Crimson and Clover (8 page)

His warm hands framed her face and he leaned toward her, unhurried and with deliberation. Katie saw his lashes sweep down to cover his eyes just before his mouth touched hers. His lips were warm and soft and she moved her head forward to better fit them against her own. It was a sweet kiss, one of the sweetest Katie had ever known, without any of the demands and expectations most kisses had. She had time to think about the tentative, questioning feel of it and to savor the feel of his lips and the mingling of their breath.

Jay drew back a bit, his eyes still half-closed. “I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I saw you in that sensational dress you were wearing.”

Katie drew in a shaky breath. “I’ve been wanting you to.”

She had time to really notice the color of his eyes; — green and grey, mostly, with flecks of gold — before he lowered his lips to hers again.

The kiss started out as gentle and soft as the first one, but deepened into an embrace that made all the other kisses she’d received seem like chaste pecks from an elderly uncle. She reveled in the taste of his mouth, gloried at the touch of his tongue against hers, trembled at the feel of his hands tangling in her hair bringing her closer to him.

Her arms tightened, pulling his body against hers. A small sound came from the back of her throat at the feel of the evidence of his desire pressing against her and a thrill shot through her at his answering growl.

No physical contact had ever affected Katie like this. Hot waves of desire flamed through her leaving her burning for more. She wanted to pull him into her, wrap herself around him. She wanted to pull his hair, bite his neck, to sink her nails into his skin. Desperate to feel his skin, feel the play of muscles in his cheeks, she cupped her hands on either side of his face. Some hidden, primal part of her surged to the surface and with it the thought that she wanted to possess him. And she wanted him to possess her.

It was only when he pulled her toward the bed that her sanity returned like a thunderclap. Shaking, she broke the kiss. “Jay, wait.”

“What is it, love?” he murmured, pressing kisses on her closed eyelids.

“God, I hate to say this, but … ” She looked up at him with reluctance. “It’s not a good time for me right now.”

It took a moment, but understanding dawned on his face. “Oh.”

Katie directed every curse she knew toward Mother Nature and even made up a few new ones for good measure. “I’m sorry.”

He laughed under his breath. “Don’t be. All it means — ” he bent his head and kissed her just under her jaw, “ — is that we have to wait a bit longer.” His lips trailed up her cheek, and he breathed in her ear. “That’s all.”

She felt Jay’s hands in her hair, smoothing the tumbled strands, and the tremble in his fingers matched the one in her knees. Wait? How the hell was she supposed to wait? “Damn it,” she whispered.

Jay’s chest expanded as he drew in a deep breath. “However, I should probably go.”

“If you must.”

He laughed at her grumpy tone and put a finger under her chin to tilt her head up. “They say waiting makes it better, you know.”

She arched a skeptical brow. “Have you ever waited?”

“No. Have you?”

“Nope. But I guess you’re never too old to learn something new. C’mon,” she sighed and grabbed his hand. “The least we can do is leave this room. I swear the bed is taunting me.”

She heard his soft laughter as she towed him back through the flat to the living room. Once again, she cursed Mother Nature and her rotten timing.

When she turned back to him, Katie caught her breath as he pulled her tight against him again.

“How did this happen so fast?” His eyes searched hers, intent and questioning.

Katie felt a sudden dryness on her lips and she moistened them with her tongue before answering, “What’s that?”

“We’ve only just met. But I want to be with you so much.” Jay’s hand rose and his fingers played in the strands of her hair. “Not to say that I’m not disappointed at our timing, but I wouldn’t mind just sitting and listening to music with you.” Jay’s hand moved from her hair to her face. His fingers stroked her skin, leaving trails of tingling sensation in their wake. “Of course, I’d love to wake up next to you with your hair all around me.” He brushed his lips across her cheek. “I want all that and it’s happened so fast.”

Katie released her pent-up breath with a soft sigh. She cleared her throat and found her voice. “I never knew a man could seduce me with words.”

A worried frown creased his forehead. “I’m not saying this to seduce you.”

Katie put light fingers over his lips. “I know you’re not. And that’s why it’s working.”

She saw the expression in his eyes change from worry to something unfathomable before he crushed her lips with his. He set her on fire and she responded with a level of passion she didn’t know she possessed. The feel of his body pressing against her again couldn’t be ignored and she pressed herself to that rock hardness with abandon. She wanted … she wanted … .damn, she
wanted
, and she knew she wanted Jay to give it to her.

Jay wrenched his lips from hers, leaving them both gasping for breath. He stepped back and the expression on his face mirrored the way Katie was feeling; confusion, desire and joy, all wrapped up in one ball of emotion that was bouncing inside her uncontrolled.

“Now I really should go.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll ring you later this week.” He took a few hesitant steps toward the door.

“You’d better.”

At that moment the door burst open, hitting him in the backside and Maureen rushed in. “Katie, you’re never going to believe what just … Oh.” She came to a halt, her eyes moving between Katie and Jay. “Hallo, Jay. Sorry to just barge in on, um … .”

Jay gave her a strained smile before looking back at Katie. “It’s all right, Maureen. I was just leaving. I’ll see you in a few days, Katie.”

The moment the door closed behind him, Maureen whirled to face Katie, her eyes wide. “Cor, Katie! I’m sorry. I had no idea he was here.”

“That’s okay.” Katie waved aside Maureen’s concern. “We were just talking.”

One corner of Maureen’s mouth curved up in a half-smile. “You must have done a lot of talking, then. Your lips are rather swollen.”

“Swollen?” Katie’s hands flew to her mouth.

“Mm-hm. You look like you just fellated a bee.”

“Damn!” Katie snatched up a framed picture from an end table and attempted to see her reflection in the glass. “Well, for your information I didn’t fellate anything.”

“Why the hell not?” Maureen demanded.

“I happen to be right in the middle of my monthly visit from Aunt Flo, if you must know.” Katie put the picture down and headed to the kitchen for coffee.

“Aunt … ? Oh!” Maureen trailed after her. “Rotten luck. But I assume this means he still wants you?” She sat in the chair Jay had occupied and looked expectant.

“I don’t kiss and tell,” Katie retorted, filling two cups with hot coffee.

“After all I’ve told you about Nicks and me?” Maureen was aghast. “You’d damn well better kiss and tell, and do it straight away! Now, sit down right here and tell me all about it and don’t leave anything out.” She grinned. “I can’t wait to hear how your lips got into that condition.”

It didn’t take as long as Katie thought it would for her belongings to arrive from the States, and she was surprised when she was awakened by a heavy pounding at her door at 7:00
A.M.
a scant week after she’d made the arrangements to have the crates shipped.

After she’d seen out the taciturn delivery men, she surveyed her once-tidy living room that had taken on the appearance of a warehouse. It was much too late to rethink things, but she wished she’d have remembered how much actual stuff she had.

She turned at the rattle of the doorknob and was surprised to see Adam poke his head in so early in the day.

He peered around the living room with an expression of bemusement. “Opening up shop, are you?”

Katie got over her surprise in record time and remembered how angry she was with him. “No. Just my stuff from home.”

“Oh.” Adam blinked at her short tone. “Do you need some help opening these boxes?”

“I do not.” She couldn’t help but notice that he resembled a deer in the headlights. Good. That was just the way she wanted him. “I have a question for you, Scooter.”

“Scooter? Who the hell is that?” His brows drew together in confusion.

“Scooter is anyone who messes up big time with me.”

A look of innocence appeared on his face so fast it couldn’t have been anything but fake. Seeing it, Katie’s ire ratcheted up another notch. “Just where the hell do you get off going around telling people I’m your girlfriend?” she demanded.

“What? I’ve done no such thing!” Adam spread his hands wide, no doubt thinking it would add weight to the whole innocent persona, but Katie wasn’t buying it.

“So you didn’t tell Jay Carey that?” Katie crossed her arms over her chest and waited.

“Jay? No, I didn’t.” When Katie continued to stare with accusation, Adam started to squirm. “I did, erm … maybe let him think you are.” After another few moments of strained silence, he broke. “All right! I misled him a bit. Happy?”

“I’m about as far from happy as you can get.” Her hands curled into tight fists. “Are you fucking out of your mind, Adam?”

He attempted to grin. “At least I’m not Scooter anymore,” he ventured.

“Don’t bet on it,” Katie growled. Her fingernails were gouging into her palms, the pain adding to her anger. “You had no right! Just what did you think that would accomplish?”

Adam’s grin turned into an obstinate frown. “I thought it might give me a little more time with you.”

“A little more time? Time for what? Never mind!” She turned on her heel and stalked into the kitchen. “I cannot have this conversation without coffee.”

As she prepared the coffee pot she heard his uncertain footsteps across the kitchen floor, followed by the sound of a chair being pulled back from the table. Ignoring him, she continued to measure coffee and water and give herself time to calm down. She needed to set him straight once and for all, but words shouted in anger wouldn’t help her accomplish her goal. Only when the coffee was on the stove did she turn to face him, bracing her hands behind her on the countertop.

“Look, Adam; I’m just going to lay it on the line, okay? I’m sorry you got the wrong idea, but I am not your girlfriend and I never was. Ever.” She leaned forward to emphasize the last word. “I don’t know what you mean about giving you more time with me because you weren’t ever
with
me. I guess I must not have made it clear before, but anything that happened between us was just … you know, fun. That’s all.”

“It could have been more. It still could.” His brown eyes held an eloquent plea. “We had a good thing, Katie. I’d just like a chance to let it grow.”

Lovely as they were, she wasn’t going to let those puppy dog eyes sway her. “It wasn’t ‘a good thing.’ We got it on three times! There wasn’t anything more than that.”

“It was more to me,” he mumbled, his face wearing the obstinate frown that had become so familiar.

Katie’s sigh was full of frustration. “How could it be?”

“Because I love you, that’s how.”

Whatever she’d been expecting, that wasn’t it. Like her a lot, yes. Love? No way. Words failed her and she could only stand staring at him in open-mouthed surprise. A soft pop from the stove as the coffee began to percolate brought her out of her trance and she blinked.

“Adam.” She attempted to make her tone gentle. “We’d only known each other for two days before we slept together. And one of those days I was unconscious. I moved in here less than a week later. That’s not enough time to fall in love.”

“Just how long is it supposed to take? I know how I feel.” His knuckles turned white as he gripped the edge of the table. “All I want is the chance to prove it to you, and the chance for you to … ”

“I’m sorry.” She shook her head, determined to stop him before he went further. Hurting him was the last thing she wanted to do, but she was going to have to be blunt. “I’m not in love with you, Adam. I’m not going to be.”

His mouth firmed into a thin line. “Is it because you’re in love with Jay?”

“What? No!” Katie’s anger rose like bubbles to the surface of boiling water, but she clamped down on it. There was nothing to be gained by losing her temper. “Whatever goes on with Jay and me is none of your business.”

“You’ll give him a chance, though, and not me.” He was as sulky as a three-year-old denied candy. “I don’t see why he’s the one you want.”

It was that sulk that pushed her over the edge. Despite her efforts, her anger boiled over and her tongue galloped away from her. “Maybe because he’s mature enough to realize that just because we have sex doesn’t mean we have to run out and register for gifts at Harrod’s and order engraved invitations.”

Adam’s eyes turned cold in a heartbeat. “Fucking Carey!” he spat out. “He knows how I feel about you; I made sure he knows. And he still goes after you like it doesn’t matter.”

“Hey!” Katie pointed a finger at him. “You give him some credit. After you
lied
to him about me being your old lady he backed off. He didn’t make a move until I set him straight and told him I’m nobody’s girlfriend.”

“That’s right; defend him!” Adam jumped to his feet, every line of his lean body exuding contempt. “You know what? You and Carey deserve each other. You’re just the same — arrogant, condescending, selfish prats. Neither of you bloody control freaks give a damn who gets hurt, so long as you get what you want. He’s been like that ever since school. All the girls always wanted Jay and he knew it. I never thought you’d be the same way.” He forced a hard, bitter laugh. “It’ll be interesting to watch you try to control each other. So go on; have your fun until he tosses you aside for someone more daft — if there is such a thing.”

For a moment rage strangled all utterance and she could only stare at him in shock. Her voice came back in a low growl. “That is fucking
it
.” She pointed a shaking finger toward the door. “Get out. I was trying not to hurt you, but fuck that! I could never be in love with you because you’re a whiny, immature, lying little prick. Get out and don’t even think about coming back!”