Jack didn’t want to answer the question. Trust Katie to force him to look at something he didn’t want to see. He didn’t want to get involved with her and he told himself he wasn’t, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her, and damn if he hadn’t missed her when she’d flown to Los Angeles four days ago.
“You should have stayed in Dallas,” he said gruffly.
“Liar. You’re glad I’m back.”
He glared at her. “Do you have to argue about everything?”
“Just about.”
She gave him a satisfied smile. His gaze narrowed. Did she really think she was going to win this round? Well, he had news for her.
He leaned forward and slipped his hands under her thighs. She started to squirm away, but he was too fast. He pulled her up and toward him, shifting her from the sofa to his lap. Her arms came around his neck. She opened her mouth to protest, but he wasn’t interested in talking anymore. He planted his mouth firmly on hers.
All the fight went out of her in a microsecond. She sighed his name even as her body pressed against his. She was soft and yielding, and he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anyone. What had started out as a quick way to teach her a lesson had turned into something much more. Now he was the one learning the truth.
When they’d made love in the line shack, he’d been caught up in the past as much as in the present. He’d always expected to be Katie’s first lover, and a part of him had wanted to know what it would be like to be intimate with her.
But his curiosity had been answered. He no longer cared about the past or the future. There was only the present, and that was the woman in his arms. His body ached in such a way that he knew if he didn’t have her soon, if he didn’t lose himself inside her and feel her body release around his, he would cease to exist. She was as essential to him as breathing.
“I want you,” he whispered against her mouth, feeling desperate and frantic. He ran his hands up and down her back, then tugged her shirt free of her jeans.
“Yes,” she answered, her mouth on his, nipping and kissing and licking.
Heat flared between them, burning so bright and hot it was a wonder they didn’t go blind. Even as he fumbled with her buttons, she tugged at his. Their hands bumped; their arms pushed each other out of the way. His erection flexed painfully, and they weren’t making any progress.
“You first,” he said with a low chuckle.
He dropped his hands to her legs to let her unfasten his shirt. As she worked, her fingers brushed against his bare skin, making him shiver. To make sure the torment was shared, he slid his hands up her thighs, running his thumbs along the inside seam of her jeans. He kept going until he reached the place where the seams met. Once there, he rubbed, feeling her through the layers of fabric.
She gasped, then swore. She pushed his hands away so she could drag off his shirt. When the fabric fell away, she pressed her mouth to his and drew his hands back to her woman’s place, then rubbed her palms against his back. He teased between her legs, touching her, moving up and down, making her arch and writhe, as if she needed more of him.
Suddenly he needed more, too. He unfastened her jeans and pulled the material open. He slipped his fingers between her panties and her skin, reaching for her center-most place. He brushed the tiny spot of her surrender.
She nearly rose into a standing position. Her fingers dug into his shoulders. When his tongue entered her mouth, she sucked on him, making his arousal surge toward her. The heat between them increased. Every cell in his body screamed for release. He wanted them both naked. He wanted to touch her everywhere and have her touch him. His arousal grew more painful as blood pooled in that part of him.
And still he continued to touch that tiny spot. She stiffened as her breathing increased. Faster and lighter until she broke the kiss to arch her head back and call out his name. Her entire body shook with the pleasure of her release. She bucked and pressed and slowly sank against him.
Jack held her close. He could feel her heart pounding in her chest. The rapid rhythm matched his. She drew back enough to take his face in her hands. Her eyes were wide and dilated, her skin flushed, her mouth swollen and damp from his kisses.
“You do that really well,” she said, her voice a little husky. “You must practice.”
“I have a part-time job in town. Two afternoons a week. I’m generally booked up for months in advance.”
A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Any room for another client?”
“I might just have something. If not, you’re an old friend. I’d always make room.”
“I appreciate that.”
He put his hands on her waist and set her on her feet. She was a little shaky, but managed to stay upright. He rose and took her hand.
“Come on,” he said, leading her out of the living room and toward his bedroom. “I want to show you something.”
She laughed. “I’ve seen it. I’m very impressed.”
He bent and kissed her. “I meant my bedroom.”
“Oh. I’m sure that’s nice, too.”
He left on the hall light but didn’t bother with any lamps in the bedroom. Enough light spilled in to show the shadowy outline of the big bed. He stopped next to it and reached for Katie’s shirt. She stood still and silent as he unfastened the buttons and pushed the garment down her arms. Her bra quickly followed.
Her nipples were already tight points. The soft illumination made her skin glow. He couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect, more beautiful. She had plenty of curves to cup and squeeze and taste. She was soft where she was supposed to be and so very feminine.
He knelt on the floor in front of her and tugged off her boots and socks. Then he pulled down her jeans and panties. She rested her hand on his shoulder while she lifted first one leg, then the other as he carefully finished undressing her. When she was completely naked, he asked her to sit on the edge of the bed.
“Now lay down,” he murmured, still on his knees.
She gave him a quizzical look, but did as he requested. When she was stretched out and relaxed, her legs hanging over the edge of the bed, he pressed a kiss to her inner thigh. She sighed.
Moving slowly, he worked his way up her soft skin. She was pale and sweet-tasting. He put his hands on her belly, then slid them up until he cupped her breasts. Her full curves filled his palms. He stroked her sensitive skin, moving closer to her nipples but not yet touching them. He felt her body tense in anticipation. He didn’t disappoint.
At the same moment his thumbs and forefingers lightly teased her nipples, his tongue swept against her secret place. Katie gasped, then whimpered. Her knees came up, and her heels rested on the edge of the mattress. His body surged in response, but it wasn’t time yet. He wanted to do this for her first.
He moved slowly, deliberately, always in tandem. Hands on breasts, tongue between her legs. Circling her, tasting her, pleasing her, making her shiver and call out and suck in her breath and beg desperately for her release. Her magnificent reactions thrilled him. He’d always tried to please his lovers, but no one had reacted to his touch like Katie. She was vital and alive and wonderfully responsive.
Her fingers brushed against his head. “I’m close,” she breathed.
He stroked a little faster, a little lighter, gauging her pleasure by the shudders in her muscles. Her belly contracted and her nipples got harder.
“Jack, please.”
Her voice was angel music. Her need made it impossible for him to stop. He continued to love her, swirling around and over, licking and circling until everything within her grew still. Now, he thought, with intense satisfaction. He kept his movements steady as she froze for another heartbeat then convulsed around him.
Her voice broke in a high, keening sound. Her muscles trembled and shook as her hands grasped him. She arched toward him, wanting it all, and he was there to provide everything. He slowed, still moving, until the last quiver ended and her body was limp. He rose and picked her up to slide her more fully on the mattress. He gathered her against him and held her.
She clung to him with all her strength. Something damp fell onto his chest. He held her closer as she began to cry. Tears turned into sobs. Harsh sounds clawed their way out of her throat.
“It’s all right,” he murmured. “I’m here.” He rocked her, patiently waiting for the storm to pass.
Usually he hated a woman crying, but this time he knew what was wrong. In the past couple of months Katie had faced one crisis after another. Moving back to Lone Star Canyon, dealing with her new job, her father, having to leave the Fitzgerald ranch and finally Josie’s accident. It was too much.
“I’m sorry,” she said between sobs. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”
“I do,” he said, brushing her hair away from her face and kissing her tears. “One kind of a release led to another. Just relax. It’s fine.”
She sniffed and looked at him. Her nose was red and her eyes swollen, and she was still perfectly lovely, he thought.
“Why are you being so nice? Guys are supposed to hate it when women cry.”
“We do, but this time it’s not about anything I did, so it’s okay.”
That made her smile. “Oh, I see. You can handle it as long as you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Of course.”
She laughed and wiped her face. “Thank you.” She made a vague gesture toward her naked body. “For understanding and for, well, you know.”
“Ah, the great ‘you know.’”
“Jack!” She pushed him, pressing her hands flat against his shoulders. “I’m being serious.”
“So am I.”
He rolled her onto her back and bent to kiss her. She opened for him immediately, and he explored her mouth, savoring the familiar sweetness that had always been Katie. Her fingers reached for his belt and unfastened the buckle. She worked the button, then lowered the zipper. Her small hand reached inside and found his hardness.
She encircled him with a gently firm grip and moved up and down. Her touch brought him instantly to the breaking point. He had to put a restraining hand on her wrist.
“Not yet,” he murmured, still kissing her. “I want to be inside of you when I lose it.”
He stroked her back, then her hip and rear. He lowered his head and kissed her breasts, nibbling and licking until she was gasping again. He took her face in his hands and kissed away the last traces of tears. She opened her eyes and gazed at him.
“I want you,” she whispered. “But this time we have to use protection.”
Her words froze him in place. He played them over in his mind and realized their significance. They hadn’t used anything the last time they’d made love. He wasn’t sixteen anymore so he didn’t carry a condom in his wallet with the unrealistic hope of getting lucky. He hadn’t had a steady relationship in a couple of years, so he hadn’t much thought about pregnancy.
Jack rolled away and sat up. He reached into his nightstand drawer and found an unopened box of condoms. As he drew out the square package, he couldn’t help wondering if Katie was already pregnant. Could that have happened with just one time?
He waited for the fear and horror to flood him and take away his desire for her. Nothing happened. He carefully probed his mind looking for concern or panic, but there wasn’t any. Until Melissa had walked out on their marriage, he’d always assumed he was going to have a bunch of kids. Then she’d left and he’d promised himself to never fall in love again. Which meant he wasn’t likely to get married. Therefore he had no children in his future.
He’d thought he’d made peace with that idea…until now.
He wanted to put his hand on her belly and feel a child moving inside of her. He wanted to plant his seed in her again and again until she had no choice but to make a baby with him. Romantic love might not last, but caring about a child was different, wasn’t it? Couldn’t he-
“Jack? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re awfully quiet. We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
He looked at her and saw the questions in her eyes. She wasn’t giving him an out because she’d changed her mind but because she was afraid he had. His gaze lowered to the swell of her belly. Was she already pregnant? He found himself hoping so, despite the problems that would create.
But instead of saying all that, or even addressing her statement directly, he stood and peeled off the rest of his clothes, then slipped on the protection and joined her on the bed. She opened her arms to welcome him. As they kissed and he entered her, he once again had the sense of coming home.
She was wet and tight around him. Each thrust was perfect. His head filled with questions and confusion. He didn’t want a relationship so how could he want a baby? Katie was trouble, Katie was-
His body took over, shutting down his mind. He moved back and forth, unable to think about anything but the glory of their lovemaking. She wrapped her legs around his hips and drew him in deeper. She tilted her pelvis toward him and pressed her hands on his rear, urging him on.
He felt her tense. She broke the kiss to stare into his eyes. He watched her mouth part as small gasps escaped her lips. Then her head tilted back and she moaned his name. At the same time her tightness quivered around him. The muscles there contracted in the most erotic massage, pushing him to the edge and throwing him off the side.
He gave one last deep thrust and groaned his release. Every part of him gloried in the sense of spilling himself into her. He buried his head in the curve of her neck, breathing in the scent of skin.
She held him close. Slowly their heartbeats returned to normal. Eventually they found their way under the covers. When Katie had curled up next to him, her head on his shoulder, she sighed.
“I have a request,” she whispered in the dark. “I need you not to say this was a mistake. I can’t hear that right now. I feel raw and vulnerable and I think that would break me in two.”
He didn’t know what their intimacy had been, but he knew it wasn’t a mistake. It felt too right to be that.
“Whether you like it or not,” she continued, “we have a relationship. We’re involved with each other. I don’t know what it means, but there it is. For the most part I’m okay with it. My big concern is Shane, who is already bonding with you. That’s scary because you keep talking about how you don’t believe in love and how can I explain that to a nine-year-old boy? He won’t believe that it’s just about you and has nothing to do with him.”
Jack had been prepared to join in the discussion, but her words about Shane left him speechless. The boy had bonded with him? Jack had thought they were friends, but he didn’t think his opinion mattered one way or the other. He felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders and found it wasn’t all that unpleasant.
As for him and Katie having a relationship, he wasn’t sure. Did they? Could they? He meant what he said-he didn’t want to get involved. It had only ever led to heartache…at least for him. He was tired of being left.
“I seem to have stunned you into silence,” Katie said.
He touched her cheek. “I don’t have any answers right now,” he admitted.
“You don’t have to. Just think about what I said. We can pick this up later.”
Then, to his amazement, she closed her eyes, sighed deeply and fell asleep. Jack held her long into the night. He listened to the sound of her breathing and wondered if he’d been given another one-way ticket to hell or a chance to make things right.
Katie hummed while she made breakfast the next morning. She hadn’t gotten more than a couple hours of sleep, what with Jack waking her up shortly before dawn so that they could make love again, but she didn’t mind. Being in his arms, making love with him, felt so incredibly right. He was all she’d ever wanted in a man. Her life might be falling apart, but Jack made her feel as if she could handle everything. She was wildly in love with him. Unfortunately she didn’t know what he was thinking.
He seemed so determined to keep himself at an emotional arm’s length. He was comfortable sharing his body, but what about his heart?
Footsteps sounded in the hall. Katie looked up, expecting either Jack or Hattie, but her visitor turned out to be Nora. Her good mood vanished like so much mist.
Jack’s sister walked into the kitchen and headed for the coffeepot. She poured some of the dark liquid into a mug and took a sip. Katie continued cooking bacon, waiting for the other woman to make the first move.
“I saw you leaving Jack’s place this morning,” Nora said without preamble. “I know you’re sleeping with my brother.”
Katie thought about defending herself. She thought about politely telling Nora it wasn’t her business. Then she realized she was tired of doing what everyone else wanted and not what was right for her.
“Sleeping is a slight exaggeration,” she said sweetly. “I mean if you figure in the time we spend together, percentage wise, very little of it is spent in actual sleep.”
Nora’s dark eyes narrowed. “You know what that makes you, then.”
Katie turned off the pan, removed it from the heat and faced Jack’s sister. “Yes. It makes me confused. It makes me wonder if I’m crazy, falling for a man who’s been burned before and is reluctant to commit again. I worry that I’m not doing the right thing for my son. And then there’s the whole family issue. He has some difficult relatives who want nothing to do with me. So why am I bothering?”
“Oh, I suppose I’m the difficult relative,” Nora said. “What did you expect? That I would be happy?”
Katie stared at the tall, pretty brunette in front of her. While Katie had grown up small and stayed petite, Nora had the lean body and long legs of a dancer. Her thick dark hair was always stylish, her makeup always perfect. By contrast Katie felt rumpled and short, which wasn’t fair.
“I have a news flash,” Katie said, tired of trying to make peace. “I’m not responsible for what my brother did to you. I’m sorry he broke your engagement, but it’s not my fault. Yes, he was a jerk. I suspect my father had something to do with what happened, but I can’t be sure. David never told me the details. But the bottom line is he’s married to someone else, he’s been married for years, and it’s time to get over it.”
Nora’s mouth thinned. “Easy for you to say,” she snarled. “You’ve always gotten everything little thing you want. Life is just perfect for you. Sweet Katie Fitzgerald. Just snap your fingers and the boys come running. Now you’ve decided you want my brother. Well, don’t for one second think I’m going to be happy about it. However, I’m not like you and your family. I won’t butt my nose in where it doesn’t belong.”
Katie blinked. She couldn’t possibly have heard correctly. “You think my life is perfect?” she said, so shocked she was barely able to speak. “My life? Would this be the part where I had to leave the ranch because my father was tormenting my son? Or maybe it’s the fact that I’ve been a single mother for nine years, trying to do right by Shane and being completely clueless most of the time? Or is it the fact that the last man in my life wanted me but not Shane and expected me to choose?” She planted her hands on her hips. “As for being sweet, let me tell you I hate being short and blond. People assume I’m a bubblehead. And I don’t give a damn if you don’t like me, because I don’t like you, either. You’re tall and skinny and have great hair. So get out of my face.”
Nora lowered her coffee mug to the table. She looked as surprised as Katie felt. “You like my hair?”
Katie felt some of her temper ease. “I hate your hair and your long legs and your great body.”
“But you have those big blue eyes and natural curls and you’re so tiny. I remember in high school I was taller than just about anyone, but all the boys lined up to dance with you because you were so little and cute. I wanted to squash you like a bug.”
The rest of Katie’s annoyance faded. She relaxed and leaned against the counter. “I’m really sorry about David,” she said sincerely. “I have no idea why he was a jerk. I swear, I’d tell you the truth if I knew it. I hate what he did to you. If it makes you feel any better now, his marriage to Fern isn’t all that happy.”
Nora sighed. “No, it doesn’t make me feel any better. I didn’t want him to marry her, but he did, so he might as well enjoy himself.” She shot Katie a defensive look. “I’m not completely selfish, you know.”
“I never thought you were.”
Nora plopped into one of the kitchen chairs. “It’s just from the outside looking in, you Fitzgeralds have always had everything.”
“But you’re the rich family now.”
“I guess. But it mattered more back when we were kids.” She ran a perfectly manicured fingernail along a fold in the red tablecloth. “I guess I really don’t mind about you and Jack. I want him to be happy. It’s just weird that it’s you, you know?”
Katie took a tentative step toward the table. “It’s weird for me, too.” She decided not to mention that she and Jack had been close years before. She wasn’t sure Nora was ready for that.
Jack’s sister looked at her. “Tell me about Josie. Is she going to be okay?”
Katie took the chair opposite Nora and sat down. Maybe they weren’t exactly going to be friends, but it looked as if she and Nora might not have to be enemies anymore. The realization warmed her insides and made her smile.
“Nora and I have made peace,” Katie said that afternoon as she helped Hattie with her final stretching exercises.
Jack’s mother sat on the exercise mat in the center of the living room and sighed. “That’s good to hear. She can be a stubborn woman. What with all the bad blood between the families and the way David dumped her for another woman so close to their wedding, she’s been carrying around a lot of bad feelings.”
Katie waited until Hattie rolled onto her stomach, then she began to massage the other woman’s tense muscles. “The Darbys and the Fitzgeralds do have a strange history. Over a hundred years of hurting each other.”
“Maybe you and Jack can change that,” Hattie said. “You seem to get along pretty well.”
Katie had a feeling the older woman was fishing. It was unlikely she knew that she and Jack were lovers. Besides, having a physical relationship didn’t imply an emotional one. Despite her brave words to Jack about them having a relationship, she wasn’t sure how he was going to react to her announcement. The reality was she could wish all she wanted, but she couldn’t do anything to make him care about her. That was entirely his decision.
So much for her promise not to get involved with anyone until Shane was older. She’d been home less than two months and she was already in love with Jack. Except she’d always been in love with him, so in theory, nothing had changed. She’d simply become aware of the truth.
“My life is complicated,” she told Hattie. “As is his. I doubt that either of us are willing to take on both families, not to mention the town gossips. The biggest complication I’m willing to deal with right now is picking out tile for my new kitchen.”
“You can’t let other people’s opinions rule your life.”
“True, but I’m not willing to take on a fight I’m not sure I can win.”
Hattie turned her head and looked at her. “Are you talking about the families or Jack?”
“Both,” Katie admitted. She wasn’t sure Jack was willing to give his heart to her again. Besides, what if it was still in his first wife’s possession? After all, she’d left him. He hadn’t been the one to end the relationship. Maybe he still felt about Melissa the way she, Katie, felt about him. The thought made her stomach clench.
“Jack would be good for Shane,” Hattie said, resting her head on her hands. “They get along, and he would be an excellent role model.”
Katie continued to massage Hattie’s back. “You’re hitting below the belt. You can’t use my son against me.”
“You’re forgetting that Jack is my son. I want the best for him the way you want the best for Shane. I suspect the best might be you, dear. What do you say to that?”
Katie understood she was getting Hattie’s blessing to pursue a relationship with Jack. But Hattie was the least of her problems.
“You’d have to be very strong,” the older woman admitted. “But it would be worth it in the end.”
“Maybe,” Katie said, not sure if she was willing to put up that much of a fight. Not when she was the only one in love.