Katrina lifted her hips in frustration, her body pleading for release. A smug smile filled Matthew’s face as he dropped his mouth back down on her, his tongue dancing against her core.
He sucked at her, hard, encircling her waist with his arm to hold her in place as she tried to pull back from the intense sensations he was causing. Her moans were louder as she tried desperately to pull away, her body shaking under the onslaught of his tongue. She could feel herself climbing higher, getting closer to that ledge, the motions of his mouth increasing in speed and pressure.
Katrina began to claw at the bedclothes, tangling the sheet between her fingers. She wanted to pull away, to push closer, anything and everything. And then Matthew pushed his fingers inside of her, tickling that special spot. Her entire body arched up hard against him as the first waves of her orgasm hit, and then she screamed, a low, throaty, husky cry reaching to kiss the rising morning sun.
Chapter 17
Katrina’s body was still quivering in Matthew’s arms. She was completely spent, barely coherent. She nestled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and locking her hands together behind his back. She’d been drowning in sheer pleasure, and he felt like the lifeline she couldn’t live without. She didn’t want to ever let him go. Pressing her face into his chest, she kissed him sweetly.
“Did I say good morning?” Matthew muttered as he kissed her forehead.
Katrina laughed. “I think you did. Yes, I do believe you did, Mr. Stallion. You said it quite nicely, as a matter of fact.”
Matthew chuckled with her. “I’m glad you approve. I do aim to please, ma’am!”
“You done good, baby. You done real good!”
Matthew gave her a tight squeeze, hugging her warmly. “And now we need to get moving. I’ve got a full day planned for us.”
Katrina’s eyes opened widely. “Relaxing right here would be perfectly fine with me.”
He smiled, a wide grin filling the expanse of his face. “It will be a day of relaxation, my darling, just not here.” He tapped her lightly on her behind. “We need to get a move on it. Look,” he said, pointing skyward. “The sun’s already up. The day will be gone before we know it.”
Brushing her hand across his chest and down the length of his torso, she cupped a palm over his crotch and gave a gentle squeeze. His semierect member twitched beneath her hand. “Wouldn’t you rather we just stay and—” she paused, cutting her eye at him “—play?”
Matthew laughed warmly, gripping her wrist to remove her hand. He kissed her cheek. “I promise, baby, we’ll have plenty of time to play later.”
Katrina pouted, feigning disappointment. She heaved a deep sigh. “I owe you, Mr. Stallion,” she said, her eyebrows raised suggestively.
Matthew’s grin widened. “Yes, you do and I will collect,” he said. He lifted his body from the bed, stretching the length of his limbs upward. “In fact,” he said, extending his hand toward her, “since you want to get a late start, why don’t we take this conversation to the shower. I could use some help washing my back.”
Katrina smiled, her expression coy. “Just your back?”
With raised eyebrows, Matthew gave her a quick wink of his eye as he turned to exit the room. Watching the seductive sway of his broad back and high behind, Katrina felt a newly familiar twinge of heat igniting deep within her. As he tossed her a quick glance over his shoulder, she hopped quickly out of the bed and hurried to catch up to him. She was looking forward to a really good shower.
* * *
They took the train from Gare Saint-Lazare to the quaint village of Vernon. Staring out the train’s windows, Katrina was awed by the wheat and sunflower fields that rolled past. In Vernon Matthew rented a bicycle built for two for them to ride to Monet’s garden in the town of Giverny. The weather was picture-perfect, the moderate temperatures and bright sunshine highlights of the day.
Katrina waved her head from side to side. “Do you know how long it’s been since I last rode a bicycle?” she asked as Matthew easily straddled the front, gesturing for her to get on behind him.
“It’s like making love, baby,” he said. He winked his eye. “Once you get back on, you remember how to ride.”
She laughed, not missing the smug expression on his face or the innuendo in his tone. “That’s not my problem,” she said as a hint of red blossomed across her cheeks.
Matthew nodded his head knowingly. He chuckled softly. “I don’t know what I was thinking,” he said, reaching for her hand and pulling her to him. He hugged her tightly, planting a damp kiss against her cheek. “Would you prefer we do something else?” he asked.
Katrina shrugged her shoulders. “No, it’s not that bad,” she said, her cheeks still raging with color.
Their antics had left her a bit tender in her nether regions, the juncture between her thighs having gotten quite a workout. It had been somewhat of a challenge for her to slip into her denim jeans and walk comfortably after the intense exercise she’d gotten. Even the simple act of walking had proven to be comical, and despite the hilarity of it, Matthew had been exceptionally tender with her. Bike riding, however, had not been on her list of the top ten things to do before she had completely recovered. She hugged him close, her arms wrapped around his neck and back. She laughed gingerly, her head waving from side to side.
Matthew laughed with her. “Are you blushing?”
“Are you teasing me?”
“Of course!”
“Then I must be blushing,” she said, mirth bubbling up from her midsection.
Matthew leaned back to give her another quick kiss. “We make beautiful love together, and you hadn’t done that in a while, either, but you caught up just like a pro. I’m sure with a little ingenuity we can make this work, too.”
He lifted himself off the bike and held up his index finger, gesturing for her to give him a quick minute. Katrina watched as he disappeared inside a cottage drugstore. Minutes later he returned with a small padded whoopee cushion in hand.
Katrina burst out laughing, tears misting her eyes.
“See,” Matthew said assuredly, “I am a Boy Scout ready at all times. So, you just let me lead and we won’t have any problems. I promise,” he said as he tied the cushion securely to the rear seat of the bicycle. He straddled the bike for a second time and gave her a sly wink of his eye.
Taking him at his word, Katrina climbed aboard, holding tight to the handlebars as Matthew pushed them off with his foot and began to pedal.
The ride was sweet as they slowly navigated their way through the streets. Katrina found the experience quite liberating as she pedaled behind Matthew, her minor discomfort practically forgotten. Along the way they stopped at a local food market and picked up a freshly baked baguette, a round of Boursin cheese and a bottle of red wine. Matthew picked the perfect spot along the banks of the Seine River for them to break for lunch. They took a rest on a wooden bench that sat below an old mill, and their time together was idyllic.
In Giverny Katrina felt as if she’d stepped into the canvas of her favorite impressionist painting. With its plethora of colorful flowers, the landscape in Monet’s garden was beyond breathtaking. Her favorite spot was the famous Japanese bridge covered with wisteria. Weeping willows and bamboo surrounded the structure, and water lilies bloomed atop the pond below. Katrina knew that bridge would forever remain in her memories, because Matthew had held her hand as they’d strolled across it, stopping dead center to pull her into his arms and kiss her as if he were kissing her for the very first time. It had taken her breath away.
Neither said a word as they rode back on the train. Katrina snuggled down into Matthew’s arms and drifted off into a light sleep. He kissed her forehead gently as he scanned the landscape outside the window. The day had been perfect, and he was completely enamored wi
th the woman who slept so soundly in his arms. Closing his eyes, he dropped his head into her hair and dozed lightly with her.
* * *
The couple had managed to be in Paris for Museum Night. The all-nighter in the Paris museums happened only once a year. The museums all over the city stayed open all night long for the free event. It was only the second time that Matthew was able to enjoy the experience, and he was thrilled to share it with Katrina.
Behaving as though they were European, the two enjoyed a late-night dinner and then stayed out even later. After another delectable meal, they took a leisurely stroll on Île Saint-Louis, savoring cones filled with chocolate ice cream from Berthillon. Then they went to the Musée Rodin to enjoy the collection of works by the celebrated French sculptor.
“Rodin’s works are some of my favorite!” Matthew exclaimed excitedly as they maneuvered their way around Auguste Rodin’s The Kiss, a marble sculpture of a couple locked in a deep embrace.
“It’s masterful,” Katrina answered, resisting the temptation to run her hand along the marble pair. “I also like the works done by Camille Claudel. She had quite an eye for the human form, as well. Some of her works are very similar to Rodin’s in spirit, but they have an imagination and lyricism of their own.”
Matthew nodded. “Claudel was one of Rodin’s protégés. The two apparently had quite a torrid love affair. She was eighteen years old to his forty-three. Sometime after the affair ended, she had a nervous breakdown and was institutionalized. Her family never let her return home.”
“That’s so sad,” Katrina declared, drifting off into thought. “The poor woman had a broken heart, and it was held against her.” Her expression was thoughtful with a hint of vulnerability.
“Have you ever had a broken heart, Katrina?” Matthew was moved to ask.
She met Matthew’s stare. A slight smile pulled at the edges of her mouth. “In the sixth grade I was head over heels for a boy named Daniel Davis. I made the mistake of telling him how I felt, and I found out he was hard for my best friend, Lorrie. I was crushed.
“But that didn’t compare to what it felt like when Collin’s father died. The day I received the news that he’d been killed, I was devastated. Then I was angry. I felt like he’d abandoned me. Even though it was totally irrational, I couldn’t let it go. It was not a good feeling.”
Matthew reached out a hand to touch her cheek, his fingers caressing her face. She dropped her gaze to the floor.
From the Rodin museum they went on to enjoy the scenery at the Palais de la Porte Dorée Tropical Aquarium, with its many tanks of diverse aquatic flora and fauna. The aquatic display was one of the most spectacular that Katrina had ever seen.
At two o’clock in the morning both Katrina and Matthew were still wide-eyed and awake. Holding tight to her hand, Matthew found a secluded little spot in a public garden, and they sat together on one of the garden benches. After their day together he was intent on just holding tight to his woman and whispering sweet nothings in her ear.
Under the moonlit sky, Matthew wrapped his arms around Katrina’s torso. She reclined against him as they sat staring at the late-night sky. It had become his most favorite pastime, the two of them relaxing together. With Katrina secure in his arms, Matthew felt as though he’d found his way home, even though he hadn’t been lost. All was well in his world, and he couldn’t imagine his future without her. He hugged her closer.
“Are you ready to go back to the hotel?” Katrina questioned, breaking the lengthy silence that had fallen over the two of them.
Matthew shook his head. “No, not really. I’m a little hyper. How about yourself?”
She smiled. “I’m wide-awake, as well, and quite comfortable.”
Matthew nodded, his mind suddenly racing. “I have an idea,” he said as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed. The French he spoke when the line was answered on the other end was completely lost on Katrina. He spoke French beautifully and it was like the sweetest serenade for her ears, but she didn’t have a clue what he was saying to the party on the other end.
Minutes later he had pulled her up by the hand and was leading her to a waiting car that had come directly for them.
“Where are we going?” she asked curiously.
Matthew’s coy smile caused a ripple to travel up her spine. “It’s a surprise,” he said, winking an eye in her direction. “I just happen to have thought of a wonderful place for us to watch the sun rise.”
Thirty minutes later Katrina’s eyes widened in surprise and confusion. Through the vehicle’s dark tinted windows she watched a crew of many as they stood in a vast field and prepped something she couldn’t quite identify at first. It was only when they shifted their bodies to the side that she realized it was one of ten hot air balloons being inflated.
An oversize basket was lying on its side, an abundance of colorful nylon spread out over the ground beside it. Two men were holding open the mouth of the balloon as a third blew cold air into it with a fan. As it started to rise, another member of the crew, who, Katrina would later learn, was their pilot, stepped inside the partially inflated balloon, visibly checking the operational lines, the rigging and the pulleys.
Stepping out of the car behind Matthew, Katrina was clearly intrigued. “How cool is this!” she muttered softly under her breath.
Matthew squeezed her hand and winked his eye a second time. Within a span of sixty seconds the balloon was filled to capacity, rising high above the basket that it was attached to. The crew was steadily monitoring its lift, holding it steady downwind to prevent it from toppling over. It was all fascinating to watch, and Katrina’s excitement was steadily mounting.
“Have you done this before?” she asked, pressing her palm to Matthew’s abdomen.
He nodded. “Many, many years ago. My brother John brought me, Mark and Luke to Paris for Luke’s eighteenth birthday. We all went on a ride to celebrate. It was fun!”
“Is it scary? I mean, I’m not a big fan of heights!” She giggled softly.
Matthew laughed with her. “Don’t you worry. I’ll be right here holding on to you the whole time. I won’t let anything happen,” he said as he wrapped her in a deep bear hug.
In no time at all, the pilot was gesturing for them to get on board. A wave of anxiety swept through Katrina’s stomach as Matthew swept her off her feet and lifted her into the wicker gondola. The moment was surreal as the basket slowly ascended into the early morning air. Never in her wildest dreams had Katrina imagined herself hot-air ballooning in France, of all places. Below them, other balloons were slowly starting to float up into the air. Brilliant colors dotted the ground below them. It was a spectacular sight.
The pilot was engaging as he explained everything that needed to be done as he guided the balloon over the expanse below. They were floating majestically and effortlessly over châteaus, medieval villages and the picturesque countryside of rural France. Behind them the sun was slowly filling the early morning sky, full and bright against the royal-blue backdrop. The morning breeze was gentle, feeling to Katrina like a brush of angel wings across her cheeks. She thought of her son and her family and Matthew, and she felt overwhelmingly blessed. Tears misted her eyes ever so slightly as she turned in Matthew’s arms, reaching to kiss his lips.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “This is an absolutely beautiful way to start the day.”
Matthew hugged her tightly and kissed her back, allowing his lips to linger against hers. When he pulled back, he stared straight into her eyes. “You never answered my question, Katrina,” Matthew whispered into the early morning air.
“What question was that?”
“Do you think you could fall in love with me, Katrina Broomes?”
There was a pause of silence, swelling between them like a too-full balloon about to explode.
“No,” Katrina said finally, turning an about-face in his arms to stare back over the landscape. She leaned her back against his broad chest, pulling his arms tightly around her petite frame. She clasped both of his hands between her own and pressed her cheek to the backs of his fingers. Lifting her gaze upward, she met his stunned stare. She smiled ever so sweetly.
“No, Matthew. I don’t think I can fall in love with you. I can’t, because I’m already in love with you. I love you. I love you so very, very much. Without a doubt, I cannot fall into something that already has me captured heart and soul,” she declared nonchalantly. Her gaze settled on the top of a cathedral in the distance, the architecture solid and exquisite. She pointed her index finger in its direction, wanting to draw Matthew’s attention to it.
Shaking his head, Matthew grinned widely. He spun her back around to face him. He drew his right palm to his chest. “Girl, you just about gave me a heart attack,” he said, his head waving from side to side. “You said no, and I was just about to pass out from the devastation. What would you have done if I’d fallen out of this thing all brokenhearted?”
Katrina laughed warmly, her gazed locked with his. Matthew cupped her face in his hands, leaning to kiss her lips. It was the sweetest connection, like the gentle flutter of those angel wings beating in their hearts. Matthew dropped his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.
“I love you, too,” he said, drawing back slightly so that he could linger in her stare. His eyes skated back and forth over her features, taking in every minute detail. “And I have never said that to anyone else before.” A single tear misted the corner of his eye. “I love you more than you can imagine, my darling. You have become my entire world, and I don’t want to ever be apart from you. God, woman, I love you!” he exclaimed, kissing her excitedly.
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