Crimson and Clover

by Juli Page Morgan

  Curious, Katie asked, “So what was it you remembered that was so important you had to come down and give me a concussion over it?”

  “Just this.” Maureen rose to her feet, and stepped out into the tiny hall. When she returned, she was holding a brown paper bag. “I remembered that I didn’t give you your housewarming gift, so I brought it down.” She handed the bag to Katie, and grinned.

  Touched by the gesture, Katie took the bag. “You didn’t have to do this.” She opened the bag, and drew in a breath of delight. “But I’m glad you did!” Inside were two pale purple candles with the lilac scent Katie loved. She could tell by the intricate, swirling design stamped into them that they were the special candles made by their friend Debi. “I love them, Maureen. Thank you!”

  “The least I could do,” Maureen demurred. “I just feel horrible I forgot about it for two weeks.”

  “Don’t feel horrible. You did throw me the party of the year, remember?”

  “Well, yes, there’s that.” Maureen grinned. “And I did introduce you to Jay Carey, after all.”

  “Ah. Yes. Him.”

  Speculation brightened Maureen’s eyes. “You don’t sound overjoyed for some reason. Did the two of you not hit it off?”

  “I thought we did,” Katie muttered. She took the cloth from her face and grimaced at the bright red mark adorning her forehead.

  “C’mon, Katie. Spill. What’s going on?”

  “Let’s go have a Coke. I’m sick and tired of this bathroom.”

  No sooner had Katie opened the bottles of Coke did Maureen demand details.

  “Tell me everything,” she said. “Don’t leave anything out, because I’ll know if you do.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Katie took a deep breath. “Okay. At the party I thought we were really getting into each other.” She thought of the way Jay’s hair felt against her face and the warmth of his skin under her hand and a little thrill of delight shot through her. “Before he left, he told me he wants me.”

  “Bloody hell,” Maureen breathed. “I’ve been so wrapped up in Nicky since then I didn’t know any of this. So he wants you. That’s a good thing, right?”

  “You’d think so. But I haven’t really seen him the past couple of weeks except for running into him every now and again when he’s with Stuart or Adam.” Her brows drew together in a confused frown. “He’s always really friendly, but that’s it.”

  “Hm.” Maureen took a quick drink. “Does he know you want him, too? I mean, you do want him, don’t you?”

  “More than I’ve ever wanted anything,” Katie said fervently. “But I didn’t come right out and tell him that, no. I was so freaked out when he told me that I just stood there like an idiot and watched him leave.”

  Maureen laid a soft hand over Katie’s. “I don’t know what to tell you. Should I ask Nicky if he’s heard … ”

  “Are you completely insane?” Katie interrupted. “No, don’t ask Nicky anything! The last thing I want is that bunch of hooligans knowing Jay’s brushing me off. They gossip worse than a bunch of old women.”

  “They do, don’t they?” Maureen giggled. “Blows that whole ‘male mystique’ thing right out of the water.”

  “No shit.” Katie’s mouth sagged in a glum pout. “But let’s keep this between you and me, okay? It’s really got me bummed out.”

  “You can trust me to keep my mouth shut,” Maureen assured her. “My lips are sealed.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Under Katie’s flower child exterior beat the heart of June Cleaver, minus the pearls and starched dresses, of course. She had always been something of a laundry freak, declaring that the smell of freshly dried sheets was almost a turn-on, but washing dishes didn’t fall into that category. No matter how much she liked keeping a tidy house, dishwashing would always be nothing more than a chore.

  She wiped quickly at the plates in the drainer, wanting to have it over and done so she could sit down and read more of the Harlequin romance she’d picked up a day earlier. The story of Casey O’Shane and her tutor from England, the dashing Cromwell, was a good one, and Katie couldn’t wait to get back to it. A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts and she glanced over her shoulder.

  “It’s open,” she called. “I’m in the kitchen.”

  When Jay Carey appeared in the doorway between the two rooms, she almost dropped the plate in surprise. “Hey, there.”

  “Hello.” He smiled and sketched a wave. “I hope you don’t mind me dropping in unannounced.”

  “Not at all. Want some coffee?” She sent up silent thanks to whatever deities might be listening that her voice was steady and calm.

  “American coffee?” Jay asked as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

  “That’s the only kind of coffee you’ll find in my house,” she assured him.

  “Good. I will have some, then. In a cup about this big.” He measured out the distance of a foot between his hands.

  Katie grinned. “Barring the size of the cup, I think I can fix you up.” She reached into the cupboard and pulled out a mug. She filled it from the pot that sat warming on the stove and set it before him. “Cream? Sugar?”

  “God, no.” He shuddered. “Why ruin a perfectly good cup of coffee?”

  “Wow.” Katie clasped her hands together in front of her chest in a parody of adulation. “You really are perfect, aren’t you?”

  Jay snickered and applied himself to his coffee. Katie turned back to drying the few remaining dishes and watched him from the corner of her eye, trying not to swoon. His dark hair curled against the thick grey turtleneck sweater he wore to combat the chill of the October day, and dark jeans so tight she wondered just how he’d managed to get into them. She tried not to let her gaze linger between his spread thighs, but she couldn’t resist a peek. What she saw there threatened to destroy what little self-control she had, so she quickly averted her eyes.

  “What brings you down to the Grove?”

  “I came round to see Adam or Stuart, but they’re both working.” Jay blew on his coffee before taking another sip. “Then I remembered I haven’t seen you in a day or two, so I thought I’d drop by.”

  “Any time.” Katie put the last plate in the cupboard and flung the dishtowel on the counter.

  Jay’s gaze roamed around the room. “This is a huge kitchen for a flat in Ladbroke Grove. Is the rest of it as roomy?”

  “Pretty much.” She tilted her head to the side. “Wanna see it?”

  “Sure.” After a large gulp of coffee, Jay rose and followed her as she led him down the hall, pointing out the bathroom, her bedroom and her improvised closet, the room she was most proud of. Jay, however, seemed fascinated by her bedroom.

  “What a brilliant idea.” He looked at the pipes she’d affixed to ceiling so she could hang bed curtains she’d made from Moroccan-inspired fabric. “I’d never have thought of this.”

  “Don’t give me too much credit,” she demurred. “I saw it in a magazine and thought I’d try it.”

  “How did you ever decide to paint the ceiling purple?” His eyes twinkled at her, and she had to look away, turning her gaze to the ceiling. Her sleep over the past several weeks had been interrupted more than once by dreams of those hazel eyes and the sound of his whisper in her ear: I want you.

  “It stood out too much when it was white,” she explained. “So I painted it the same color as the walls.”

  “It’s great. It’s like a mini-Taj Mahal in here with the purple, and the fabrics and the carved furniture.”

  “Thanks.” Katie smiled. “That’s what I was going for.” A sudden thought occurred to her. “Hey! Did you ever get to Scotland?”

  His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Why, no. I didn’t. What made you think of that?”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “It just popped into my head. I’ve kind of been thinking of spending a week there. My dad’s family was from Scotland and I thought it might be cool to go see where my grandparents lived.�
�� She bit her lip in indecision, but remembered Maureen’s advice and decided to just go for it. “You’re welcome to come with me.”

  He grinned. “And I could show you Thomaston Castle, right?”

  “Absolutely. I’m really curious about it now, but I wouldn’t want to see it if you weren’t with me.”

  His grin abruptly faded. “Yes, well. Adam’s not too keen on going round to castles, so I don’t know how that would work out.”

  “Adam?” Her brows drew together in confusion. “What the hell does Adam have to do with it?”

  Jay appeared bewildered at her response. “Isn’t he your old man?”

  “What? No!” Katie’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Who told you that?”

  The startled look on Jay’s face and the quick aversion of his gaze told her all she needed to know.

  “Adam did, didn’t he?” she fumed. “I swear, he is the most annoying individual I’ve ever met. I oughta pop him in the knee with Stuart’s baseball bat next time I’m over there. But no, I’m not Adam’s girlfriend. I’m not anyone’s girlfriend.”

  For a moment, Jay stood staring at the bed curtains with a look of astonishment. Before Katie could question him, he shook his head and faced her. “Well, then.” He turned the full intensity of those hazel eyes on her. “That changes things.”

  Katie’s outrage vanished as quickly as it appeared and her heart rate accelerated like she’d just had a hit of some dynamite speed. “What things?”

  “For one,” Jay stepped closer. “It means I can do this.”

  His warm hands framed her face and he leaned toward her, unhurried and with deliberation. Katie saw his lashes sweep down to cover his eyes just before his mouth touched hers. His lips were warm and soft and she moved her head forward to better fit them against her own. It was a sweet kiss, one of the sweetest Katie had ever known, without any of the demands and expectations most kisses had. She had time to think about the tentative, questioning feel of it and to savor the feel of his lips and the mingling of their breath.

  Jay drew back a bit, his eyes still half-closed. “I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I saw you in that sensational dress you were wearing.”

  Katie drew in a shaky breath. “I’ve been wanting you to.”

  She had time to really notice the color of his eyes; — green and grey, mostly, with flecks of gold — before he lowered his lips to hers again.

  The kiss started out as gentle and soft as the first one, but deepened into an embrace that made all the other kisses she’d received seem like chaste pecks from an elderly uncle. She reveled in the taste of his mouth, gloried at the touch of his tongue against hers, trembled at the feel of his hands tangling in her hair bringing her closer to him.

  Her arms tightened, pulling his body against hers. A small sound came from the back of her throat at the feel of the evidence of his desire pressing against her and a thrill shot through her at his answering growl.

  No physical contact had ever affected Katie like this. Hot waves of desire flamed through her leaving her burning for more. She wanted to pull him into her, wrap herself around him. She wanted to pull his hair, bite his neck, to sink her nails into his skin. Desperate to feel his skin, feel the play of muscles in his cheeks, she cupped her hands on either side of his face. Some hidden, primal part of her surged to the surface and with it the thought that she wanted to possess him. And she wanted him to possess her.

  It was only when he pulled her toward the bed that her sanity returned like a thunderclap. Shaking, she broke the kiss. “Jay, wait.”

  “What is it, love?” he murmured, pressing kisses on her closed eyelids.

  “God, I hate to say this, but … ” She looked up at him with reluctance. “It’s not a good time for me right now.”

  It took a moment, but understanding dawned on his face. “Oh.”

  Katie directed every curse she knew toward Mother Nature and even made up a few new ones for good measure. “I’m sorry.”

  He laughed under his breath. “Don’t be. All it means — ” he bent his head and kissed her just under her jaw, “ — is that we have to wait a bit longer.” His lips trailed up her cheek, and he breathed in her ear. “That’s all.”

  She felt Jay’s hands in her hair, smoothing the tumbled strands, and the tremble in his fingers matched the one in her knees. Wait? How the hell was she supposed to wait? “Damn it,” she whispered.

  Jay’s chest expanded as he drew in a deep breath. “However, I should probably go.”

  “If you must.”

  He laughed at her grumpy tone and put a finger under her chin to tilt her head up. “They say waiting makes it better, you know.”

  She arched a skeptical brow. “Have you ever waited?”

  “No. Have you?”

  “Nope. But I guess you’re never too old to learn something new. C’mon,” she sighed and grabbed his hand. “The least we can do is leave this room. I swear the bed is taunting me.”

  She heard his soft laughter as she towed him back through the flat to the living room. Once again, she cursed Mother Nature and her rotten timing.

  When she turned back to him, Katie caught her breath as he pulled her tight against him again.

  “How did this happen so fast?” His eyes searched hers, intent and questioning.

  Katie felt a sudden dryness on her lips and she moistened them with her tongue before answering, “What’s that?”

  “We’ve only just met. But I want to be with you so much.” Jay’s hand rose and his fingers played in the strands of her hair. “Not to say that I’m not disappointed at our timing, but I wouldn’t mind just sitting and listening to music with you.” Jay’s hand moved from her hair to her face. His fingers stroked her skin, leaving trails of tingling sensation in their wake. “Of course, I’d love to wake up next to you with your hair all around me.” He brushed his lips across her cheek. “I want all that and it’s happened so fast.”

  Katie released her pent-up breath with a soft sigh. She cleared her throat and found her voice. “I never knew a man could seduce me with words.”

  A worried frown creased his forehead. “I’m not saying this to seduce you.”

  Katie put light fingers over his lips. “I know you’re not. And that’s why it’s working.”

  She saw the expression in his eyes change from worry to something unfathomable before he crushed her lips with his. He set her on fire and she responded with a level of passion she didn’t know she possessed. The feel of his body pressing against her again couldn’t be ignored and she pressed herself to that rock hardness with abandon. She wanted … she wanted … .damn, she wanted, and she knew she wanted Jay to give it to her.

  Jay wrenched his lips from hers, leaving them both gasping for breath. He stepped back and the expression on his face mirrored the way Katie was feeling; confusion, desire and joy, all wrapped up in one ball of emotion that was bouncing inside her uncontrolled.

  “Now I really should go.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll ring you later this week.” He took a few hesitant steps toward the door.

  “You’d better.”

  At that moment the door burst open, hitting him in the backside and Maureen rushed in. “Katie, you’re never going to believe what just … Oh.” She came to a halt, her eyes moving between Katie and Jay. “Hallo, Jay. Sorry to just barge in on, um … .”

  Jay gave her a strained smile before looking back at Katie. “It’s all right, Maureen. I was just leaving. I’ll see you in a few days, Katie.”

  The moment the door closed behind him, Maureen whirled to face Katie, her eyes wide. “Cor, Katie! I’m sorry. I had no idea he was here.”

  “That’s okay.” Katie waved aside Maureen’s concern. “We were just talking.”

  One corner of Maureen’s mouth curved up in a half-smile. “You must have done a lot of talking, then. Your lips are rather swollen.”

  “Swollen?” Katie’s hands flew to her mouth.

  “Mm-hm. You look
like you just fellated a bee.”

  “Damn!” Katie snatched up a framed picture from an end table and attempted to see her reflection in the glass. “Well, for your information I didn’t fellate anything.”

  “Why the hell not?” Maureen demanded.

  “I happen to be right in the middle of my monthly visit from Aunt Flo, if you must know.” Katie put the picture down and headed to the kitchen for coffee.

  “Aunt … ? Oh!” Maureen trailed after her. “Rotten luck. But I assume this means he still wants you?” She sat in the chair Jay had occupied and looked expectant.

  “I don’t kiss and tell,” Katie retorted, filling two cups with hot coffee.

  “After all I’ve told you about Nicks and me?” Maureen was aghast. “You’d damn well better kiss and tell, and do it straight away! Now, sit down right here and tell me all about it and don’t leave anything out.” She grinned. “I can’t wait to hear how your lips got into that condition.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  It didn’t take as long as Katie thought it would for her belongings to arrive from the States, and she was surprised when she was awakened by a heavy pounding at her door at 7:00 A.M. a scant week after she’d made the arrangements to have the crates shipped.

  After she’d seen out the taciturn delivery men, she surveyed her once-tidy living room that had taken on the appearance of a warehouse. It was much too late to rethink things, but she wished she’d have remembered how much actual stuff she had.

  She turned at the rattle of the doorknob and was surprised to see Adam poke his head in so early in the day.

  He peered around the living room with an expression of bemusement. “Opening up shop, are you?”

  Katie got over her surprise in record time and remembered how angry she was with him. “No. Just my stuff from home.”