Mr Destiny (23 page)

When he reached for the box on the counter beside her, Kate looked away.

He tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him.

Damn.

How did he always instinctively know if something wasn't exactly in sync with her?

Yes, dammit, she was nervous.

She'd made herself a promise she was not going to take anything that happened between the two of them seriously. It was just
sex. She was only human. And he turned her on more than any man she'd ever met.

“If we're still moving too fast, Kate,” he said, “all you have to do is tell me.”

What?

I'm sitting on your kitchen counter, nude.

And you're saying you wouldn't mind if I suggested we turn on the Lifetime channel and forget the whole thing?

Oh, no you don't, Tony Petrocelli!

She hadn't driven two hours to watch the freaking movie of the week!

Kate leaned forward, slid her arms around his neck, and kissed him with everything she had. Tony kissed her back just as forcefully,
fisting her hair as the kiss grew deeper.

Not serious. Not serious. Not serious.

His hot mouth slid to her neck.

Across her bare shoulder.

Onto her erect left nipple.

Kate got serious.

She closed her eyes, giving in to the delicious tingling sensation that set her entire body on fire. He found his way back
to her mouth and kissed her again, gently this time. When Kate opened her eyes, he was staring at her.

His eyes never left her face as he ran his hand across her left foot, then slowly, tantalizingly up the inside of her entire
left leg.

When his fingers got bolder, Kate gasped.

My God!

He pulled her head forward, kissing her deeply while his fingers worked their magic.

Yes. Yes. Oh. Mmmmmmmm. Oh. Ah. Yes!

Kate was so wet and ready, she grabbed Tony's hand.

They both moaned when he slid deeply inside her.

Even in her wildest dreams, she had never imagined anything could feel this wonderful.

She arched her back when his hot mouth covered her breast again. The tingle, God, that tingle instantly spreading through
her body—pushing her closer, closer, closer to the edge.

His mouth slid up to her neck and Kate moaned again.

He grabbed her hips, holding her steady, moving faster and faster and faster, plunging deeper and deeper. His tongue toyed
with her earlobe before he whispered low and husky, “Let it happen, baby. This is all about you.”

Kate flashed hot all over.

Kismet? Fate? Destiny? Chance?

The words kept floating through her mind.

Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.

Kate slipped off the edge.

Right into paradise.

When she finally caught her breath, she fell against him, spent.

He reached up and pushed her hair back away from her face. “God, you are so incredibly beautiful.”

She tried to mumble “you too”—she wasn't able.

He didn't seem to care.

He kissed her face, her eyes, even the tip of her nose. Then he slid his hands under her legs and picked her up from the kitchen
counter so easily, it surprised her.

She got another big surprise.

Tony really was carrying her up the spiral staircase.

The king-size bed waiting for them took up almost every inch of the loft space. He placed her on the overstuffed comforter,
lowered himself on the bed beside her, and leaned in for another long kiss. It wasn't until he reached out and caressed her
cheek with the back of his hand—staring at her in that intense, soul-searching way he had about him—that Kate realized something
very important.

As impossible.

As ridiculous.

As highly improbable as the entire situation had been from the first moment she met him.

She was madly in love with Tony Petrocelli.

This is still going to be all about you.

Tony thought this, knowing he could take his time and make love to Kate the way he wanted.

Slow.

Unhurried.

Every touch adding something special to the pleasure of the moment.

Sex was one thing.

Making love to the woman who had clearly stolen his heart was another.

He let his hand drift from her cheek, slowly down her neck. She closed her eyes and bit down on her bottom lip as his fingers
gently traced the outline of each breast. The nipples he'd been taunting instantly sprang to life under his touch, begging
for attention.

He didn't disappoint.

She cried out, her hands clasping the back of his head.

There was nothing he wouldn't do, nothing he wouldn't try, in order to take this woman to places she'd never dreamed possible.

Her breathing was becoming rapid.

He could feel her heart beating wildly.

Feel her body tensing, anticipating what was coming next.

Tony moved lower.

The feel of his mouth traveling down skin smooth as satin sent a moan to his own lips. His hands slid to her thighs, up the
backs of her legs, gently pushing them apart for easy access to the place he was seeking.

She cried out his name.

The taste of her drove his own need higher.

But as great as his own need was, the desire to pleasure her again was greater.

She tensed when his own urgency to please increased the tempo. Her body arched, pressing against him. He slid his hands up
her flat stomach, circled his fingers around both breasts, and kept his mouth buried exactly where it needed to stay.

She finally sighed, convulsing against him.

His own desire quickly took over.

He retraced his steps, his mouth moving upward, planting soft kisses up the full length of her body. He kissed her lips softly
at first, then with the urgency he'd been trying to suppress.

He wasn't prepared when she reversed their positions.

Tony shivered when she took him deep inside her.

“God, Kate. You're driving me crazy.”

His hands found her tiny waist, trying to slow her rhythm, trying to keep each movement slow and unhurried. He wanted to savor
every moment, prolong the magic as long as possible. He kept drifting in and out, lost somewhere between this world and next,
until her long silky hair brushed across his face as she bent down to kiss him.

It was more than he could take.

“Kate,” he moaned again, begging for mercy.

She had none.

She grabbed his hands and held them down on the bed.

Slow and unhurried became fast and urgent.

“You,” she whispered, moving even faster. “This one is all about you.”

He exploded like a hand grenade.

The earth moved.

Time stopped.

Angels sang.

At least, Tony thought all of those things happened.

One thing, however, he knew without a doubt.

Forever would never be long enough to spend with Kate.

Tony pulled the corner of the comforter back over Kate's bare shoulder, deciding he would let her sleep. When he turned to
head back down the stairs, she called out his name.

He turned around.

She was propped up on one elbow, lazily pushing her hair back away from her face.

Is there anything more sexy than a sleepy tousled-looking woman lying in your bed?

Tony didn't think so.

He was tempted to undress and crawl right back into bed with her. Instead, he said, “I'm going to run to town for a second.
I thought you might like more than peanut butter and crackers for dinner.”

Her eyebrow arched. “You mean you aren't taking me to the village to one of those great restaurants, and later to a pub that
has a live band?”

“Not a chance,” Tony teased back. “From here on out, I'm placing you under strict house arrest.”

“Can I roam freely about the cabin, Officer? Or am I confined to the bedroom?”

“Definitely confined to the bedroom,” Tony said.

He walked back to the bed, leaned down, and kissed her.

“How does grilled trout, salad, and a nice bottle of Pinot sound?”

“Yummy.”

He kissed her again and headed down the stairs.

Kate sat up in bed, pulling the comforter with her.

She called out, “Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?”

She heard him laugh.

“No way,” he yelled back. “I can't trust you to keep your hands to yourself.”

Is there anything sexier than a man with a great sense of humor
?

Kate didn't think so.

She fell backward on the bed with a loud, wonderful, couldn't-be-happier sigh. It only took her about ten seconds before she
sat back up again. She scooted to the edge of the bed, wrapped the comforter around her, and flew down the spiral staircase
in search of her clothes.

Two seconds after she'd collected her clothing from the floor, the back of the sofa, and a nearby lamp shade, Kate wiggled
into her lacy thong, into her shorts, jerked her top over her head, and dashed to the SUV for her cell phone.

Finding her bra?

She'd worry about that later.

She flipped open the phone and stared at the appropriate box informing her she had an unbelievable fourteen new messages waiting
for her. Kate scrolled down the messages, shaking her head.

Ten of them (big surprise) were from Alex. Two (wince) were from Grace. And two (vomit) were from Harold.

Two from Harold?

When had Harold ever called her during the
day?

Much less
twice
in one day?

Screw Harold.

But thank God she hadn't.

Tony had seemed ecstatic earlier when she'd admitted she'd never slept with Harold, that their relationship had been platonic
from the very beginning. She'd seen the look of relief wash across his face.

Thank God he was willing to overlook her stupid past mistakes and give her a chance to prove she really wasn't some desperate
psycho chick he shouldn't get involved with.

Psycho chick.

Kate decided she'd better check her messages from her grandmother. Convincing Grace that her current behavior wasn't completely
and categorically psychotic wasn't going to be that easy.

Message number one from her grandmother said, “Kate, call me when you get this message.”

Message number two said, “Harold is concerned, Kate, and so am I. I understand you taking a few days off, but you could at
least answer your cell phone.”

Please.

Kate hit speed dial and called Alex instead.

“Jesus, Kate,” Alex scolded. “I've been worried to death about you.”

“Obviously,” Kate said. “But was it really necessary to leave ten separate messages on my voice mail?”

Alex ignored her question. “Don't leave me guessing. Have you fallen madly into bed with Tony yet?”

“Madly,” Kate admitted. She held the phone away from her ear when Alex screamed.

“Oh, God, I'm so excited. I feel like a proud mom sending her daughter off to the prom for the first time.”

“Save that feeling for the daughter who's going to be too screwed up to go to her first prom,” Kate said.

“Oh, please,” Alex scoffed. “Do you really not know me well enough to realize I never agree to anything unless I know I have
the upper hand?”