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If he was a lesser man he might believe he had disappointed her but he’d made sure she’d found her pleasure before he had taken his. Was she embarrassed by what they had done? It had been the hottest sexual experience he’d ever had. He refused to let her hide from him.
She could have a few minutes before he would persuade her to open the door, take her into his arms and kiss her until he’d convinced her that what they’d shared was beyond words and not something to regret or be ashamed of. Even now he could hardly think of anything but having her again.
The bathroom door opened. Thank goodness, he didn’t have to storm the castle. Cathie stepped out still wrapped in the sheet. She looked everywhere but at him.
He rolled to his side, pulling the cover over the lower half of his body. Propping up on his arm, he watched her. With his other hand, he patted the bed and said in a gentle tone, “Come sit beside me.”
She hesitated. He feared she might not do it. He wouldn’t have thought Cathie would need reassurance but he really didn’t know her that well. He kind of liked this softer, less worldly side of her. Slowly she made her way toward him, sinking to the edge of the mattress. He gave her back a long reassuring stroke. “You know you’re amazing.”
Dipping her head, she gave him a shy look. “You weren’t half bad yourself.”
“Thank you. I can always use a vote of confidence.” He continued to caress her back. The tension in her shoulders was visibly easing.
“I wouldn’t think a man with your skills would need an ego boost.” Her eyes brightened. Whatever was bothering her before must be gone.
He raised a shoulder. “Hey, every man likes for his skills to be appreciated.”
She smiled. “I appreciated them. I thought that was evident.”
His heart tipped at the memory of her loud expression of her pleasure. Even now he was hardening with the idea of hearing it again. He grinned. “Come to think of it, you did. A couple of times.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
He produced his best wicked look as his hand went to the back of her neck and pulled her mouth toward his. “It already is.”
This time their lovemaking was slow and gentle, none of the hurried frenzy of earlier. When they were finished, Cathie curled up beside him and fell asleep.
What was he doing? He didn’t let women spend the night. This connection between them was scary. He’d never been this instantly enamored with a woman. But he’d been deceived by Lauren, and had no intention of letting anyone do that to him again. He’d be happy with one night of pleasure. It was safer that way.
Chapter Five
Rick dosed, then woke to find Cathie still sleeping contently beside him. To his astonishment, he wanted her again. As a virile man, he believed his needs were in the normal range but his obsession with her was topping the chart.
Deciding not to wake her, he slipped out of bed, pulled on sports shorts and went down to the kitchen. Taking a box of crackers from the cabinet and finding cheese in the refrigerator, he put them on the bar. With a glass in his hand ready to pour some tea, he turned at the sound of feet.
“Hey,” Cathie said quietly.
She wore his tuxedo shirt making her look tiny, innocent, and unsure while at the same time seductive. His clothing had never been put to better use.
He walked around the bar between them and reached out to her. “I’m having some cheese and crackers. Iced tea. Come join me.”
She took his hand and he led her to one of the two stools at the bar. He wanted to kiss her but he was afraid she might run. With Cathie he wasn’t sure what to expect. She continued to keep him on his toes. All insecure appearing now, she’d been nothing but open and amazing in his arms earlier. Which was the real one, or was she a combination of both? Or was she hiding something?
He’d quickly learned she was intelligent and knowledgeable about things he wouldn’t have ever guessed would interest her. She implied she enjoyed the simpler things in life, like a morning from a porch. Who would have thought the ultra-stylish woman, with the no hair out of place, who tended to talk a little too loud, could be so different outside of work. He had to admit he liked this one better. In fact, he liked her too much.
Cathie took a stool and he pushed the food toward her, before he poured her tea along with his. She bit into a square of cheese as she looked around the room.
“Would you mind if we catch the last of the baseball game?”
Another surprise. She liked baseball?
“Sure.” He picked up the remote. Turning the TV on, he flipped channels until he found the game.
Her eyes were fixed on the screen. “Great, they’re winning.”
Rick was a little jealous at how easily her attention was diverted away from him to a ball game. He chuckled to himself. That was certainly a change. Most of the women he had dated complained of the same thing in regards to him. “Are you a big Braves fan?”
“I am. I love baseball. I don’t miss many of the Braves games on TV.” She picked up a cracker and munched on it mindlessly.
“You don’t go to the games?”
She shook her head. “Not often. How about you? Do you follow the Braves?”
“I have tickets behind the dugout. I go as often as work will allow.”
Cathie glanced at him. “Must be nice.”
He started to say he would take her sometime but their agreement was tonight. No more. If he made another date with her then he would be moving into an area he had no intention of going. “Even comes with valet parking.”
“You do live in high cotton. Us lowly people have to park and walk,” she teased.
She was coming out of her shell again. He liked the open Cathie.
He shrugged. “My company has season tickets. Mostly I give them away but I keep a few choice ones for the games I want to see. It’s a good way to support the city.”
“That’s what they all say when they take off from work to watch a game.”
Rick laughed. There was some truth in that.
“Okay, you are officially the coolest person I know,” Cathie announced.
“That’s nice to hear.” And it was. He liked impressing her.
Over the next few minutes, they watched the game. She made comments about the players and stats. This time, he was the impressed one.
When the referee made what she believed was a bad call, she yelled her disagreement at the TV. Rick watched in amazement.
After she settled down, she looked at him. A contrite look came over her face. “I’m sorry. I’m known to get carried away.”
“I know.” He liked how she’d let go in bed.
A tint of red came to her cheeks. She’d caught the double meaning. “Is that a bad thing?”
He gave her a kiss on the temple. “Not at all. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Cathie smiled and they went back to watching the game. When she finished the last piece of cheese, he grinned.
“Sorry, I should’ve offered you that,” she said. “I get caught up in a game and forget what I’m doing.”
Pushing the plate away, he said, “Hey, I like a woman who enjoys her food.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to tell me something?”
“No. You certainly get no complaints from me about your figure.” He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, studying her. “Just where’s all this insecurity coming from?”
“I’m sorry. I’m taking out on you something my ex-boyfriend said. He was always securitized what I ate. Accusing me of putting on pounds.” She hmphed. “I need to let go.”
“What’s your favorite meal to eat?”
“Fried catfish and hushpuppies,” she said with a grin.
He nodded. “Interesting. I’d have never guessed that.”
“Give me a great hushpuppy and you can lead me anywhere. Not great for the waistline but wonderful for the taste buds.”
“I’ll be sure to remember that.”
The game forgotten, Carrie crossed her arms on the bar and looked at Rick. “You now know something I like and don’t like. So it’s your turn.”
“Let me see,” he acted as if he were giving it great thought. “I like Banana Pudding and I hate liars.”
She did too, even though she was one. When he had called Cathie’s name while in the middle of his release, a sick feeling had come over her. It should have been her name on his lips. She wanted it to be her name. At that moment, it was as if all her ecstasy had been sucked back in and evaporated. She’d had to escape to regain her composure.
She dared to ask, “Because of your fiancée’s lies?”
