A Taste of You (24 page)

Shirtless and in black boxer briefs, his back was to me, but I could see he was on his cell. He paced, running his free hand through his hair, which told me he was agitated. I couldn’t hear what he said, only the tone made it sound like he was finished with the call. How long had he been out of bed and on the phone?

Suddenly, he turned, and his gaze caught mine. He said something curt and ended the call. He crossed to me and took me in his arms. “Did I wake you?”

“No.”

He stepped back, and I had a clear glimpse of his face. His distracted look indicated he was thinking about the call.

“Is everything alright?” I asked.

His strong arms might have been around me a moment ago, but his eyes were a deep stormy grey, and he looked like he was miles away. For once,
he
needed
me
. I wrapped my arms around him and laid my head against his bare, muscled chest. He was tense, but as I held him, the tension ebbed away. I wanted to ask whom he had been speaking to on the phone, but I didn’t. I had a feeling he wouldn’t tell me. I just got him back, and I didn’t want to argue.

William squeezed me. “Everything will be fine, Catherine. Don’t worry about anything.”

I almost laughed. I was supposed to be comforting him!

“My aunt would like you to come for dinner. Is that okay?”

“Of course. Was that her on the phone?”

He laughed, a throaty laugh that I loved.

Finally, I had my William back. “No, that wasn’t her at this hour. She sent a text about thirty seconds after we left the event.”

I smiled at her eagerness, but his answers didn’t stop me from noticing that he hadn’t offered information about his call. My stomach rumbled loudly, and William’s eyes widened. “Someone needs food. I’m hungry too. I’ll order something.”

“William, it’s after one in the morning. The kitchen is closed.”

He laughed and gave me a quick kiss. “Twenty-four-hour room service, darling. I’ll be right back.”

He crossed to the hotel phone, spoke quietly then turned back. “The food will be here in fifteen minutes. Can you wait that long, starving girl?”

“Of course. I’m fine.”

He walked to the table in the living room, grabbed two bottles of water, and rifled through a large hospitality basket I hadn’t noticed. It was filled with assorted treats—crackers, cookies, fruit. He grabbed a jar of elegantly packaged gourmet jelly beans and patted the couch. “Come sit with me.”

When I sat down, he pulled me into his lap. “William!” I said when I almost fell over. He laughed, tickled me, and then kissed me. He was rarely this playful, and I couldn’t help but giggle. He opened the jar of candy and popped one into my mouth. “It’s good,” I said. “Root beer, I think.”

“Sorry. I hate root beer. Why do they make jelly bean flavors that taste like soft drinks or mixed drinks? I like the classics.”

I searched the jar until I found a yellow one. “Not me. I like to mix it up. If you combine this yellow, this white, and this red, it tastes like a banana split.” I popped them, one by one, into his mouth and laughed at the disgusted look he gave me.

“It doesn’t taste like banana split. Here. This is my favorite.” He fed me a purple bean.

I shook my head. “Grape candy never tastes like grapes. I don’t like it.”

“Good. It’s my favorite. Now I don’t have to share.” He ate another one.

“I bet you like the black ones too.”

“They’re the best. My cousin Lauren likes them, and we always fought over who got the last one.”

“I never had a brother or sister. That’s why I’m so bad at sharing.”

“I’m lucky that way,” he said. I raised my brows. I wouldn’t have called his circumstances
lucky
. “I know what you’re thinking, but I was lucky. My aunt and uncle loved me and treated me like one of their own. I was fortunate to have family when I lost my mom and dad and Wyatt.”

I held my breath, willing William to continue. He never spoke of his family, and now I feared if I blinked, he would stop.

“I always had a brother,” he said, feeding me a red bean and taking a white. “It took me awhile to get used to having sisters. That’s what Lauren, Zoe, and Sarah are to me. They talked all the time, and there was all the…” He gestured to indicate piles. “All the stuff in the bathroom—hair stuff and face stuff and nail stuff. After a few years, I could host a tea party, with the best of them and I knew every line to
Cinderella
. You can test me.”

I laughed. I couldn’t picture the William I knew watching a movie about a princess.

“They became your family,” I said.

“Yes. They are my family.”

We both reached for a pink bean. “Uh-oh,” he said. “We might have to share the pink.”

“I can’t believe you, a gourmand—an epicurean—likes jelly beans.”

He laughed and stole the pink, popping it into his mouth. “As you know, Catherine, my tastes are many.” He kissed me, and he tasted like strawberry sugar.

Now
, I thought
. Now is the time to tell him I love him
. A quick knock sounded on the door, and William put me on the couch and rose to answer. I sighed, telling myself there would be time later. He’d surprised me again, ordering burgers and fries. It was the perfect late-night dinner, but I had expected something elegant. I watched as he dug into his burger and slathered his fries with ketchup. He might be eating common food, but he still savored each bite.

After I’d taken enough bites to satisfy my rumbling belly, I said, “So what is it with you and food? I didn’t think you’d have time to cook with everything else you do.”

“I’ve always liked to cook,” he said.

“Really?” I was surprised.

“It’s a family trait. My mother was an accomplished cook and my first teacher. I spent hours in the kitchen with her. It was our special time. And then cooking is something my aunt and I have in common. She loves to cook too, and I learned a lot from her.”

“My mom never cooked,” I said, but only because he looked at me as though he expected me to say something. I was afraid to speak for fear I’d ruin the moment. William had really opened up tonight.

“It’s becoming a lost art, but I always enjoyed working with my hands. Making things. I like to make things. And food, well, it’s one of life’s greatest pleasures.” He tucked an errant stand of my hair behind my ear. “You, Catherine, are another of my life’s great pleasures.”

“William…” I toyed with my French fries.

“It’s true. Look at you. So beautiful.”

“I‘m a mess.”

He caught my chin, forced me to look into his eyes. “No, you look sleep-mussed, well-pleasured, and sexy as hell. Have I told you how happy I am that you’re here?”

“In more than one way.”

“Your being here tonight took me by surprise. It was unexpected. You’ve made me very happy.”

“I’m happy too.” I twined my fingers with his. “I hated being apart from you.”

“I couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t concentrate. Couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

“Really?” Had he missed me that much? It was difficult to imagine this controlled man thrown by anything, much less me. “I was in pain, Catherine. It was almost unbearable without you.”

“I felt the same,” I whispered.

“And then, when Beckett said you were sick, I went crazy with worry. I needed to see you, make certain you were taken care of, but I couldn’t.”

“You brought me soup and returned my cell phone.”

“It took everything not to push past Beckett when I brought the soup. I wanted to see you.”

“I didn’t want to see you. Your note with my cell phone broke my heart.”

“Catherine. No.”

“How could you say I’d be better off without you?”

He shook his head. “I fucked up, Catherine. I wish you hadn’t seen the file on Jenny Hill. It was careless to leave that information sitting out. You weren’t meant to see it. I swear I’ve never had a file on you.” His eyes were intense, and I couldn’t have looked away had I wanted to. “I knew everything I needed to know the instant you bumped into me and dropped your camera bag. It’s always been genuine between us, right from the start.”

My mind was reeling. This was the conversation I’d had with him over and over in my mind, but now, it was real. Of course, I realized he wasn’t explaining why he needed his “women” prescreened, though my secret meeting with George provided me with explanations. I suspected—no, more than suspected—I
knew
there were more reasons than William’s security. A dossier like the one on Jenny Hill went past what was necessary for security. There were more reasons for those dossiers William had made… deeply personal reasons, I suspected.

But now was not the time to press for those answers. Now, we were starting over, and this time we were getting to know one another. Besides, in my heart, I did trust him. He was telling the truth. And I could wait for the answers I wanted. “I know you never had a file on me. I believe you. But what could you have known from our first meeting? Other than I can be clumsy?” I lifted my burger, poised to take another bite.

“I knew everything about you, Catherine. I knew you were beautiful. You had green eyes, gorgeous hair, and flawless skin. You smelled great, and you had a smile that dazzled.”

I still held the burger, unable to taste it. Had William really thought all this about me?

“What else?”

He thought for a moment. “You were artistic, organized, modest.”

“Modest?”

“You blushed when I looked at you and averted your eyes. You were gracious, charming, and…that jolt of electricity when our hands touched. Tell me you felt it too.”

“I felt it.”

“As soon as we touched, I wanted you. I wanted to feed you, pleasure you, and take care of you. I’d never had that response to a woman—an instant response. From that moment on, I needed you.”

I stared, my burger all but forgotten. He thought all of those things about me.
Me.
Just from our first, momentary meeting. It stunned me, but I remembered my response to him too. How I’d been intrigued by his stormy eyes, and I’d wanted him to touch me again.

“I knew you weren’t Jenny Hill, Catherine. There was no mix up. When I went to Willowgrass that first night, I asked Ben. And then I made sure I was there for your shoot the next day. I wanted only you.”

I shook my head, trying to comprehend it all. “So you didn’t know anything else about me? You really didn’t know about Jace…or the accident?” I whispered the last. I hated to bring Jace up right now, but I had to know. Otherwise, I would always wonder.

He took my burger and set it on the plate, then clasped my hand. “Catherine, I had no idea.”

I took a deep breath, ignoring the way it hitched. I had one more question, the one I’d been dreading. There was no going back now. “William, are you sure you wouldn’t be better without
me
? Are you sure I’m not a liability?”

He looked as though I’d slapped him. “Catherine, don’t… None of that matters now. Let me rephrase that. I know how deeply it matters, and I understand. The past is the past. It kills me that you’ve had to go through this. I know how hard it is. And I know what it’s like to feel guilty for surviving.” He clenched my hand tightly, and I knew this was more than he’d ever said to any other person. “You have survived. And you’re not alone, Catherine. I’ll protect you. ”

I wanted to feel comforted. I wanted to fall into William’s embrace and be protected, but I couldn’t. “You don’t understand. People
blame
me for Jace’s death. It doesn’t matter that I wasn’t charged with anything. They still hold me responsible.
Me
. Jace’s parents, his friends, his fans. It’s why I moved to Chicago. They
hate
me. Just because I got away doesn’t mean they’ve moved on. I don’t want to drag you into this. It could get ugly. You’re a public person, William. It won’t take much digging before—”

“Damn it, Catherine,” he said, interrupting me. “I refuse to let this ruin us before we’ve started. Trust me. I’ll take care of you. I know what I need to know. We’ll be fine.”

The hotel phone rang, and William rose to answer it. “Yes, everything is fine.”
Room service
, he mouthed and listened again.

He thought he knew everything he needed, but he didn’t know the most important part. “You don’t know that I love you…” I whispered so that he couldn’t hear.

“Checking that the food was to our liking,” he said as he hung up. “Do you like it?”

I smiled. “It’s perfect.” I polished off the rest of the juicy burger, my salty fries, and a few jelly beans for good measure.

Finally, we walked, hand in hand, back to bed. It was after two, and I was exhausted. I felt happy and safe. It had been so long since I’d felt both. In bed, William wrapped his arms around me, and I fell into a deep, comforting sleep.

Twenty

I woke, squinting at the rays of bright sunshine streaming through gaps in the hotel draperies. I tried to turn my body away, but a heavy weight pressed on my chest. Shocked, I realized it was William’s arm. He had it slung across me, and he was still asleep beside me. I’d never seen him sleep, and since he was on his stomach, I couldn’t get a good view from this angle, but his breathing was deep and regular. I craned my neck to see the clock and could hardly believe it was eight-thirty. We had slept in together! This was the first time I’d wakened with him beside me.

The opportunity was too good to pass up, and I angled my head to catch a glimpse of his face. His mouth was soft and pliant, his cheeks darkened with stubble and slack. He looked relaxed, more relaxed than I’d seen him when he was awake. He was impossibly handsome, youthful, and untroubled. I enjoyed seeing him like this. It made me feel closer to him.

I gently extricated myself from his embrace and climbed out of bed. He stirred but didn’t wake. Clearly, he was breaking yet another of his mysterious “rules.” He’d slept for six and a half hours and hadn’t risen before me. We were definitely starting over!

I smiled then headed to the bathroom. I peed, washed my face, and found a brush for my hair and teeth among the complimentary toiletries. When I felt refreshed, I tiptoed into the living room and found my purse. The remains of our meal were still on the table, and I remembered our conversation. I found my cell and saw I had a bunch of texts from Beckett. He’d slept over at my condo, ostensibly to take care of Laird and be there in case I came home in tears, but I knew Beckett wanted to bake in my AGA. When I hadn’t returned after an hour, he’d invited Alec over to watch a movie.

That was good news. I was happy Beckett and Alec had gotten closer. The last text from Beckett mentioned hot yoga. I felt like I’d been doing hot yoga all night, so I texted back that I wasn’t going to make it and explained.

Best night of my life. Call you when I get home. Thanks for hanging with the hound. XO.

I sneaked back into bed, the sheets warm from William’s body. I thought I’d gotten away with my field trip, but he rolled over. He was awake and frowning. “I thought you left me. I don’t like to wake up alone.”

I raised a brow. “It doesn’t feel so good, does it?” I responded, feeling saucy.

“Point taken, Catherine.” William had a wicked grin and pulled me closer then rolled on top and pinned me to the bed. “I always begin my days early. Are you going to start getting up with me at four-thirty?”

“No way. But if we’re making this work, I do need to know where you are. And when you leave. That means waking me and giving me a proper good-bye. It also means no jetting to another continent without telling me.”

William grinned, his eyes full of mischief. He ducked his head and kissed my neck, teasing the skin near my earlobe then growling. “Any more demands? I like it when you’re fired up.”

“William, I’m serious. If you want me to trust you, to trust us, I have to know that you’re in this relationship with me and that you’ll tell me stuff. That’s what a relationship is—two people talking to each other and sharing.”

He looked at me. “Catherine, I want to share everything. If that’s what it’s going to take, ask me anything.” He was back to kissing my neck, and I felt his morning hardness press against my leg. It would be easy to give into temptation and let the issue drop, but I couldn’t. It was too important.

“You said I could ask you anything. I want to know who was on the phone last night.”

His body went still, and he ceased nuzzling. He rose on his elbows and looked me straight in the eye. “George.”

I waited, but when he didn’t go on, I realized he wasn’t elaborating. “George? At one in the morning?”

“We’ve had a security issue,” he said, his voice clipped. I imagined this was what he sounded like when involved in business negotiations. “George is taking care of it. That’s what he does. He’s good at his job, but it’s important to be kept up-to-speed on what’s happening. Even if that means phone calls in the middle of the night.”

A ball of concern formed in the pit of my stomach. I sometimes forgot how rich and powerful William was and how dangerous his position could be. “Should I be worried?”

“No, Catherine. You definitely should not be worried. More questions?” His eyes flashed stormy grey.

I was trying his patience, but who knew when I’d get another chance? “What’s the story with you and Lara Kendall?”

William groaned and lowered his head. “Seriously Catherine? Can’t you feel this?” He pushed his rock-hard erection against me. “You make me so damn hard. All I want is to bury myself in you. Only you, Catherine. Lara Kendall means nothing. We went out a few times. She’s a social-climbing dilettante who went to school with one of my cousins. We were never serious. If you keep making me talk about her,
this
is going away. I guarantee it.” He moved his hips, pressing his hard-on against me.

I felt my body respond, but I wasn’t ready to give in. It was fun keeping William at bay, seeing his impatience. “Did you sleep with her?”

“
No.
I did not.” He tickled me playfully, but I could see he didn’t enjoy the question. His expression was serious, his tone authoritative. “That’s enough.” He nipped my shoulder. “No more talking. No more questions.” His mouth trailed to my breasts. “I need to be inside you. Now.”

I was more than ready, and when he entered me, I forgot every other question—everything but William and me and our own little world.

*****

We spent most of the morning in bed. It was wonderful not having to be anywhere or talk to anyone—to just exist in our cocoon. Wrapped up in one another, we enjoyed being back together. The day was full of possibilities.

I finally managed to crawl out of bed and take a shower.

A few minutes later, as I lathered my body with shower gel, the shower door opened, and William joined me. “Now this is a lovely sight,” he said.

I laughed. “You’ve seen me naked for the last twelve hours.”

“That’s how I like you best.” He was hard again, and I was truly amazed. The man had admirable stamina. He kissed me, sliding his wet hands up my soapy back and over my slick breasts.

“I want this to be slow,” he said, “but I need you now.”

“Fast is good,” I said, breathlessly. “I want you inside me.”

He groaned again, and he lifted me and pushed me against the wall. I wrapped my legs around him, feeling his hardness pressed intimately against me. He rocked against me, once, twice, and my desire was so great I had to bite my lip to keep from begging. His mouth captured mine, his hands cupping my face, touching me as though he couldn’t believe I was there. I rubbed my slick hands over his shoulders, feeling the combination of muscle and sinew beneath my fingertips. I caught our reflection in the bathroom mirror and marveled at my flushed face and his strong, powerful back and legs.

His mouth curved over my jaw, and his lips skated over the sensitive flesh of my neck. The gruff sound of need he made when his lips reached my breasts made me wet. His mouth worked on me, sucking, laving, teasing until I was panting and close to coming.

“Not yet.”

“What happened to fast and hard? I want you, William.” I rocked against him to prove my point, and his hands tightened on my breasts then slid to my thighs. I shivered and rubbed my hands down his chest. All those 4:00 a.m. workouts had paid off. I ran my fingers over the ridges of muscle and saw his control waver momentarily. The hot water from the shower warmed us and made our bodies slide against one another.

In the mirror, I could see my hands skate down the sleek, bronze skin of his back. His hands on my thighs tightened and slid upward. He stroked me, slowly working his way up until he brushed my sex.

I moaned as his fingers slid into me. I clenched around him as he thrust hard then pulled back and circled my clit. I could feel the first stirrings of my orgasm building.

“You want it, don’t you?” he said against my ear. His fingers slid inside me again. “Go ahead. Come.”

I did. I arched hard, pressing myself against his fingers as he slammed them into me until I cried out and shattered.

“My turn.” He adjusted the way he held me, and in the mirror I saw the muscles of his ass flex as he pushed against me. I throbbed, and I made a mewling sound. His hand cupped me again then moved away until I could feel him hot and hard, resting against me. He rubbed the tip of his cock on my sex, and I almost came again. “Patience,” he demanded. “I’ll make the wait worth it.”

Slowly, he filled me until I was impaled and blinded with pleasure. He rocked me against the wall, and I whimpered.

“More?” he asked.

“Yes. Please.”

He slid in and out, filling me so completely I didn’t think I could take it. I watched his buttocks flex in the mirror as he thrust inside. I felt him swell as he all but lifted me with a final thrust. His hand came between us, his finger pressing against my clit, and I exploded again as I felt him come. He called out, pushing me against the wall.

Finally, he lowered his head, resting his forehead on my shoulder. “Catherine.” It was a plea and a prayer.

The water had turned lukewarm, but neither of us had the energy to turn the knob toward hot for several minutes. We adjusted the temperature, rinsed off, and stepped from the shower. I should have been exhausted after so little sleep and so much sex, but I felt energized. I wrapped the robe around me and dried my hair, and when I emerged, William was standing beside the bed, dressed in dark pants and a sweater. I opened my mouth to ask where his clothes had come from, but then I saw the divan. He had an outfit laid out, and his eyes were on my face, gauging my reaction.

I smiled and lifted the lovely green cashmere wrap-dress. Along with it were cable-knit tights, buttery soft riding boots, a charcoal cashmere coat with fur trim…and, of course, gloves. He had not forgotten the lingerie. In a small box filled with tissue paper were a matching ivory lace bra and panties.

“William,” I breathed. “Thank you. This is so thoughtful.”

“Do you like it?” he asked.

“I love it.”

I did have reservations. None of this was what I would have picked for myself, but he had been right about the red gown. I would give this a chance. And, not surprisingly, once I was dressed, I felt comfortable, as though I’d had this outfit for years. I studied myself in the dresser mirror and smiled. I looked sophisticated and elegant.

I didn’t know how he managed to choose the right style and do it without seeing me in the clothes. He really did have exceptional fashion sense.

“You look beautiful, Catherine,” he said, when he saw me. “Breakfast?”

While I’d dressed, he’d ordered room service. I was, once again, ravenous.

When we finished eating, he asked, “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes.”

We would return to my apartment to check on Laird, but after that we had no specific plans. These were the kind of days I loved—days where anything was possible. We took the elevator down, holding hands, and there was a black Range Rover waiting at the valet station. I waited for Anthony to emerge, but William opened the door for me and then climbed in the driver’s side. This was a first. I’d never seen him drive. I suspected he did it well, like everything else.

We pulled out of the hotel and drove up Lake Shore Drive, heading north. William held my hand in a casual way.

As I looked at the frozen lake, I knew today I would tell him my feelings. I had to find the right moment. I could spot blue open water past the icy shore. There wasn’t snow on the ground, but it was bitterly cold. The weather app on my phone read twenty-one. It was too cold to spend much time outdoors, and there were more clouds than sun, and the temperature was not predicted to warm. We’d already spent much of the day inside.

“What would you like to do, Catherine?”

I leaned my head on the seat rest and looked at him. “How do you usually entertain your girlfriends?” I spoke mostly in jest, but William didn’t smile.

“I told you—I don’t have girlfriends. But I now have
a
girlfriend.” He looked at me with a smile. “What you would like to do,
girlfriend
?”

I laughed. “Well,
boyfriend
, it’s your job to come up with ideas. If you don’t have any, I might think of something. Do you feel like a drive?”

“Where do you want to go?”

“There’s an exhibit I’ve been dying to see.”

“At the MCA?”

“No, in Milwaukee.”

He nodded. “That’s a good idea. It’s a great museum. And I know a perfect place to hit for an early dinner. You’ll love it.” He squeezed my hand and laughed. “We’re going to Wisconsin.”

I laughed as well. The trip was unexpected and impulsive. I loved it.

A little while later William parked on the street across from my condo. We walked over, hand in hand, and I spotted Hans and Minerva as we entered the vestibule.

“Catherine, dear! Hello!” Minerva called.

“Hi.” I turned to William, gesturing. “Hans and Minerva Himmler, this is William Lambourne.”

“It’s lovely to see you again,” Minerva said, giving William a kiss on the cheek. I could tell the gesture surprised him. Hans shook William’s hand and said something about having heard all about him.

“You’ve set the bar high for us men,” Hans said with a smile.

“And why not!” Minerva said. She gave me a knowing smile. “Any man who would cook you a meal is one worth holding on to. Don’t let this one go, Catherine. Especially because he’s so good-looking.” She winked.

I laughed and gave Minerva a warm hug. As we embraced, Minerva whispered, “I’m so glad to see you happy.”

It felt good to
be
happy.

William and I headed upstairs, and I unlocked my door. Laird wagged his tail and jumped with excitement, calming when I gave the order, then exposed his belly for rubbing. He eyed William warily, but that was a step up from his response to people he didn’t know well. That response involved barking incessantly and cornering my guest.