by Annie Rains
Okay. Maybe this was a two-time thing.
Melting into him like sugar in water, she let herself go again, this time deeper, harder, faster—if that was even possible. It was as if her body was making up for lost time, and storing up for another sexual hibernation. The memory of Micah’s touch, the feel of his stubbled cheek on hers, his hands running over her. That was something that would keep her sated for a long time. Except she doubted she’d ever be able to get enough of this, whatever this was.
Shutting her mind down again, she needily arched into him, forgetting everything except the man in front of her.
—
Micah stirred, wondering momentarily at the heavy weight of someone’s arm draped over his. Ben wasn’t able to crawl into his bed in the night. And Ben was at Aunt Clara’s, he remembered.
His eyes cracked to see the blond hair cascading in front of him. Kat. He tightened his grip as he realized where he was. He’d just had sex with Kat Chandler—Ben’s principal and his sort-of, part-time boss.
Details of the hours before he’d fallen asleep slowly crept into his memory. He glanced out the rain-speckled window, seeing that the storm was over, and checked the clock—midnight.
Kat stirred, appearing to go through the same motions. She dreamily looked around and found him lying behind her. “Micah.” She smiled briefly, then gasped and pulled the white sheet from his bed higher to cover her bare chest.
Thankfully, the sheet was a half-inch too short, tangled at the bottom of the bed. One glance at the soft pink skin of her nipples, and he immediately went hard for her again. “I guess we fell asleep,” he said, wishing he could find something more charming to say. “Do you want some water?”
She nodded. “Please.”
Happy to have something to do, he got up and walked to the kitchen. Sleeping with Kat hadn’t been a mistake. He’d wanted her ever since the first moment he’d laid eyes on her. But he wasn’t ready for a relationship, and one with her spelled disaster. He needed to focus on Ben, he reminded himself.
“I hope this is okay.” Kat stepped into the kitchen a moment later, wearing one of his T-shirts that he’d folded and had meant to put away. It was long enough to be a dress on her, hanging loosely on her body. Even so, she was the best thing he’d seen this decade. Her hair was pulled back neatly in a clip, with a few stray pieces falling sexily around her flushed face. “My dress is still soaked,” she explained.
“It’s fine.” He cleared his throat in an effort to clear his mind. “You okay?”
She took a step closer. “I was a more-than-willing participant, if that’s what you’re asking. And yes, I’m okay. Tonight was wonderful, actually.”
“Perfect, I’d say. Here you go.” He slid the glass of water across the counter instead, directing his focus to the window above his kitchen sink. “Looks like the rain stopped. I can show you my garden now. Unless you think it’s too late. I could take you home if you need me to.”
She shook her head, blushing as she looked up at him. He wondered which memory she was entertaining. There were several he could think of. “I’m not ready to go home quite yet,” she said.
Which was good because he wasn’t ready to let her go.
“Okay, then.” Reaching for her hand, he led her outside beyond his deck. The damp air smelled like rain-soaked soil and he gulped it in. He hadn’t shown many people his garden. Just Aunt Clara and Uncle Rick. His father had seen it a time or two in the beginning stages, but he’d always frowned and reminded Micah his career was with the military. His father always made sure Micah knew that.
This was the first garden that would be Micah’s only and no one else’s. He’d never had the luxury of growing roots in the past. All he’d had before was container gardening, where the roots grew shallow and the plant was never allowed to reach its full growth.
Here, though, there were no limitations.
Kat stopped walking for a moment and looked at what he’d created. He felt like he was seeing it for the first time, too, as he looked at it through her eyes. The wooden archways he’d built to walk under were no longer visible, covered by vines that twisted and tangled together, shooting off flowers where they fancied. Then there were the sectioned areas, where he’d created patches of gardens, like a quilt of many colors. Some squares of land were elevated and in wooden cases he’d built himself. Others were on the ground.
He’d purchased this home five years ago, knowing when it went on the market that this was the perfect place for him and Ben to live. Since then, whenever he’d gotten leave from the military, he and Ben had come here from whatever place they were stationed at the time, and Micah had worked in this garden. His garden. When they’d finally gotten stationed at Camp Leon, that’s when the garden had really taken form.
Kat’s mouth was open. “This is amazing.”
And under the moon, with everything cast in a glow of pale white light, Micah felt slightly in awe, too. He never tired of being here. “Come on.” He continued walking down a wooden plank path he’d built to allow Ben’s wheelchair to roll through. “My aunt Clara would probably frown at me right now if she saw me wearing shoes.”
“You can’t wear shoes in the garden?”
“You connect better in bare feet,” he said, catching her uncertain gaze. “I’ll have to show you sometime, when the dirt isn’t quite as muddy.”
The corner of her mouth kicked up on one side. He’d noticed that she did that a lot. It was cute, and sexy as hell at the same time.
“What kind of flower is that one?” She stopped and touched a bright pink bloom.
“You like it?”
She leaned in to smell the flower’s gentle fragrance, her hair escaping from its clip and falling around her face as she did. “It’s gorgeous.”
“That’s a lily. Their petals are thick. They’re as beautiful as any flower out here, but a lot tougher. They could take ten times the storm we just had and still stand.”
She considered his description. “A survivor. Sounds like a flower I could get along with.”
Looking at her right now, he could swear he was falling in love with this woman. Which was ridiculous. They barely knew one another. And that was his problem. He didn’t fall for women often, but when he did, he fell hard, and once that happened, it was nearly impossible to turn those feelings off. That’s the way it’d been with Jessica. It’d taken her abandoning Ben to shut his feelings down for good. Right now wasn’t good timing. Falling for Kat Chandler was a bad idea.
“This is a really magical place.” She looked up at him with those angelic eyes as she continued down the path. “Thank you for showing it to me.”
“Thank you for not saying it’s stupid.”
“It’s definitely not stupid. You can really see how much love you put into your work.”
And when he loved something, he was incapable of giving less than a hundred percent. That one hundred percent belonged to Ben right now. He was the only parent Ben had, and his son needed him.
Micah swallowed hard. “It’s getting late. I should probably take you home.”
Her smile wilted slightly. “You’re right. My sister will be wondering where I’ve gone. Or, actually, she’s probably guessed where I’ve been and she’s stalking the living room, waiting up to hear all the details.” Kat looked up with wide eyes. “Not that I would.”
Micah smirked. “You don’t kiss and tell. That’s good.”
“If word got out about us at the school, a principal and a parent…” Alarm continued to build in her expression.
“Don’t worry. I don’t kiss and tell, either. And it was never supposed to have happened. I didn’t plan this when I invited you over tonight.”
“You didn’t?”
Micah shook his head, surprised that she’d even have to ask. “Of course not. I wanted to show you my garden. I have Ben. The last thing I need to be doing is…” He motioned toward his home and back to Kat, searching for the right words. “The timing is all wrong. I mean, you’ve
told me yourself that you’re not ready for dating.”
“And I’m not,” she confirmed.
“So what are we doing, Kat?” he asked, already missing the feel of her in his arms.
She didn’t respond for a long moment. “We had sex. Val and my sister have both been telling me that I need to relax and have…” She wobbled her head from side to side, and if he wasn’t mistaken, her skin was growing steadily redder. “They think casual sex is exactly what I need to push me back into”—she fidgeted with her hands—”that area of my life.”
Tonight hadn’t felt casual to him, but maybe she was right. Maybe he could reframe his thinking. It was just meaningless, feel-good sex. That’s all. “Casual sex?” he repeated.
She nodded, her gaze uncertain as she looked at him. “Isn’t that what it was?”
“Right.” Memories of the way she’d looked at him when they’d been in bed flashed through his memory. And the way he’d kissed every bare inch of her body, cherishing her like the rarest of flowers. “Yeah. I’m surprised you’re okay with that, though. You don’t seem like the type of woman who does those things lightly.”
She hugged herself, lowering her head to watch the ground as they walked toward his back porch.
Ah, shit. He hoped he hadn’t offended her. “No offense. You just seem more wholesome than that.”
“This year is about moving on for me.”
Micah watched her, loving how fidgety and cute she was when she was nervous. “So your goal this year is to make some changes in your life? And part of that involves casual sex?” he asked.
She nibbled her lower lip and his crotch jumped to attention. He had to say, he kind of liked the idea of ravaging her body again with no strings, or guilt, attached.
“Do you intend to have casual sex with a lot of people, or just one person?” he asked, suddenly hating the idea of anyone else getting their hands on her.
They were back at the steps of his deck and she sat, leaving just enough room for him to sit beside her on the still damp wood. Their legs brushed against each other as he did.
“I’m not really the type to see more than one person at a time. I don’t want to change that drastically. So most likely just one.” Her gaze skittered toward him and she looked away quickly.
“It’s a good thing you have me, then.” Because if there were no strings attached, maybe he could be a good father to Ben and keep seeing Kat.
She was looking at him again. “I didn’t plan this tonight, either. If I had, I would’ve worn way better underwear.” Her cheeks were crimson now. “Sorry. Talking too much. I should probably get home to sleep before I completely scare you off.”
Micah reached for her hand. “I’m not scared, and I kind of liked those underwear. The little bow on the front was a nice touch.” He leaned in closer, the smell of her body mixing with the scent of new fallen rain.
Her gaze fell on their interlocked hands. “We could have our own little club of two.”
He lowered his voice. “You and your clubs. What would we call this one?” He turned in toward her and his other hand stroked up her inner thigh. It would be so easy to pull her up on the deck and have her right here under the moon.
“The Lovers’ Club?” she suggested, with a small giggle.
His mouth brushed against her ear, kissing down her jawline. Damn, she tasted sweet. “Count me in. Just us. Any rules for this one?”
“Rules?” she asked, closing her eyes as he continued kissing her.
“Yeah. You know. The Friendship Club has rules.” He kissed her neck. “One hour a day after school. Be good to others.” He pulled her on top of him as they sat on the deck’s steps, the oversized T-shirt she was wearing was pushed up around her waist as her legs straddled him.
“I guess…” she said through shaky, shuddering breaths, “the only rule would be that it’s just sex. And when we want out…”
He pulled down the neckline of her shirt, gaining access to the sensitive skin above her breasts. She moaned softly as he kissed her there. “Then we say so,” he said, completing her thought.
“Right.”
That sounded perfect to him. He stood with her body still wrapped tightly around his and, ready for more, doubtful he’d be able to get enough in this lifetime, he carried Kat back inside to his bed.
—
The next morning, Kat pushed open the door to her and John’s room together and stared for a long beat. Then she walked to the small bedside dresser and sat. Ready or not, life was moving on. It’d been moving on since Micah had shown up this year with his broad shoulders and black hair. And those chocolate-colored eyes that made her knees liquefy. Good thing for those mirrored sunglasses he liked to wear. That kept her on two solid, walking legs most days.
Those solid, walking legs didn’t feel so solid right now, however. The mission this morning was packing John’s things so that Julie could have a more hospitable place to stay. If she were going to stay here for any length of time, the couch definitely wouldn’t suffice.
His clothes were mostly gone, except for the ones that held special memories. Those still hung in the closet, and she guessed eventually she’d have to part with them. Today she’d tackle the dresser, though, which held things that took more time to go through.
She sat on the floor and pulled at the bottom drawer. It stuck a little, resisting being opened. It didn’t want to let go of the memories, either. Finally, it gave way and she fell back on her bottom, coughing a little as a plume of dust flew toward her face.
Dipping her hand into the drawer, she pulled out an old Valentine’s card first. It was one she recognized immediately. She’d given it to John the February before he’d left. As she opened it, a soft battery-operated tune sang “Burning Love” in a mechanical Elvis impersonation. She smiled, reading her words to her future husband.
The answer was always yes. And always will be.
He’d meant to ask her to marry him three times before he’d actually been successful. But all three times, they’d sparked an argument somehow, and fearing she’d say no, he’d opted not to pop the question. She never would’ve turned him down, though. She’d been ready to say yes to forever since their first date. That’s when she’d known. Maybe from the first time they’d looked into each other’s eyes. She’d also known that they’d spend their lives together forever. But they hadn’t. Even though he’d made promises to her, he’d never come home.
Where did a Valentine’s card go? Not to the Goodwill. Not in the trashcan. She slid it inside a shoebox and did the same with the next several mementos of their lives together. When the box was full and the drawer half empty, she stopped, drained for the morning. She’d do a little at a time, she promised herself, rising as she heard Julie come through the front door.
Glancing around the room, she decided all it needed for Julie to stay here tonight was a change of sheets and a new bedspread. That’s all that had to be done physically. Emotionally, she needed a good glass of wine. Both could be arranged.
“Hey.” Kat poked her head outside the bedroom door as Julie headed down the hall.
Julie’s brows lifted in question.
“Just cleaning out your new room.” Kat forced a smile.
“My new room?” Julie repeated, the tone a questioning one.
“Yep.” Kat hugged the shoebox of old cards in her arms. “I’ll change the sheets and you can sleep here tonight. As many nights as you need.”
“Are you sure?” Julie asked, her shoulders relaxing a little. “Because the couch is fine. Even though I’ve had a kink in my neck for the past two days. Nothing a little yoga can’t fix.”
“I’m sure.” Kat sucked in a solid breath. “I’ll, uh, work on cleaning out the closet for you another day.”
Julie nodded, peeking into the master bedroom. “Thank you. I almost feel like you want me to stay.”
Kat narrowed her gaze softly. “Of course I want you to stay. You’re my sister. We’re family. Now, go get your t
hings and bring them in here.”
Before I have a chance to change my mind.
Julie nodded and headed back to her suitcases in the living room. With one final glance in the master bedroom’s direction, Kat forced her feet, and her mind, forward.
Chapter 15
It’d been a week since she and Micah had sex for the first time. It hadn’t been the last time, though. In that week, they’d somehow managed to meet every day, or night, to take advantage of their agreement. Sex. No strings. Just plain, feel-damn-good pleasure.
Kat looked up from her desk and sighed at the image of Val.
“You’re still going to tell me that nothing happened?” Val asked, hands on her hips, obviously not buying Kat’s outright lie. “Fine, don’t tell me. I know what’s going on.”
“You only think you do,” Kat called to Val’s back as she headed into the front office. With her friend gone, Kat smiled to herself. Yep, she was enjoying herself and no one else needed to know—that would only complicate things. Micah had a son that was his first priority, as Ben should be, and she…well, she still had one leg stuck in the past and he didn’t seem to mind.
Kat stared at the ring on her finger and sucked in a deep breath. Then, she slipped it off. The band resisted a little, and she had to twist it and give a hard yank. When it was off, she set it on her desk and stared at it, remembering when she’d first seen it in the velvet box that John had presented to her. When her friends had gotten engaged before her, she’d pretended to fawn over their rings like they were the most special things she’d ever seen. They never were though. Not in her eyes. It was always just another diamond, maybe cut differently or shinier than others, but a diamond just the same.
But she’d understood when she opened the box from John and saw this one for the first time. Her heart had swelled in her chest and her fingers had shook as he’d slipped the ring on her left hand. She’d sworn at that very moment that she’d never take it off.
Kat unclasped the gold chain she wore around her neck and slid her diamond engagement ring on it. Before she could change her mind, she clasped the chain with the ring attached back in place.
