Enemy Mine (26 page)

“You’re easy on the eyes, darling.” She slid her hand over his shoulder and arm. “I had one helluva time trying not to think about your mouth, how you would kiss and whether I’d like it or not.”

“Did you?”

“And if I tell you the truth will it go to your swelled head, flight jock?”

Chuckling, Mac said, “Oh, probably.” He leaned over and brushed her smiling lips with his. “You’re easy on the eyes all the time, dressed or undressed.” He smiled into her shining gaze which was filled with love—for him. It was a euphoric and freeing discovery for him.
Kathy was not going to let her fear stop her from reaching out and having a relationship with him. It couldn’t get any better than this.

“I thought I saw a lascivious glint in your eyes every time you looked at me!” Kathy accused, laughing. She enjoyed his maleness, his strength and his gentleness.

Above them, the sky was darkening, and the temperature dropping even more. She shivered and shifted closer to him.

“Trust me, every time I saw you at the villa I had plenty of thoughts about what I’d do to you if I could get you off by ourselves somewhere.”

“You had your chance when we were in Cuzco,” she taunted with a laugh.

“Yes, and I damn near blew it after kissing you. I tried to resist you, Kathy, but I just couldn’t. I didn’t really want to, but I knew it could lead to my being discovered, my cover being blown.” Mac gave her a devilish look. “And when you went after me, chased me, well, I couldn’t say no.”

“Nor did you want to!” she accused, ruffling his dark hair.

“Did you kiss me there because you’d blown
your
cover?” Mac had always wondered that.

The first snowflakes were twirling down around them. It was time to leave their place of love. Getting up, he tossed her clothes to her.

Kathy caught them and smiled. She stood up with his help, her knees still a little weak from his wonderful lovemaking. “Yes and no. I was afraid you’d seen through me. There was a part of me that panicked, Mac,
and yet my dumb heart kept screaming at me to go ahead and trust you.” Pulling on her jeans, she slipped the camisole over her head and then took the proffered blouse from Mac.

Buttoning his jeans, he looked at her. “So your trust in me won out? That’s why you kissed me in Cuzco?”

Nodding, Kathy put on her jacket, then sat down and pulled on her socks. She’d keep these socks under glass forever when she got home. “Yes, I caved in. I fought my attraction to you for so long, Mac. I didn’t want to fall in love with a drug dealer.” She looked up with a twisted grin. “No matter how easy you were on my eyes, or how badly I wanted you.”

Mac quickly pulled on his own socks and boots. The snow was thickening. All around them, the forest had quieted, except for the happy gurgle of the river nearby. “I’m glad you didn’t resist me, sweetheart.” He stood up and held out his hand to Kathy, who had just finished tying her boots. “Come on, let’s pack up and go home.”

Kathy gripped it and straightened, then released his hand even though she didn’t want to. Her body glowed with such pleasure even now that just looking at Mac, stalwart, strong and so devastatingly handsome, made her hungry for him all over again.

“I have an idea,” she murmured.

“I’m listening.” He saw the devilry in Kathy’s eyes.

“I’m going home with you, to your condo. You got a problem with that? I’m not done with what we started here. I want more. A lot more.”

Grinning broadly, Mac picked up the blanket and, between them, they quickly folded it up. “Fine with me.
But is your father going to fire me before he hires me if his daughter is warming my bed?”

Clasping the blanket against her body, Kathy hesitated. “You’re going to work for Perseus? You’ve decided?” She searched his face ruthlessly, her heart beating hard.

Looking around, Mac drawled, “A man would be crazy to go undercover when he could have all of this.”

“What about us?”

“And us, too.”

She knew Mac was teasing her. “And you’re taking the job because…”

“Because of you and me,” Mac told her seriously. He walked over and gripped her shoulders, his voice rough. “I told you before, Kathy, you’re my life. I knew it the moment I saw you at the villa, and I know it now. Nothing’s changed for me. What had to change was your belief in us having a chance.” He squeezed her arms gently. “And I think I just convinced you of that. Didn’t I?”

Matching his grin, Kathy said, “Yeah, you did.”

“Are you sorry?” Mac studied her clear blue eyes, which were regarding him with such love and desire. He never wanted to read Kathy wrong. Oh, he knew he would. It was a matter of getting to know her, learning her expressions, her voice and her body language. But right now Mac knew how tentative their relationship was, how fragile, and he didn’t want to do anything to undermine it.

Licking her lower lip, Kathy said huskily, “Sorry? No way, dude. When I commit, it’s forever. I’m not a halfway kind of woman, as you’ll find out.”

Relief flowed through Mac’s heart. Kathy was a treasure—and she was his. “So am I, bright angel. We’ve found each other, now let’s find ways to keep what we have. I know we can…forever….”