Then, Again

by Karen Stivali

  He loves me. She hadn’t just heard him say the words, she could feel it in his touch. He caressed her with a mixture of caring and desire so potent it made her knees weak. Seeing him crawl into bed, his body long and lean, so hard and ready, made her insides molten.

  She opened herself to him in every way. Her lips brushed against his, drawing his tongue alongside hers. His sweet rich taste filled her mouth, making her crave the rest of him. She ran her hands down his smooth ridged back, curving her fingers around the sturdy bones of his hips. The tip of his erection dragged back and forth across her overheated skin and she tilted her hips, angling herself, wanting him inside her, as deep as possible.

  James took his time, sliding in gently, then dragging out her pleasure with agonizingly slow strokes. Her body hummed beneath his, fire licking its way across her belly, spiraling in waves as the pressure grew within her. Moans left her, echoing in her ears, as she moved with him, straining to be closer, pulling at him with every muscle of her body until the tension released.

  She cried out, her voice muffled against his strong chest, tremors threatening to shake her apart as her body closed tightly around his. He called her name, thrusting into her, once, twice, then freezing as a groan tore through him. She dug her fingers into his back, clutching at him with a fevered grip as he pulsed inside her.

  “I love you, Kay.” He breathed the words into her hair, his lips working their way back to hers. Kay closed her eyes, relaxing into his arms, letting herself drift into peaceful sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  She awoke to a room awash in morning light. And empty. For a panicked moment she thought perhaps she’d dreamt the night before. Then she caught a whiff of bacon cooking. She breathed in deeply. The scent of James still lingered on her pillow, on her, tempting her as much as the aroma that wafted in from the kitchen. She reached for the sundress, slipping it over her head. The sound of eggs being whisked filled the air as she made her way into the kitchen. James was in front of the stove, stainless bowl in hand, butter melting in a frying pan in front of him. He wore only navy blue boxers, slung low on his slim hips, accenting the perfect divots at the top of his solid ass.

  “Good morning, beautiful.” He threw her an irresistible smile as he gave the eggs a final whisk, his corded forearms flexing, creating a corresponding tug inside her.

  She slid her hands up his back, never tiring of the feel of his skin beneath her fingertips. “No apron this morning?”

  “I forgot.” He twisted his head around and kissed her. “I can wear it later if you like.”

  “Tempting.”

  “Good.” He kissed her again then went back to scrambling the eggs. Their buttery smell filled the kitchen.

  Kay grabbed plates and poured them each a glass of orange juice. “You want some zucchini bread? Rosalie brought it over yesterday, it’s good.”

  “Sure.”

  She unwrapped the loaf and cut a thick slice, breathing in the cinnamon sweet smell. She broke off a piece and held it up to James. He opened his mouth, ducking his head to take it from her, his lips giving her finger a suggestive suck.

  “That’s good,” he said. “But not quite as good as the pumpkin bread you made last week.”

  “Don’t tell Rosalie I’m saying this, but Gram was always a better cook.”

  “My lips are sealed.” He gave the eggs a final stir and scooped them onto the plates. “Speaking of recipes, when do I get my next cooking lesson? I’ll wear the apron.”

  “In that case, whenever you’d like.” She carried the plates to the table. “What did you want to learn next?”

  James sat in the chair next to hers, their legs touching beneath the table. “I dunno. What do you think? What else would be good for the opening menu? I’ve got to send that off to the printer pretty soon so I should really finalize it.”

  “Her oven roasted pork was pretty amazing. Or her mushroom puffs if you need another appetizer.”

  “How about both?” He grinned at her, his dark hair flopping into his still-sleepy eyes.

  Anything that gave them an excuse to spend more time together was fine with her.

  When the phone rang Kay was expecting to hear James on the other end of the line. Instead it was Damon, the art director for one of the main travel series she’d done photos for last year. “You up for a quick trip to Montreal?”

  “For what?” It had been two months since she’d taken an assignment and she felt out of practice. Traveling had been a constant part of her life for so many years that it had initially felt odd to be in one place for more than a few weeks, but she’d settled into the beach house and was enjoying having a routine for a change.

  “It’s a three-day shoot, just your standard things. If it goes well though, it could lead to a series of projects. There’s a new Canada tourism campaign and this is sort of the try-outs for a few photographers. You interested?”

  As a freelancer Kay knew it wasn’t good business to say no to a gig with the potential of follow-ups. “Sure. What are the dates?”

  “I’d need you by Wednesday at the latest.”

  “Okay. I’ll do it.”

  “Great. I’ll email you details. Same address?”

  She hung up the phone, her mind spinning with everything she had to do. Her equipment was all in boxes except for the few cameras she’d used to do the shoots of food for James’s website. She didn’t even know exactly where her passport was. Shit. How did I become such a homebody so fast?

  She spent the rest of the afternoon sifting through boxes until she found everything she’d need. The itinerary arrived in her inbox and she booked a car service to drive her to the airport. When James arrived to pick her up for dinner she was still online researching the last Canadian travel series.

  “What’s all this?” James gestured to the array of equipment still strewn around the room.

  “I’ve got an assignment, mid-week. I had to get my stuff together.”

  James smiled but she detected a hint of displeasure in his body language. “Where you off to?” He leaned down and looked over her shoulder at the computer screen.

  “Canada.” She scrolled through the images on the monitor. “It’s some new tourism campaign. Sounds like it could be huge if this shoot goes well.”

  “That sounds exciting.” His voice was upbeat and she wondered if she’d imagined his hesitance. “How long will you be gone?”

  “This shoot’s only a few days. If I get the bigger assignment, I don’t know. They’d probably want that shot over the span of a few months. It depends how they do it.”

  “Do you miss it?” The odd note was back in his voice.

  She shrugged. “Kind of. I love going on shoots, and it can be fun to be on location. I’m going to have to change gears to get into a full travel schedule again. I’d gotten kind of used to not living out of a suitcase.”

  James wrapped his arms around her, his hands soothing and gentle. “I’ve gotten used to having you nearby.”

  “Me too.” She twirled her finger in the silky hair at the nape of his neck. “Look, I don’t even know if I’m going to get asked to do more than this one session. Odds are I won’t.”

  “Odds are you will. You’re very talented. They’d be fools not to snap you up in a heartbeat.”

  She felt her cheeks flush. “Your confidence in me is awfully sexy.”

  A wicked grin spread across his lips, crinkling the skin around his eyes. “You know what else is sexy?”

  She breathed her answer. “What?”

  “You.”

  His mouth descended onto hers, passionate with a surprising urgency. Her mouth sprang open, her tongue answering his every question until she could no longer think about Canada or photo shoots or anything other than how good it felt to be with James.

  James was glad to see Kay so happy about her trip to Canada. He knew she missed working and he understood why. Photography was a huge part of who she was. The photos themselves were a part of her. He love
d that.

  What he didn’t like was the knowledge that if she went back to traveling nonstop it didn’t bode well for them. Owning a restaurant wasn’t the kind of profession that lent itself to frequent vacations or allowed for jetting off to faraway places. He was tied to it like it was a child. He’d known that going in and was okay with it. It was his dream, his passion. He just wasn’t sure how that meshed with Kay’s life.

  She’d barely been gone for two days and he already missed her. Work was keeping him more than busy, but his mind still managed to be on her. What’s wrong with me? Focus.

  When the phone rang he figured it was a telemarketer and he almost didn’t pick up. The sound of her voice made him glad he did.

  “Oh good, you’re home.” Her voice was sweet and irresistibly sexy.

  “I am.” He pictured her, gold streaked hair loose and long, eyelids heavy with impending sleep, T-shirt and boy shorts molding to the contours of her body. Heat prickled through him.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  A smile spread across his face. “Reading.”

  “Is this one of those things where you’re going to say you’re reading War and Peace and really you’re flipping through a Penthouse?”

  He chuckled. “I wish I was reading War and Peace, I’m looking over the financials on the restaurant and they’re putting me to sleep.”

  She sighed into the phone and he could practically feel her breath rush across him. “Well if you’re tired I should really let you go…”

  “Did you have a better offer?”

  “Maybe…”she purred, sending a rush of heat straight to his groin.

  “I’m intrigued. What did you have in mind?”

  “I was just thinking about you.”

  He heard her breath catch in her throat and his mind raced as he wondered what she was doing to make herself so breathless. “And?” His question came out as a whisper.

  “And I got really…hot.” She breathed the word “hot” into the phone in a way that made him want to get in the car and drive straight to Canada.

  “How hot?”

  “Hot enough that I had to take all my clothes off.”

  Even better than the image I had in mind. He swallowed and pushed all the spreadsheets and documents to the side of the bed. “So you’re not wearing anything at all?” He flipped off the glaring bedside lamp, sending the room into a blue-tinged shadowy state lit only by the glow of the street lamps.

  “Nothing at all.” A small groan escaped her and he flung the covers aside.

  He stroked twice through his boxers before shoving them off. “Are you in bed?” Just waiting for her answer made him harder.

  “Yes. You?”

  “Yep.” He wondered if she was going to take the conversation where he wanted it to go.

  “Are you hard?”

  That answered his question. He throbbed in response. “Like you wouldn’t believe.” He gripped tighter, pausing to gain control of himself. The tone of her voice was driving him wild.

  “Oh, I’d believe it. I’ve been thinking about you for the past two hours. About how long and stiff you get, that’s why I’m all hot and bothered now.”

  He’d never heard her say anything even remotely dirty before, and it was turning him on more than he could have imagined. “What were you thinking?”

  She sighed again, bringing images of her naked body straight into his mind. “I was thinking about what it feels like to run my fingers up and down you.”

  His fingertips traced the underside of his erection the way she always did before curling her hand around him.

  “I love how silky your skin feels when you’re hard. So warm and smooth. It makes me want to wrap my lips around it.”

  Jesus.

  “I love the sound you make when I take you in my mouth.”

  The groan involuntarily left his throat as he slicked a finger over his swollen head, imagining it was her tongue licking at him.

  “That sound. You have no idea how sexy that is.”

  His throat was dry. All bodily fluids seemed to have concentrated below his waist, pooling in a deep heat. “You’re the sexy one. You’re making me crazy.”

  She giggled. “Good. I’ve been going crazy here without you.”

  “Where are your hands?” He held his breath, waiting to recreate whatever image she painted.

  “My left hand is curled around the phone. The right one is between my legs.”

  The picture came clear immediately: sprawled on her back, hair splayed against the pillow, bare breasts with firm nipples poking straight out, hand cupped against the sweetest, most enticing part of her fantastic body. “Tell me,” he rasped.

  “I’m moving real slow because I don’t want to come yet, but I’m so wet I don’t know how long I can wait.”

  “Don’t hold out on my account.” He was already overflowing with anticipation as he fisted his erection.

  “I want you inside me.” The longing in her voice was enough to drive him over the edge but he held back. “Will you pretend you’re inside me?”

  “I already am, baby. I’m so ready for you. Slick and hot and wishing like hell you were here.”

  “Don’t move your hand, just your hips, like you’re thrusting in and out of me.”

  “You’re so hot,” he said.

  She cooed and he could imagine the sexy smirk on her face.

  “Slide your fingers inside yourself, real slow.” He held his fist still, inching his way up inside it, slowly raising his pelvis off the bed. “Are you in?”

  “Mmmhmm.”

  “Squeeze your muscles tight.” He heard her gasp. “That’s right.” He tightened his grip and pulled his hips back, moving as slowly as possible. “Now ease them out and do it again.”

  “Oh God.” Her breathing became faster, puffing hard against the receiver. “So close.”

  “You feel so good.” He pumped faster, the moisture-slick sound filling the room.

  Her moans grew louder and he imagined her closing around him, her hips grinding into his as he stroked with increased eagerness. Her high-pitched cry echoed across the line and he couldn’t take it any longer. His balls tensed in anticipation as the final thrust released the flood of pleasure. The white-hot orgasm coursed out of him, raining down across his chest as he called out.

  The pulsations continued, and he was lost in the sensation. Her voice startled him. “You still there?” She sounded sleepy and content, just like he felt.

  “Mmmmm.”

  She giggled. “I take it you liked that?”

  “Uh, yeah. That was the highlight of my day. Maybe the whole week.”

  “Maybe?”

  “Definitely,” he said. “I didn’t know you liked phone sex.” He reached for a towel to mop up the explosion that seemed to have splattered in every direction.

  “I never tried it before.”

  His interest piqued. “Really? What made you want to tonight?”

  “I can’t stand being away from you.”

  He felt a rush of pride. “Me neither. Though this was a nice way to try to make it bearable.” He couldn’t wait for the next two days to be over so she could come home.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The shoot was intense, long hours, an impressive crew, breathtaking scenery. Kay had forgotten how much she loved her work. It was also the first time in years that she didn’t have the constant overriding feeling of doom that she’d get “the call” from home, saying something had happened to Gram. That worry was gone and it was like a weight had been lifted. Replacing it was a feeling of longing. For James.

  It’s just a few days. Get a hold of yourself. While she was shooting she was able to override the feelings for the most part, but when she got back to her empty hotel room they returned with a vengeance. She’d gotten very used to spending her free time with him. She loved their talks. Loved to curl up with him at the end of an evening. Missed his smell, his touch. Everything.

  She wanted
to call him again, like she had the night before, but it was late. He was working ridiculous hours, trying to get every last detail of the restaurant ready in time. She knew he needed his rest.

  When her phone rang she jumped, hopeful that it was him, but instead she heard Damon on the line. “Things are going great, Kay. I just want to make sure you’re on board. You’re definitely in the top two at this point. You’re sure you’re available for the whole timeframe?”

  Her mind worked double time. There were certainly no other offers pending. The only issues were the house and James. She wasn’t sure what would happen with either if she wound up traveling nonstop for months on end. “I’m available.” The words left her mouth with conviction that she didn’t truly feel.

  “Good. I should have a more definite answer for you in a week or so, but things look really promising. Great work, Kay. Glad to be working with you again, you’re a pro.”

  She hung up wondering what she’d just agreed to. I’d have to sell the house, there’s no way I could keep up with repairs or even with a renter if I was away that much. James. The thought of being away from him for long periods of time made her stomach flip over with apprehension. Long distance relationships suck. I know that. I’m guessing he knows too. Would he even want to try one?

  Her heart pounded at the thought of him saying no. She knew he loved her, but they’d never discussed anything about a future together. He was focused on the restaurant and she totally understood that. His life was there. All of it. Family. The business. Everything in one place. Impossible for him to leave.

  The sinking feeling in her stomach grew as she realized that if she took this job she’d pretty much be destroying her chance of a life with James. It was too much to consider. She shook her head, crawling into bed. You don’t even have the offer yet. Stop worrying about problems you may not even have to face. All she wanted for right now was to get through the next day and make it home to James.