Erica Lucke Dean - To Katie with Love (7 page)

White orchids covered every available surface. In little pots. In vases. The petals blanketed the table and the floor. Magical.

“This is right out of a book.” I turned to face him and had to fight back the tears again as a scene from
Blood Everlasting
came to mind. “Did Silvia give you this idea?”

He flashed his lopsided grin. “No, this was all me.”

“How did you do all this?”

He laughed. “It wasn’t easy. After spending half the afternoon working up the nerve to ask you, I was devastated when you said no.”

I knew it. I could tell the date had been important to him. “And you’re sure Silvia didn’t give you the idea?” I teased.

“Positive,” he said with a bit of irritation.

“Well, that’s good. I was going to say if Silvia had given you this idea, you would to have to do a little better than send her roses.”

“Better than roses?”

“Diamonds at the very least.” I looked up at him from under my eyelashes.

“Would it make you uncomfortable if I kissed you?” He glanced through the french doors at the bedroom beyond. “Being this close to the bed and all?” His voice was low and husky.

I hadn’t thought of the bedroom in at least a whole minute. But amazingly, it didn’t frighten me. I’d been completely transported to a place where fear did not exist. “No. It wouldn’t make me uncomfortable.”

He carefully took my face in his hands and stared into my eyes. I didn’t know if I was breathing anymore; I couldn’t tell. I was completely lost in his gaze. I could feel the electricity crackling between us as his lips got closer.

He hesitated for longer than I could stand, but I didn’t want the sweet anticipation to end. So I kept myself still and closed my eyes, desperate for the moment when his hot lips would press against mine again. I had become addicted in such a short time. And yet I felt as though I had fallen for him a long time ago. We’d danced around our relationship for more than a year, playing at business when what we were really doing was simply delaying the inevitable.

When his lips finally touched mine, the sensation was so exquisite I moaned into his mouth. He responded by dragging my body harder against his and stroking my face. I could feel him trembling slightly, and it made me want him all the more. I almost wished for him to let go of his resolve and forget to be a gentleman for a little while, just long enough for me to be completely swept into the current.

I worked my hands into his hair, something I’d wanted to do since the first time I’d seen his disheveled look. A growl built deep in his chest as I tasted his lips, sliding my tongue over first his top and then his bottom lip, feeling the peppermint tingle everywhere I touched.

“Katie.”

I felt rather than heard him whisper against my mouth, and the intimacy of my preferred name on his lips for the first time was enough to cause my knees to buckle. He held me tighter as he trailed kisses from my chin down my neck, causing the silky softness of the cashmere to caress my skin where he touched.

My head was swimming, and I gasped for air.

He groaned. “I love that reaction. You have no idea.”

“Hmmm.” I held tightly to him, worried if I let go, I would slip to the floor in a puddle.

“I suppose I should feed you if you don’t have the strength to stand,” he said playfully.

But I definitely heard the satisfaction in his voice. If he only knew what else was weak. If he hadn’t stopped kissing me when he did, I would have steered him into the bedroom on my own. “I
am
very hungry.”

THE FOOD OF LOVE

“B
reathtaking. I’ve said it before, but it bears mentioning again.” He pushed a bit of my hair back away from my face, brushing my cheek with his fingertips.

My skin tingled where he touched, and I drew in a shaky breath.

“Sit,” he ordered, giving me his best serious look and pointing to the dark walnut bistro chair beside me.

I did as I was told, curious to see what else he had in store for me.

“Close your eyes,” he said.

I closed them and shivered with anticipation.

With his lips close to my ear, he whispered, “Okay, now open your mouth.”

I bit my lip and paused for the briefest of moments before I obeyed. I felt his body heat as he leaned in closer, and I detected the faint aroma of fresh bacon. His fingers touched my lips, and the first thing I tasted was saltiness. I bit down on the morsel he placed on my tongue, and the flavor exploded in my mouth—bacon, a burst of fruit, and the tangy sweetness of cheese and crunch of roasted nuts.

I couldn’t help it; I moaned. It was so good. More than the food, it was the experience. With my eyes closed, I was focusing with my other senses, and nothing I had done ever felt as intimate, as erotic.

I opened my eyes to see his face lit up in a wide smile. “What was that?” I asked once I’d swallowed.

“Did you like it?”

“Did you not hear me moan? I don’t usually moan for food, so yes, I liked it.” I licked the salt from my lips.

“Yeah.” He chuckled. “I liked the moaning.”

“So? What was that? And do you have any more?”

“That… was a halved fig wrapped in bacon, stuffed with goat cheese, and topped with slivered almonds. And yes, there’s more.” He reached behind him and pulled another fig from a tray and brought it to my lips.

I opened my mouth obediently and let him feed it to me. The butterflies in my stomach swarmed. I moaned again. I wasn’t sure whether the goose bumps on my arms came from the exhilarating flavors or the electrifying current passing between us. “What’s next?” I asked eagerly.

He flashed a crooked smile, eyeing the tray behind him. “Hmmm. What shall I choose next? Ah, yes…” He turned around, concealing his choice.

I closed my eyes again and opened my mouth without being asked. Something wet dripped onto my tongue before I registered the sweetness or the fragrance. It was fruity, but like nothing I’d ever tasted before. The juice was slippery and sticky at the same time, and as I bit down, it dripped down my chin. Before I could wipe it away, Cooper caught my hand in his. I opened my eyes in time to see him bend down and run his tongue across my chin. Then he pressed his lips against the same spot in a trail that led to my mouth and a breathtaking kiss.

He pulled me to my feet, his arms wrapping around me as he continued to ravage my mouth. I was devastated when he stopped. He flushed, clearly embarrassed. He had promised to be a gentleman, but I wasn’t going to hold him to it.

He held the chair for me to sit again, and I did. The wine was placed in front of me next. The liquid was a pale gold color and terrified me more than anything else that night. I was not to be trusted with alcohol after Friday.

He must have seen the look on my face because he said, “Just a sip. You’ll be fine.”

I let him put the glass to my lips and carefully took a sip. It was nice and light and brought back the flavors from the sticky fruit.

“Are you ready for dinner?” he asked.

“Yes.” I was ready for anything he wanted to give me.

Why did it have to be a Tuesday night? How was I supposed to stay up all night talking to Cooper if I had to get up and go to work in the morning? It was nearly eleven o’clock, and I wasn’t remotely ready to go. Cooper didn’t seem to want me to leave either, which thrilled me to no end. Time had flown since dinner.

We sat across from each other on the thick carpet at the foot of Cooper’s bed, drinking the last of the wine from the same glass and talking about anything and everything.

“So you still haven’t named the imaginary cat?” His lips twitched with a smile. “It’s been over a year. Don’t you think it’s about time you did?”

I rolled my eyes. “Go ahead and laugh. I’m fully aware of how pathetic that sounds.”

He tilted his head. “No, it’s not pathetic at all. I’ve never been a cat person myself, but if I was going to get a cat, I might start out with an imaginary one first. Still, I think even an imaginary cat deserves a name. No wonder he doesn’t come when you call.”

“And what do you think I should name him?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Something regal, I would think. Claude du Chat?”

I let out a giggle. “Claude? I don’t think so. Maybe Henry?”

His eyebrows perked up. “Henry?”

“A character in a book I read. Henry, the Earl of Devonshire. It’s a mouthful, I know.”

“I like it, a lot… but how about Henry, the Earl of Catnip? More fitting for feline aristocracy, don’t you think?”

“You’re being way too nice. Or you’re making fun of me. I can’t quite tell.”

“I’m not.” He leaned in to steal a quick kiss. “I actually love your imagination.”

“You may change your mind about that. My imagination can be a scary place.” I laughed, reaching for the wine glass. “Enough about my
cat
… and my boring existence. I want to know what makes Cooper Maxwell tick.”

“There’s absolutely nothing
boring
about you.” Cooper watched me intently as I took a sip from the glass and waited until I held it out for him. “But I
would
like to know why you work so hard to avoid your mother.”

“Oh, you noticed that?”

“I’ve noticed you ignoring her calls almost every time I’m in your office. How many broken cell phone excuses are you up to now? Five? Six?”

“Six.” I paused for a moment, carefully choosing my words. “She just makes me…”

“Makes you what?”

My laughter sounded hollow. “Makes me feel like I’m back in high school or something, except she keeps reminding me that I’m not getting any younger. As far as she’s concerned, I’ll never be smart enough, pretty enough…
thin
enough. For my birthday, she sent me a gift certificate for a local plastic surgeon, someone she met at one of my dad’s medical conferences. Oh, and a list of suggested procedures I should have done. I’m thinking of having it framed as a reminder of how
not
to parent if I ever have children of my own. She never lets me forget all the ways I fall short. Unlike my sister, I’m a constant disappointment to her.”

His eyebrows shot up. “You
obviously
don’t see yourself the way I do. I’ve spent the better part of a year watching you across your desk as you managed my small fortune.” He winked. “You’re clearly smart enough to find your way around my muddled finances. In fact, your intelligence was one of the first things that drew me to you. And as far as
pretty
enough, or for heaven’s sake,
thin
enough…” He nuzzled his nose against my ear. “If you had
any
idea
what you do to me, just being this close to you, you wouldn’t say such things.”

I had to force myself not focus on his words, or
my
words would have been gibberish. Besides, when he looked at me like that, I felt I could tell him almost anything. “But you don’t understand. My mother is everything I’m not. She’s slender and elegant and stunningly beautiful… even at her age. She doesn’t trip over air or struggle for the right words in a social setting or live vicariously through fictional characters.”

“Well, I haven’t met your mother, but I can tell you I find your clumsiness to be endearing. I
like
feeling as if you might need me to catch you when you fall. I look forward to listening to you stumble over your words for the right thing to say, because to me, that means what you’re saying is honest and comes from right in here.” He laid his hand over my heart. “And I can promise you, I am
not
a fictional character. One day,
very
soon, I’m going to show you how much I adore your body
exactly
the way it is.” Cooper leaned in, capturing my lips with his, causing my panties to ignite.

“I think you’re trying to distract me,” I said, pulling in a few jagged breaths as I attempted to get my libido under control.

Cooper smirked. “You caught me. So tell me more about the nutty bunch you work with. Besides Vicky, who else should I be wary of?” He held my hand to his lips and kissed my palm gently.  

“Well…” I tipped my face to the ceiling as I thought. “Silvia can be dangerous.”

“Dangerous? How do you mean?”

I bit back a smile. “No one crosses Silvia. I’m serious. I might not have come tonight if she hadn’t set me straight. I think
I
might owe her a dozen roses too.”

He sighed. “Just a dozen? I was thinking at least two or three.”

My eyes widened. “That many?”

He ducked in to press his lips against mine in a quick kiss. “You’re definitely worth it.”

The music ended, and he jumped up to start it again. I took our glass and downed the last swallow of wine.

“What would you like to listen to now? I think we’ve exhausted my supply of classical music, but I may have some old jazz if you’re game.”

I pulled myself off the floor and sat on the side of the bed. “When you say old jazz, do you mean Nina Simone? Because that would be nice.” I leaned back until I was lying flat, staring up at the carved crown molding along the ceiling.

He laughed. “I think you have overestimated my feminine side.”

“Oh.” I giggled. “I’m glad you don’t have too much of a feminine side. I sort of like that you’re a man.”

“I was hoping you’d noticed.”

“Cooper?”

“Hmm?”

“Tell me why my dress gave you the idea for dinner?” I closed my eyes to listen to the music.

“When I saw you wearing it, I knew the fabric must feel wonderful against your skin. I wanted to do this—” He sat beside me and ran his hand from my waist to my thigh. “—the whole time I sat across from you. It reminded me of Friday night when you told me you thought my sheets would feel magnificent against bare skin.” He pulled in a ragged breath and stood up, quickly putting a little distance between us. He slid back to the floor, crossing his legs in front of him. “I knew the most romantic place I could take you to dinner would be the same place I kissed you for the first time.”

“I have no idea what to say,” I whispered, lowering myself to the floor so I could sit across from him. I took his hand and pressed it to my heart. “Can you feel how fast my heart is beating? Are you sure you’re real?”

“I’m real,” he replied, taking a deep breath.

“Sometimes I wonder.” I sighed. “I’ve never met anyone like you before.”

“I could say the same, you know. You are someone very special, Kate.”

We were quiet for a minute. Then I shifted my weight so I was sitting closer to him. “Okay, it’s your turn to tell me about your job. I don’t know anything about what you do.”

Cooper dropped his hand in his lap. “I just don’t like talking about it,” he muttered, his voice thick.

“Is it something bad?” I didn’t know what made me ask that question, but his blank expression made my heart pick up its pace.

He hesitated, and his eyes tightened. “I’ll tell you someday… soon.”

I nodded absently. “Is there anything you
can
tell me?”

“I know how to milk a cow.” He ducked his head and blushed crimson. “And I’m a closet video game nerd. I used to have the arcade high score playing Time Crisis.”

“Time Crisis?”

“It’s a shooting game. I have impeccable aim.”

“Oh really?” I bit my lip. “You’re good with a loaded weapon?”

“Yes. And now that I’ve shared some of my most embarrassing secrets, are you going to need me to knock off the competition with my first-rate shooting skills?”

“You mean Dean?” I teased.

He grimaced. “Right. Dean. I almost forgot.”

“What about poor me?” I stared at my lap. “I have to watch all of those beautiful women drooling over you, and wonder why in the world you would want to be here with me when you have so many other choices.”

Cooper gently cupped my chin and tipped up my face. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be at this moment, Katie.”

My breath caught in my throat when I heard him say “Katie.” Cooper smiled as he dipped his head down to kiss me.

“Katie?” he whispered against my lips, and the butterflies in my stomach went crazy.

“Hmmm…”

“I can either take you home right this minute…” He paused to push my hair back behind my ear.

“Or?” I asked with a shiver.

“Or I don’t think I’ll be strong enough to take you home at all.”

Breathe. In and out. It’s easy.
“I don’t want to go,” I whispered.

“I want you to stay, but I think I should take you home. When this happens… and it will—” Cooper tipped his head down and touched his forehead to mine. “—I want it to be perfect.”

“Tonight
has
been perfect,” I said.

“And there will be plenty of time for more perfect nights.”

We just sat there like that, our breathing staggered, our hearts racing, until the music ended again. The room was too quiet then. Cooper stood first and pulled me to my feet. He wrapped his arms around me in a crushing hug. I could feel his lips in my hair, and I knew he was whispering something, but I couldn’t hear the words over the pounding in my chest.

He groaned. “I think we’d better go.”

I nodded halfheartedly. He was right, but it didn’t make me happy. I wanted to stay and talk all night. But if we stayed like that much longer, we would stop talking, and if we stopped talking, we would start kissing. Kissing wasn’t bad. I really liked kissing. I liked kissing Cooper more than I had ever liked kissing anyone else. But kissing was a prelude, not a finale, and in a totally technical sense, we were on our first date. Good girls didn’t reach the finale on the first date.