by Annie Rains
The real truth was, Ben was matchmaking. Even though the last woman Micah had dated had shred his heart to pieces, Ben still believed his father could find the missing link in their family. He’d stopped believing his real mother was that link a long time ago.
“Do you think eyebrows will raise when you walk in with someone new on your arm tonight?” Micah asked.
Kat shrugged, drawing his attention to the smooth, bare skin on her shoulders. “Probably, but it won’t stop the regulars from flirting with me.” She pulled the cardigan that had slipped down to her elbows back up, and then cinched it tight across her chest.
“You cold?” he asked, instinctively turning on the heater.
“No, I’m fine. Just nervous, I guess.”
“Because of me? Don’t be.”
“I haven’t been on a date in a long time. Not since…” Her sentence fell off and Micah watched her hand absently fidget with the ring on her finger.
“Not since your fiancé died?” he asked.
She nodded. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t bring that subject up. It’s in my past, not my future.”
“It’s okay. It’s part of who you are. What happened?” he asked, uncertain if he really wanted to know.
She hesitated. “Are you sure?”
“No. But tell me anyway.” He listened as she sucked in a long breath.
“Well, he proposed the night before he was set to deploy. He was going to be gone for nine months and then we were planning to get married when he returned.”
He heard the pattern of her breathing change, nearly felt the aching of her heart as she continued.
“I did all the wedding planning while he was away. Bought the dress. Made the arrangements. We were going to marry down at the docks. I’d already gotten permission from Mr. Blokey…I was going to hang lights at the archway and we were going to recite our vows there. I wrote my own. And Val was going to be my maid of honor, of course. Julie, too. I wanted to have both of them standing beside me on what I knew would be the happiest day of my life.” She paused, turning to look out the passenger side window. “He never came home, though.”
He’d heard this story before. Not Kat’s specifically, but others like it. It was a tough handout from life.
“So, that’s my story.” She laughed nervously, turning to look at him again. Micah suspected it was a laugh or cry moment, and Kat was a strong woman. He’d realized that over the last few months. Even so, he wanted to stop the vehicle and wrap his arms around her. “Why do you still wear the ring? If you don’t mind me asking.”
She pulled her hand closer to her face to inspect the diamond. “I know it’s time to take it off. It’s just comforting to keep it on. It’s all I have left, really. I guess I’m not ready to remove it just yet.”
“You will be. One day.”
She nodded. “Right. I’m on a date for the first time in years. That’s progress. Even if it is at the Veterans’ Center. I’m sorry. I know this isn’t ideal.”
“It’s fine. And besides, I have different arrangements for when we leave here.” Micah parked in front of the large metal building and got out before she could reply. Then he ran around and opened her door.
Help her out of the vehicle—check.
Her hand slipped easily into his as she stepped out of the Jeep. “What kind of arrangements do you have planned?” she asked.
He ran a thumb over the back of her hand. “I guess you’ll have to stick with me to find out,” he said, leading her inside with only one thing left on Aunt Clara’s checklist to do at the end of the night: kiss her.
Chapter 14
“Good night, sunshine.” A balding older man patted Kat’s back and cast a wary eye at Micah. “I know how you Marines think, but don’t even try to sleep with the lady on the first date.”
Kat nearly choked on the Coke she was drinking. “Mr. Vincent!”
He laughed heartily. “That’s old-fashioned of me, isn’t it? Just make sure you call her in the morning if you do. See you next month, Miss Katherine,” he said with a wink.
Kat grimaced. “Sorry about that,” she said when Mr. Vincent was gone. Bringing Micah here was as bad as she imagined it would be to bring him home to meet a clan of extended family. These people felt more like family to her than the few blood relatives she had left. She had her mom, widowed now, who lived close by. She rarely saw her, though. Then there was Julie, who had suddenly decided it was time to start acting like sisters again.
“Don’t apologize.” Micah sat on a metal folding chair as she finished collecting the bingo cards. “I grew up in a house full of men. I work with a bunch of men. Sex jokes are the norm,” he said.
“Well, I work in an elementary school. My life revolves around kids and cranky people who sit behind a desk. It’s not the norm for me.” Thus the reason for her burning cheeks, only made worse because she’d been fantasizing about Micah’s hands running over her body all night. She turned to him and realized he was still watching her, as if she was the most fascinating thing he’d seen all day. “All done. Ready to go?” she asked.
He held her gaze for a long beat with those bone-melting eyes that made her stomach turn nervously. Then he stood and took her hand. “Thank you for letting me come with you tonight.”
She lowered her gaze. If she didn’t, she might be compelled to step closer, to press her body against his, surrounded by a room full of people who would never let her forget her actions. “The vets here mean a lot to me.”
“Me, too. There’s one thing we have in common.” A slight smile formed on his lips.
He had a nice mouth, she decided, liking the way it was surrounded by a dark five o’clock shadow at this late hour.
“Care to go investigate more commonalities with me?” he asked.
A breath shuddered through her. The Veterans’ Center was more like working together at the Friendship Club. Sure, they’d been flirting, even kissing. Whatever happened after they left this building, though, would be different. This was a date, where the possibilities ranged from mediocre conversation to wild, unbridled sex to something more. Something real. She took a step toward him that felt like a leap off a very high cliff, then stopped to catch her breath.
“You okay?” he asked, still watching her.
She took the hand he offered, wanting to feel his skin against hers as much as needing something to keep her grounded. “Yes. I’m fine. Let’s do this.”
He cocked a brow that made her squirm.
“I mean let’s go,” she said.
A light sprinkle of rain fell as they walked toward his Jeep at the far end of the parking lot.
“Should’ve brought an umbrella,” he mused, hurrying to open the door for her. His hand brushed against hers as they both reached for the handle.
“Not for me. I love the rain.” She stepped inside and smiled back at him, wiping a damp strand of hair from her eyes.
“Two things we have in common.” He shut the door and entered on the driver’s side.
“So where are you taking me?” she asked as the headlights flooded the quickly emptying parking lot. They might have walked slowly, but the older gentlemen and women who frequented the Veterans’ Center drove like maniacs.
Micah’s mouth quirked on one side. “My place.”
Her blood ran hot again. His place? “Wh…Why are we…?” Maybe she’d been out of the dating game too long. Maybe sex on the first date was the norm now.
“Ben is at my aunt Clara’s tonight. I thought I’d take you to my house and show you my garden.”
“Your garden?” she repeated, unsure she was understanding him. His garden?
He laughed, seeming to read her expression. “Don’t sound so excited.”
“No, I am. I’m beginning to love gardens. The one you showed me the other night was amazing. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen.” She just hadn’t expected he’d take her to see another garden tonight.
He looked over. “It’s kind of my baby, so…”
She nodded, willing to go almost anywhere with him tonight. “I’d love to see your garden, Micah.”
She would just leave this part out when she was recapping the night for Val and Julie later. A date to the Veterans’ Center to play bingo with veterans and then a tour of Micah’s garden. She was going to sound pathetic. But the date did happen to be with the hot groundskeeper at the school, and that definitely wasn’t pathetic.
Five minutes later, Micah pulled into the driveway of a one-story house that was covered with cedar-shake siding. Kat leaned forward to watch the rain bounce off the house’s metal roof. Even with her rain-blurred view, it was breathtaking. “Wow.” She sighed, taking in the rugged, yet fanciful home. It was one she might’ve bought for herself if she’d been in the market.
Micah watched her. “Ben and I haven’t lived here long. I have big plans for this house, though. And my garden.”
“Sounds like you two will be staying awhile?” She regretted the hopeful tone in her voice.
The rain fell harder now, pelting against the windshield. She leaned back into the passenger seat. She’d always loved the rain, but without an umbrella, there was no way she was stepping foot outside. Not after taking so long to do her hair and makeup. And not while wearing a white linen dress that would show everything underneath if she got drenched.
“I hope to make this my forever home,” Micah said. “Ben needs stability. Heck, I was raised in the military. I’ve never stayed anywhere longer than five years. My contract is up next May, and I’m not planning on reenlisting.” He blew out a breath. “You’re the first person I’ve told that to.”
Kat’s lips parted as she looked at him. She’d just assumed he’d leave. All Marines left. Or they never came home, she thought, pulling her thoughts back to the present immediately. Now wasn’t the time or place to be thinking of the past. “I had no idea. I think that’s wonderful. For Ben,” she added.
Micah shrugged. “I have a nice little side business started with my landscaping. I want to expand to designing gardens like the ones you saw last week. That’s where my passion is.”
“That’s a great dream.”
“Think so?” He turned to her, his eyes darkening. They stared at each other for a long beat. “Looks like we’re stuck in here awhile,” he finally said. “Unless you want to get completely soaked.”
No. She didn’t. She tried to remember what she had on underneath the dress. She hadn’t obsessed over that part. Because the dress wasn’t coming off. It was staying on, and staying dry. “I don’t mind waiting out the storm.”
“Me, either.” He leaned in closer to her and reached out to brush a lock of damp hair from her face, his finger passing over her cheek slowly.
She swallowed thickly as her heart began to race. “You’re the first person I’ve dated since…” She didn’t complete her sentence. He already knew the rest. “I might not be good at this anymore,” she whispered. At what exactly, she wasn’t sure, because the dress was staying on, she reminded herself.
He leaned in even closer. “Good at what?” he asked in a deep voice that radiated up her legs, through her body, and resided in her chest.
“Whatever we’re doing here.”
“Talking?” His voice was barely a whisper against the beating of the rain. “You’re good at talking, Kat.” He guided her chin toward him and his lips brushed lightly against hers. “Kissing? You’re great at that, too.” His tongue slid into her mouth, exploring for just a moment as his hands did the same, running along her skin, awakening her body with the power that no cup of java ever had.
She arched to his touch, wanting the man in front of her. Screw the ramifications. Her body needed more of his touch. Right here, right now.
Clutching his shirt, she pulled him toward her and pressed her mouth into his, parting her lips and inviting him to kiss the dress right off her.
He groaned as he slowly folded her passenger seat down. Then he climbed on top of her, pinning her in the seat, not that she had a desire to be anywhere else. With his chest suspended over her, he continued to kiss her. His hips, however, pressed into her, showing her exactly how much he wanted her, which from her estimation was almost as badly as she wanted him.
“So damn gorgeous,” he whispered in her ear. The feel of his breath was as intoxicating as his touch. He trailed kisses from her ear down to the crook of her neck where she was ticklish. No way was she giggling and giving him cause to stop, though. Instead, she tilted her neck giving him better access, begging him to continue kissing her, which he did. Each kiss fired her up further, making her body wiggle and squirm. She needed more of him. Right. Now.
“The gardens can wait,” he whispered before his kisses started to descend, down her nape, her shoulder, her arm. He kissed each finger of her right hand lightly as his other hand ran under the hem of her dress.
“Mmm.” She closed her eyes, unwilling to entertain the second guesses streaming through her mind. Then the feel of his finger sliding inside her underwear silenced the worry completely. She arched harder. Yeah. Right there. Her next thought: Thank goodness for tinted windows. The storm was nowhere near ending, and there was no way she was stopping right now. No way, no how.
Micah pulled back and looked at her, his eyes molten with desire. “A Jeep isn’t the place to make love to a woman.”
No, it was a place to have hot, unbridled sex. Which was completely fine with her, she thought, starting to panic that the moment was ending. It couldn’t end.
“I want you, Kat, but I don’t want it to be here,” he said, in a voice so deep her body quivered in response.
They couldn’t stop. Not now. Please not now.
He pulled his body off hers and returned to his driver’s seat, breathing heavy himself. Running a quick hand over his short hair, he looked over at her with a teasing glance. “Do you melt?” he asked.
She shook her head quickly, her body still quivering from his touch. She was having withdrawal from the absence of his weight blanketing her already. Screw hair and makeup. She needed sex.
“Good,” he said, leaning in and kissing her lips tenderly. “Then let’s make a run for it.”
She nodded, suddenly willing if that meant that they could keep going.
Rain pelted her hot skin as she opened the door to his Jeep Cherokee and ran, squealing softly as cold puddles splashed her ankles. She didn’t care. All she cared about right now was making it to Micah’s bed, the floor, the shower, wherever he was taking her. She wanted to feel his body on hers, in hers.
He unlocked the front door and pulled her inside, immediately covering her mouth with his in a long, bone-melting kiss that told her he still wanted her. “You’re wet,” he said, running his hands over her rain-soaked arms. “Why don’t we take these wet clothes off?”
She shivered, but not because of her damp clothing. She didn’t bother to look around his house. Ben was with his aunt next door. In a dreamlike haze, she allowed Micah to peel off her dress while he guided her to his bedroom in the back of the house. She was naked when they made it to the bed. Then he pulled his own shirt overhead and tossed it onto the floor, revealing a chest made out of granite-hard muscle. He unzipped his jeans and…oh, my.
Her mouth went dry. Her body sizzled.
“Should I lie down?” she asked, feeling foolish as soon as the question was out. She didn’t know what to do anymore. It’d been a long time since she’d been with a man. Too long. And she was thinking too much.
Without answering, Micah gently guided her to lie back, taking the lead. She didn’t mind giving up the control. She was his for the taking. He kissed, and licked, and sucked until she could no longer think. All thoughts were gone—except one. Micah.
“I want you, Kat. I want to make love to you. Now,” he growled in a low whisper. His declaration was a question that needed to be answered before he’d continue, and oh yeah, she wanted him to continue.
“I want you, too. Do you, uh, have a condom?” she
asked, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. “I know Marines get vigorous testing and everything, but…”
He nodded, lifting himself off the bed momentarily to retrieve a gold wrapper from the drawer of his bedside table. A moment later, he hovered over her again. He kissed her mouth, ramping things up from tender to scorching in three point five seconds. Then he pushed his way inside her.
Clutching the hard muscles of his back, she held on tight. She wanted this, but it’d been a long time. She couldn’t help thinking about the reason why she’d waited so long. Because she’d been burned by love. Because she’d lost the man she’d thought she’d spend the rest of her life with. Swallowing hard, she focused on the man in front of her. Not just any man. This was Micah, a man she was beginning to care for. More than she wanted to admit to herself right now.
Reaching up, she ran her fingers over the tops of his shoulders, memorizing every beautiful line of muscle just in case this never happened again. Because of course this was never happening again. This was just a one-time thing.
Suddenly every muscle in her body tensed with an impossible hardness as she rode the tidal wave he’d just set in motion through her, finally leaving her in a boneless puddle beneath him. He dipped to kiss her as she trembled. She couldn’t help it. For once, her body had won out over her mind, and her body had thoroughly enjoyed this last half hour.
“You are so hot when you do that,” Micah said, still thrusting inside her, keeping the aftershocks of her orgasm reverberating through her. Then he tilted his neck back, toward the ceiling, groaning with his own pleasure. “Fuck,” he said, hoarsely. A moment later, he rolled onto his side and faced her, kissing her mouth softly. “You all right?” He traced a finger over the smooth contours of her body, making her shiver.
“I’m wonderful,” she said.
“You’re also so fucking beautiful.”
And she felt beautiful in his bed, lying next to him. He dipped and kissed her sweetly and then hungrily, igniting all the places she could have sworn he’d just burnt up.
