First Class Justice (First Class Novels) (17 page)

"Floor?" he asked.

"Seventh," the gentleman replied.

Mark pushed their number and then his, eight.

"Thank you," the gentlemen smiled.

"Seriously?" Katy turned red.
"Unbelievable!"

"What?" Mark asked, confused by her outburst.

"Nothing," she muttered. She wouldn’t let these
snobs get to her. She wouldn’t let them ruin her night.

The doors opened on floor number seven and the elderly
couple got off. The doors closed and took them one floor higher.

Mark still had her hand in his and they walked down the
hallway to their room.

"Funny," she grinned.

"What?"

"Last night I was hurrying down this same hallway
trying to find you because I thought you were dying," she laughed.
"And here I am, literally twenty-four hours later hurrying down the same hallway
to the same room with very different expectations."

"Hopefully I can live up to those expectations,"
he chuckled.

"Let's see," she grinned.

*****

Once inside the hotel room, Mark shrugged out of his suit
jacket and helped Katy out of hers. She excused herself and went into the
bathroom. Leaning on the back of the door, she closed her eyes and then opened
them hoping it hadn't all been a dream. But she was still in the bathroom in
her new sexy red dress and she could hear Mark in the bedroom. It was real.
Could it be her turn? Was her life taking the turn she had wished for? Hoped
for? Mark really was going to be her knight in shining armor?

Katy took a couple of deep breaths and opened the door. Mark
was leaning on the wall between the small living room and the bedroom. He
looked gorgeous. He had removed his shoes and his tie. His shirt was unbuttoned
and hanging open, revealing his washboard abs.

"Nice."

"I aim to please," he grinned.

"I hope you do."

She closed the gap between them and he pulled her into his
arms, his lips finding hers and quickly devouring her. His tongue danced with
hers and she moaned as she tasted him. His arms slid up her back and into her
hair at the nape of her neck. He pulled down, forcing her up to him so that he
could have all of her.

She clung to him, excitement pulsing through her body. She
could feel his erection as she pulled his body closer to hers and that thought
almost tipped her over.

She pushed him back and tried to step out of his arms.

"What?" he asked, fear in his eyes.

Katy panted, trying to catch her breath.

"I need a moment, or I'm gonna finish before we ever
get started," she gasped.

Relief flooded over Mark and he chuckled. "I hear
ya."

Katy smiled and took his hand and walked over to the sofa.
They sat, Mark's arm securely around her, Katy's head on his shoulder.

"Please don’t let this be a dream," she whispered.

"It's not a dream. And you'd better not just get off me
when we're done and run out of here like last time."

Katy sighed. "You have no idea."

"Tell me."

"It's true what I said. I needed to have sex. It was
therapeutic. But I only wanted it with you. No one else would ever do."

Katy played with his trousers, running her finger up and
down his thigh. "And it was more than I had hoped for, but you had said we
were only friends so I had to get out before I said something
embarrassing."

"Hold on!" he said as he grabbed her hand from his
leg. "YOU said we were friends and I agreed with you. We were friends. We
ARE friends. But
you
said it!"

Katy sighed. He was right. She had done all the talking.

"Point taken," she admitted.

"That was the best sex I've ever had," he smiled
at the memory.

"Me too," she giggled.

"’til tonight," he added.

*****

Her shoes were already on the floor next to his. The satin of
her dress fell to her feet, making a swooshing sound. Mark tossed it to the
growing pile on the floor: his pants and his shirt and now her dress.

Katy ran the back of her finger down his chest to the trail
of hair hidden by his briefs. She leaned in and kissed his shoulder, taking a
little bite. His body reacted with a slight quiver. She looked up to see him
gazing at her.

"I love you, Katy Miles."

"I love you Mark Lathem."

With fingers entwined in her hair, he pulled her to his lips
and licked them with his tongue then kissed her with such passion she felt
little butterflies in her belly.

This is what it’s supposed to be,
she thought.
This
is what I've been waiting for.
She snaked her arms around his neck and
pulled their bodies together, her legs inside his, his erection firm against
her hip, her breasts heaving against his chest.

"I want to feel you," he whispered and undid the
hooks of her bra. With a flip of his wrist, it landed on the pile of clothes.

Skin to skin, he caressed her back as her nipples pushed into
his chest. He pushed her backwards ‘til the back of her legs were leaning
against the bed.

"Lie down, please?" he asked.

Katy sat and scooted up the bed and then laid her head on
the pillow.

"Just like my dream," he whispered.

"What dream?"

“The dream I had the night before I abruptly left your
house."

"When I told you to get out?" Katy grimaced.

"You didn't tell me to leave," he smiled.
"But I knew after that dream I had to go. You weren't safe from me."

"What did you dream about?"

"We were on the beach, in Hood River," he said as
he sat down beside her on the bed. "I walked out of the water and you were
there in your bikini just lying there."

"That wasn't a dream," she grinned.

Mark climbed onto his knees beside her, looking down over
her near-naked body.

"And then I did this," he said as put his hand
over her panties and caressed her.

Katy gasped at the contact and arched her back.

"And then I did this."

Mark leaned over her and took one perfect nipple into his
mouth and gently sucked, rolling his tongue over and over, his hand massaging
her. Mark could feel the moisture through her panties and smiled as he released
her nipple from his mouth.

"Then what?" Katy asked breathlessly.

“And then I woke up because I'd made a mess of myself."

Katy laughed and Mark pretended to be offended.

"You're hurting my manhood!" he teased.

"No, you're more of a man than I’ve
ever
known."

"You're strung tight," he whispered. "Let's
fix that, shall we?"

He pushed his hand inside her panties and found her very
wet. He pushed two fingers inside her and she bucked to his touch. Then with
his thumb he caressed her clitoris around and around and Katy closed her eyes
and let go.

"Ahh," she cried as her orgasm racked her body.

Mark kept his hand inside her as her muscles slowly released
all the tension they had been holding and he lowered himself down to her and
kissed her with all the love he felt in his heart.

"And that's how the dream should have ended," he
whispered as he left little feather kisses over her nose, eyes and cheeks.

Katy's heart was slowly returning to a normal rhythm and she
opened her eyes to see that look; the look she longed to see for months. A tiny
tear escaped and Mark kissed it away.

"Don't cry, baby," he breathed into her mouth as
he kissed her again.

"I can't believe this is real."

Mark pulled his hand away and sat up. He gently pulled her
panties down her legs and pulled them from her feet. He threw them aside and
removed his briefs and lowered himself onto her so that he was completely
covering her body.

"Am I too heavy?" he asked.

Katy shook her head. "I like it," she whispered.

Mark kissed her again, and again. Her arms wrapped around
his waist and her fingers pressed into his skin, kneading him, feeling him. His
hips pressed down and Katy moved her legs apart and brought her feet up,
opening herself to him.

"Please," she begged.

His penis entered her slowly, pushing in and in and filling
her completely. For just a moment they didn't move, just lay there together as
one, their bodies and their hearts joined.

"You are perfect," he breathed into her hair.
"Be mine forever."

"Forever."

He pulled out and slid back in, the exquisite feeling of her
accepting him, loving him, completely overwhelming him.

"I love you," he said.

"So you've said," she smiled.

"I will tell you that over and over again because it's
how I feel. I want you to always know how I feel."

"I like the way you feel. I love the way you
feel."

Mark's rhythm built as he slid in and out and Katy grabbed
his hips and pulled him in further and further. Over and over he thrusted and
Katy threw her head back and held her breath as she tipped once more over the
edge and spiraled down into a spine-tingling orgasm, Mark stiffening as he
joined her in their glory.

Panting and completely satiated, he collapsed on top of her
and rolled over and pulled her into his chest.

"’til tonight," he gasped.

"Huh?"

"It was the best sex until tonight," he grinned.

They slept peacefully, Katy on Mark's chest, Mark's cheek on
her golden hair. When Katy woke many hours later, she was thrilled to realize
it really wasn't a dream. Her knight was lying next to her and he loved her.

"Morning, baby." His voice was gravelly.

Katy grinned. "Morning."

"How did you sleep?"

"Never better," she admitted.

"Me too."

Katy scooted out of his arms and left for the bathroom. Mark
locked his fingers behind his head and couldn’t remember a time he had felt
happier.
Happy,
he thought
. I'm happy!

Katy returned quickly and jumped back on the bed.

"Katy?"

"Hmm?" she said as she snuggled back into his
side.

"Marry me?"

Katy's head jerked up and she stared at him.

"Why?"

Is she horrified?
he thought as he saw her
expression.

"Because I love you and you love me. And because I want
to be with you...forever."

"We can have all of that and not be married," she
said. She was serious.

"You don't want to get married?"

"No."

"You don't want to get married or you don't want to get
married to me?" he asked, afraid of her answer.

"I was married once and it was the worst experience of
my life."

"So it's not me, it's the institution?"

"Yes," her face softening into a smile. "It's
definitely not you," she said as she placed her hand on his cheek.

"Good," relief dripping from his voice.

"I don't need a piece of paper that says we are
committed to each other. So let's not talk about that right now."

He pulled her close.

"It doesn't mean that I won't ask you again though,"
he said.

"Then make sure when you do, you're
absolutely
sure
the time is right."

*****

They left the hotel that afternoon, Mark's suitcase and
Katy's backpack in her Subaru, and headed for Portland. Mark was supposed to be
in Seattle for a couple more days but ditched his plans to be with Katy. Now
that she was his, he wasn't letting her out of his sight. Well, not yet anyway.

The rain began as they drove through Longview, heading for
the Columbia River and into Oregon.

"I'm not sure I’ll like the winters much, but I guess
I'll get used to it."

"Why will you get used to it?" Katy asked.

Mark was driving and was messing with the steering column
looking for the windshield wipers. Katy leaned over and flicked them on.

"Every car is different," he frowned.

"You live in New York," she said. 

"Right…which creates a problem. There's not going to be
a long distance romance, baby. We are together and I’m not going to ask you to
give up your life here, so I guess I'll move."

Katy was stunned, speechless.

"What?"

"I'll live here."

"But..."

"You don't want to live together? Just because I agreed
to the ‘no proposal thing’ doesn't mean I'm not living with you."

Katy looked out the window. "This is all very...very
fast."

Mark glanced over to see her body language. She hadn't
retreated, thankfully, but she was obviously deep in thought. He didn't disturb
her. He didn't want to force anything on her, but he also wasn't going to live
without her. On that he was firm.

They drove for a few miles.

"So what are our options?" she finally said.

"Options?" Mark asked.

"Living arrangements," she clarified.

"Together. No discussion."

Katy grinned. "Okay. Got that. Options as to
where."

"Where?" Mark's eyebrows rose. "I guess in
Portland or in New York."

"Derek only has one more year of school, and I could
work anywhere."

"You don't need to work!" Mark scoffed.
"Didn't we have this discussion last night? I’ve got money, Katy. Plenty
of money. We can have dinner at the Space Needle," he chuckled.

"I need to work, Mark. It has helped to define me for
the past fifteen-plus years. I won’t give that up."

"Okay," he agreed. "Where do you want to
work? Does it have to be in Portland?"

"No, it really doesn't. It could be in New York. And
Janie's already there," she sighed.

"Are you saying you would consider moving to New
York?" Mark was shocked.

"No."

Mark was deflated.

"I'm saying I will move to New York, with some
conditions," she added.

*****

“I’m not questioning your decision,” Dr. LaVaughn said. “I
was just asking why you made your decision so quickly.”

Katy stood looking at the river in her usual spot in her
therapist’s office.