Part 13 (1/2)
Mitch didn't speak anymore, and Kelsey didn't either. They didn't remain still for long. Mitch's hands were at her hips and he pulled her against him as he began to move. Kelsey caught his rhythm, matched it, positively danced to it. Growing mindless as she met his every thrust, she felt the room begin to spin and became dizzy, thinking surely she could take no more.
Then all the sensations coursing through her body centered somewhere deep within her and began exploding, over and over until she screamed with the sheer rapture of it. Mitch's groan of satisfaction joined hers and together, still joined, they collapsed onto the bed.
A DELICIOUS MOIST WARMTH DELICIOUS MOIST WARMTH tickled the back of Kelsey's knee, and she stretched and extended her leg. She was only slightly awake. The ticklish feeling slowly moved up the back of her thigh, and she s.h.i.+vered, both with the pleasure of it and from the chilly air touching her skin. Gradually, languorously, she came more fully awake and noticed the pillowcase beneath her cheek was a smooth percale, not the flannel she was accustomed to. Of course, she remembered, she was in Mitch's bed. Remaining motionless, she sighed and enjoyed the feel of his mouth pressing kisses along her thigh. tickled the back of Kelsey's knee, and she stretched and extended her leg. She was only slightly awake. The ticklish feeling slowly moved up the back of her thigh, and she s.h.i.+vered, both with the pleasure of it and from the chilly air touching her skin. Gradually, languorously, she came more fully awake and noticed the pillowcase beneath her cheek was a smooth percale, not the flannel she was accustomed to. Of course, she remembered, she was in Mitch's bed. Remaining motionless, she sighed and enjoyed the feel of his mouth pressing kisses along her thigh.
”You're awake, aren't you?” he whispered against her skin, his stubbled flesh brus.h.i.+ng against her and making her tingle.
”Uh-huh,” she said with a sigh. ”What time is it?”
It was still very dark in the room, the only light coming from the green neon bedside clock, which flashed twelve o'clock in annoying repet.i.tion.
”I have no idea,” he said as he moved his mouth to her hip. ”Do you care?”
”Not particularly,” she replied.
Rolling over onto her back, Kelsey held her arms out for him, but Mitch would not be rushed. He took his own sweet time running his mouth across her flat belly. His exhalations flowed gently across her flesh, making her s.h.i.+ver more. He kissed his way up her body, inch by agonizing inch, skirting the areas she knew would make her go wild, as if he wanted to tantalize her for as long as possible before ending the wonderful torture. Kelsey was a quivering ma.s.s of nerve endings by the time he finally reached her face and began pressing light kisses on her jaw.
”Please...” she urged, not sure what she was asking for.
He continued his gentle a.s.sault. His hands were in motion now, stroking her thighs, her hips, her belly, still going nowhere near the pulsing core of her. She knew when he finally did touch her there, she would come apart all over again, and she writhed beneath him, nearly mindless.
Unable to resist, Kelsey began a reciprocal study of Mitch's body. He was hard, with long, muscular planes that she stroked and kneaded. Her fingertips danced across his supple skin, savoring the textures. He was ticklish at the ribs, sighed when she stroked his back, and hissed when she lightly bit his earlobe.
”Slow and steady this time, sweetheart,” he whispered before dropping his mouth to hers for a long, slow, wet kiss.
Mitch could feel Kelsey shaking with her need. She was so beautifully responsive, arching into his hands, soundlessly pleading with him to bring her the release she craved. And finally he complied, sliding his hand down her body in one long, smooth caress and finding her heat.
Her heightened nerve endings exploded when he made his touch more intimate, and bolts of pleasure rocked through her instantly. She didn't even have time to come floating back to earth and suddenly he was sliding into her, building the pleasure all over again.
The loving was gentle and tender and so emotionally fulfilling that Kelsey nearly cried with the beauty of it.
THE PHONE WAS RIGHT by her ear and jarred Kelsey awake with its strident bellow. Not opening her eyes, she reached over to the bedside table and felt around until she found the receiver. by her ear and jarred Kelsey awake with its strident bellow. Not opening her eyes, she reached over to the bedside table and felt around until she found the receiver.
”h.e.l.lo?” she muttered, still not fully awake.
”Kelsey?” came the surprised response.
”Mom?” she muttered, finally opening her eyes and glancing at the phone. It wasn't hers. Her phone was white and streamlined, and this one was black and bulky. She sat up in bed, staring wide-eyed around the room, with its mahogany furnis.h.i.+ngs and burgundy bedding, and at the dark man who stirred in the bed next to her. Oh my G.o.d! Oh my G.o.d!
Mitch, not really awake either, was about to answer the phone when the intrusive summons stopped in mid-ring. He rolled over and prepared to go back to sleep. Then he heard Kelsey's scratchy voice, saying h.e.l.lo and calling someone ”mom.” Mom? Mom? He bolted up. He bolted up.
”Oh, no, Mom...yeah, you probably misdialed,” Kelsey said breathlessly, shooting Mitch an apologetic look. ”No, that's okay. What time is it? No, the electricity went out last night and my clock's not working. Eight-thirty? No, that's fine, honestly.”
Mitch ran his fingers through his mussed hair and listened to Kelsey's side of the conversation. He could not believe she had answered the phone, and, of all times, it was her mother calling! Marge Logan had only called twice in the past several weeks, and never this early on a Sunday morning.
Kelsey finished the call quickly and hung up the phone. She looked at him, biting her lip uncertainly. ”Mitch, I'm sorry. I just wasn't thinking.”
”What did she say?”
”She thought she dialed the wrong number. I imagine she'll be calling you back shortly.”
Kelsey watched him frown. She couldn't stand to see the look of guilt on his face. She quickly reached to a chair next to the bed and grabbed the s.h.i.+rt he'd worn to the ball the night before. She slipped it over her head just as the phone rang. No way did she want to stick around and watch Mitch close up on her again, overcome with guilt while he talked to her mother. Not after last night. She got up and rushed to the bathroom.
”h.e.l.lo?” she heard him answer before she shut the door with a click.
Kelsey studied her face in the bathroom mirror. Her makeup, which she'd neglected to take off the night before, was smeared on her face, and her hair was a wild, tangled mess. Her lips were swollen, so well kissed she didn't know if she'd ever stop feeling his mouth was still on hers.
”Of all the rotten timing,” she muttered.
They should have been slowly waking up together, touching each other, sharing gentle kisses. There should have been that brief moment of embarra.s.sment when they saw each other unclothed in the bright light of day. They ought to have had a long morning of loving to overcome any last vestiges of that embarra.s.sment.
But that wasn't going to happen.
MITCH SAT IN THE MIDDLE of his bed after hanging up the phone, shocked at the conversation he'd just had with Marge Logan. Kelsey walked back in the room, her face a little cleaner, her hair combed down. She bit her lip uncertainly and held her hands behind her back. She wore his white blousy pirate s.h.i.+rt, and nothing else. His heart pounded harder in his chest and his mouth went dry. All she needed was a pair of high heels and she'd look like every man's number one fantasy. of his bed after hanging up the phone, shocked at the conversation he'd just had with Marge Logan. Kelsey walked back in the room, her face a little cleaner, her hair combed down. She bit her lip uncertainly and held her hands behind her back. She wore his white blousy pirate s.h.i.+rt, and nothing else. His heart pounded harder in his chest and his mouth went dry. All she needed was a pair of high heels and she'd look like every man's number one fantasy.
And she was his.
”You know, your mother is one smart woman.”
Kelsey slowly approached the far corner of the bed and gingerly sat down, not saying a word.
”I answered, and the first words out of her mouth were 'I hit the redial.'”
Kelsey groaned. ”What did you say?”
”What do you think I said? I told her the truth. I've never lied to your parents and I'm sure as h.e.l.l not going to start now.”
Mitch watched her eyes widen, thoroughly enjoying the thought that for once she she was the one who was speechless. He let her stew for a minute, then asked, ”Has was the one who was speechless. He let her stew for a minute, then asked, ”Has everyone everyone known that you've been crazy about me for years?” known that you've been crazy about me for years?”
”What?” she screeched, jerking back so hard that she slid off the silky sheet and fell from the bed with a loud thump.