Chapter1 (38 page)

Red felt none of her reservations.
 
He ran in circles, expressing his excitement, and then took a running jump off the end of the wharf.
 

“Red,” she yelled.
 
“Get back here.”
 
The damn dog ignored her.
 
Like a movie unfolding in slow motion, she watched Red propel himself to the canoe.
 
She groaned when Jude reached over the side to pat the dog’s head.
 
In his happy delirium, Red tried to climb in.
 
The canoe flipped, dumping Jude.

Kat bit her tongue to keep herself from laughing.
 
Jude’s head bobbed out of the water, and the words he sputtered weren’t too complimentary.
 
Not that the dog minded.
 
Jude swam behind the canoe, pushing it towards shore, kicking his feet to push it through the water.

Kat squatted and caught the bow as the canoe slid to the wharf.
 
She guided it to the shore, then stepped on the sand and pulled it out of the water.
 
Jude waded onto the small beach, dripping water.
 
Red was right behind, the paddle in his mouth.

“I’m sorry,” Kat giggled, unable to muster up anger to discipline the dog.

Jude smiled, wiping wet hair out of his eyes.
 
“It’s not your fault.
 
I should have told him to stay away.”

“Did you lose any gear?”
 
She hadn’t seen anything fall out when the canoe went over.

“No.”
 
He glanced at her with a sheepish look on his face.
 
“I forgot to bring a life jacket.”

A smile tugged at her mouth.
 
“I’m not surprised.”

“Are you leaving?” he asked, gesturing toward her packed canoe.
 

“No, I…”
 
Kat stopped.
 
She’d been about to lie.
 
She’d promised herself no more lies.
 
“Actually, I was coming to see you.”

*****

Jude glued his gaze to her face.
 
Coming to see him?
 
Why?
 
Dare he hope?

The strong wind raised goose bumps over his exposed skin.
 
“The water’s warmer than the air.”

“Yeah, it gets like that in early fall.
 
You’d better come inside and change.”
 
Kat turned away.

Jude fell in step beside her as they walked to the lodge.
 
Once inside, he noticed the lock on the inside of the door.

“Cody did it,” Kat explained.
 
“All the cabins have locks now.”

“That’s good.”
 
He stood there dripping water, talking about mundane things like locks when all he wanted to do was kiss her senseless.
 
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize Kat was nervous.
 
She moved around the room straightening books, candles, anything in her sight.

“You left some of your clothes here.
 
They’re upstairs on top of the bureau.
 
I’ll start a fire while you change.”

“Right.”
 
Jude ran up the stairs and entered the loft bedroom, savoring the smell of the pine walls.
 
The shifting shadows of the flickering sunlight gave him a strong feeling of coming home.
 
He looked out the windows and noticed that leaves already lay in thick drifts across the lawn.
 

What would it be like to spend the winter here?
 
He closed his eyes and imagined the white landscape, the frozen lake and winds howling all night long.
 
He’d learned that the wilderness wasn’t cruel or harsh as he’d once believed.
 
It was merely indifferent.
 
Along with Kat, it too now owned a piece of his heart.

He pulled on his old T-shirt, noticing its fresh smell.
 
Kat must have dried the clothes on an outside line.
 
He zipped his jeans, picked up the pile of wet clothes and went downstairs to convince Kat they belonged together.

*****

Kat knelt by the fireplace, adding wood to the crackling fire.
 
The aroma warmed Jude as much as the heat coming from the flames.

“I’m flying without a net here, Kat.”

She glanced up, a frown wrinkling her forehead.
 

He plunged on.
 
“I have so many emotions bottled up that if someone pops my cork, I’m likely to explode like a bottle of champagne.
 
Can you forgive me for…”

“I love you, Callahan.”

A heady sense of joy filled him.
 
He focused on her eyes sparkling in the firelight.

They reached for each other at the same time, slipping to the floor.
 
Their arms and legs tangled together, but he wanted more than Kat’s body on top of his.
 
Rolling over, he reversed positions.
 
Their soul-wrenching kiss had no beginning and no end.
 
Tongues battled; hands groped.
 

“Kat,” he pulled his mouth back from hers.
 
“We’ve got to talk.”
 

“Hmmnn…”
 
Her mouth found his ear.
 

Jude never wanted anything more in his life than he wanted this woman trying to crawl inside of him.
 
He gulped some air and sat up, moving a short distance away.
 
Kat remained sprawled on the floor, gazing at him, her breathing harsh.

“Will you marry me?”
 
The question popped from Jude’s mouth.
 
So much for his fancy rehearsed speech.

Kat sat up and launched herself into his arms, covering his face and neck with kisses.
 
“I love you.
 
Yes, yes, yes.”

*****

As Jude’s mouth descended, Kat realized she hadn’t told him about the baby.
 

Jude’s hands caressed her face.
 
She saw his heart in the depth of his eyes.
 
“What is it?” he asked.
 
“Something’s bothering you.”
 

He smoothed the hair back from her face and gently kissed her forehead.
 
“This time we’ve got to get it right.
 
We’re lucky enough to have another chance.
 
Let’s not screw it up.”
 

She stirred uneasily in his arms, and they tightened around her.
 
Her heart pounded as the silence lengthened.
 
She felt his tension as he waited for her to speak.

His fingers rubbed the back of her neck.
 

The words rushed from her mouth.
 
“I’m pregnant.”

His hands stilled.
 
Had he stopped breathing?
 
Fear rose.
 
Her heart pounded louder.
 
She pulled back to look at his face.

Jude sat on the floor, pulling Kat with him.
 
“Pregnant?”
 

Kat tried, but couldn’t decipher his expression.
 
His emotions were well hidden.
 

“And that’s why you were coming to
Washington
?
 
To tell me?”

Kat nodded, not trusting herself to say more.

“What’s the rest of the story?
 
Would you have come if it weren’t for the baby?”

Anxiety took root, fighting fear for space.
 
The success of their relationship depended on honesty.
 
Would honesty drive him away from her?
 

She had no choice but to tell the truth.
 
“I don’t know.
 
Seeing you weave down the lake made me happier than I’ve been since the last time we made love.
 
You’re my soul mate, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

She raised his hand and kissed the palm, gazing into his eyes.
 
“And I’d feel this way even if there wasn’t a baby.
 
Is that enough?”

“And trust?” he pressed.
 
“Do you trust me?
 
Will you forgive me if I make a mistake and do something to hurt you?”

“I’ll forgive you, Callahan, but your life might be a little unpleasant for a few days.”

Jude chuckled and hugged her.
 
“That’s my Kat.
 
My gear’s at the fly-in service in town.
 
They’re waiting for a phone call before they deliver it.”
 
His face turned serious.
 
“Say the word, Kat, and I’m a permanent fixture here.”

He’d come here to live with her?
 
Excitement stirred within.
 
“Are you sure?
 
We can split our time between here and
Washington
.”

“No way,” he grinned.
 
“I’ve taken Frank’s standing offer of a profiling job.
 
The Fed techs will be here next week to set up a computer system.
 
They’ll have to install some equipment around the area, a tower, dishes and God knows what else.”

A familiar ‘it’s too good to be true’ feeling came over her, but she shook it off.
 
The time had come to risk her heart and have faith all would be well.

His finger traced the line of her cheekbone and jaw.
 
“When’s the baby due?
 
We’ll have to leave a few months before.”
 

“I know a midwife.
 
I’m planning to ask her to come here to deliver the baby.”

He frowned.
 
“I’d be more comfortable if you gave birth in a hospital, but if you insist on having the baby here, I’ll be the midwife.”

“You?”
 
She’d have been less surprised if he told her he had a secret life as a ballet dancer.

“Yes, me,” he replied, a definite twinkle in his eyes.
 
“A few years ago, I delivered a woman’s baby in an alley.
 
She’d been robbed and went into premature labor.
 
The ambulance didn’t get there in time.
 
So, as long as the doctor gives us a thumbs up, our child will be born here.”

“You’re full of surprises.”

“Imagine all the fun we’re going to have discovering each other.”
 
He wound his hand into her hair and tugged her against his hard body.

They knelt on the rug facing each other.
 
Kat boldly trailed kisses from his shoulder down to his taut stomach.
 
Leaning back, she grasped the hem of her T-shirt, her eyes never leaving his face as she peeled it over her heat.
 
The hunger burning in his eyes brought a surge of wetness to the apex of her thighs.

Jude leaned forward and ran his tongue over her nipples.

Eyes squeezed shut, she basked in the pleasure of his thumbs gently rolling her nipples into hard nubs.
 
“I want you,” she moaned.

“I’m yours,” he whispered, pressing her to the rug.
 
His mouth replaced his fingers and Kat’s body arched off the floor.
 
His roving tongue nearly brought her to climax.

Jude’s fingers fumbled at the zipper of her jeans, so she braced her feet on the floor and lifted her hips so he could slide them down her legs.
 
As the cool air hit her nakedness, her fingers worked frantically at his belt buckle.

“Slow down.”
 
His breath was hot and moist on her neck.

Slow down?
 
He wanted her to slow down?
 
A tingling low in her belly made her dizzy.
 
The only thing on her mind was scratching the itch of sexual current that zinged through her nerve endings.
 
“As soon as your clothes are sharing floor space with mine.”

She felt his lips curve into a smile against her skin.

“You’re bossy.”
 

Kat lay on the braided rug and feasted her eyes on the length of his body when he stood and removed his clothes.
 
Perfect.
 
Just as she remembered.
 
Broad shoulders tapered to a slim waist, continuing down to long, muscular…the trail dead-ended at his rock hard erection.
 
Her mouth went dry.
 

She lifted her arms.
 
“Come back here.”
 

“Yes, ma’am.”

Kat’s plan to torment Jude went awry when he knelt between her legs.
 
Grasping her hips, he brought her butt into his thighs.
 
Faster than her mind could process his actions, his mouth kissed the insides of her thighs.
 
A deep moan escaped her.
 
When his hand tangled in the triangle of curls where her thighs came together, her body went rigid.
 
A finger slid between her folds of skin and slipped into her wet opening.
 
More moisture flooded his fingers.

“You’re beautiful.”
 
Both his hands slid under her rear, and lifted her to his mouth.
 
Her eyelids sprang open as his lips zeroed in on their target.
 
Pleasure like she’d never imagined shot through her.
 
God.
 
A magic tongue.

She gripped handfuls of his hair and hung on as her body spasmed.

*****

A hot tide of passion raged through Jude’s blood.
 
He lowered Kat’s hips to the floor.
 
Her release threatened to peak his own.
 
His senses spun out of control at the scent of this woman…his woman.
 
Her sweetness lingered on his tongue.
 
Breathing like a runaway freight train, his body collapsed over hers.