King’s Million-Dollar Secret

by Maureen Child

  He just had to have her, and then everything would go back to normal.

  Lifting her hips to give himself better access, he slowly pushed himself into her heat. Into the very heart of her. And as her body wrapped itself around his, he hissed in a breath and fought for control.

  Instinctively, she moved with him, lifting her legs high enough to wrap them around his waist and pull him in deeper, tighter, harder. He looked down at her and she opened her arms to him. Leaning over, he kissed her as he rocked his body against hers. Retreating and then advancing, he felt the magical slide of her warmth and knew it had never been better for him.

  For the first time in his adult life, he wished to hell he wasn’t wearing a damn condom. He wanted to feel all of her, without that layer separating them. But that would have been nuts, so he pushed that thought aside and moved on her again.

  She lifted up from the bed and kissed him, framing his face in her hands, running her tongue along his bottom lip until she pushed him so near the edge there was no restraining himself any longer. He’d wanted to draw this out. Wanted to make it last, because he’d been dreaming of this moment for days now. But there was no more waiting. No slow and seductive.

  There was only need and the desperate ache for completion.

  Pushing her back onto the bed, he levered himself over her and took her hard and fast.

  “Yes,” she whispered, moving with him, matching his rhythm eagerly. His body pistoned into hers. Her hunger fueled his and together they reached for what they both needed.

  He felt her climax hit her and as she rode out the convulsing waves of pleasure, he erupted, called her name and joined her in time to slide into oblivion, locked together.

  “My hero,” Katie said when she was sure her voice would work.

  “Happy to oblige,” he murmured, his face tucked into the curve of her neck.

  She smiled to herself and stared up at the pale blue ceiling overhead. The soft sigh of his breath against her skin, the heavy weight of his body pressing onto hers and the throbbing center of her where they were still joined all came together to create perfection.

  Running her hands up and down his back, she listened to the sound of his ragged breathing and felt the pounding beat of his heart. It had been so long since she’d been with someone, that maybe she was making too much of this.

  But there was a tiny voice inside her, whispering to Katie that this had been special. That she had just shared something with Rafe that went far beyond sex.

  Her heartbeat jittered unsteadily as that thought settled into her mind. Hadn’t she thought what she had with Cordell was special, too? But this was different, her thoughts argued. This was so much more than she had ever felt for Cordell. Rafe touched more than her heart. He’d somehow wormed his way into her soul.

  But she was rushing things and she knew it. She wasn’t going to be foolishly romantic about a purely physical pleasure. Not again. She wasn’t in love, for heaven’s sake. Katie was a rational, logical woman and she knew that falling in love just didn’t happen in a week’s time.

  But she could at least admit that Rafe Cole was in her heart. She cared for him or she never would have slept with him. And watching him tonight with Nicole and Connor had only heightened her feelings for him. How could she not be touched by a man who was so gentle with a two-year-old? So nice to a single mom who had needed help?

  Rafe was the kind of man she used to dream of finding. He was hardworking and honest and kind and so very, very sexy.

  “You’re thinking,” he murmured.

  “Yep,” she said.

  He lifted his head and quirked a smile at her. “Why is it that good sex energizes a woman and makes a man unconscious?”

  “I’d tell you,” she said solemnly, “but then I’d have to kill you.”

  He laughed and she felt the jolt of that movement ripple throughout her body. They were still locked together. Every move Rafe made awakened already sensitized flesh and set it sizzling.

  “Hmm,” he whispered, as if knowing exactly what she was thinking, feeling. He moved in her again, slowly at first, eliciting another sigh from Katie. “Seems we’re not finished yet.”

  “Not nearly,” she agreed, moving with him, sliding into the pace he set as if they had been together hundreds of times and knew each other’s moves instinctively. It was, Katie thought, as if they had been meant to be together. As if their bodies had been forged specifically to link into place, two halves, one whole. She couldn’t help feeling that this was all as it was supposed to be. That this night had been fated in some way. That she’d been given this chance with Rafe in order to make up for the wounded heart she’d lived through months before. And it was working.

  In seconds, the fire between them was burning again. Flames licked at her center and spread throughout her body. He touched her and there was magic. He became a part of her body and a corner of her heart never wanted it to end.

  She looked up into those deep blue eyes of his and thought how glad she was that she’d taken this chance with him. That she had opened herself up to possibilities. To the magic that could happen between the right people.

  And then her thoughts splintered as he pushed her beyond desire into passion that demanded her focus. She felt the quickening within, the first tingle of anticipation that something amazing was about to happen. Katie reached for it eagerly, hungrily, wanting to feel it all again.

  He kissed her and she opened her mouth to him, welcoming his invasion. The taste of him filled her and she felt his breath on her face. His body rocked into hers over and over again and she lifted her legs higher around his waist, holding him to her, offering herself up to his pleasure. To their pleasure.

  And when the first, shattering jolts hit her system, she tore her mouth free of his, whispered his name and clung to him desperately. Moments later, while she shivered and trembled in his arms, he allowed himself to follow her and she held him tightly as his body exploded into hers.

  Six

  “That’s it,” he whispered. “Unconscious for real now.”

  “I feel great,” she admitted with a happy sigh.

  He looked down into her eyes and shook his head. “You’re amazing.”

  “Why am I amazing?” she asked, reaching up to smooth his thick black hair off his forehead.

  Studying her for a moment or two, he finally said, “Most women right now would be either regretting what just happened—”

  “Not me,” she said.

  “—or they’d be silently planning how to make this a little more permanent.”

  Katie frowned and shook her head. “Also not me.”

  “I’m getting that,” he said and rolled to one side of her, pulling her with him though, so that she rested her head on his shoulder.

  Snuggling close, Katie listened to the steady beat of his heart and the quiet, every-night noises of her old house. Wind rattled her windows and the familiar creaks and groans of the house settling sounded like whispers from friends.

  She felt wonderful. Better than she had in too long to remember. But, she had heard what Rafe had to say and she knew he was probably right. A lot of women right now would be plotting how to keep him in their beds. In their lives. And, she had to admit, at least silently, that it would have been easy for her to fall into that category.

  But she wasn’t going to fool herself or tell herself comforting lies. She knew this one night wasn’t the beginning of a “relationship.” If not for remodeling her kitchen, she never would have met Rafe Cole. This wasn’t your ordinary dating situation, she thought firmly. He hadn’t made her any promises and she hadn’t asked for any.

  She rose up and braced her folded arms on his chest. Her hair was in her eyes, so she shook it back and looked at him squarely. Might as well have this conversation now, she told herself and gave him a sad smile.

  “Uh-oh,” he murmured. “That’s not a this-was-great-let’s-do-it-again smile, is it?”

  “No,” she told him and mo
ved one hand to smooth his hair back from his forehead. If her fingers lingered a little longer than necessary, who was to know? “This was lovely, Rafe. Really. But—”

  He frowned at her, did a quick roll and had her under him in the blink of an eye. Now he was looming over her and his blue gaze was fixed and sharp. “But what?”

  She sighed. “I just don’t think we should do this again, that’s all.”

  “You’re dumping me?”

  “Well, we’re not really a couple, so it’s not really dumping you, but, yes. I guess so.”

  “I don’t believe this.” He sounded astonished and Katie admitted silently that he probably wasn’t used to women turning him away. Any man who looked like he did had to have women clinging to him like cat hair. She chuckled a little at her pitiful analogy and his frown deepened.

  “This is funny, too?”

  “No, sorry.” She stroked her hand up and down his arm, tracing the line of his well-defined muscles and barely restraining another sigh of appreciation. “No, this isn’t funny. I just had a weird thought and—”

  He snorted. “Perfect. So not only are you dumping me, but you can’t even focus on the task?”

  “Why are you getting angry?”

  “Why the hell wouldn’t I be?”

  Katie felt a small spurt of irritation shoot through her. “Just a second ago, you were proud of me for not making more of this than there was.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “And now you’re mad for the same reason?”

  He blew out a breath and stared at her for a long second. “This isn’t the usual response I get from women, so pardon the hell out of me if I’m a little surprised.”

  “Surprised, sure. But mad? Why?” Her minor irritation faded and she gave him a patient smile. “You feel the same way, you know you do. I just said it first. I would think you’d be glad for my reaction.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not,” he muttered, pulling away. He leaned back against the headboard and threw one arm behind his head. Giving her a look that probably should have worried her, he said, “So exactly what was tonight about, Katie?”

  “Us,” she said and scooted to sit beside him. Absently, she tugged the sheet up to cover her breasts. “We both wanted this, Rafe. And I thought, why shouldn’t we have it?”

  “And that’s it?”

  “Yes.” Well, not completely of course, she thought. She did care for him and if she spent too much more time with him, she could come to care a lot more. Which would be a huge mistake. Yes, Rafe was a great guy, but she didn’t trust herself anymore to know the good guys from the creeps.

  Cordell King had seemed like a sweetie at first, too. Then he’d had a diamond bracelet overnighted to her along with a note saying they “were just too different to make a longer relationship work.” Translation, she’d always known was really, I’m rich, you’re poor, goodbye.

  So, she’d been wrong about Cordell. And confidence in her character-reading skills was low. Nope. Better she bury herself in work for a year or two and then she’d get back out there. Oh, she was glad she’d had this night with Rafe. But she wasn’t going to build a future out of it. Still, she knew now that she could get back into the world and one day she’d look for a man like Rafe, she told herself. Someone strong and kind and honest.

  “I don’t believe you,” he said grimly. “Something else is going on here and I want to know what it is.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me, Katie. You like me. I know you do. So why’re you cutting me loose before the sheets are even cold?”

  “That doesn’t matter.”

  He grabbed her, pulled her across his lap and held her tightly to him. “Yeah. It does. To me.”

  Being this close to him really wasn’t a good idea when she was trying to be logical and rational, Katie thought. She fought down the impulse to slide her palms across his broad, muscular chest and said, “You’re taking this all wrong, Rafe.”

  “What did you expect? That I’d just get dressed, say thanks for the roll in the hay and then leave?”

  “Well…yes.” Of course that’s what she had expected. What man wouldn’t enjoy free, no-strings-attached sex?

  “Sorry to disappoint,” he muttered, then tipped her chin up so that their gazes locked. “I want to know the real reason behind this.”

  “Rafe…”

  “It’s him, isn’t it? The mysterious member of the King family.”

  Katie scowled at him, pulled free and scooted off his lap all at once. “If it is, that’s my business.”

  “You just made it my business too, Katie. I’m getting the heave-ho because of this guy. The least you can do is tell me why.”

  “Because I trusted him, okay?” She blurted it out before she could stop herself and once the words started coming, there was no stopping them. “I thought I was in love with him. I thought he loved me. He was sweet and thoughtful and funny.”

  “And rich,” Rafe muttered darkly. “Don’t forget rich.”

  “Okay, yes, he was,” she said. “But that’s not why I fell in love with him. In fact, it’s why it didn’t work out in the end.”

  “What?”

  Shaking her head, she pushed out of bed, walked to the connected bathroom and stepped inside. There she grabbed her bathrobe and pulled it on. When it was tied securely around her waist, she felt a little less vulnerable. Though the look in his eyes told her he wouldn’t be leaving until he knew all of it. So she would be vulnerable anyway, she told herself. At least emotionally.

  “Fine,” she said at last. “You want the sad truth? He dropped me because we were too ‘different.’ Because I wasn’t good enough. According to him our worlds were too far apart. Bottom line? Rich guy didn’t want poor girl. Big surprise. There, happy now? Feel better getting all of my little humiliations up front?”

  He simply stared at her. “Not good enough? Who the hell is he to say that about anybody?”

  Unexpectedly, Katie smiled, despite the rawness of her feelings at the moment. His outrage on her behalf took a little of the sting out of her memories.

  “He’s a King,” she said with a shrug she didn’t quite feel. “Masters of the known universe. Just ask anyone. Heck, ask the guys you work with. They’ve probably got stories and complaints about the great King family.”

  He scowled at her. “Actually, the guys like working for King Construction. Haven’t heard a word against them.”

  “Probably out of fear of losing their jobs,” she muttered. On the other hand, maybe working for the King family was entirely different from trying to date one of them.

  Frowning, he asked, “Who is he? Which King, I mean? Tell me who he is and I’ll go punch him in the nose for you.”

  A surprised laugh shot from her throat and Katie was grateful for it. “Still my hero?”

  “If you need one.”

  Tempting, she thought. He wasn’t running for the hills. Maybe he was actually interested in her for more than a fleeting encounter. All she really had to do to find out was trust herself. Trust Rafe. She’d like to, Katie realized. But apparently she just wasn’t ready.

  Shaking her head, she said, “No, but thanks. I think I have to be my own hero first.”

  “So you want to punch him in the nose?”

  She laughed louder. “Oh, I did, about six months ago. But I’m over it. I’m over him.”

  “No,” he said, “you’re not.”

  “Excuse me?”

  He got out of bed and pulled on his jeans. “If you were over him, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. We’d still be in bed, doing what we’re obviously so good at.”

  Her amusement died in a flash. “This isn’t about him. This is about me. It’s about us.”

  He snorted and tugged on his boots. Then he grabbed his shirt off the floor, shrugged into it and stalked across the floor toward her. He stopped dead within arm’s reach and then grabbed her, tugging her tightly to him. “You just told me there is no us, Kati
e, so get your stories straight.”

  “Let me go.”

  He did, but frustration simmered in the air around him. Shoving one hand through his hair, he grumbled, “What do you care what a King had to say anyway? Didn’t that prove to you the man was an ass?”

  “Don’t you get it? I thought he was Prince Charming. Turned out he was a frog. But I never saw it.” She threw both hands high and let them fall to her sides again. “How can I even trust my own judgment if I was that far off to begin with?”

  “You’re letting him win, Katie,” he told her, bending over her, until their noses were practically brushing against each other. “By doubting yourself, you’re giving that guy power he doesn’t deserve.”

  “Maybe,” she admitted. “But I’m not ready to make another mistake yet.”

  “What makes you so sure I’m a mistake?”

  “I’m not sure,” she told him quietly. “That’s the problem.”

  He eased back a little, laid his hands on her shoulders and slowly drew them up until he held her face between his palms. His gaze was locked on her and Katie could have sworn his eyes were blue enough to drown in.

  “You’ll miss me.”

  “I know.”

  “I’m not going away,” he said. “You’ll see me every day.”

  “I know that, too.”

  Bending down, he kissed her, gently at first and then as the moments ticked past, the kiss deepened until Katie felt as though the ends of her hair were on fire. Finally though, Rafe pulled back to look at her again.

  “Tonight isn’t the end, Katie. It’s just the beginning.”

  Before she could argue with him, he turned and walked out of the room.

  When he got home, he placed a call.

  “Sean?” he said when his brother answered. “Did you get hold of Garrett?”

  “No can do,” Sean said. “He’s in Ireland and he’s not answering his phone.”