by Ann, Natalie
The shower was easily big enough for several people, and it gave her a moment’s pause, wondering if it had ever been put to use in that form or not. She didn’t have time to think more of it, or stop the gasp when he turned around and she saw how her nails had marked his shoulders and backside. “I’m sorry,” she said, mortified.
“Don’t be. You can mark me any time you want.”
“Sure your other girlfriend won’t mind?” she said, joking.
He stopped and watched her face closely. Too closely, and looking very serious. Maybe she should have kept the comment to herself. “There’s no one else but you, Kaitlin. There hasn’t been since before I saw you the first time at your office.”
She wanted to believe him. He had given her no reason not to, but she still had to wonder what she had to offer him.
“It’s the truth,” he told her earnestly. “I don’t lie and I don’t cheat.”
“I know. Ben told me.” Then she wished she hadn’t said that, either.
“You asked your brother if I cheated on women?” he asked, clearly offended. “I may have done a lot of things in my life, but cheating has never been one of them.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ask,” she rushed out. “But he wasn’t happy when he found out we were dating. And, well, he was trying to say you weren’t good enough for me. So I asked, and he said no. He actually ended up defending you, so don’t worry.”
He looked like he believed her. “OK. As long as you believe it, because it’s true. And no man is ever going to be good enough for you in your brother’s eyes.”
“I know you’re right. But right now you are more than good enough for me, and I plan on taking advantage of it.” She reached for the soap, lathering her hands up good, then proceeded to touch every part of his body.
Nothing was off limits. She wasn’t done though. Done touching him with her hands, yes, but touching him in other ways, she hadn’t even started.
She knew she shocked him. But she had to taste everywhere her hands had touched. She didn’t know where her own boldness came from, but he seemed to enjoy it if his moans were any indication.
“Enough, Kaitlin,” he demanded, pulling her back. “My turn.”
And did he ever take his turn. He turned her around, facing her away from him. Then with his lathered hands, he reached around to the front of her, spending an extraordinary amount of time on the cleanliness of her breasts.
The slipperiness of the soap and firmness of his hands made for one heck of an erotic experience in Kaitlin’s mind. Not that she had much to compare it to, but it ranked pretty high up there on the list.
When he was done with her breasts his hands moved lower. Pulling her back against his chest, her backside flush against the hard length of him, he spread her legs and continued to thoroughly explore her there, too. So much so that her legs were shaking, barely able to support her.
He stepped back out from under the spray and sat on the long bench, turning her around. Arranging her between his legs, putting her breasts level with his mouth, he leaned forward and tasted her some more. When her legs started to give way, he lifted her up, moving her over him. “Put your knees outside of my legs.” That only brought her closer to his erection.
She wanted to feel him inside of her again, but he seemed content to continue to touch and taste her. Making her beg for more.
When he finally seemed to have his fill, dragging it out, bringing her to the point of screaming, he reached over for the condom he had placed on the ledge.
“Can I?” she had asked.
He nodded and watched while she attempted to roll it on. Not bad for her first try, probably slower than he would have liked by the way his head fell back against the wall and he closed his eyes.
He lifted her up and settled her over him. “Tell me if it hurts. Or if you are too sore.”
She wasn’t about to tell him anything. Because she wanted it.
Brutally slow, he guided her down on him. “Wrap you legs around my waist,” he ordered and helped her arrange her legs just right “Now lean back a little. Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”
She placed her hands on his shoulders, leaned back but kept her legs locked firmly around his hips and watched his hand go between her legs and touch her.
She should have been embarrassed watching him touch her so intimately, but she couldn’t feel anything other than the pleasure that was rocketing through her body. He seemed to make her body sing, so she let him play any tune he wanted while she enjoyed the sounds.
When she felt herself starting to crest, she threw her head back, not caring that the long wet strands of her hair slapped against her back. All she cared about was that moment when everything inside her body coiled up tight, then burst open.
Faster his hand moved, his hips pumping up more. “That’s it, Kaitlin. Rock against me. Keep doing that.”
She had no idea her body had been moving. It must have been going on its own accord, but she didn’t stop. Not when everything within began to soar. And not when he stood up, holding her backside in his hands and started moving his hips faster. Until finally, his own shout echoed off the tiled walls.
***
Ryan looked out over the water as he sat next to Kaitlin on the beach. They were in their bathing suits trying to get a little sun. When the watercraft approached, he saw Kaitlin fill with dread at the sight of the rider, forcing her to stand up when Ryan did.
“Checking up on me?” Kaitlin asked Ben, when he pulled the jet ski to the beach and climbed off.
Ben shrugged carelessly, then looked down at her bathing suit and grimaced. “Do you think that suit is appropriate?” he asked, nastier than he should have in Ryan’s eyes.
Her face turned red. “What is wrong with my bathing suit?” She looked down at her black two-piece.
“It’s a little revealing isn’t it?” Ben asked, obviously uncomfortable, trying to look anywhere but at her.
Ryan bit back his chuckle. Personally, he had a jolt at seeing Kaitlin in that suit. And he had seen her naked. The top was a halter-top style. He guessed she would have bought it for support rather than style, but the style was just fine for him.
The bottoms were simple enough, but left very little to the imagination. A tiny piece of triangle in the front, a little bit more in the back, with two strings tying it together on each side.
There was something about her in that suit that teased about what wonders she had underneath. Since he had just sampled those wonders and planned on doing more of it, he wasn’t too concerned. But he could imagine an older brother might not enjoy the sight.
“Oh for Pete’s sake,” she said, then grabbed another one of Ryan’s T-shirts and threw it over her head. “There, better? Are you sure you won’t go blind by the sight of your sister in a bathing suit now?” she asked, sarcastically.
“Thanks,” he said, visibly relieved, even though a fine sheen of sweat was forming on his brow.
Ryan took pity on him. He felt the worst of it was all over, and now it was time for him to get back to his friendship with her brothers. It was still going to be awkward for them. Not for him personally, but he imagined the Harper brothers were struggling.
If Kaitlin were his sister, he might have felt the same way. But since she wasn’t, he found the whole thing rather funny. “Want a beer?” he offered Ben.
“Yeah, I need one now,” he stated, then marched right past his sister and up to the bar where Ryan stocked the good stuff.
Fate
Kaitlin let herself into her townhouse later that afternoon. She would like to have stayed at Ryan’s longer, but she really needed to do some laundry and get a bit of food in her house.
Since Sunday was her normal food-shopping day, she was a bit behind schedule. Not to mention she wanted some time to think. She had waited so long for last night and now that it happened she wanted to bask in its glory. And, boy was it glorious.
As she was emptying the tote bag she brought in from t
he car, she grabbed her phone and realized it had been shut off for over twenty-hours. There had been no reason for it to be on during the party. Everyone that might have tried to reach her was there. Then after the party she didn’t want to have to worry about any interruptions. Mostly from her family.
After powering it up, she noticed she had two missed calls. Both from Sophia. Not surprising, Sophia knew the plans for the weekend. She hit the return call button. Sophia picked up on the first ring.
“Where have you been?” Sophia asked, accusing her. “I’ve been dying to hear from you. How could you leave me hanging like this?”
“Sorry. I just got home a few minutes ago. I actually forgot my phone was turned off.”
“So,” Sophia asked impatiently. “How did it go? Everything you hoped for?”
“Yes,” Kaitlin said, sighing dreamily. “Everything and more. I know I’ve focused on this for so long—stressed about it even longer. But I can’t imagine it could have been any better than it was.”
“So it was good then? The actual sex part? Did you manage to at least have an orgasm? That first time is pretty hard to do much more than hang on and pray for it to be over with. Especially with as nervous as you’ve been.”
“I was definitely nervous, but he was so patient and just well...wonderful. And yes, I actually had two orgasms,” she said with a laugh. “The first time.”
“Two,” Sophia said incredulous. “I can barely manage one, let alone two in a night. That’s great. Maybe it was fate after all?” Sophia said joking. “Wait, did you say the ‘first time’? How many times were there?”
With a chuckle, Kaitlin said, “Last night and then again this morning in the shower. As for fate, well, I don’t know about that. I wouldn’t have planned on waiting so long for it to finally happen. But I can say I’m happy that it was with Ryan.”
“So now what? Where do you two go from here?”
“What do you mean?” Kaitlin asked, frowning.
“I know you said the actual dating was all Ryan’s idea, and personally I think that was sweet of him. I don’t know many guys who would have gone to the effort. Especially knowing they were getting the prize in the end anyway. But now that it happened, what’s next? Still dating, or going on your merry way?”
“I don’t know. I mean I thought he was gently pushing me out the door this morning when he asked if I had to be home at a certain time. But when I brought up getting out of his way, he hurriedly explained that he wanted me to spend the day with him. He didn’t mean for me to leave. Matter of fact, he wanted me to stay later than I did. But I’ve got things to do today.”
“Okay, well, that’s him, but what about you? What do you want? I know better than anyone how much you want to settle down and have a family. Do you think Ryan is that person?”
“No. I don’t think Ryan is the settling down type. But right now I want to enjoy my time with him. What are a few months in the scheme of things? From everything I’ve heard about him, he’s never had a relationship longer than a few months anyway.”
“So I know your night went well, but how did it go with your brothers? That’s the first time everyone was all together, right? Since the big news broke?”
“It went as well as expected. There were a few tense moments when Ben and Alec showed up, but everyone calmed down. Phil came later on and was quiet as always. He just shot a look at Ryan once, and then that was the end of it. Actually, Linda was the one who seemed the most volatile the entire day. I don’t know what her problem is, but they didn’t stay long. Whatever is going on, Phil didn’t look happy with her, and they left before anyone else.”
“When is Phil going to drop her?” Sophia asked with a bit more heat than necessary, but Kaitlin brushed it off.
“I don’t know. It’s his life, and since I don’t want my brothers prying into my life, I’m going to try to stay out of theirs.”
“All right, well, the last piece of advice I have for you is to watch your heart.”
“Oh, my heart is firmly locked up tight against the charms of Ryan Mathews.”
***
The ringing of the phone woke Kaitlin up. She reached over, grabbed her cell phone off the bedside table, noticed Ryan’s name and answered quickly. “Everything OK?”
“What? Yes, of course it is. Why are you asking that?” he said, sounding bewildered.
Her racing heart calmed and she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “I don’t know, maybe because it’s late. And no one calls late at night unless there’s a problem,” she said sarcastically, then reached over and turned the bedside light on and propped herself up in bed.
“Sorry, I got lost in work and didn’t notice the time. I really only stopped because I was hungry, and then I started thinking of you.”
She could hear the smile in his voice, warming her immensely. “That’s sweet. But why are you working so late?”
“I never mean to, but it happens. I get stuck on a case, especially the one I’m working on now. And I can’t stop until I find what I’m looking for. But I’ve hit a brick wall.”
“Is this the Fremont case? I saw in the paper that you’re representing her.” When she was met with silence on the other end, she jumped in quickly. “I’m sorry. I realize you probably can’t talk about your work, and that’s why you never say anything. You don’t have to answer me.”
“No. It’s not that. It’s just no one has ever asked me about my work before. I mean no one I’ve ever dated before.”
“Maybe you’ve dated the wrong women before?” she said slyly.
“Maybe. Anyway, there are things I can’t share but plenty of things that are public knowledge. Yes, it’s the Fremont case. Unless you are going to run back to the District Attorney and tell them my game plan, I think I’m safe to tell you what I’m working on.”
He paused when she chuckled, but then continued on. “I’ve been trying to track down ex-girlfriends of Jason Briggs. I’ve got some names, but I can’t find anything on them. Either my client was confused on their names or spellings, or they never existed before. And I find that hard to believe.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I’ve seen this pattern before. On the outside Jason seemed perfect. Successful banker, well respected, handsome, and charming. But he had a dirty secret—he liked to abuse women. You don’t just start doing that at his age. There’s always an escalation, so that means it had to have happened before. The trick is finding out who the women are, where they are hiding and then getting them to talk.”
“You should talk to Ben.”
“Why would I talk to your brother about this?”
“Because Ben knows all about finding people. Security and secret ops was his specialty. I’m sure he has lots of contacts and could help you find these women, or point you in the right direction.”
“I never thought of that, talking to Ben that is. I’ll consider it. But we have a private investigator we use frequently. I just sent him an email with the list of names. Hopefully he can find something. Thank you, though.”
“For what?”
“For asking about my work, and for listening. I’m not used to talking about it outside of the office.”
“You’re welcome. I find it interesting, actually. Analysis is my specialty, though I mainly work with numbers. But I still like to know facts and details and think it all through.”
“I’ll have to remember that next time I get stuck. I’ll let you get back to sleep. I just really wanted to call and tell you I enjoyed the last two days together.”
Her face softened. “I did too. You know I did.”
“And to let you know that work is going to be a bit crazy the next few days. But know that I’m thinking of you, even if I don’t get to see you or talk to you much.”
“Don’t worry. I know you’re busy. Remember, Daughter Dating 101. I wouldn’t want to smother you.”
“True, but I don’t want you to think I’m ignoring you or brushing you off either. Becau
se I’m not.”
“I wouldn’t think that.”
“OK, then have a good night. Sorry I woke you.”
“You too, have a good night. And try to get some sleep.”
***
He hung up satisfied that she knew he was thinking of her. He didn’t know where her mind was at, but he definitely didn’t want her to think he was ready to be done now that she got what she had been after.
He had worried there for a minute this morning when she misinterpreted his question on if she needed to leave and hoped he convinced her otherwise.
He was pretty sure he did, but he’d never felt this unsure of anything in his life before. For someone who prided himself on being in control at all times, for once he didn’t feel in control at all.
***
The next day Kaitlin received the most beautiful bouquet of flowers at work. Her eyes lit up every time they landed on them.
They weren’t hard to miss either. There were easily three dozen flowers in the large vase. No plain roses either, but rather a mixture of tulips and orchids plus a few other variety of flowers currently in bloom.
She had realized he was telling the truth about flowers when she left his house the other day, finally taking notice of his landscaping. There were plenty of shrubbery and other fern-type foliage, but there were also lots of flowers. Tulips, orchids, roses and many more she couldn’t remember the names of. It was beautiful and he obviously took pride in his property.
Just one more thing that added a layer to the ever-confusing man.
Spontaneous
Two days later, after a few text messages and one more late night call, Kaitlin decided she would make the next move.
She felt bad. She had been trying to give him space and knew he was busy. Yet he kept finding time to either send her a quick text to let her know he was thinking of her, or call her late. She didn’t even mind he woke her up last night again.
