Part 12 (2/2)
”That won't be a problem here. No one cares about celebrities.”
”That'll be nice. I miss being able to go to the Bluebird or Mabel's to hang out and visit with friends and listen to music whenever I want to. I miss going to the mall with my sisters or walking into the movies like everyone else does, rather than getting there ten minutes late and leaving ten minutes early.”
”It sounds like a bit of a gilded cage.”
”In some ways it is.”
”If you had it to do over again, would you have wanted the big career so badly?”
Kate mulled that over. ”I suppose I would, since I've never been all that good at anything else. This is what I was meant to do. I never question that. It's just that sometimes I wish it wasn't so confining, you know?”
”I can see what you mean. Definitely.”
”I sound like a jerk for complaining about a career in which I get paid millions every year to do the one thing I love to do.”
”You don't sound like a jerk.”
”You have to say that. You love me.”
”Yes, I do, but I don't have to say anything.” He kissed her nose and then her lips.
”Buddy tried to tell me. Back at the beginning, he said it would be crazy-and not always in a good way. But until you're in it...”
”You can't possibly know.”
”Right.” She ventured a glance at him. ”You sure you want to step inside that gilded cage with me?”
”I'm very sure. One of the things I loved best about the time we spent together was that often it was just the two of us at home with the fire, your guitar and that angelic voice. What more did we ever need?”
Kate smiled, remembering the idyllic days and pa.s.sionate nights they'd spent together when she was too young to know that such things didn't come along every day and should be treasured. ”Not much.”
”I'll need to see Mari and offer the house to her if she wants it. A lot of the things there are hers.”
The idea of him seeing his ex-lover struck another chord of fear in Kate. What if he took one look at the exotic dark-haired beauty and regretted his decision to leave her?
”Stop that.”
Startled by his firm tone, she said, ”Stop what?”
He traced the outline of her mouth with the tip of his index finger. ”Stop thinking I'm going to see her and change my mind about you.”
”I wasn't thinking that,” she said, even as a flush of heat invaded her face, making a liar out of her.
Reid laughed and hugged her tighter. ”Sure you weren't, darlin'.”
”I can't help that the thought of you with someone else makes me a little crazy.”
”How do you think I felt having to read about you with Bobby and Russ and Clint? I wanted to go find each one of them and kill them in the most painful, b.l.o.o.d.y way possible for daring to lay hands on my woman.”
Kate's mouth fell open in astonishment as her mild-mannered lover showed his jealous side.
His s.e.xy mouth quivered with amus.e.m.e.nt. ”Didn't know I had murderous tendencies, did you?”
Zeroing in on his sensual lips, Kate shook her head. ”I had no idea, and I'm truly shocked. You were always such a kind Southern gentleman.”
”There was nothing kind about my thoughts toward the other men in your life.”
”I'm sorry if I caused you pain. I never would've wanted that.”
”With hindsight, I supposed your relations.h.i.+ps with other people-and mine-served to show us where we really belong, so it was all part of a grander plan.”
”That's very philosophical.”
”It's what I told myself so I wouldn't actually find them and kill them.”
Kate threw her head back and laughed. Her laughter became a moan when he took advantage of the opportunity to place kisses on her neck that made her s.h.i.+ver with desire. ”Let's go back to bed,” she whispered.
”I have a better idea.” As he spoke, he gathered her in close to him and stood. He surprised her when he opened the gate that led to the sand.
”Where are we going?”
”You'll see.”
The moonlight was like a mirror on the calm water. Kate's senses were filled with the scent of sand and sea and Reid's endlessly appealing cologne. She buried her nose in his neck and breathed him in. It was all she could do not to let out a giddy squeal of delight as he carried her to the beach. She couldn't believe she was finally with him again and apparently got to keep him this time. It was too good to be true.
Under the cover of palm trees, Reid put her down and ran his hands from her shoulders, down her back to her bottom where he lingered for a minute before continuing farther south. He found the hem of her cotton dress and eased it up and over her head, leaving her bare before him.
She could see him just well enough to watch his eyes flare with heat as he cupped her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and teased her nipples until they were hard and tingling. ”Whatever are you doing, Mr. Matthews?”
”This,” he whispered as he ducked his head and took one of the turgid peaks into the heat of his mouth, sucking hard as he pinched the other one between two fingers.
Kate gasped and clutched his head to her chest, wanting him all over again, wanting him forever and always. The warm air on her fevered skin, the fear of being caught naked on the beach, the heat of the sand under her feet and the silk of his hair against her chest overwhelmed her senses. She was about to beg him to lay her down right there and take her when he let go and unb.u.t.toned his shorts.
After he dropped them to the sand, he took her hand. ”Come swim with me.”
Kate hesitated. Life in the bubble had taught her to be cautious. ”What if someone sees us?”
”No one will. We've got this part of the beach all to ourselves. Desi a.s.sured me of that.” He gave her hand a tug. ”Come on.”
Kate stepped into the moonlight and let him lead her into water so warm it might've been bathwater.
”Doesn't it feel good?” he asked, drawing her against him.
”So good.” Kate straddled him and wrapped her arms around his neck.