“God, Kay,” he groaned. His free hand slid between them, his fingers touching her, opening her. Then he lowered his body onto hers, sliding his hand out from between them as his hard shaft pressed against her, and then, with a hard thrust, fully into her.
She gasped, the sharp, stinging pain snapping her eyes open. “Devlin?”
He kissed her. “It’ll be all right,” he said. “I love you.”
With that reassurance, he slid his arms beneath her, buried his face against the side of her neck, and flexed his hips, a move that thrust him more deeply into her.
Thankfully, the pain had already begun to subside, and she wriggled her hips, trying to accustom herself to the strange fullness of him inside of her.
The move seemed to ignite something inside him, for he quickened the pace, each thrust stronger and deeper than the one before. His eyes were closed, his lips parted, and it was almost as if he’d forgotten about her, but he was stroking her hair and saying her name, and she realized it wasn’t that at all. He was caught up in the pleasure of this joining.
With that thought, she relaxed beneath him, and with his next thrust, she pushed up to meet him. Then she did it again, and again, urging him to a faster pace, and faster still, as an aching, hungry need rose within her, the need for more of those amazing, explosive sensations that he had evoked with his touch and his mouth.
Suddenly, it happened. She reached the peak, waves of that sweet, earth-shattering pleasure rippling through her.
“I love you,” she whispered against his ear, her legs tight around him, her body clenching around his shaft as the pleasure kept coming. “Oh, Devlin, I love you so.”
With those words, shudders suddenly rocked his body and he cried out, a smothered cry against her neck. He thrust against her several more times, and then collapsed, his breathing hard and labored against the side of her throat.
She raked her fingers through his hair and stroked the hard, strong muscles of his back and shoulders. When he kissed her hair and murmured her name, happiness rose within her like a fierce, surging tide.
She was so glad she had come tonight. Because she’d spent so long—too long—being afraid. Afraid of doing the wrong thing, of earning disapproval, of making mistakes, of what people would say. It had gotten her nothing but worry, aggravation, and pain.
Now, the only thing she cared about was him and their love, and she knew that no matter how long they were separated, she would have the beauty of this moment and her newfound courage to sustain her.
20
Devlin woke to the scent of gardenias, and that told him that what he’d experienced wasn’t a dream. Kay had come to his room in the night, shredded all his honorable intentions of proper courtship, and mercilessly seduced him. What a woman.
Eyes closed, he smiled, imagining how she’d looked with her copper hair spread across the pillows, her adorable, freckled face flushed with arousal. Making love to Kay had been the most beautiful, extraordinary experience of his life.
Still smiling, still half asleep, he rolled over, hoping perhaps they could enjoy each other a little longer before she had to sneak back into her room, but when he opened his eyes, he knew it wasn’t to be. Morning light was streaming in between a gap in the curtains, and the place beside him was empty. The scent of her still lingered on the bed linens, but she was gone.
He groaned and grabbed her pillow, holding it tight as sudden desolation swamped him. This, he knew, was how it would be for some time to come. Waking to nothing but memories of her until he could return. He thought of those early days in Africa, and he didn’t know if he could endure all that again.
Wretchedly cruel of fate to do this now, just when everything seemed to be coming right for them. But he had to go. He had a duty to his investors and to the people who worked for him and depended on him for their livelihood. And she had to stay.
Unless…
Devlin flung aside the pillow and got out of bed. There just might be a way for history to repeat itself, but with a much better ending.
Kay stared listlessly at the letter she was trying to write. Somehow, telling Baroness Voytevsky that they would be happy to reserve her a suite, but that, alas, they would be unable to accommodate her seven Pekingese dogs just wasn’t holding her attention.
She turned her head, glancing at the clock on her credenza. Nearly ten o’clock already? How could time pass so slowly and yet so quickly at the same time?
Devlin would surely be here any minute to say goodbye, and dread at the prospect was like a stone in the pit of her stomach.
He’ll come back, she thought, plunking her elbows on her desk and burying her face in her hands, willing it to be true.He will come back.
A sound lifted her head, and when she saw Devlin in the doorway, the dread inside her intensified, twisting in her guts. It was time.
She took a deep breath and stood up. “Good morning.”
He took off his hat and bowed. “Sorry I’m late. I know we agreed on nine o’clock, but…” He paused, a faint smile curving his mouth as he came in and shut the door behind him. “Some rippingredheaded siren invaded my rooms last night and seduced me, sapping all my energy.”
She almost smiled back. “You were sleeping like the dead when I left. I’d have stayed, but…”
Now it was her turn to pause, her throat closing up, for she couldn’t tell him that as he’d slept, she had lain beside him as long as she could bear it before tearing herself away. She couldn’t tell him that had she stayed a moment longer than that, she’d have woken him and begged him to stay.
