Another Man's Wife

by Dallas Schulze

  It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but finding a way to feed this hunger, to soothe the ache that made his hands shake as he lowered her to the bed, following her down onto the tangled covers. He had to have her, no matter what the cost later.

  Kelsey gasped at the feel of Gage’s lean body against hers. He was so hot. His skin burned as if with fever. She felt an echo of that heat deep inside—a heavy, liquid warmth that settled low and deep, making her achingly aware of an emptiness that only he could fill. She was aware of his jerking open the nightstand drawer and then the crackle of plastic as he opened the condom. She thought vaguely that she should be grateful that he retained enough sanity to think of birth control but all she felt was impatience. She needed him. Now. She moved restlessly beneath him, her legs opening to cradle him as he lowered himself over her.

  “Too fast,” he whispered hoarsely, struggling to slow the moment even as his hardness brushed against the damp heat of her.

  “Now,” she begged. Her hands found his hips, her fingers digging into his skin as she arched her body in silent demand. “Now. Please, Gage. Now.”

  And with a groan, he gave her what she wanted, what they both had to have. With one powerful thrust, he sheathed himself in her waiting warmth. She cried out, her body arching in shocked pleasure, the movement taking him deeper still until they were so closely joined that it was as if they were two halves of the same whole.

  Gage pressed his forehead to her shoulder, struggling for control. He should stop, should slow this down, should... Kelsey arched beneath him, her fingers digging into his hips in a silent plea, and he stopped trying to control what was happening between them. He had a better chance of roping a hurricane or stopping the world from turning.

  Bracing himself on his elbows, he began to move within her. It was hard and fast, an explosive coming-together that reached soul deep, wrenching forth a powerful response like nothing he’d ever known.

  The delicate ripple of feminine muscles caressing him, welcoming his invasion, was a pleasure so intense that it hovered on the knife edge of pain. He wanted it to last forever. But Kelsey was already arching beneath him, her slender body taut as a bowstring, her nails digging into his hips as she tumbled headlong into fulfillment. With a groan, Gage followed her into the spinning tumult, pouring himself into her, shuddering with the intensity of the moment.

  The silence that followed seemed as abrupt and unexpected as the passion that had preceded it. Kelsey felt a delicious languor creep over her, replacing the urgency. Drained of strength and willpower, she kept her mind a deliberate blank, savoring the feel of Gage’s big body over her, within her. She slid one hand up his back, her fingers drifting along the ridge of his spine. She felt as if she could lie here forever, hardly breathing, just savoring the feeling of completion that spread through her body.

  She shifted slightly and heard Gage’s breath catch. Experimentally she moved again, tightening her inner muscles around him, feeling him stir and start to swell within her. A moment before, she’d have sworn that the slow tumble of renewed hunger wasn’t possible, that not even movement was possible. But her body was softening, her skin tingling with awareness.

  “Kelsey.” Her name was a protest. A plea.

  “Gage.” His name was an affirmation. A plea.

  And it began to build again.

  It didn’t seem possible, but the hunger—the need—was just as great the second time. They feasted on each other, hands and mouths, touching, kissing, exploring, almost fighting each other in their urgency.

  Gage moved over her, his hands cupping her buttocks, tilting her so that she took him deeper still. Kelsey cried out, her body shuddering as her climax took her, tumbling her headlong into a shimmering pool of sensation. But Gage continued to thrust, driving her higher and higher, the pleasure building to an almost frightening intensity.

  Her teeth sank into his shoulder, her breath coming in deep, panting sobs as she struggled to retain at least a fingertip hold on reality. But Gage wouldn’t allow even that. His hand slid between them, finding the tiny bud at the top of her womanhood and stroking it with his thumb.

  And Kelsey came apart in his arms. She would have screamed if she’d had the breath to do so. But he’d stolen her breath, stolen her ability to think. She arched, taking him deeper, so deep that she could feel him in her very soul. He shuddered and she felt the throb and pulse of his climax deep inside her.

  And then they were spinning down from the mountaintop, just the two of them alone in all the universe.

  * * *

  It was a long, long time before either of them moved,and an eternity before Gage gathered the strength to lift himself away from her. Kelsey murmured a protest when he left the bed and went into the bathroom. But he was back before she could form a coherent complaint. He slid back into bed, easing his arm under her neck and pulling her against his side. Her head settled into the hollow of his shoulder, her body curving around his as if they’d lain together like this a thousand times.

  Gage threaded his fingers through her hair, feeling it curl around his fingers like strands of pale gold silk. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so completely relaxed, so totally fulfilled.

  That it should be Kelsey who’d made him feel that way was stunning. He shifted, some of his contentment fading.

  “Kelsey?”

  She didn’t respond immediately, and for a moment, he thought that she might pretend to be asleep. Then she stirred slightly, tucking her head more solidly against his chest.

  “What?”

  There was a wariness in her tone that made him hesitate. What had just happened meant...

  Hell, he didn’t know what it meant and he realized suddenly that he didn’t want to know, didn’t want to think about it. There were things that needed to be said, things they had to talk about, but not now. Right now all he wanted was to hold Kelsey, to savor the feel of her lying next to him.

  “Nothing. Just Kelsey.”

  “Good,” she whispered, and he knew she didn’t want to let reality intrude on this moment any more than he did. He eased his fingers through her hair again, letting the contentment seep back over him. He was suddenly, overwhelmingly tired. They’d talk in the morning, he promised himself as he drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 9

  Kelsey came awake slowly, reluctantly. There was a distant, pounding noise that faded away even as she woke so that it seemed part of a dream she’d been having, forgotten even before she was completely awake.

  The covers were too heavy, she thought fretfully. They were pressing her against the mattress. She moved to push them away from her but found herself grabbing hold of a solid, male arm that lay across her waist, pinning her to the bed. Still half-asleep, she trailed her fingers upward, her fingertips tracing hard muscle and hair-dusted skin until she reached his shoulder. He was lying on his stomach, she decided dreamily, one arm thrown across her.

  She shifted uneasily. Rick never sprawled onto her side of the bed. He never cuddled up with her to go to sleep, preferring to have plenty of space. That was why they’d bought such a big bed, even though it crowded the bedroom. They’d quarreled about it, with her complaining that they might as well have separate beds.

  Kelsey frowned a little as the memories flickered across her mind. She couldn’t remember ever waking up to find Rick on her side of the bed, let alone with his arm thrown over her.

  She forced her eyelids to open and found herself staring into a pair of sleepy blue eyes. But not the pale, clear blue of Rick’s eyes. These eyes were a deep, electric blue that seemed to look right inside her and see all the way to her soul.

  Gage.

  It was Gage’s arm that lay across her stomach; Gage’s body pressed against her side, the heat that radiated from him making her feel as if she were cuddled up to a furnace; Gage’s hand that shifted, sliding upward to cup the rounded globe of her breast. Her nipple hardened instantly to the casual stroke of his thumb.

  Gag
e.

  She was still wrapped in sleep and a night’s worth of loving, and her mouth curved with pleasure. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to be waking like this, to feel Gage’s hand slide into her hair, tilting her mouth to his, his muscled chest a sensuous weight against her breasts.

  Their kiss was long and slow and deep. It was followed by another and yet another until there was no beginning and no end, only the feel of Gage’s mouth on hers, the solid beat of his heart against her breastbone, the slide of his hand along her pliant body. A warm, liquid heat began inside Kelsey, spreading outward until her entire body was warmed by it and even her toes tingled with awareness.

  Somewhere she heard a warning bell, a suggestion that all was not as it should be. There was something nagging at her attention. But she shoved the thought away, willingly slipping deeper still under the sensual spell Gage was weaving around her—that they were weaving around each other. As far as she was concerned, there was only the two of them in all the world. Only the two of them.

  “Kelsey?” The voice came from a long way away, the tone sharp with concern. “Are you here?”

  She felt Gage’s sudden stillness and knew he must have heard it, too, which eliminated the possibility that it was a figment of her imagination. He lifted his head and looked down at her, his eyes dilated with arousal, his breathing uneven.

  “Kelsey? Is everything okay?” The voice was closer now. It was also immediately—horrifyingly—familiar.

  “Marilyn,” Kelsey whispered in shock.

  “Rick’s mother?” Gage couldn’t have looked more appalled if she’d said it was the president. For a split second, they were frozen in place, their gazes locked in shared horror.

  “Kelsey? The back door was unlocked. Are you all right?”

  “Ohmigod! She’s coming this way.” Kelsey’s fingers had been sliding through his hair. Suddenly, her hands were flat against his chest, shoving him away. “She’s coming this way. Ohmigod!”

  “It’s okay. She won’t come to the back of the house.”

  “Kelsey?” Marilyn’s voice made it clear that she was on her way down the hallway. And once she stepped into the back hall, she’d have a clear view into Gage’s room. They’d left the door conveniently open, so there was no possible way she could miss seeing them.

  “The door’s open. Ohmigod!”

  Kelsey scrambled to find her robe and get it on. Behind her she was aware of Gage’s throwing himself off the bed and diving for his jeans. At another time, she might have been amused by the sight of his hopping around on one foot while trying to shove the other foot through the leg of his pants. But she wasn’t in the mood to appreciate the humor just then. She was too busy trying to tie the belt of her robe and smooth her tangled hair at the same time.

  “Kelsey?” There was real concern in her mother-in-law’s voice, but Kelsey took more notice of how frighteningly close she sounded.

  She started for the door with the vague idea of running down the hallway and heading Marilyn off. She didn’t know if Gage had the same idea or if he was going for the more immediate solution of slamming the door shut. Whichever it was, the two of them tangled in the doorway. Kelsey’s foot caught on Gage’s ankle. She gasped as she felt herself falling, but then his arms came around her, hard and strong, catching her up against his chest.

  “Kelsey?” Marilyn Jackson’s voice preceded her by only a moment. “Are you...?” Her words trailed off in a squeak of surprise as she stepped around the corner and caught sight of her daughter-in-law and her son’s best friend.

  Kelsey closed her eyes for a moment, aware that the position they were in was only marginally better than if they’d still been in bed together. It must have been obvious that they’d just climbed out of bed. Their state of undress made that clear even if nothing else did. She’d managed to get her robe on, but the collar was rolled under, the belt sloppily tied. And Gage wore nothing but a pair of jeans that were zipped but not buttoned. Not to mention the fact that his arms were wrapped around her.

  There was no pretending that what had happened hadn’t happened. Not that she was even sure she wanted to pretend it hadn’t. At the moment, the only thing she was sure of was that she wanted more than anything in the world to disappear in a puff of smoke so that she wouldn’t have to face the awkward scene that was about to ensue. When no divine intervention was forthcoming, she opened her eyes. For a moment, her glance met Gage’s, but she looked away before she could judge what he might be thinking.

  “I...I’m sorry,” Marilyn stammered, sounding as if she’d just been poleaxed. “The cars were here. You didn’t answer the bell. The back door was open. I thought something might be wrong.... I didn’t mean...I’m sorry,” she said again.

  “No need to apologize,” Kelsey said quietly. She pressed against Gage’s chest, feeling an immediate sense of loss when he released her. “I guess I...didn’t hear the bell.” But she had heard it. That must have been what awakened her. “We were...ah...I was...” She let the words trail off, aware that it was perfectly obvious why she hadn’t responded to the doorbell.

  “I knocked,” Marilyn said, sounding as embarrassed as Kelsey felt. “Bill called. Danny’s plane was a little early. They’re on their way home. I...wanted to let you know. He tried to call you but no one answered the phone and the machine didn’t pick up.”

  At the mention of her son, Kelsey felt a wave of guilt so strong it almost knocked her to her knees. Danny was coming home today. How could she have forgotten that? My God, what if he’d walked in on her and Gage in bed together? What would that have done to him?

  “I think we could all use some coffee,” Gage said, speaking for the first time.

  “I’ll make some,” Marilyn said quickly, sounding grateful to have something to do. She disappeared toward the front of the house, moving so fast she was nearly trotting. She left a thick silence behind.

  Groping for something to say, Gage stared at Kelsey’s profile. She was obviously upset. Hell, so was he. The Jackson house had been a second home to him during all the years he and Rick were friends. The only thing more embarrassing than having Marilyn Jackson catch him in a compromising position would be for his own mother to show up.

  “Kelsey—”

  “Don’t.” She cut him off before he even knew what he was going to say. “I can’t believe this happened.”

  Gage didn’t know if she was referring to Marilyn’s poorly timed arrival or their spending the night together. He opened his mouth to ask, though he wasn’t sure he’d like the answer, but Kelsey was speaking again.

  “It was the doorbell that woke me,” she said, talking as much to herself as to him. “Why didn’t I realize what it was?”

  “You were tired.” He didn’t need to point out why she’d been so tired. It had been almost four when they fell asleep the first time. And then he’d awakened her at dawn and they’d made slow, sweet love, taking time for all the soft touches and softer sighs they’d skipped the first time.

  Kelsey flushed, and he knew she was remembering, too. But the memory didn’t seem to bring her any pleasure. She shook her head, still intent on piecing together the exact sequence of events that had led up to the embarrassing scene with her mother-in-law, as if knowing what had happened might help her figure out what to do next.

  “I was thinking about Rick,” she muttered. She spoke more to herself than to him, but it seemed as if she’d shouted the words, so loudly did they reverberate in his head.

  She’d been thinking about Rick? When? When she was making love with him? The thought hit him with the force of a blow to the gut. He literally felt the breath go out of him. If Kelsey had been less absorbed in her own tortured thoughts, she might have seen the shocked surprise in Gage’s eyes. But she was wrestling with her own demons.

  “I’ve got to talk to Marilyn,” she said, shaking herself out of the tangled web of her thoughts.

  “Don’t you think we should do a little talking ourselves?” The
startled look she gave him made him realize that his voice was harsher than he’d intended. He took a deep breath and forced himself to speak in a more level tone. “We didn’t exactly take time to discuss any of this beforehand.”

  He’d wanted to remind her of the urgency they’d both felt the night before, wanted her to remember that he hadn’t been the only one to feel that urgency. From the color that flooded her face, he’d succeeded.

  “I know.” She twisted her fingers in the sloppy bow at her waist. Gage found himself unreasonably glad to see her discomfort. It wasn’t particularly generous of him, but he didn’t want to be the only one feeling like hell right now.

  “We’ll talk later,” Kelsey said, the words half a question. Her eyes slid in his direction, then darted away without making contact. “I need to talk to Marilyn now. And Danny is due home.” She hesitated, and this time her eyes made contact with his. “I don’t want him to know that we...that you and I...”

  “I’m not likely to tell Danny that I spent the night in bed with his mother,” Gage snapped, furious that she thought it necessary to say anything. “My God, Kelsey, who the hell do you think you’re talking to?”

  “I’m sorry,” she said immediately. When there was no softening of the anger in his eyes, she reached out to touch his arm, pleading with him to understand. “Please, Gage. Don’t be angry. I know you wouldn’t say anything to upset Danny. I’m so rattled, I don’t know what I’m saying.”

  Did you mean it when you said you were thinking about Rick? But he wouldn’t ask her that, not when he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer.

  “I’m really sorry,” she said again.

  “Fine.” Not the most gracious of acceptances, but it was the best he could manage at the moment.

  The thud of a cupboard door shutting in the kitchen reminded them that they weren’t alone in the house. Kelsey jerked as if the sound had been a gunshot. “I’ve got to go,” she muttered, and moved away without giving him a chance to respond.