“I was just thinking that we’ve waited a long time to do this. So far, I have to say the experience has been extraordinary.”
“I’ll do my best to make sure it continues to be so.”
“I have every confidence.”
He wasn’t so sure. Pleasuring her had been easy. He liked everything about her body, from her slender curves to the way she tasted. But once he was on top of her and inside her it was going to be a different story. He had a bad feeling that he wasn’t going to last all that long. He felt as if he could explode at any second.
He slipped onto the bed next to her and touched her flat stomach. “So this is where I tell you it’s been a really long time since I’ve been with anyone. Add that to the fact that I used to spend hours fantasizing about making love with you, and we’ve got trouble. If you’re hoping for a stellar performance, you may have to wait for round two.”
She leaned on one elbow and kissed him. “You say the sweetest things. Did you really fantasize about me?”
He chuckled. “All those evenings spent kissing in the front seat of my car. Kissing and kissing and very little else. Of course I fantasized. I was so hard, I could barely walk—so what else could I do?”
“Maybe you’d like to take one of those fantasies out for a test drive.”
Her words were all the invitation he needed. He slipped on the condom and positioned himself between her legs. He glanced at her perfect body, then shifted his gaze to her face. Her blue eyes stared back just as intently. He began to slip inside her.
She was hot, wet and tight. The combination didn’t bode well for his self-control. He gritted his teeth and thought about all the paperwork on his desk. Then he moved on to the city council meeting about adding a traffic light. He was—
He swore silently as he continued to fill her. It was impossible to think of anything but how good she felt. He wanted to lose control. Which would take about two seconds.
No. Better to go slow the first time. He wanted it to be good for her. He—
He stopped suddenly at an unexpected barrier. What…?
But before he could think coherently enough to figure out what was wrong, Kari put her hands on his hips and drew him forward. At the same moment, she arched and made a request using a very bad word.
How was he supposed to refuse?
So he pushed into her, breaking through the barrier. At that second, she stiffened and gave a muffled cry. Only, it wasn’t of pleasure. Her eyelids drifted closed. His heart sank.
Dammit all to hell. She’d been a virgin.
Chapter Nine
Gage started to withdraw, but before he could, Kari opened her eyes and clamped her hands on his hips.
“Don’t,” she whispered fiercely. “There’s no reason to stop.”
He could think of about fifty…or at least one really good one. But she was moving beneath him, urging him on.
“It’s already done,” she pointed out. “There’s no going back.”
Not exactly words he wanted to hear. Unfortunately he’d reached the point of no return, and one way or the other, his body was going to make sure he finished what he’d started. He decided to pull out, to not make things worse, but parts of him had other ideas. He’d barely started his retreat when the powerful rush of his release exploded from him, temporarily making rational thought impossible.
He pushed deep inside her until the last of the shudders faded, then withdrew. As he did, he was damn grateful he’d taken care of birth control.
He rolled off her without saying anything and headed for the bathroom. Once he settled next to her again, he closed his eyes and prayed fervently for no more surprises…at least not for the next twenty-four hours. He didn’t think his heart would survive another one. But in the meantime there were the ramifications of the latest newsflash in his life.
He shifted until he could see Kari. She lay on her side of the bed, naked and studying him with a wary expression. As much as he wanted to remind her that she should have told him, that he should have been part of the decision-making process, he didn’t want to turn her first time into something ugly. So he banked any lingering temper and remembered what it had felt like to make her climax. He recalled the taste of her skin and the soft sound of her cries. He smiled softly and touched her cheek.
“Want to tell me why?” he asked quietly.
“Why I’m a virgin? Why I chose you? Why now?”
“Any of those would be a good starting point.”
Color stained her cheeks, leftover proof of her pleasure. Or maybe she was embarrassed. Her mussed hair framed her face, her mouth was swollen, her eyes were heavy lidded. She looked like a woman who had been well loved. She didn’t look anything like a virgin.
She lifted one bare shoulder in a shrug. “I didn’t set out to have this happen. I never intended to stay a virgin this long. It’s just one of those things.”
“Go on,” he said, when she stopped talking.
“There’s not much to say. I did date while I was in New York, but not all that much. Men who were obsessed with models terrified me, so I avoided anyone who seemed like a groupie. I was selective, cautious, and I moved slow. Most of them gave up on me before I had a chance to give in.”
“Their loss.”
She smiled slowly. “That’s what I always said. I played around some, heavy petting, that sort of thing. But somehow, I never really got around to…you know.” She shrugged again.
He wasn’t sure what to make of her brief explanation. While he had always regretted not being her first, it had never occurred to him there might be a second chance for them.
“That explains why you were still a virgin,” he said slowly. “But why now? Why with me?”
She stared at the bed, tracing a pattern with her finger. “I wanted my first time to be with someone I liked and respected. That’s a more difficult combination to find than I would have thought. I didn’t come home thinking we’d do what we ended up doing together, but tonight, when I knew you wanted me—” She cleared her throat, then continued. “It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
No woman had ever shocked him so much in bed. He still wasn’t sure what he felt. No way Kari would have set him up. But he was sure confused.
“I wish you’d told me,” he said. “I would have done things differently if I’d known.”
“Yeah, you would have run.”
He grinned. “Darlin’, this is Texas. We don’t have any hills.”
“What about in the Hill Country?”
“Bumps. They’re glorified bumps.”
She laughed softly, then her humor faded. “I thought you’d be mad. Or you’d change your mind. Or both.”
He considered the possibilities. Had he known, would he have wanted to take on the responsibility of being Kari’s first?
“I didn’t want to make it a big deal,” she said as if she could read his mind. “Are you mad?”
“No. Startled maybe.”
Her mouth curved up at the corners. “I’ll bet. If you could have seen the look on your face.”
He didn’t smile back. Instead, he moved close and drew her to him. What was done was done. He might not have controlled how it started, but he would make sure it ended well.
“I’m sorry I hurt you,” he said.
“That comes with the territory,” she said, snuggling closer still. “The rest of it was great.”
“Thank you.”
If nothing else, she’d taken his mind off his troubles. Now, in his bed, with both of them naked after just having made love, he refused to think about the other surprise in his life. He focused on the feel of Kari’s bare skin and the scent of her body.
“Do you want me to go?” she asked suddenly.
“Go where?”
“Back to my place?”
He rubbed her back, then slipped his hand to her hip. “I would like whatever you would like. Do you want to spend the night?”
“Here?”
“Ri
ght here in this bed. Unless you’re a cover hog. Then, you’ll have to sleep in the guest room.”
“I don’t really know what I am,” she admitted.
“Maybe it’s time we found out.”
She gave him a smile that could light up the sky. “Maybe it is.”
He pulled up the covers and flicked out the light. Kari rested her head on his shoulder.
“Gage?” she said into the darkness.
“Yeah.”
“You made my first time terrific. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He held her tightly against him and listened to the sound of her breathing. If he’d been in possession of all the facts, maybe he wouldn’t have chosen to sleep with Kari tonight, but now that it had happened, he couldn’t find it in himself to regret it. Not for a minute.
Kari awoke sometime in the middle of the night. A bit of street light filtered in through a crack in the drapes. Gage lay beside her, but she couldn’t hear his breathing, so she didn’t know if he was awake or not.
Her body both tingled and ached. The remnants of amazing sexual pleasure lingered, but there was a faint soreness between her legs.
She turned toward Gage, studying the barely visible outline of his profile.
He could have been furious with her. After all, she hadn’t warned him what he was getting into. In the end, he’d been sweet and funny and he’d made her feel really good. Not just about the sex, but about choosing him.
Her decision hadn’t been conscious, she acknowledged. In light of what had been going on, it had seemed to be the logical thing to do. Being with him had felt right. She’d been afraid the actual act of making love would be awkward or embarrassing, but he’d made it all easy and exciting.
“Why aren’t you asleep?” he asked unexpectedly.
She blinked. “How do you know I’m not?”
“I can hear you thinking.”
She laughed. “Okay. Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“Too much on my mind.”
“Oh, Gage.” She slid closer and placed her arm across his chest. “I wish I could help.”
“Me, too. But I have to work things out for myself.”
His tone indicated he didn’t actually believe that was possible. She thought about telling him there wasn’t anything to work out. He had to come to peace with his mother’s revelation. However, she doubted he would appreciate the advice.
“Want to talk about it?” she asked.
“No. But thanks for offering.”
“Want a massage?”
“No.”
“Want me to talk dirty?”
He turned toward her. She thought she caught a glimpse of a smile. “I have another suggestion. Turn over so you’re facing the other way.”
She did as he requested, shifting until her back was to him. He moved behind her, spooning his body to hers. She felt his strong thighs pressing against hers and his chest heating her back. He wrapped an arm around her waist.
“Go to sleep, Kari,” he whispered. “Dream good dreams.”
“You, too.”
She had more to say, but suddenly it was very difficult to talk. Everything felt heavy, then light, then she didn’t remember anything at all.
Kari awoke just after dawn to an empty bed and the smell of coffee. She was also naked and in Gage’s bed.
Several thoughts occurred to her at once. First, it was daylight. It was one thing to not mind being naked in a man’s bed while it was still night, but in the morning everything looked different. Her second thought was that she’d come over without even closing her front door, let alone locking it. While this was not a big deal in Possum Landing, she’d been in New York long enough to realize she’d behaved like a blockhead. Third…
Gage walked into the bedroom with two cups of coffee, chasing the third thing completely from her mind. Probably because he’d pulled on jeans. Jeans and nothing else.
Kari sat up, pulling the sheet with her, and stared at his bare chest. Hair dusted the defined muscles, narrowing into a thin line that bisected his belly. He was tanned, strong and so masculine she would swear she could feel a swoon coming on.
The stubble darkening his jaw only added to his appeal. He looked dangerous and sexy, not to mention very yummy.
He smiled at her. “How did you sleep?”
“Good. Better than I would have thought. I was never one for spending the night.”
His smile broadened. “That must be a virgin thing.”
“Must be.”
He handed her a mug of coffee and sat on the edge of the bed. “You okay?”
Suddenly shy, she studied the dark liquid before she sipped it. “Yes. Fine. Great.”
“Kari?” His voice was a low growl.
She glanced up at him. “I’m fine,” she repeated. “Are you okay with everything?”
“Yeah. Still dealing with the shock, but if you don’t have any regrets, I don’t either.”
Relief filled her. “No regrets. I’ll admit I should have told you. But I know you would have completely freaked, so I can’t be sorry that I didn’t.”
“I’ll give you that—but no more secrets, okay?”
She smiled. “That was my last big one.”
He nodded. “Want to take a shower?”
“Sure.” She put her mug on the nightstand. “I’ll go first—or do you want to?”
He didn’t answer. Instead he simply stared at her.
Kari blinked. Then heat flared on her face. Shower,he’d said. Do you want to take a shower? She swallowed.
“Oh,” she said in a tiny voice. “You mean together.”
“Uh-huh. I have a big old-fashioned tub with a showerhead above it. Plenty of room for two.”
“Oh.” Oh my!
She had instant visions of them wet and naked and under a stream of hot water. Based on what had happened last night, she was sure whatever she imagined couldn’t come close to the glories of reality. Any initial embarrassment would be worth the final result. After all, Gage was very good at what he did.
“Sure,” she said, with more bravery than she actually felt. She threw back the covers and headed for the bathroom. “Give me five minutes to, uh, get ready.”
“Sure.”
She heard him chuckle behind her as she raced into the bathroom and closed the door. One minute to tinkle, one minute and thirty seconds to brush her teeth, one minute to wash the makeup off her face.
She turned on the hot water and let it run. As she’d hoped, Gage took the hint and entered the bathroom…sans clothing. Of course, all he’d had to pull off was jeans, but still, there he was naked and rather ready.
Were they going to—Could they actually do it in the shower? As she fretted logistics, he moved close enough to brush the hair off her forehead, then kissed her.
“You’re thinking again. I can hear the gears creaking as they turn faster and faster.”
“I can’t help it. This is a new experience.”
“You’ll like it,” he promised.
Somehow, she didn’t doubt that.
He reached past her and adjusted the water, then stepped into the old-fashioned claw-foot tub. He held the curtain open for her as she stepped in beside him.
The master bath, like much of the house, had been completely refurbished. She wasn’t sure, but she thought he might have broken through to the bedroom next door and taken about five feet of floor space. In her grandmother’s bathroom, there wasn’t this much room.
She was working out the construction details in her mind, when Gage directed her to stand beneath the spray. As warm water ran down the front of her body, he went to work on the other side. He lathered soap in his hands, then rubbed them over her shoulders and down her arms. He lathered her back, her fanny and her legs. Then he turned her toward him so she could rinse off.
While the warm spray sluiced down her skin, he leaned close and kissed her. She parted instantly for him, welcoming him, teasing him, tasting that appea
ling combination of mint and coffee. As he kissed her, he poured shampoo into his hands, then began to wash her hair. The combination of his tongue in her mouth and his fingers massaging her scalp was a sensual delight. She found herself swaying slightly, needing to rest her hands on his chest to steady herself. He broke the kiss and had her lean her head back to rinse out the shampoo.
Hands made slick from soap glided over her skin. He circled her breasts, then massaged her nipples until they were hard and she was panting. Desire filled her. When he moved lower, she parted her legs to allow him access.
He soaped her gently, then rubbed lightly, as if aware parts of her were still a little tender. Then he reached above her and unfastened the showerhead. She noticed for the first time that it was on a hose. He lowered it and adjusted the spray to a lighter misting, then applied the warm water to her chest, her breasts, then even lower—between her legs.
She gasped. The pulsing water not only washed away soap, it vibrated against her most sensitive places. Tension swept through her, making her hold on to him with both hands. When he bent down and kissed her mouth, she kissed him back hard.
Their tongues danced together. Between her legs the water flowed just enough to excite, but not enough to take her over the edge. When he finally moved the showerhead back into place, she found herself trembling in anticipation of the next round.
“Your turn,” she said, reaching for the soap.
She explored his back, taking her time over rippling muscles and a high, tight rear end that deserved a good nibbling. She made a mental note to take care of that soon. After rinsing him off, she had him turn so she could do the front.
Washing his hair proved something of a challenge as he was several inches taller than her, but she gave it her best shot, and he helped. Then she concentrated on the rest of him.
She massaged his chest, paying attention to his tight nipples. His breath caught when she brushed against them, so she did it several times. She moved lower and lower, dragging her soapy hands to his arousal jutting out toward her. Her fingers encircled him, moving lower, washing between his legs, rubbing back and forth. Just the act of touching him was enough to quicken her breathing. She still ached, but in a completely different way. She wanted him inside her. She wanted to make love with him again. She wanted—
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