by Diane Saxon
With a curl of disappointment, Kate dropped her weapon of choice, a shiny golden pump, on the floor and traipsed into the bathroom.
The water pumped hot when Kate leaned through to turn the shower back on, it hadn’t even had the chance to cool.
She shrugged out of her robe and then stepped under the torrent of water and turned the temperature higher, enough to boil her skin. Steam rose as she scrubbed her hair with the coconut shampoo in a desperate attempt to rid herself of his masculine scent. Damn the man, but she didn’t seem to be able to. Calmer, she conditioned it, skimmed her fingers through to tease out the tangles. She stood under the stream of water until the temperature started to run cool.
She blinked away droplets of water as she opened the shower door and reached for the fresh towel she’d left draped over the rail, but Jack was already there, holding it out for her to step into. She hesitated, surprised to see him with one of her small towels slung around his waist. She’d expected him to be fully dressed and gone. Her gaze met his turbulent, brown stare as she stepped out of the shower.
He wrapped the towel around her. His embrace a silent apology, for what, she still didn’t understand, but he held her close under his chin.
“I think it would be better if you leave now,” she murmured as she dipped her head into his naked shoulder, wanting to take the comfort he offered but too numb to respond.
“Katie, I’m sorry.”
She swallowed the lump that clogged her throat and refused to let her answer.
“I have no idea what happened. I was desperate.” His husky murmur skimmed the top of her wet hair, his rough thumb stroked her cheek. “Wild for you.” He pulled away, cupped her face between his hands. His intense study shot florid heat to burn her skin. “Did I hurt you?”
She shook her head. “Not physically, no.” Compelled to be honest, she stared back at him, determined not to flinch at his directness. “I thought you’d left.”
“I don’t know what the hell was in my head. Nothing.” He smoothed her sodden hair back from her temples with rough fingers. A deep furrow knit between his eyes. “You scare the crap out of me.” She should have been pleased, but she suspected it was far from a compliment. “I scare the crap out of me, the way I react to you. I needed to get away. It was just too intense. Too much. I can’t explain it to you because I don’t understand it myself.”
She braced her hands against him, ready to extract herself both physically and emotionally, but he tightened his grip on her. She still had a chance, if she could only get him to let go, but her heart fluttered with trepidation. “Perhaps we should call it a day.” She raised her chin, met his stare with a defiant one. “You had your one-night stand. Just as you wanted.”
“Like hell I did.” The frown cleared. He dipped his head in a quick move and kissed the tip of her nose. “The night’s not over yet.”
“If you think I’m going to allow you to hit and run—”
“It won’t happen again. I promise.” He scooped her off her feet, letting her towel drop to the floor, as he headed for her bedroom. She hooked her arm around his neck and tucked her head against his shoulder as confusion warred with desire.
“You’d better not, or I’m going to flay you alive with my ballet pumps.”
His naked chest warmed her cooling skin almost as much as the heat in his eyes as his mouth kicked up in a regretful grin.
He lowered her to her bed and followed her down into its softness. His lips met hers in gentle, soothing kisses. “I need to take my time. Taste you.”
“Jack.” She knew she should protest, knew it was wrong to let him continue. He was killing her. With his soft words and his gentle kisses. But she hadn’t the strength to resist. After all, if he felt recompense was due, who was she to argue?
“Shh, Katie. Every move I’ve made so far has been wrong.” She couldn’t quite agree. She had no objection to most of his moves. “Let me show you I’m not the jerk I seem to be.” The deep rumble of his voice appeased her. He nibbled the corner of her mouth, distracting her with the tender caress of his fingers as he cupped her breast and molded it to fit in his palm.
Perhaps if she could clear her mind, she’d be able to boot his ass out her front door.
He never gave her the chance. He slipped his free hand down to cup her backside and lift her hips to meet his, leaving her in no doubt of his desire as he pressed his already sheathed hardness into the soft flesh of her belly.
Lost, she skimmed the square line of his jaw with her lips, traced the curve to his ear with small nibbles against the darkened stubble of his skin. She uncurled her fingers from his shoulders and smoothed them down the heavy sinew of his arms, and then wrapped them around his waist, digging her fingernails into the wondrous mesh of muscle and skin.
Darkened eyes met hers as he turned his head, his handsome features savage with desire, enough for her heart to explode in her chest. His lips took hers, hungry and fierce as he feasted on her, consumed her one soul-shattering kiss at a time.
He pushed his fingers inside her, and all thought flew from her mind. He eased her thighs wider, entered her in one long slide, burying himself to the hilt. And then he stopped, holding himself deep inside while shimmering pleasure engulfed her.
“Kate.” The low rumble of his voice seduced her. She flickered her eyelids closed in an attempt not to let him see the devastation he’d unleashed on her emotions. As he moved again, she couldn’t stop the slow arch of her neck, the smooth undulation of her body, and the warm flush racing over her skin as she came apart in his arms. She shuddered beneath him, but he wasn’t finished with her. He wrenched all control from her and whipped her up again. He drove them on, with more than simple lust. Raw with desire, she clutched at him, straining beyond the brink of reason as her desperate gasps joined his rough groans in a final, desperate race as he pushed her over the edge and followed her there.
Wrecked, she lay beneath him, fragile and delicate. Afraid he would lurch to his feet and leave her once again, but this time cracked and broken like precious china.
With a daring peep from between her lashes, she met his chocolate gaze as it swirled with more than a little confusion.
She slackened her hold on him to allow him to go if he must. She’d no energy left to protest.
Instead, he slipped from her and rolled to his back, tugging her against his chest so she was cradled in his arms. Her ear rested against the loud thrum of his heart.
Shattered, she drifted to sleep, knowing he had no idea of the damage he’d wrought with his seduction of her. Why couldn’t he have left after the first time? Then she could have hated him.
»»•««
Kate awoke from a delicious sleep, her body well used and replete, her mind washed clear. Too languid and drowsy to pry open her eyes, she reached out a hand to seek out the warmth of the body next to hers.
Finding the bed empty, she propped herself up on her elbows and scanned the room.
He was gone.
It took her two whole days to realize he was done with her.
Chapter Ten
He spotted her as soon as he walked around the side of the ER unit. What was it about her that drew his eye so even in a crowd he could pick her out without trying? His heartbeat kicked up a notch and his breath quickened. He deliberately slowed his pace to a casual saunter toward the group of nurses and doctors taking a break in the bright sunshine.
Kate had her back to him, and he took a moment to admire her. Her long wheat-colored hair shimmered in the brilliant light and curved in a long neat plait over her shoulder. She had one hand tucked into her white doctor’s coat. Dressed in another skirt, the shapely curve of her calves attracted his attention as he let his gaze meander down to her slender ankles.
He rubbed his chest just as she turned. He trailed his gaze back up her body to meet her icy disdain. He almost stopped dead in his tracks. He knew her anger was justified. He definitely deserved it, but he’d only ever seen that look in t
he eyes of cold-blooded killers. And he knew a few of those.
Determined to ignore the danger signals, he shared his easy smile with them all and then centered it on Kate.
“Hey, is that your own coffee?” He nodded toward the thermos mug she held in her slender fingers. Her eyes narrowed as he stepped into her personal space and relieved her of the mug. In his opinion, it was probably safer to take it than to wear it.
“It’s black. Loaded.”
“Perfect.” He took a deep draught and then smiled with the pleasure of smooth, dark coffee, the warm, sunny day, and the dangerous, beautiful woman.
He’d thought long and hard about what he wanted, and he wanted her. For now. Somehow, he needed to let her know. He also needed her to understand the restrictions. She was a bright lady. If he handled it right, she’d understand.
“You make good coffee, Doc.” Leaning forward he kissed her on the very tip of her nose, almost snorting at the shocked gasps the watching crowd let out and the wide, surprised blink from the woman in front of him.
He reached down with his free hand, took a hold of the one she had tucked in her pocket and dragged it out. She made it a little tougher than he’d expected, but he managed to wrench it free. “Come and take a walk with me, Kate.”
Loud and clear, he’d just made a statement to everyone that there was something going on between them, and news of it would burn around town like wildfire. He should have run. Right there and then. But he found he couldn’t.
With a gentle tug, she tried to extract her hand from his, but he tightened his fingers and ran with the theory she wouldn’t want to make them both look foolish.
He was right.
Reluctant, she followed him, let him pull her along behind him while he sipped at her coffee. Hmm, if there was something he couldn’t deny, she made the best coffee he’d ever tasted.
He smiled into the little cup as her fingers twitched in his. She’d try to figure out why he’d kissed her in front of the others when he knew darned fine it would be around town before they’d turned their backs. Bad enough he wanted to get her alone, but his little affectionate peck was going to have the gossips in raptures. That he still held her hand as he drew her toward the small woodland would confirm things in the gossip mongers’ minds.
So be it.
It assured him of one thing. None of the other boys would bother her now. Not that he was convinced any of them had tried. They all seemed to think he’d already laid claim to her.
Well, he had now.
“How long have you got left on your break?” He pulled her alongside and slipped his arm around her neat little waist. He offered her the mug back.
“You have it.” She flicked a grudging look at the dregs in the bottom. One more mouthful if he was lucky. “I have another thermos of it in my locker.” She glanced at her watch. “I’ve got twenty minutes.”
They were far enough away from the others so they could no longer hear them. He stepped her into the quiet woods out of sight of the hospital, took the last swig of coffee, and then tossed the mug into the grass at their feet.
He squinted down at the beauty of her face, her smooth skin only highlighted by the dappled sunlight skimming across it, her eyes like a liquid sky. If he’d thought he was going to get out alive, he was mistaken.
“What kind of shoes are you wearing?”
“Huh?”
“Shoes. What kind? Can you kill me with them?”
One delicate eyebrow winged up, and amusement lit her face before she could stop it. “No, I’m just wearing flats, they’re the most comfortable when you’re on your feet all day.” Her lips curved up at the edges. “I can’t kill you with them, but I bet I could cause you untold damage.”
She already had.
“How’s that?”
“The best way is to slam my heel into your instep, then as you roll over, my knee can connect with your b—”
“But you wouldn’t.”
He walked her backward until her shoulders pressed against the trunk of a huge oak.
“Tempting. But as I’d be the one in attendance when they wheel you through the ER, it may not be worth it.”
“You’re a vicious woman.”
“Not really, but I know how to defend myself.”
Amusement rippled through him. “You don’t need to defend yourself against me.” He traced his fingertips along the line of her full bottom lip, hesitating only as her sharp gaze crashed into his.
“Oh, I believe I do.”
Scared to pursue that line, Jack clamped down on his reply.
A waft of dry wind lifted a lock of hair and sent it on a wild dance around her face. With gentle fingers, he tucked it behind her ear and smoothed his fingers along her jaw.
She drove him insane. There was no way he could keep his distance as he’d planned. He’d believed one night would serve to get her out of his head, but instead it had driven his desire deeper. The only way he could think to resolve the matter was to have a full-blown, sex-filled, mind-numbing, hormone-twanging affair.
“Jack.”
He squinted at her as she swiped her tongue over her lips. Lips which begged for him to kiss her.
“Jack!” Her voice was as sharp as her scalpel, and he shot his gaze to hers. Perhaps it wasn’t an invitation. “You want to tell me what we’re doing here?”
He didn’t want to talk. Every time he opened his mouth it got him into trouble.
Instead, he ducked his head to nip a kiss just under her ear, amused at her soft intake of breath as the tension in her arms melted, allowing him to trap her body with his against the tree. He hoped she’d turn her mouth to meet his, but despite the softness of her muscles, a certain aloofness remained.
“I came to apologize again, for not getting the chance to speak with you the last few days.” The smooth curve of her cheek tempted him to nuzzle there. As she turned her head, a spark of surprise at his apology flashed through her eyes, and he leaned in to take advantage, this time to rub his lips against hers. “It’s been hell at work. Every time I’ve been free, you haven’t.” It wasn’t strictly true. It had taken him a full day just to emerge from his cave. She didn’t need to know he’d been hiding from her.
“Do you know what?” She took him by surprise as she wedged her arms in between their two bodies with more strength than he’d expected from her. She never turned her face away, instead she notched her chin up and glared at him. “It really isn’t good enough. Actually, Jack, I don’t run after men, I don’t do one-night stands, and I can’t say I’ve ever done casual either.” This time, when she pushed on his chest, he moved back, allowing her the space she obviously needed.
She poked him in the chest and had him squinting at her, but she was on a roll and it appeared she wanted her say as she drilled her finger a little harder into him and made him suck air in through his teeth. “I don’t want to be an available bit of skirt when you get the itch. I haven’t got a clue what risks I take when I have sex with you. Nor do I know how many other women you’ve slept with in the past few days whilst you’ve been unavailable.”
Offended, he staggered back a step to avoid another poke from her slim, sharp finger and stared at her while he thought about which accusation he should deal with first. What had upset her the most?
“I made a mistake.” Her quiet tone stopped him mid-thought. He contemplated the flush of her skin, the brightness of her stare, and realized what it was. She was angry with herself more than him. Because she’d been unable to resist him.
He raised his hand but dropped it back to his side when she flinched.
“Okay.” He gave a slow, understanding nod. “First of all, about work, I phoned the hospital to check your shifts. That’s how I knew where you were today.” He paused as she snorted with delicate disgust, but he just raised his eyebrows and continued, plowed on before her superior attitude riled him.
“You seem to be under the illusion that because I’m unattached I run rampant throug
h the female population, leaving bodies strewn everywhere.” She barely even blinked. “I assure you I don’t. Before the other night, I hadn’t had sex for some time.” At the cool doubt curling through her eyes, he continued. “One of the reasons is precisely because I want to avoid being herded into marriage or some such stupid situation. When I do have sex, I’m careful in my choice and I always use a condom, because if there’s one thing I don’t need it’s some woman telling me she’s pregnant.”
At the flash of offense streaking over her features, he paced away to give himself time to sort through the jumble of memories racing through his head, the desperate desire to make her understand. He spun around, paced back, slapped his hands on his hips, and glared down at her. “This is not something I readily discuss, but I’m sure at some point you’ll hear it. This is a small town, memories are long and tongues damned loose when they shouldn’t be.” He gave himself a moment to wait for the ache in his chest to subside. “It was a long time ago. I was still a kid really, I should have been running wild, but I met someone. Charlotte. I thought I was in love.” He paused to give Kate a chance to speak, hoped she’d stop him, but she remained silent. “I wasn’t. It was full blown lust which wore off after several months and a healthy dose of possessiveness. On her part, not mine. I was all ready to move on, but she clung. Clung so hard I couldn’t shake her loose, I was frightened to in case she did something stupid.” Still Kate said nothing, but her lovely lips dipped at the edges, her eyes filled with sympathy. “In the end, she did do something stupid. She told me she was pregnant. Almost had me down the aisle before I discovered she’d lied.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah. We all were at the time. It was bad, and she was hurt. Hurt like I never want anyone to be hurt again. Not by my hand.”
He watched as she raised a weary hand to her forehead.
“Jack.”
“Hold on. I’m not finished.” As he recalled the reason they were there, he allowed the ripple of offended anger to pump through his veins and knew he had to finish what he’d started. “Regarding your comment about being a piece of skirt and me scratching my itch. You are the last woman I would classify as a piece of skirt.” Her quick whip of surprise gave him some satisfaction. “First, because you are far too intelligent to be placed in the same category, and second because you are way too classy.” Her soft mouth dropped open and almost coaxed a laugh from him, but she’d got his blood up and he needed to finish. He pointed his finger at the tip of her nose and then considered it may just be a mistake if she decided to bite it off. “I have never had so much trouble trying to scratch an itch with a woman. As it stands, my itch only wants to be scratched by you.”
