Condom on, he returned to Kate, her arms coming around him, and pulling him down as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She kissed his temple, his cheek, bit his earlobe and breathed, "Do it," in his ear. His eyes went crossed. In one long stroke, he buried himself deep into the hottest place on Earth.
Kate was pretty sure she was going to pass out. Right there on the blanket. From too much blood flow. From her heart beating too fast. The feel of Devin buried deep inside of her, filling her, pressed so tightly against her, connected in a way that made her see stars and know something far bigger and grander was at work.
This was right. He was right.
Then he started to move, a slow, steady pace that had her moving with him. Dev reached under her, one arm around her back, the other cupping her bottom, and pressing her even closer to him, going as deep as possible.
His ragged breathing made her feel sensual and powerful. "God, Kate," he whispered against her ear as though stunned. His shoulders were tense, his body rock hard. She knew he was holding back and she loved him for it. But this slow build was killing her.
"Let go, Devin," she said, running her fingers through his hair. It was damp with sweat. He lifted his head, his eyes a little unfocused. There were two ways to take that, she realized, and she definitely didn't want him to let go, literally. "I mean…" She bit her lip. How did she say it? But then her muscles clenched around him, releasing a zing of pleasure through her. "Just . . . hard, okay?"
With a relieved breath, he grabbed her hands and drew her arms over her head, pinning her wrists with one hand, while grabbing her right leg with the other and lifting slightly. And then he withdrew and plowed into her, hard and fast just like she wanted, until all thoughts ebbed away, sensations took over, and fireworks exploded like New Year's Eve in Times Square.
Chapter 12
"I can't believe I did this," Kate said, staring over the fire at Devin as he reached for another log. "I can't believe I slept with you."
Sparks shot into the dark sky as he tossed the branch onto the fire. "There are worse things," he said quietly, and Kate immediately felt like a jerk.
"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that."
He sat down on the opposite side of the picnic blanket. He'd put everything back on except the T-shirt that had been beneath his flannel shirt. Now that flannel gaped open revealing a chest that Kate was very familiar with and very attached to. He looked so comfortable, completely at home on their little island in the loch. And, yet, there was a vulnerability in his eyes mixed with the quiet sense of strength that always surrounded him.
Emotions swelled inside of her. She wanted him, all the good and all the bad. And it terrified her.
"All right," he draped his forearms over his bent knees and met her gaze. "What did you mean then?"
"I don't know… I just meant I didn't come here for this."
A brown eyebrow arched and he flicked his gaze to the novel lying discarded on the ground. Did he think she'd come to Scotland to relive the things in that book? There was some truth to that, she supposed, seeing as how thathadbeen one of her fantasies for a long time. But that wasn't why she'd come. Far from it. And she was pretty sure he already knew that. "I think you ought to leave Double H out of this."
A smile tugged one corner of his mouth. "Double H, huh?"
Her eyes rolled to the night sky. "Please. Like you didn't have fantasies growing up. What was it? Playboys under the bed? Sexy French maid? Italian beauty? British school teacher?" Yeah, she was pretty sure Devin had atonof such fantasies in his past. No man could do the things he'd done to her and not have a vivid imagination, and most likely the experiences to back it up.
"All of the above I'm sure."
"See. Plus, that book isn't just sex you know. It's about relationships. Love. Overcoming all obstacles to be together and find happily ever after."
He eyed her a long minute, his gaze making her uncomfortable. There was definitely something cooking in that head of his. "Nothing wrong with that."
Heat stole into her cheeks. The last thing she wanted was to chat about happily ever after. Things were too raw right now. She was still coming to terms with the fact that she'd actually slept with him. With a sigh, Kate gathered her loose hair, twisted it, and tied it into a knot. She could feel his eyes on her, tracking her movements, watching her, wanting her. She released a low breath and tried to appear nonchalant when her body, on the other hand, was firing up again. Jeez. That's all it took? For him to look at her?
"I'm not a big talker," he said with a wry smile at her snort. "But I'm about to start…" Kate stilled. He paused a minute, and then continued. "I've learned not to waste time. Learned life is short. Too short to dance around the obvious things in life. Too short to live in fear. Too short to play games or pass up on . . ."
Her heart pounded. Her throat had gone paper dry. But she didn't want him to stop. "On what?"
"Things that could lead to happily ever after."
"Oh."
Dev tried not to smile at the shocked and confused expression on Kate's face. She blinked, frowned, and then gnawed on her bottom lip. He was growing fond of that habit, finding it intensely sexy. But then, he found everything about Kate sexy. She was a blue-eyed beauty with a body that'd make the god's weep. She was funny and sharp and not afraid to speak her mind. Independent. Strong.
It was clear she was having a tough time wrapping her head around his words. He liked that about her, that he could read her so easily, that he'd never have to look at her and wonder about her mood. They'd make some headstrong kids—oh, hell. He didnotjust think that.Jesus. He plowed his fingers through his hair and let out a low, even breath. His palms were sweating and he felt shaky inside.
Devin tried to be patient. He wanted her to ask him what he meant by his words so that he could explain more, but she stayed silent and had gone pale. And now he was so shaken, he wasn't sure he could continue.
Panic swept through him. He'd thought this was a good idea. He truly believed what he said—he didn't want to waste time. He knew what he wanted. He knew what he felt. And it didn't have to be complicated. Unless she made it complicated, which would mean she was scared.
