Kaitlyn felt weightless.
That’s what they all talked about. She grinned and finally opened her eyes. Jock was watching her, his tongue running up her stomach now, back to her breast, to tease, to torment.
“Oh, please,” she said, shifting.
“My Kaitie, always in a rush.” He kissed one breast, then the other. “God, you’re tight.” He added another finger, stretching her. His thumb rubbed across a bundle of nerves and she shuddered.
“Jock.”
He kissed his way up her neck, finally licking across the seam of her mouth. “I don’t want to hurt you, Kaitie.”
She cupped his face. “You’re not the kind of man who could hurt me. Break my heart, maybe, but never hurt me.”
Again, he turned and kissed her palm.
“Wrap your legs around me again.”
She did, then hissed and trembled as his erection brushed against her.
“Hurry, Jock.”
His eyes locked with hers, so dark in the dim light coming from the hallway.
He settled against her, reaching between them to guide himself inside her.
She felt the stretch. Jock was a big man, well proportioned to his size.
But she didn’t care. She just wanted him. Wanted more. Needed him inside her.
“Be still,” he said softly.
Kaitlyn stilled.
“Look at me, Kaitie.” His deep voice graveled across her nerves, making her tremble.
“Jock, please.”
Her eyes locked with his again. He waited, looking at her, his eyes scanning her face.
She felt him press deeper, winced and hissed at the sharp sting of pain as he thrust hard.
Kaitlyn held her breath, her eyes locked to him.
“Kaitie,” he said softly. Then he grasped her hand, linking their fingers. “My Kaitie.”
She could only stare at him as he stayed still, staring at her.
“Baby, breathe,” he whispered. Then, “Oh, God. I hurt you, I—” He started to pull out.
Kaitie pressed him deeper with her heels, held him there with her thighs and groaned, trembling again.
She bit her bottom lip then said, “You promised me bright and beautiful. I’ve had the bright.”
“Demanding woman.”
“I think I saw stars before.” She smiled as she leaned up and licked a trail up his neck, tasting the salt of his skin, the tang of aftershave, just as he sank back into her.
She moaned into his mouth as his lips stole hers, slanting over hers again. “Ah, Kaitie,” he breathed.
She wanted him to move. “Jock.”
He withdrew, then slowly sank into her again, all the while his eyes never leaving her face. She knew because she was watching him, her hands on his strong shoulders.
A muscle bunched in his jaw.
She met him when he sank into her again.
Jock kissed her and started to move. Kaitlyn met his thrusts, wrapped her arms tightly around him as the feelings built again, harder and faster than they had the first time.
Jock slid out. Then in. Out. In. Out. In.
“God, Jock. Please.” She wiggled into the next slide. “I need . . . I need . . .”
“I know, baby.”
Still his thrusts were slow and controlled until Kaitlyn was begging, pleading. She raked her nails across his back, her hand fisting in his hair.
Jock’s control slipped as his thrusts increased.
His hand gripped hers, hers his as both their moans met and tangled in kisses and breaths. He built a storm of passion in her as fierce as the one raging outside, but more. Stronger.
Faster.
Bigger.
Thunder ripped the room apart just as Kaitlyn shattered. Locking her legs tight, her hand squeezing.
Kaitie flew apart.
“Yes!” she screamed, ripping her mouth from his.
Jock could only watch as passion rippled through her, clamping tight, so tightly down on him. Her face flushed, her neck flushed, her eyes were closed, and she trembled.
He glanced down where they were joined and closed his eyes as he sank back into her.
He was lost in her sleek, damp heat.
So hot.
So wet.
So fucking right.
Her inner muscles squeezed him, again and again.
When her legs and arm tightened around him, he lost his hold on his body.
He knew he should slow down. He didn’t want to hurt her.
She yelled again and kept gripping him.
Jock groaned, his back arching as he thrust so deep he didn’t know where she stopped and he began. His orgasm ripped through him and he yelled, staying right where he was until he could take a breath.
“Kaitie mine,” he muttered into her neck, withdrawing slowly, then sliding back into her heat.
She shivered and he groaned.
Her breath panted against his ear, her limbs still locked around him, her muscles still spasming, keeping him hard inside her.
Her heart slammed against his, her body slick with sweat under him.
Under him. He was probably crushing her.
Taking a deep breath, he rolled and pulled her with him.
Kaitie sprawled across him. For several minutes it was only the sound of their breaths mixing in the room.
“Oh, my God, is it always like that?” she asked him between pants. “Because if it is, I’m wondering what I was waiting on.”
He couldn’t help but grin. He slapped her ass. “You were waiting on the right man. Me.”
He remembered her comment about gods or something. “Then again,” he said, tilting her chin up, “only muscled gods like me—”
“Ancient gods, not muscled.”
“Still, I think I like being considered godly.”
She snorted. “You would.”
He grunted and jerked the covers out from under them. “Are you okay?” he asked her.
He’d get up and run them a bath in a bit, but for now he just wanted to hold her.
Once he had them settled with the covers over them, he asked her again, “Kaitie, are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
She blew out a breath. “Was it the yells and screams that worried you?”
“Kaitlyn.”
“You didn’t hurt me, Jock.” She stacked her hands on his chest and looked up at him from under those lashes. “And if you did, I’d ask you to do it again. Later, when my heart doesn’t feel like it’s going to explode.”
He chuckled and pulled her closer to him. “God, you make me laugh.”
“That’s not all I made you do.”
“Kaitie lass, I’ll blush if you keep it up.”
She sighed and yawned. “I was hoping you’d keep it up.”
“Damned handful.” He snorted and kissed her forehead. “Rest for a bit.”
She squirmed and shifted until she was comfortable, her head on his shoulder.
“Why Kaitie? My name’s Kaitlyn.”
“Does it bother you? Kaitie?” He realized then it might.
She shook her head. “No, not like—No.”
He didn’t say anything for a minute.
“But why Kaitie?”
He thought about it for a minute. “I’m not changing your name. Kaitlyn’s a perfectly great name, but I like Kaitie.”
“Why?”
“It’s mine,” he told her truthfully. “A piece of you that no one else has.”
She snorted a laugh. “Like you didn’t get that already.”
“Oh, I got it and you.” He settled them down, her head fitting perfectly in the curve of his shoulder. His fingers trailed absently along her arm, hers on his chest.
“And I got you.” She took a deep breath and snuggled closer to him. “Bright and beautiful,” she whispered.
“And then some.” He kissed the top of her head.
“I’m going to draw you tomorrow. A nude.”
He started at that. “Excuse me?”
“With the art supplies you got me.” She smiled against his shoulder, he could feel it. “That way I’ll always have it.”
He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
“Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt,” she told him.
“I know that.”
“Yet, you don’t like the idea.”
“I’ll let you draw me, if you let me take a photo of you.”
“A photo?”
“A nude.”
He thought she’d say no, so he was surprised into silence when she said, “That’s fair.”
She yawned again and stilled against him.
A nude photo of her? That was his? He grinned, staring at the ceiling. He noted the thunder had faded, though he could hear the rain dripping off the roof and hitting the balcony.
The sound of the wind, the soft rain lulled him, as did the woman beside him.
“I’ll be able to sleep tonight,” she said softly.
He waited but she didn’t say anything else.
“Kaitie?”
“Hmmm.”
“What do you mean you’ll be able to sleep tonight?”
Her chest pressed against him on her inhale. For a minute she didn’t answer, then finally she said, “I’m safe. With you. Here. I’m safe.”
He pulled her tighter against him and kissed her head again. “Yes, baby, you are. Always.”
“Bright and beautiful,” she repeated, slow and sleepy.
He waited until he thought she was asleep, her body relaxed against his, her breathing deep and even.
“And then some,” he repeated. She didn’t know it yet, and he had no idea how he’d convince her, but Kaitlyn was his.
He wasn’t going to let her go.
Chapter 5
He looked around the living room. Perfect. The crystal tumbler bit into his hand.
Where the hell was she?
He’d looked. He’d tried to find her.
She was making him look bad. They had an engagement this evening they were supposed to attend together.
Instead she was God knew where, with God knew who.
He’d thought he’d found the right one this time.
He still believed he’d found the right one. She’d been the most trainable of them all, or seemed to be.
Perhaps he’d been mistaken.
He took a sip of scotch and studied the shadows.
The bookcases were cleaned just as he liked them, and he’d checked. This was the fifth cleaning service he’d hired since moving into this house.
He had plans.
He had plans that needed the perfect woman at his side.
He was
not
giving her up. Not this time. He’d given others up, but not this time. Every other time he’d known at some point she wasn’t the right one, and then he’d have to find another woman.
But this time . . . this time, he’d found her. Right there in his own ER. She’d looked at him and smiled.
And he’d known.
She was his. He might have to work with her for a bit, he’d thought, but she’d come around.
Women wanted home and family. That was what they were made for. Sometimes, though, they just had to be reminded. Especially with the stupid feminist movement that seemed to disease so many of the female minds.
But Katherine, Katherine wasn’t like the others. Under it all, she was traditional, she wanted the family. Her idea of continuing to work in the ER simply wouldn’t do. His wife needed to be there for him, not trying to get off of work if they had dinners or galas to attend. He wanted to be chief of staff, and to attain that he needed a wife to make a home. A home where he could entertain.
He swirled his drink, the heady scent wafting up to him. He reached over and lifted a sweater he’d taken from her apartment. Her apartment that was empty.
He’d already packed up all her clothing, or at least the clothing he approved of, the ones he’d bought her.
The rest he’d donated. He hadn’t donated or tossed everything. Some things were still in boxes. He’d left those in the middle of her floor along with her plants. She needed to go through them and decide what she wanted to keep, what she could give away. He’d wanted to toss it all. But then that would anger her.
Where the hell was she?
He stood.
He’d already gone to her friends to find out, and none of them would tell him a damned thing.
He’d even stooped so low as to ask her boss, as he knew she was supposed to work this weekend.
Nothing.
The damned head nurse in the ER and the doctor down there would tell him nothing, looked at him as if something were wrong.
No one would look at him that way.
No one.
He knew why they were doing it. What had she told them to make them give him such disdainful looks?
He’d find out.
He paced. He’d played it as if it were no big deal, that he must have gotten the days mixed up.
He’d had to go to dinner alone and make excuses for her.
She’d learn. She’d damn well learn.
She thought she’d go to med school. He’d taken care of that. He took care of her. He told her and showed her how things should and would be.
She’d taken the ring off and tried to give it back to him.
He’d snapped.
They never handed his gifts back.
He should have controlled himself better.
Because then she ran. Well, she ran after she’d tried to end it with him.
They never ended it with him.
He thought she was different.
She
was
different. He’d make certain of it. As soon as he found her.
He took a deep breath and set the drink on his desk. Running a hand down his tie, he knew what he would do, where he’d wait for her.
Then he’d bring her home where she belonged.