Part 10 (1/2)

She turned to find him taking a slow, leisurely look at her in the matching nightgown and robe. ”I was about to shower,” she said, undone by his intense attention.

”Not yet.”

As he came toward her with intent in his gaze, Kate's heart hammered. She wanted to cry from the sweet relief of being with him again, but this wasn't the time for tears. This was the time for happiness and joy.

He put his arms around her and lifted her into his kiss.

Kate held on tight as he walked them into the bedroom.

They landed on the bed in a frenzy of arms and legs and lips and tongue.

”Did you think about what you want?” he asked between kisses.

Kate nodded and ran her fingertips over his smooth jaw. ”I want you. I've always wanted you. Did you think about what you want?”

”I want what I've always wanted, since the day you sang 'Crazy' in my dining room and made me fall in love with you.”

Amused, Kate raised a brow. ”I made you?”

Nodding, he came in for another kiss. ”I had no choice. I was as powerless to resist you then as I am now.”

”Make love to me, Reid.”

”Are you sure, honey? I'm an old man. You could have anyone you want-”

”I'm with the one I want, and I'm tired of yearning for what used to be. That gets exhausting after a while.”

”Yes, it does.” Hovering above her, he combed the hair back from her face and kissed her so softly she almost didn't feel it. ”I can't believe we get to be together like this again. I want to do it right this time.”

”I want that, too.” Kate smoothed her hands over his back, looking for the hem of his s.h.i.+rt. As her fingers skimmed his lower back under his s.h.i.+rt, he gasped in response to her touch. ”There were some things we always did right,” she added with a coy smile that made him laugh.

”Indeed there were. As I recall,” he said, dipping his head to drag his tongue over her neck, ”we did this pretty well.” He punctuated the statement by rolling her earlobe between his teeth.

Kate s.h.i.+vered. ”Very well. I've never had better.”

”I hate to think of you doing this with anyone else.”

She pushed his s.h.i.+rt up over his chest. ”I didn't particularly like it, if that makes you feel any better.”

Ducking his head to help her remove his s.h.i.+rt, he said, ”Only a little better.”

Her gaze fixated on his splendid chest as she relearned every inch of him with eager hands. Other than a touch of gray mixed into his dark chest hair, he looked exactly as she remembered. ”At least you didn't have to see any of my others.”

When his lips set in a grimace, Kate regretted reminding him of the breakup with Mari.

”I hate that I caused her pain.”

”I hate it, too. I certainly know what it feels like to want something I can't have.”

”I can't help how I feel about you.”

”She knows you didn't hurt her intentionally. I was the one who showed up unannounced, so I'm sure all her anger is directed at me.”

”Which isn't fair.”

Kate shrugged. ”I'm a big girl. I can take it.” She raised her hands from his chest to his face, using her fingers to smooth away his frown.

He tugged on the belt to her robe, spread it open and pressed his lips to the valley between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. ”I wouldn't have thought it possible, but you're even more beautiful now than you were back then.”

Seduced as much by his words as the gentle press of lips to sensitive skin, Kate wrapped her arms around him, holding him against her chest as tears slipped from the corners of her eyes.

When he looked up and saw the tears, he kissed them away. ”What is it?”

”I'm so happy to be with you again. I feel like I might explode or something.”

”Mmm, that sounds promising, darlin'.”

Her tears turned to laughter, which became a moan when his hand landed on her leg, raising the nightgown as his fingers moved from her knee to her core.

He seemed surprised to find no barrier to stop him from sliding his fingers through the moisture between her legs.

Kate arched her back, needing to get closer to him. She fisted her hand in his hair as he made her crazy by tugging on her nipple through the silk gown with his lips while stroking her with his fingers. The combination had her on the verge of coming, and he'd barely touched her. It had never been like this with anyone else, and she was wise enough now to know it never would be. He was it for her. The one. The only one she needed. ”Reid, please... Don't make me wait. It's been so long.”

Her plea seemed to break what was left of his control. Showing none of the finesse she'd come to expect from him during their brief time together, he freed himself and plunged into her.

She cried out from the sheer pleasure of the incredible feel of him inside her again after such a long, lonely time.

”Ah, h.e.l.l,” he said through gritted teeth. ”Did I hurt you?”

”No. Please don't stop.”

”Why is this so much better with you than it's ever been with anyone else?” he asked as he held perfectly still.

Kate moved her hands from his shoulders to his backside to keep him inside her. ”I don't know.” She raised her hips, seared by the ”rightness” of their undeniable connection.

He met her gaze. In his eyes, she saw his love s.h.i.+ning down on her. ”I need to move.”

She released her tight hold on him.

Their coupling was fast and frantic and everything she wanted and needed. It was just as she remembered, and she couldn't seem to get close enough to him. She wanted all of him, everything he had to give her and then some. With her arms now linked around his neck, Kate held on tight through the first peak and then through a second, more powerful release that claimed him, too. He threw back his head and cried out as he surged into her before collapsing on top of her.

Kate hugged him to her, loving the feel of his heart pounding in time with hers. For the first time since the last time with him, she was exactly where she belonged. As that realization settled over her, something eased, and the tight ball of pain she'd carried in her chest since that last awful day finally released its grip on her.

”I love you,” he said. ”I'll always love you.”

”I love you, too.”

He raised his head to look into her eyes as he pressed a kiss to her lips. ”How about we try that again, with some finesse this time?”