickersons”, as Rick began to call them, he and Kate decided to escape for an evening, leaving Jill in charge of feeding an irritable Wes. The talk Jill encouraged Kate to have with Rick still hadn’t occurred. Every time Kate got the nerve up to say something about her disappearing act a few days earlier, the phone would ring or Jill would arrive or Wes would need a glass of water. Although Kate had to admit to herself, she wasn’t trying too hard.
She knew without a shadow of a doubt she had fallen in love with her handsome Clooney clone and she knew he shared her feelings, despite the fact he hadn’t said those three little words. Her fear of losing herself to a man hovered in the background. Old habits die hard and Kate struggled to keep her feelings to herself. She and Rick were happy and she hated to ruin it by weighting their fun-loving romance down with such a serious, potentially detrimental conversation.
All through dinner she kept telling herself to bring it up.
“Talk to him tonight,” Jill had insisted as she and Rick left the house. The quiet, romantic atmosphere of the restaurant was a perfect venue for a serious heart-to-heart, in addition to being a welcome respite from Wes and Jill’s constant arguing. Unfortunately, the meal was over, dessert consumed and still Kate hadn’t worked up her nerve.
“What a day,” Rick murmured, leaning back, looking completely relaxed.
Kate wished she shared his feeling of contentment. “What are we going to do about them?” Kate took a sip of wine, relishing the silence despite her internal worries.
“Who knows?” Rick answered. “I’m afraid I need to apologize for Wes. I don’t know what the hell has gotten into him. He’s usually the life of the party. The good-time guy. I’ve never seen him so argumentative and cranky.”
“Yeah, well,” Kate laughed lightly, “Jill has a habit of bringing out the best in others. Fact is I was just going to say the same thing about her. I’ve never heard her talk to anyone the way she talks to Wes.”
Rick considered Kate’s comments. “They’re like gasoline and fire.”
“More like dynamite and a lit match.”
“Jill’s a goner,” Kate joked.
“Wes is in deep.”
“How long do you think it will take them to figure it out?”
“Is your sister known for stubbornness?”
“Oh, hell yeah,” Kate answered.
“Wes too. He won’t go down easy.”
“Great,” Kate replied. “Jill can be counted on to kick and scream every inch of the way.”
“Maybe we should check into a hotel for a few days,” Rick joked. “I don’t think I can stand too much more of this twisted courtship they have going on.”
Kate laughed. “Do you think we should at least clue them in? I’m fairly certain Jill has no idea she’s in love with Wes.”
“You can tell your sister if you feel safe doing so. I, for one, am rather fond of my face and don’t relish the thought of Wes pounding on it when I break the news to him.”
Kate merely shook her head at Rick’s mock shudder of fear as his cell phone rang.
“Sorry,” he apologized. “I meant to turn the damn thing off.”
Looking at the number, Rick threw his eyes skyward dramatically. “Speak of the devil.”
“Let me guess,” Kate said. “Loverboy?”
“Yes, dammit,” Rick said. “I better answer it. He’s only been out of the hospital a few days.”
“Jill did threaten to re-break his nose just before we left. Maybe she made good on the threat.”
Rick opened the phone. “Hello. What? I can’t hear you. Wait a minute. Kate, I’m going to pop outside and take this. Do you mind?”
“Of course not. I’ll order us coffee in the meantime.”
“Perfect.” Rick bent down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
Kate shamelessly ogled Rick’s tight ass as he walked away from her, wondering how she got so lucky this second time around. Maybe she was merely building up her karma during the torturous years with Zack. Perhaps she’d had to pay some sort of penance before she hit the jackpot with Rick McAllister. The handsome man certainly made her feel like she’d won the lott
ery.
“Hello Kate.”
Kate groaned and clasped her suddenly trembling hands together under the table as Zack moved to stand beside her. Closing her eyes, she briefly wondered if her atonement wasn’t over and she’d actually conjured her worst nightmare merely by thinking of him.
“Get away from me,” she whispered, pleased by the threatening menace of her tone. “I warned you—”
Zack quickly raised his hands in supplication. “I won’t stay long. I promise. I wasn’t going to come over at all, but when McAllister left—”
“Coward,” Kate taunted him. “Afraid of Rick? You should be. Go away.” She attempted to keep her voice calm and quiet. The last thing she needed was to make a scene in the middle of the restaurant. She could already feel the eyes of the patrons at the nearby tables on them. No doubt the bored people of Madison were hoping for a good show, and Kate refused to give it to them.
Surprisingly, Zack followed her lead, speaking to her in hushed tones completely at odds with his usual flamboyant, everybody-look-at-me way.
“I wanted to apologize.” Zack spoke so softly Kate wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly. For a moment she simply stared at him, astonished by words she was certain Zack had never uttered in his life—at least not to her.
“I have no excuse for my behavior, Katie. I mean, I was pretty drunk—”
Kate started to argue, but Zack cut her off again. “Not that that’s an excuse. It’s just…ah hell. I made a big mistake, Kate. With you, with us. Soozan was…”
Zack ran his hand roughly through his hair. Kate noticed it was trembling.
“Shit, I’m making a mess of this. I’m sorry, Kate. For everything.”
Zack looked down at her, his eyes brimming with unshed tears and Kate felt…
What did she feel? Here was her two-timing ex-husband, the man who’d crushed her young girl’s heart and all she felt was…
“Nothing,” she whispered to herself.
“What?” Zack asked.
“Apology accepted.” As she spoke the words, the last vestiges of the old, insecure Kate floated away from her.
“I suppose you and McAllister are seeing each other.” Kate had to shake her head in annoyance. One little apology and she could already see the wheels turning in Zack’s brain. No doubt he believed he could turn on the charm and the past year would simply melt away.
“Absolutely.” She raised her voice slightly for the benefit of the busybodies at the next table who were no longer even pretending not to eavesdrop. “I’m completely, wholeheartedly in love.” Then, because his attack the week earlier was still so fresh in her memory, she added a bit more to her declaration. “For the first time in my life.”
Zack’s face flushed at her insult. “And what about Robson?” He snarled at her and his next words proved he would never truly change. “Are you entertaining him in your bed too?”
“Do you have some sort of death wish?”
Kate groaned as Rick’s angry face appeared behind Zack. She felt a small bit of satisfaction as Zack’s face went white before he turned to face Rick. Hoping to avert sure disaster, Kate rose quickly, brushing by Zack to take Rick’s arm.
“Rick,” she said nervously. “I don’t feel like coffee anymore. The caffeine will keep me up all night. I’m ready to leave.”
Rick looked down at her angrily, clearly not appreciative of her attempts to protect Zack from him.
“Please,” she whispered. “Let’s go. He apologized for the other night and I accepted.”
Rick stared at her as if she’d driven a knife into his back. “And you think that makes everything all right?”
“Of course not,” she answered softly. “But it’s my call, Rick. Not yours.”
Kate cursed her foolish words the second she’d uttered them, but before she had the opportunity to take them back, she watched Rick’s face shut against her. His voice, when he finally spoke again, was cold and distant. “I see. I’ll pay the bill.”
Turning stiffly, Rick walked toward the bar.
Zack the Apologetic faded away and cocky Zack the Rat reemerged from his hole. “Well, look on the bright side, Katie. You’ve still got the spare.”
Furious, Kate reacted without a thought. Balling her hand up, she let loose with all the strength in her body. Zack never saw the punch coming and it was several seconds before Kate realized the blood gushing from his nose was because of her.
Zack howled in pain and for a moment, Kate thought he might retaliate. Apparently, Rick thought the same thing. One minute she was staring at Zack’s irate face. The next, her ex was lying on the floor of the restaurant, being pummeled by an indignant, furious Rick.
“Rick!” She grabbed fruitlessly at Rick’s strong arms. “Stop! Please. You have to stop!”
It took three men to pull Rick off Zack, who was lying on the floor with his arms over his head, crying. Literally crying. Actually, Kate thought, sobbing would be a more accurate description. If Kate hadn’t been trembling with anger and fear, she would have found Zack’s behavior humorous. God, Jill would be laughing her ass off right about now.
Glancing over, Kate could see Josh Kendrick, a friend of Rick’s from the police force, talking to him, attempting to calm him down.
Kate started to walk over to him, desperate to hold him, to say she was sorry, but the look in Rick’s eyes froze her in her tracks.
“I don’t give a shit if he does press charges,” Rick muttered. “That bastard forced his way into my house last week and nearly raped Kate! He had it coming.”
Kate and several people heard Rick’s comment despite his quiet tone. The elderly lady next to her gasped, shooting daggers at Zack with her eyes, who had managed to calm his sobs down to mere sniveling.
“I’m not pressing charges.” Zack’s voice was nasal and slurred from his bloody nose and swollen lip.
“Then it looks like you’re free to go, Rick.” Josh was obviously relieved about not having to arrest a friend on his night off.
Rick nodded once before coming to Kate and taking her arm stiffly. They walked to the car in silence, Kate struggling to conquer her uncontrollable trembling.
Opening the passenger door, Rick helped Kate into the car, but she could see in his face how hard he was struggling to contain his fury.
“Rick—”
“Don’t Kate.”
Kate wasn’t sure how to break through his anger as he drove silently. It was so thick around him, it seemed tangible. They were nearly at the farmhouse when Kate felt the dam inside her break. If she couldn’t reach him before they arrived home, she feared she never would.
“Please.” Tears threatened to fall despite her struggle to stem their flow. She wouldn’t use crying to penetrate his wounded pride. She owed him the truth.
“I’m sorry I ran out on you the other morning.”
Rick’s face remained stoic, his eyes never leaving the narrow road as they traveled back to the farmhouse.
“I was scared.” Her timid confession didn’t seem to penetrate the walls Rick had erected in the restaurant. Perhaps she’d waited too long for this conversation. Maybe her actions were irrevocable.
“Of what?” he finally asked after several tense, silent minutes.
Tears escaped as she silently rejoiced. At least he was speaking to her. Once again, Rick swallowed his pride and offered her the gift of understanding. No matter how many times she screwed up, he always offered her a reprieve. The thought of his selflessness and generosity humbled her.
“Of what, Kate?”
“Of Zack and what he almost did to me. Of the way you make me lose control of myself in bed. I can’t think when you touch me. Of falling in love with you. Of not being woman enough to make you happy. Of you leaving me. God—I’m afraid of everything.”
The farmhouse loomed before them. Rick seemed to consider her words before hitting the switch to open the garage door and pulling in.
She looked at him closely as he turned to face he
r, his eyes giving away none of his feelings. She took a deep breath. “I thought I had my act together. When you were away and I was alone at the farmhouse, I really felt like I was being true to myself, to my personality. I lost all that weight, got a new haircut, bought a bunch of new clothes. Remade myself into someone I could face in the mirror every morning. For the first time in my life, I truly liked myself.”
“And that’s changed?” Rick’s voice was no longer quite as cold and distant and Kate knew he was truly listening to her, truly trying to understand her fears.
“Not exactly, no. Yes, I mean…I don’t know.”
“Kate, do I make you feel bad about yourself?”
Kate quickly shook her head. “No, Rick. You tell me I’m beautiful and when you look at me, I can see in your eyes you truly mean it. And I know you aren’t just referring to my looks, but all of me. The problem is…what if you change your mind? What if one day you wake up next to me and realize you’ve made a terrible mistake?”
The pent-up anger Rick had suffered since leaving the restaurant exploded from him. “Like Zack? Christ, Kate! I’m not a shallow asshole and I don’t tell women lies just to get into their pants. I love you! Not just today or tomorrow but forever, and I am not merely biding my time with you waiting for the next hot number to walk by. Either you believe that or you don’t, but I’ll be damned if I’ll pay for your ex-husband’s mistakes for the rest of my life.”
“You love me?” she whispered, tears flowing freely.
“Of course I love you, Kate. How can you not know that? How can you not see that? I’ve been walking around with my heart on my sleeve since I got back, like some lovesick fool. Dammit, woman!”
Rick got out of the Corvette and slammed the door shut. Kate was reaching for her door handle when Rick wrenched the passenger door open and yanked her out. In seconds, she found herself pushed up against the side of the car and Rick’s lips took hers in a kiss so potent and powerful, Kate had no option but to believe his words.
Pulling back, Kate reached up and held Rick’s face tightly in her tiny hands.
“I love you.” The words were clear and strong and true. “I understand now, Rick. I’m not losing myself in you. You make me a better person, a better me, but no matter what I’m still Kate Harper. And you’ve shown me that’s enough.”
