Passion Never Dies (A Promise of Passion Book 2)

by M. E. Nesser

  18

  I felt like a child on Christmas morning. I had planned the weekend down to the smallest detail, but I didn’t know if she would think it was too soon to spend the night together. I did have a back-up plan in case she wasn’t ready yet. It made me so happy that she was enjoying herself. There was no reason this fascinating woman should have to live another day in such a solitary existence. I was overjoyed that she was willing to continue with the plans that I had made. I forgot how rewarding it was to spoil a woman. I always enjoyed organizing surprises for people I cared about, but I hadn’t been able to do it for a romantic interest in nearly twenty years.

  After we sat on the veranda for a while, I asked her if she was interested in taking a bath with me. There was an oversized Jacuzzi tub in the room, and I had made sure there were lavender bath salts for the tub and candles I could light to enhance the ambiance. She said she would love to take a bath. I was thrilled at how easygoing and receptive she was. She disappeared into the bathroom, and I lit the candles. I also refilled our champagne glasses and set them next to the tub as I started to fill it. I added the salts, and the scent immediately filled the air. I slipped into the tub before she emerged from the bathroom, so there would be no awkwardness.

  She smiled when she saw me in the tub and dropped her robe to the floor so I could look at her.

  “No other man has seen me naked in almost thirty years,” she said quietly.

  “I’m honored to be the one to be looking at you now. You’re a very beautiful woman, Katharine.”

  She climbed into the tub opposite me and leaned back to rest her head against the headrest. I handed her the glass of Prosecco and turned the jets on. We sat in silence for a few minutes with our legs entwined. I rubbed her foot with my free hand. Being in the tub together naked was even more erotic than I’d imagined.

  I needed to touch her, so I leaned forward to caress her face. She had put her hair in a ponytail, which made her look young and carefree. There was a stray hair hanging over her cheek, so I pushed it behind her ear and proceeded to rub the front of her shoulders. She tilted her head back and moaned. I knew that she missed being touched, and I needed to be the one who touched her. It felt so good to be the one to give her what she needed. The more I rubbed the sides of her neck and shoulders, the more she relaxed.

  “That feels amazing, Ian. Thank you for arranging all of this. I could get used to being spoiled.”

  “It has been my pleasure. You know, I haven’t been able to spoil a woman in many years. I was worried that I had forgotten how to do it. It was a lot of fun planning this weekend. Believe it or not, it pleases me as much as it is pleasing you.”

  “I find that hard to believe, but I’ll take your word for it. You’ve done more for me in less than a week than all of my therapy sessions this year did. Saying thank you just doesn’t seem like enough,” she said reflectively.

  “Your happiness is payment enough, Katharine. I want to savor every moment we have together.”

  She opened her eyes and stared into mine. I felt such a longing for this woman. She grabbed my face and pulled me closer to her. She found my mouth. Her kisses started out slowly but quickly became intense. She began to bite my tongue and my lips, and I could feel my body getting even more aroused. I kissed her back with the same amount of passion. We began to grope one another. Her body was so soft and sexy. Her hands were all over me, like she was memorizing my body. As our breathing became rapid and our kisses became more ardent, I sat back and pulled her on top of my lap.

  My midsection rested against her core. I continued to kiss her and fondle her scrumptious breasts. She ran her hands through my hair and continued to kiss me passionately. When she noticed how hard I was beneath her. she started moving her body back and forth over mine. I held onto her hips while she began her dance. It felt so good—I wanted so much more. We kissed and stroked and said naughty things to one another. And we laughed. It felt so good to laugh with her. Katharine was flushed, and her nipples were as hard as rocks. I was telling her how much I wanted to bury my body deep inside of her when she let out a stifled moan; I watched her face change as her orgasm consumed her. The look on her face, and the friction of our bodies rubbing together, was all it took for me to join her.

  I couldn’t believe we’d both had an orgasm just by rubbing against one another. I felt like a teenager having a heavy make-out session. I had forgotten how much fun it was to make-out with a girl. It was so erotic. When our breathing became more normal and our heartbeats slowed down, I asked Katharine if she was ready for a nap. She nodded, smiled at me, and gave me a long, sensual kiss. We stood in the tub. I wrapped a towel around her, picked her up, and carried her to the bed.

  I dried myself off and climbed in next to her. She laid on her side, so I spooned her. She grabbed my hand and kissed it. I felt elated by our connection, but I also felt exhausted by the enormity of what was happening between us. I pulled the covers completely over our bodies and began to lovingly stroke her hair. Before I knew it, we were both sound asleep.

  19

  I woke up confused, not sure where I was. I looked up and saw that the clock said six. I took note of my surroundings and realized that Ian’s hand was on my stomach and one of his legs was draped over mine. His other hand was tangled in my hair. I could tell he was still asleep, but I felt compelled to look at him.

  I slowly adjusted my position in bed so I was face-to-face with him. It was fascinating to watch him sleep. It turned me on to see him looking so peaceful. OK, everything about this man turned me on. I touched his chest with my hand. His body was so hard, but the curls of his chest hair were so incredibly soft. I started caressing his chest, and he opened his eyes.

  “Hey there, counselor, having a good time?” he teased me.

  “I am. You have a beautiful chest. I was just admiring it.”

  “You also have a beautiful chest that I would like to take a minute to admire.”

  He reached down and started caressing my breasts. I moaned with pleasure. He lowered his mouth to my body and started sucking on my nipples. I was so turned on. I’d had three orgasms since I met this man, and none of them had been through penetration. I was pretty sure that if he kept sucking my breasts like this, I was ready to combust yet again. I felt excited, and a little bit nervous. It had been so long since I was with another man besides my husband, but for some reason, this felt right.

  “Stop thinking, Katharine, and enjoy what I’m giving you,” he said seductively. How did he know I was analyzing our foreplay?

  His voice and his mouth were all it took to send me over the edge. Between the way he devoured my breasts, the positioning of our intertwined legs, and the friction of our midsections rubbing against one another, I was able to climax with ease. It was incredible—number four, just like that. Since when had I started counting orgasms? Probably since I hadn’t had that many in over a year. I was feeling guilty about coming by myself when I felt something hot and wet against my leg. He had come with me.

  I started to laugh. “Is something funny?” he asked me with a wicked smile on his face.

  “I feel like a horny teenager,” I told him, still laughing.

  “So do I. It’s been way too long since I felt like this, ” he said to me with the most beautiful grin on his face.

  “Who would have thought making out could be so much fun? Still, I really want you inside me,” I confessed.

  “I’ve enjoyed playing with you, too, Ms. Collins. But our playtime will have to wait until later, because we have a dinner reservation in twenty minutes. You need to keep your strength up so you can handle what I have in store for you later.”

  “Is that a promise, Mr. Jensen?”

  “It sure is, so let’s get this food thing over with so we can get back to bed.”

  “OK. I’m actually very hungry, so let’s motivate.”

  We got up and got dressed; I was glad I had brought an outfit that would be appropriate for dinner. He put some mus
ic on and we got ready in a comfortable silence. A lot had happened in the past week, and it seemed like we were both lost in our own heads. There was nothing awkward about it, though. It felt like I had known him for a lot longer than five days.

  Dinner was delicious. We had no problem finding things to talk about. Anyone listening to our conversation would have thought we’d been friends for years. At one point, we started talking about our in-laws. “Bryce’s parents are having the most difficult time dealing with his dealth. I call them every week. So does Jackson. We see them every couple of months, but it is so difficult being with them. They have aged so much in the past year,” I told him. “Like you had?” he reminded me. “Yes, like I had. Until I met you.” I responded nostalgically. “Have you kept in touch with Monica’s parents?” I wondered. “Not really. They talk to the girls once in awhile. I know they aren’t mad at me, but it is still awkward. Honestly, I think they are embarrassed. Their daughter had a loving husband, two great daughters and anything she could want, and then she threw it all away for a guy at the gym.” I shook my head in disgust. “She’s an idiot,” was all I could say.

  We also talked about our own parents. He told me how difficult his mother’s cancer was on the entire family. His father took it especially hard. He said that his dad was really scared his wife was going to die. He stayed by her side through the surgery and every treatment she had. It sounded like his parents had a great relationship. Ian told me that it was such a relief when they were told she was in remission.

  I told him how sad my folks were when Bryce died. They loved him like a son. But after a few months passed, they were more worried about me. They called me constantly, but I wouldn’t answer their calls most of the time. It was hard to talk to them without crying. I would send messages that said I was swamped with work and didn’t have the time to talk. Of course, that was a lie. I just didn’t have the strength to pretend I was doing well. I didn’t do a very good job hiding my despair. They were extremely concerned with how poorly how I was handling his death. In retrospect, they had a definite reason to be concerned.

  As the dinner progressed, I found myself falling into a natural rhythm with this man. It was getting easier to leave the memory of Bryce in another part of my brain. I was fascinated with Ian and wanted to get to know him better. I cannot believe how self-absorbed I had been over the past year. This was so refreshing, focusing on someone else for once. Several times during dinner, he reached for my hand. I could feel a spark every time he did. The connection between us was very intense, and I felt like a starving woman who couldn’t get enough food. His touch felt like the only thing that could satiate me.

  After we finished dinner, Ian suggested we go for a walk. It was a beautiful evening. There was a nearly full moon and a sky full of stars. We walked along a path next to the river, holding hands. I felt safe and comfortable with this man. About twenty minutes into the walk, we sat down on a large, canvas swing that was big enough for two people. He put his arm around me, and we cuddled. I loved the feel of his muscles and couldn’t help but run my hand over his chest. When I touched his nipples through his shirt, I felt them get hard. That stirred something wonderful between my legs. As I nestled my head in the crook of his shoulder, I looked down and could see him getting harder. I could sense he was waiting for me to make the move. He said several times that he didn’t want to rush me.

  “Can we go back to the room? I asked him pleadingly.

  “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” he asked.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been more sure of anything in my life.”

  20

  I was waiting for Katharine to make the first move. Even though we’d had a few erotic make out sessions, making love was different. I needed her to be completely ready for it. I couldn’t risk her feeling pressured by me or regretting her decision. I knew what I wanted: I wanted to make love to her for hours. But I also knew I wanted more than a one-night stand. I could see myself with her for a long time, and I wasn’t about to mess it up.

  We walked back to the room holding hands. I loved the way her small hand fit in mine. I couldn’t wait for her hands to be all over my body. There was a bottle of Courvoisier waiting for us; it was one of my favorite after-dinner drinks, but I didn’t know if she liked it or not. I pointed to it to see if she was interested and she smiled. I poured two snifters and handed one to her.

  “To a magical night with a beautiful woman,” I toasted her.

  “I’ll toast to that,” she said with a large grin.

  We sat on the veranda for a short while, admiring the view and chatting. She told me how she’d never thought she would be with a man again. That made me sad. She was only in her forties. “We were together for almost thirty years, Ian. And it was a great marriage. How could I ever expect to find that kind of love again?” she asked me rhetorically. I had to believe in second chances, so that is what I told her. “I don’t think you can put a limit to how much love is in your heart. Whether you have one child or ten, you’d still love them all, right? I think you just need to open up your heart and give love a chance. Do you think you’ll be able to do that Katharine?” I asked her, anxious for the answer I was hoping to hear. “I think I already have,” she said.

  It must have been terrible for her to think she would be alone for the rest of her life. She admitted that her relationship with her husband had been so wonderful that she didn’t think she could ever find that kind of connection with another person again. I teased her about the pressure that put on me, and she apologized profusely. That made me laugh. “For an attorney who loves to argue and debate, you are quite easy to tease. And I love to see you blush. It’s very endearing,” I told her. I assured her that a relationship with me would be different, but it could also be wonderful. I’d never want her to forget what she’d had with her husband. If he hadn’t died, they would still be together. But he had, and for some reason, fate had brought us together. I didn’t believe that people were meant to be alone—if you opened your heart, you never knew what you might find. I had always hoped I would fall in love again, even if I didn’t think it would ever happen. I admired that level of commitment that she had with him. Hell, I wish my wife had honored our vows and stayed committed to me. Sadly, I couldn’t control her actions and our divorce was inevitable. It was a pretty serious conversation, but it felt comfortable to talk about this kind of stuff with her.

  I admitted to her that I’d felt pretty stymied in the relationship department after my wife had cheated on me. Her infidelity had hurt me in more ways than I could even describe. I had believed in the vows we took, and her betrayal felt like a knife tearing me apart—not only in my heart, but in my soul as well. She had destroyed our family and my faith in the sanctity of marriage. I told Katharine about the few short-term flings I’d had over the past few years. They had been purely physical, because I was too afraid to open myself up again and get hurt. “It’s incredible how my body would feel an intense need for sex, and then it would be unfulfilling because there was no emotion included. I found myself spending more time at the gym to quell my primal needs. The past few years have been really difficult. Monica really did a number on me. I was skeptical about feeling safe enough to try again,” I admitted to her. I really was paranoid about opening up my heart to the possibility of love again. Until now. Katharine made me feel safe. I’d thought it would be hard to expose how vulnerable I felt, but I could tell that Katharine understood and felt compassion for me. It was very comforting. “I’m not going to lie,” I had to put all my cards on the table, “I never thought I’d fall for someone as hard as I am falling for you. It’s exciting. and it’s terrifying. I feel like I am in the most wonderful dream that I hope I never wake up from.” A tear escaped from her eye when I shared my pain and admitted my intense attraction to her. I wiped the tear away and thanked her for listening.

  She didn’t say anything. She stood up, took my hand, and walked me into the bedroom. We started to undress eac
h other slowly, taking in every inch of each other’s bodies. Her body was breathtaking. I couldn’t tell that she had ever had a baby. She was firm in all the right places and soft where a woman should be soft. My hands roamed everywhere, from her neck to her shoulders, and all the way down. I kissed her lightly, but she wanted more. She raised herself on her toes, grabbed the back of my head, and pulled me in closer to her. Our kissing intensified, and our hands wandered. Suddenly, she leaned back and laughed.

  “I’m too short to do this standing. Could we please lie down?”

  She didn’t need to ask me twice. I scooped her up and gently put her down on the bed. My arousal was obvious, but I wanted to savor every minute with her. I laid next to her with only one leg over hers so I could admire her body. I kissed her mouth ardently; I loved the taste of her. I couldn’t help myself, though—I needed to explore. I kissed her neck and sucked on her ear, and she let out a moan that fueled my desire for her. I moved down and found her breasts. They were exquisite. As I feasted on them, her nipples became hard, and her hips wiggled against me, looking for more friction. The more I sucked on her nipples, the more sounds escaped from her lips. I continued loving her breasts with my mouth and one of my hands, while the other hand traveled down to feel between her legs. She was soaking wet. I needed to know what she tasted like.

  I nestled myself comfortably between her legs. Her scent was intoxicating. She had a small patch of hair in the front, but she had gotten rid of all the hair on her lips. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed her scent and her taste. She played with my hair as I feasted on her body. I could feel her lips swelling under my tongue as I kissed and licked every part of her. I couldn’t seem to get enough, and it was obvious that she loved it, too. She begged me to apply more pressure. Before I knew it, she was screaming my name and exploding in my mouth.