It's In His Kiss (18 page)

 He sighed against her mouth, her name a whisper from his lips just before he deepened his kiss and took her to yet another level of sensation she’d never before experienced.

 Then he tore his mouth from hers.

 She hung there for an endless moment, her eyes closed, her mouth open, as if he were still kissing her. She opened her eyes, bereft at the loss of sensation, to find him frowning at her, his breath harsh in his throat.

 She gasped, searching for oxygen, and swallowed.

 "Cat?" The word came out on a quick breath, as he too, struggled for air, for control.

 She didn’t answer, didn’t even blink.

 "Do you want me to stop?" he gasped, his fingers tightening on her skin.

 "I don't think so."

 "You sure?"

 She shook her head again. "No."

 "Are you okay?"

 She licked her lips and blinked. Something akin to panic rose in the cobalt depths of his gaze. She nodded, and he closed his eyes briefly, then took a shuddering breath.

 "Are we crazy?" he asked.

 "Probably," she breathed. "But that’s okay."

 He laughed shortly, and knelt above her, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. He shook his head. "I don’t want you to--"

 "Michael," she begged. "Shut up."

 He pushed her dress up and off, and slid his hands down her shoulders, past her breasts to her ribs, his fingers lingering on her skin. Slipping his hands inside the elastic band of her panties, he guided them down her legs, each inch a torture for her nerves. When he pulled them off over her feet, he lifted one foot and planted a kiss on her instep. Fierce longing arrowed straight through her to her groin with an intensity that was almost painful. She moaned.

He stood and quickly slipped out of his clothes as Cat watched, dumbfounded. His chest and arms were shadowed and sinewy with long, sleek muscles. His shoulders tapered to slim hips and long, powerful thighs. "Oh, Michael," she whispered.

He knelt above her while her greedy eyes took in every inch of him. She couldn't get enough of looking at his body. His flat, ridged abdomen, the dark thatch of hair that started on his lower belly and continued downward to his groin. His thick, rigid, beautiful erection.

"Oh . . ."

In the pale light of the moon, she saw the hunger in his eyes, and marveled that it was there for her. He loomed over her, bending low to kiss and suckle her breast. Cat arched involuntarily. Her muscles and tendons tensed with yearning. She pushed her fingers into his hair and held his head as he feasted on her throbbing nipples until she thought she would scream.

Then he lifted his head and searched her face for an instant before he kissed her and lay beside her. She whimpered in frustration, but Michael put his fingers against her mouth again.

"Patience," he whispered, smiling. He took her hand and guided it to him, silently asking for her touch.

 Cat had never been very adventurous in her lovemaking, so she was no expert in the things men liked. When she tentatively wrapped her hand around him, he groaned and she felt his erection jump against her palm. "Ah, easy, Cat. Damn. Maybe we should slow down."

 She ran her hand along his length. "Or maybe not," she whispered, nuzzling his neck.

 "Careful, Cat," he groaned. "You don't know what you do to me."

He parted her legs and touched her, and she arched toward him, feeling his finger delve into her slick, wet depths. He caressed her with his thumb as his finger did its work.

 "Ah. Michael," she breathed. "Don't--wait--"

 "Don't?" he whispered. "Wait?"

 She growled and squeezed him. "No," she said. "Do it now."

 He raised himself above her and with one smooth swift movement, slid into her.

 "Ah!" Sensation took over her body and mind. There was nothing in the world but the feel of him, sinking into her, hard and long. As he thrust again and again, lifting her higher and higher, coaxing her body into a response she'd never before felt, she put her palms against his chest, feeling the silky hair and the hardened nubs of his nipples. He kissed her neck, his tongue trailing fire along her nerve endings. She pinched the tiny buds of his nipples. He cried out and arched forward, thrusting into her with the hardest plunge yet. Then it was her turn to scream in pleasure. But before she could, he covered her mouth with his, swallowing her wanton cries.

 Then all the separate sensations combined into one long, bright culmination. They cried out in unison as they climaxed together.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"Janice?" Cat opened the front door of her mother's apartment and stepped inside. She almost tripped over a box in the entryway.

 "Catherine--Cat? Is that you? I'm in the kitchen."

 Sidestepping the box, Cat headed through the living room, only to encounter more boxes. She eyed them suspiciously as she stepped into the kitchen, where she encountered an amazing sight. Her mother had on an apron over a bright yellow sundress. Huge oven mitts encased her hands, and she was actually lifting a dish out of the oven.

 Shaking her head, Cat sat down on one of the barstools. "I can't believe you're cooking. What is that?" she asked, getting a whiff of lemon and butter and pastry dough from the hot pan.

"I made lemon squares." Janice set them down on a cooling rack and beamed at Cat.

"Lemon squares." A fluttery panic started at the back of Cat's throat.

"Yes. Don't they smell good? It took me forever to find the recipe in your grandmother's things."

Of course they smelled good. Cat closed her eyes and inhaled. They smelled like spring days and grandmotherly hugs and hot summer rain and cold winter nights. Cat had to swallow the lump in her throat. "Janice, why are you doing this?"

"You don't have to call me Janice, dear. You can call me Mother if you want."

"I can call you Mother. You just called me Cat. What's going on here?" She sat straight and rigid, wishing herself anywhere else but here, in her mother's apartment, where suddenly nothing was the same as it had been.

Her mother turned pink.
So that's where I got that irritating blush,
she thought inanely. 

"I think it's time you and I tried to work out our differences. I don't want us fighting any more."

Cat had no idea what to say.

Janice slid the oven mitts off. "You know, Hank really likes you."

"He does?" Cat watched her mother warily. "I was surprised that he's Williams Blair."

Janice nodded. "Hard to believe he'd care about me, isn't it?"

Cat shrugged. "Yes--no. I don't know."

Janice cut the lemon squares and set them on a plate. "I know I haven't been the best mother, Sugar."

Cat winced. Sugar had been her stepdad's pet name for her. She opened her mouth to make a retort, but suddenly all the anger was gone and sadness took its place. "Mom?" she said, hating the child-like sound of her voice. "Why did you keep running off and leaving me?"

Her mother almost dropped the plate of lemon squares. She set them down carefully and dusted her hands against each other, watching them as if they were the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. She spoke without looking up. "Your grandmother was much better for you than I would have been."

Cat thought of Michael's words the night before. "Mother, what about you and Gram?"

Janice paused for a split second, then continued cutting the lemon squares. "What do you mean?"

Cat reached over and took a square, biting into it, her mouth watering at the sour/sweet taste. "You never seemed to talk. It seems like when you and Gram were in the same room, there was always this thick--tension, or something." Cat licked her fingers, watching her mother. Janice was dusting her hands together again.

On an impulse, Cat reached out and put her hand over her mother's. "Why?" she asked.

"Oh, I don't know." Janice laughed nervously. "My mother never really got over the embarrassment I caused her by becoming pregnant 'out of wedlock'. It was a huge scandal back then."

"But I thought my father died."

She nodded and smiled sadly. "It was a freakish accident. At the State Fair. The car he was in on the Ferris Wheel fell." She sighed.

Cat stared at her mother, picturing her as a sixteen year old girl in love. What a tragedy, for her boyfriend to die and leave her pregnant and alone.

"Looking back now, I can see it was probably for the best. Something would have happened to him eventually. He was wild. No parents, just a no-good older brother. He was smart, and funny, and handsome." She touched Cat's face. "You look like him. But he would have been a terrible father, and a worse husband. He had no sense of responsibility."

She blinked, and Cat realized she was close to tears. "Besides, then we would have never known your stepfather."

A tear slipped down Janice's face, and Cat felt a lump in her own throat. "Daddy was a wonderful man."

"Yes, he was. I think your grandmother even thought so."

"But then, after Daddy died, you left me with Gram and disappeared. What happened?"

Janice sniffed and pressed her lips together.

"I'll tell you what happened."

Cat jumped at the voice.

Hank came in the kitchen door, dressed in shorts and a tank top and jogging shoes. His hair was damp and his face and body were covered with a sheen of sweat. He was handsome and rugged and totally male. He grinned and kissed Janice on the cheek. To Cat's amazement, Janice didn't cringe away from his sweaty face. In fact she blushed, even as she lay a hand on his forearm and murmured, "Hank, don't. I'm not sure this is the right time." 

"Don't worry, Janni," he whispered.

Cat marveled at the adoring look on his face. He really loved her mother.

"Your mother will never tell you this, so I'm going to."

"Hank, please."

"No." He held up a hand, and looked from her mother to her. "You two deserve a chance. Cat deserves to know."

Cat's stomach was feeling decidedly queasy. "Know what?" she asked reluctantly.

"Your grandmother didn't think Janni was a good mother. She never forgave her for getting pregnant. So she insisted that you stay with her, for your own good. And your mother was left alone."
Cat swallowed. "Am I supposed to believe Gram bullied my mother into giving me up? Gram loved me."

"Oh, Sugar, of course she did." Janice's eyes were damp with tears.

"And so does your mom," Hank said. He put his arm around Janice, who gave him a watery smile.

Cat stared at the two of them. "I always thought I was a burden to Gram."

"No, no. She adored you. It was me she was disappointed in."

"But why didn't you stand up to her? Why didn't you make her give me back?"

Janice shook her head. "I don't know. I was young, alone, afraid, and she was my mother. I guess I believed her when she said I wasn't capable of raising you."

Hank hugged her. "But now you've got me." He shot Cat a sharp look. "I hope we can be a family."

Cat opened her mouth but nothing came out. She didn't know what to say. It occurred to her that she felt light as air, as if a burden had been lifted.

"You know what, Cat?" Hank went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water, which he turned up and drank. Wiping his mouth, he continued. "I think Janni had plans to set me up with you."

"Wh-what?" Cat stammered. "Me?"

Janice laughed. "I thought Hank would be good for you, but he wouldn't give up until I went out with him. And how could anyone resist his charm?"

Too much was coming at Cat at once. She stared at her mother, who looked younger than she'd ever remembered seeing her. Happier, too. "Mom, I am so happy for you." As she said the words, she realized she meant them with all her heart.

Her mother obviously realized it too, because she came around the table and hugged her.

"Thank you, Sugar." Janice touched Cat's head, patting a stray curl. "I've been worried about you, but you have Michael now, and the two of you are so perfect for each other. Maybe we're both getting our happily ever after."

Cat frowned. "Perfect? Michael and me? What are you talking about?"

"Michael loves you so much. He always has. And he's so strong and so sweet. He's a lot like your stepfather. A lot like Hank. Just what you need. Trust me."

"Just what I need?" Cat repeated blankly, her head filled with visions of him, dancing with her, wiping chocolate chocolate fudge ice cream off her lip, making love to her. "Michael?"

Hank looked at the two women and shook his head. "I think I'll take another run around the block before I shower." He affected a quick exit.

Cat's head was spinning. She looked at her mother. "How do you know?"

Janice was watching Hank jog down the street. She turned distractedly. "What?"

"How do you know when it's real? When he's really the one?"

"Oh, Sugar, you just do." Janice sobered. "Sometimes, you'll think you're in love with someone, because you want to be so badly. But when it's real, you just know." She looked keenly at her daughter. "You
are
in love with Michael, aren't you? He's been in love with you forever." 

Cat shook her head. "I'm afraid I am," she said in wonder. "I'm very much afraid I am."

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

"Michael? Michael, where are you?" Cat rushed in the door of the apartment, but almost before she got inside, she knew the apartment was empty. It had that hollow, empty feel.

"Darn it," she muttered. "Too much is happening. She'd been so scared after she made love with him. So worried about losing him as a friend. If she were honest with herself, she was still scared. Nothing about this relationship was normal. In fact, if she believed the You Dot Com software, she and Michael were totally incompatible.