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  “Kate,” he said in a husky, low voice. He doubted if she even heard him, and it didn’t matter. He had said her name for himself. He wanted her, wanted her softness to envelop him. He wanted to take her to heights of passion she had never experienced before.

  He slid his arm around her waist, tugging off her lace panties and pulling her to him. His fingers slipped between her thighs, fondling her intimately. She gasped and closed her eyes and her head rocked back while her hips thrust against him repeatedly. Kissing her, he rubbed her while she clung to him, her fingers biting into his shoulder. When he took her over the brink, she cried out.

  The more he excited her, the more she excited him. Years fell away. She was here in his arms, letting him love her again, only this time more passionate than ever, as if starved for his loving.

  Heaven knew he was starved for hers! How he wanted her! He wanted to bury himself in her heat and end the torment.

  Her eyes flew open and the desire in those hazel depths shook him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, and when he did, she wrapped her legs around him.

  He groaned, letting her slide down his length, and then while kissing her, he picked her up.

  Determined to have her in his bed, he headed for the stairs, taking them easily while she turned to trail kisses along his neck and shoulder. She teased his ear, her tongue a hot, wet torment that stirred more erotic feelings.

  He lowered her to his big bed, coming down beside her to bite her ankle, then drag his mouth up the inside of her silken thigh. Tomorrow might be filled with regrets by both of them, but he would worry about that later. Tonight, Kate was his, not only willingly, but eagerly, wanting him just as he wanted her. That was a treasure he had only dreamed about, a memory to keep forever and a relief from the hell he had been going through.

  He paused to look at her soft, tempting body, so creamy and pink.

  “You’re beautiful,” he repeated, and leaned down to continue his gentle assault on her inner thigh. She cried out with passion and dug her fingers in his hair, moving him where she wanted him.

  Kate gasped with pleasure as Jonah’s tongue stroked her where his fingers had been, driving her to wanton abandon. She thrashed beneath him, wrapping her long legs around him, wanting him inside her.

  Here in his bed, she knew she had crossed lines and let go of all barriers. And he knew how she felt—she had made that clear to him tonight. She knew what she wanted and she wasn’t holding back, and remorse would not be part of this night. She was ready to give of herself totally and take from him the same way.

  She gasped with pleasure, then wriggled away and pushed him down on the bed. “Let me kiss you,” she ordered, bending forward, a curtain of hair hiding her face from him as she trailed her tongue over his nipples and chest.

  She continued kissing his marvelous male body, her tongue drifting across his flat belly, down to his throbbing manhood, which she licked and stroked while her other hand caressed his powerful thighs.

  Groaning, he sat up, cradling her against his shoulder. Then he turned her, placing her on her back and moving between her legs. “Still protected, Kate?”

  When she shook her head, he moved away, crossing the room to open a dresser drawer. He was magnificent and she couldn’t stop looking at him. She slid off the bed and crossed the room to come up behind him, pressing against his warm, hard length, her arms going around him.

  “I want you, Jonah.”

  “Ah, Kate, how I want you, darlin’.” He turned swiftly to hold her and kiss her, then picked her up and carried her back to bed.

  Once again he moved between her legs, opening a packet to get out protection.

  She drank in the sight of him—male, hard, ready for her. She held out her arms and draped her legs over his thighs. He lowered himself, coming down to enter her.

  She felt his thick, hard shaft penetrate slowly, and she had to move, desire compounding to a driving force that made her lose control. She was Jonah’s completely, yielding, loving him, holding him tightly against her and relishing the warmth and hardness of his body as he slowly filled her and swept her to new heights.

  “Jonah!” she cried, seeing lights exploding behind her closed eyelids as hot desire consumed her.

  United, with all differences burned away in passion and one driving force motivating them, they moved together. She gripped his shoulders, relishing holding him close. Her long legs were locked around him and she yielded completely. Urgency carried them along, higher and higher until they crashed over a brink and release came.

  She held him tightly, feeling his body shudder as he moved with her. She kissed his throat. “I love you,” she proclaimed softly, certain he would be lost in passion and never hear her. And if he heard, he wouldn’t care.

  He slowed, finally letting his weight down on her. He kissed her lightly, showering kisses over her shoulder and throat, her forehead and cheek, her ear.

  “You’re stunning, Kate. You’re wonderful. I want to hold you in my arms all night long.”

  “I want you to hold me all night and I want to hold you,” she said, turning her head. He looked into her eyes and her breath caught at the tenderness she saw there.

  After making love, she expected he’d be satiated, soon returning to his distant self. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he had regrets. But she didn’t expect to look into his eyes and see desire blazing as if they hadn’t yet made love at all.

  She tightened her arms around him and pulled his head down to kiss him. When she did, his mouth opened and his tongue touched hers, his kiss an affirmation of the closeness they had just felt.

  “Jonah, I’m glad.”

  “So am I, Kate,” he answered solemnly. Holding her close, he turned so they were on their sides, facing each other. “You’re fantastic.”

  She smiled and ducked her head, kissing his neck, and he pulled her into his embrace.

  He sighed, holding her and stroking her back. “I think my bones have turned to soup.”

  She laughed softly and kissed his throat again, trailing her fingers over his chest. “I don’t think so.”

  “Kate, stay here with me tonight.”

  “I will.”

  He moved away to look at her, playing with her hair. “Do you have to go to work tomorrow? Any chance of calling in and telling them that you have to stay in bed?”

  She laughed again. “No, Jonah, I’m not calling in and telling them that. Let’s not worry about morning yet.”

  “Good enough,” he said, trailing kisses over her forehead and down her cheek. “You’re perfection, Kate.”

  “Then you’re blind,” she answered dryly, but his words pleased her and his kisses thrilled her. She was glad he wanted her to stay in his bed, glad he wanted her to skip work tomorrow, even though she didn’t think she should when she was so new to the company. “After a while we should call Henry and tell him good night and that we’re home now.”

  “I think it’s already past Henry’s bedtime, but we can let Mom know that we’re back at the ranch. Although she doesn’t expect me to check in with her,” he added with amusement in his voice.

  “She might not expect it, but she’ll like it.”

  “We’ll do it in a little while. Right now, I just want to hold you and touch you and look at you,” he said, caressing her shoulder.

  “That’s fine with me,” she answered, trailing her fingers over his smooth back, feeling the solid muscles. She let her hand slide down his firm buttocks, to his thighs, sprinkled with short, dark hairs.

  She knew they were both skirting issues about how this night of loving would change their relationship, but at the moment, she didn’t want reality to intrude on her euphoria. And she suspected that he didn’t, either.

  “So much for staying alone in the same house and avoiding each other,” she said.

  He grinned. “This is infinitely better.”

  “I’d have to agree with that one. You’re a very special man, Jonah.”
/>   “How so?” he asked.

  “You’re a fantastic father and an awesome lover, and when you want, you can be fabulous to be with.”

  “Hot damn, darlin’, you’ll turn my head! I don’t remember such praise when we were married.”

  “Maybe I was more into reality then. Or less appreciative.”

  He smiled at her. “You’re a seductress and I think you planned every minute of this night.”

  “Jonah Whitewolf!” she exclaimed indignantly, and then she saw the glint in his eyes and knew he was teasing her. “If anything was planned, I wasn’t the one who did the planning.”

  “Like a lot of good things, tonight was completely spontaneous.”

  “That’s because we’re like fire and dynamite when we get together. The explosions happen.”

  “Then you’re fire, because you set me off every time you’re in the same room.”

  “You’ve hidden it well,” she said, running her index finger along his shoulder. “You know we just compounded our problems tonight.”

  “Maybe. Maybe we solved some. You could move in here with me and solve some more.”

  “Right,” she remarked dryly. “Solve your lack of sex.”

  “That’s right, baby,” he drawled in a husky, seductive voice, and she laughed while he nuzzled her neck. “Next time I can go slower and give you more pleasure.”

  “If you go slower and give me more pleasure, I’ll disintegrate.”

  “We’ll try and see,” he said softly, running his hand along her hip and up to cup her breast.

  She caught his wrist to stop him. “You’re supposed to be too exhausted to be interested in that right now.”

  “Who says? I’m interested. I’ll show you.”

  “Jonah! I need to clean up a little, too.”

  “Then we’ll do that together. One of those hot, sexy, seductive baths. Come on.” He stood and leaned down to scoop her into his arms and carry her to his big bathroom. In minutes he had water pouring into a round tub, and he took her hand, leading her down the steps.

  “This is very fancy,” she said, eyeing the mammoth tub and luxurious decor.

  “That it is. Absolutely fascinating,” he said, his gaze drifting over her nude body. He leaned down to take her nipple into his mouth, flicking his tongue over the taut bud.

  She inhaled and clung to his shoulders. “A bath, Jonah. We were going to bathe, remember?”

  He raised his head and his eyes had darkened with desire. Climbing the rest of the way into the tub, he sat and pulled her down. She straddled him and faced him, looking into his heated gaze.

  “So soon?” she whispered, aware that he was hard and ready again.

  “That’s what you do to me, Kate,” he said solemnly. He framed her face with his hands and looked at her, and she felt as desired as a woman could possibly be by a man.

  Jonah leaned forward to kiss her and she was lost again, her body responding instantly, making her ready for him. But he kissed and caressed her, lingering the way he’d said he would, to make this time even better for her.

  When the bathwater reached their waists, he paused to turn off the spigots. Still intrigued and excited, she ran her hands over his magnificent chest, which now gleamed with water. She wasn’t going to tell him she loved him, because he wouldn’t tell her he loved her in return, but she did love him, and every kiss, each caress, was an outpouring of what she felt for him.

  She leaned down to trail her tongue over his nipple and hear him groan before he pulled Kate up to kiss her, hard and long.

  Finally he tugged her over him, his shaft entering her, and his fingers stroked her intimately, touching erogenous zones. When he kissed her hard, a blinding spiral of need drove her to a frenzy.

  Release burst inside her and she collapsed over him, just as he reached his own climax. Satiated, joyous with lovemaking, she clung to him. She had no idea how much time passed before he turned her, pulling her onto his lap and holding her close in his arms with her back against his chest.

  “You’re decadent and wicked, Jonah,” she said softly.

  “And you love it, you wanton little seductress,” he said, nuzzling her neck.

  She leaned back against him. “I could purr now.”

  “Just wait a little while and I’ll give you a real reason to purr.”

  She laughed and twisted around on his lap to look at him. And then she remembered their differences in outlook, the problems, and knew that this was an accident—a brief, euphoric interlude.

  He gazed back solemnly, and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing. Their love was hopeless, their relationship at an impasse neither could change. This interlude of ecstasy was only that, an interlude. It had changed nothing, had done nothing except satisfy their lust. She leaned her head against his chest, knowing they hadn’t solved any problems between them, but had merely compounded and complicated them.

  “Don’t let tomorrow intrude yet, Kate. This is too great.”

  She sighed. “That’s difficult to do, but I agree and I’ll try. We really got ourselves in deeper, and complicated our lives even more.”

  “I don’t think so. In the long run, I think things between us will be better.”

  “Jonah, that’s a real stretch. We’d better stop now.”

  “You’re right,” he said, standing with her in his arms. She yelped as water splashed and sloshed. Jonah carried her out of the tub and set her on her feet.

  “Now we can dry each other off,” he said, handing her a thick, fluffy navy towel. He took one himself and began to dry her body with slow, seductive strokes.

  She did the same to him, still relishing every touch and caress. Her pulse was racing again and she tingled, wanting him, when just five minutes ago she hadn’t thought she would again tonight.

  “Turn around, Jonah, and I’ll dry your back,” she said, running the towel over his smooth skin, down over his narrow waist, his trim buttocks. She started to dry his legs and he turned.

  “Kate,” he whispered, dropping his towel and tossing away hers, pulling her into his embrace to kiss her again….

  Through the night they loved, until Jonah fell asleep in her arms at dawn and she knew she would miss a day of work. She was exhausted and she didn’t want to leave the house or the bedroom.

  She wouldn’t think ahead. Seize the day and worry about tomorrow later, she told herself. There was plenty of time for heartache on down the road, but right now, she wanted to love him, and for him to love her.

  The night had compounded desire instead of satisfying it. She couldn’t understand her own reactions, but she wanted him. She twisted slightly, moving carefully to raise up on her elbow and look at him while he slept.

  He was the most handsome man on earth to her and she could never see him any other way. He had been a warrior when she’d met him, and she’d known what she was going into when she married him. But at the same time, she hadn’t known how devastating it would be to live day after day with him in constant danger.

  She touched his hair lightly, wanting to run her fingers over his firm jaw, looking at his thick lashes, glad those lively dark eyes were closed, because they missed nothing.

  His shoulders were broad and strong, his arms muscled, his chest like a rock. Her gaze ran down his bare length and her pulse skipped. He was a magnificent male, so incredibly special, yet at the same time so hopelessly determined to do what he wanted to do.

  She wrapped her arms around him and lay down again, holding him close against her. “I love you, Jonah,” she whispered, knowing that if she wanted to be honest with herself, she would admit it to him. But it wouldn’t solve anything. Jonah didn’t trust her, and he wouldn’t really care whether she loved him or not, because love was useless without trust.

  I may have changed… Again she recalled what he’d said, but she knew better than that. He hadn’t changed one tiny degree or he would never have run outside the other night after the bomber.

  No point hoping fo
r miracles. She didn’t know where the two of them were headed, but she didn’t see marriage looming in the future. Not without trust.

  She sighed and pressed against him. Take what you have right now, she told herself, knowing tomorrow would be filled with more heartaches.

  She dozed, stirring only when erotic tingles made her shift and move her hips. She opened her eyes to find Jonah leaning over her, his tongue circling her nipple slowly while he caressed her with his free hand.

  With a sigh, she turned, wrapping her arm around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss, and within minutes they were making love as if it were the first time all over again.

  Later, she called her office to tell them she wouldn’t be in, and returned to Jonah’s waiting arms. “You’re causing the decadence here,” she said.

  “It won’t hurt you to miss one day of work. I’ll call Scott after a while and let him know that I’m busy all day. And then, my beauty, I’ll have my way with you.”

  “Is that a promise?” she asked, and he grinned.

  “Kate, we could live together this way.”

  She started to answer and he put his finger on her lips. “Don’t say anything yet. Think about it.” He moved his hands. “And while you think about it…” He leaned down to kiss her and she promptly forgot everything except him and his mouth and body.

  It was noon before she stepped out of bed, yanking at the sheet to wrap it around her. “I’m starving for food. I’m going to shower and then I’m going to eat. I’ll be happy to feed you if you don’t want anything complicated.”

  “Fair enough,” he said, his gaze drifting over her. He slid off the bed and crossed to her. “Now that that decision is made, give me a good-morning kiss.”

  “Not on your life, mister! I know where that leads. You wait until I get some food.” She turned and fled. “We need to call and talk to Henry, too,” she called over her shoulder.

  When she had showered, she dressed in clean cutoffs and another blue T-shirt.

  Downstairs, Jonah was on the kitchen phone. He talked a moment and motioned to her. “Come talk to Henry. I don’t think he’s missing us as much as you suspected.”