Steady (35 page)

She tried to pinch him, but he grabbed her hands, smiling as he pulled her down to him, grabbing her bottom lip with his teeth, moving his tongue in between her lips. She pulled back.

“What was I saying?” he asked, pretending to search through his mind.

“Boring,” she answered.

“Oh, yeah, well, after getting to know you more, watching you work with the volunteers, seeing you with your godfathers, I changed the word from boring to steady. It became my private nickname for you.”

“Steady, as in man’s best friend kind of steady?” she asked.

“No, that’s more loyal, and you are that, too, but steady as in always, and I do mean
always
, doing the right thing. You’re always working hard and you’re always there for your friends, your godfathers, and your trust customers, even though it’s hard for you. That kind of steady,” he said, pulling her in close for another kiss, separating her lips again with his tongue. She was addictive.

“Okay,” she said when he let go of her mouth.

“But I’ve got to tell you that in this, in the way you make love to me, full out . . .” he said, and then paused to put on another condom.

“This Katrina . . .” he said, settling her over him, pushing her slowly down to take him into her body again, “. . . is so not steady.”

Katrina woke up early the next morning and looked at Will asleep beside her. He was spread-eagle, face down, his head facing her. He looked so beautiful. Her thoughts traveled back to last night. That had been so much fun, but more intense toward the end than she was comfortable with. Unexpectedly, her inner voice issued a warning:
Be careful
. She ignored it and sat up. No movement, not a peep from Will.

She stood up and moved quietly around the room, gathering her clothes. She quickly dressed, using Will’s T-shirt to cover her costume, and quietly backed from the room. He was dead to the world, jet lag, she’d bet, the same jet lag that had him wide awake at three in the morning, reaching for her. That man was something else, smooth, lean, and intense, staring into her eyes as he moved in and out of her body. She didn’t want to leave without letting him know she was gone, but she didn’t want to wake him, either.

She stepped into the hall leading to the living room and continued to the kitchen, where she found a note pad and pencil.
Hey, Will. Thank you for a wonderful evening. I went home. You can come over if you want to. Come through the backyard. I’ll unlock the door.
She signed it
Steady
and smiled at his nickname for her. She went back to his room and placed the note on the pillow next to him, giving in to the need to look at him again. She stood there a minute longer and then tiptoed out.

She quietly and quickly walked through his backyard and through the gate, down the greenbelt, and into her yard. She entered her home and went to take a shower. After she was done, she located a pair of old pajama bottoms and a T-shirt and went in search of tea.

***

Will opened his eyes, immediately spotting the empty space next to him, thinking it would have been nice to start the morning as it had ended last night. He lifted his head and saw a note in the space where Katrina’s head had been. He reached for it, smiling at her use of his nickname for her. He turned over onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. Steady hadn’t been steady. He smiled at that thought, and at all the other images from last night running through his mind.

He had about had a heart attack when he saw her in Lola and Oscar’s kitchen, standing at the sink dressed in her Playboy bunny outfit. Thinking of her comment about the rabbit being the nemesis of the gardener, he laughed. He wanted to see her this morning, but he would shower first.

Dressed in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve T-shirt, tennis shoes on his feet, he walked out the back door and down the greenbelt to her home. He entered and looked around the yard, his eyes sweeping from left to right and landing in the middle as his eyes found hers. She was seated in the middle of her steps, a cup of something in her hand. She’d been watching him silently. Without saying a word, he walked up the steps, stopping just below her, staring into her eyes all the while.

He leaned forward, not breaking eye contact. Her upper body moved back to lower itself on the steps above her, her eyes following his lips as he moved in to kiss her softly. Her body lifted to his; she couldn’t seem to get enough, even after last night. He placed his arm on the rails of the steps for balance as he continued to kiss her mouth, intertwining her tongue with his. Her arms slid to the bottom of his T-shirt and moved under it, touching him, loving the feel of him. He placed his arms around her and she wrapped her legs around his back as he lifted her and walked up the steps leading into her home. She reached behind her and opened the back door, and he walked them over to her couch and sat, placing her feet on the floor in front of him.

She removed her clothes, pajama bottoms first, until she stood nude before him. He pulled her to him, his head leaning into her stomach, holding her still. He lifted his head and looked up into her eyes. She placed her hands around his neck and bent to meet his lips, softly and reverently kissing him. He slid his hips outward on the couch, unzipped his jeans and pushed them past his hips, stopping to dig a condom out of his wallet. Putting it on, he turned her so that her back was to his chest.

He lifted her to sit on him and they groaned together as she took him into her body. He leaned back and pulled her with him, one hand on her breast, the other around her waist as he started to lift and then lower her. He closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of her wrapped around him, astonished still at how she managed to take control of him with such quiet authority.

She continued, stopping when she felt he was close, to start over again. He couldn’t hold back much longer. His hand found the place where their bodies met to help speed her along. He came then, a quiet gasp the only sound he made; she moaned quietly as she came, too. He held on to her as if his life depended on it, more than a little stunned at the direction his life was taking.

***

End of December

“We better get going,” Katrina said to a half-asleep Will, standing next to his side of the bed and running her hand through his hair as he lay sleeping. This was the second time she had come in to wake him. He grabbed her hand, pulling her down to lie next to him.

“What time is it?” he asked, closing his eyes again. “Give me thirty more minutes,” he mumbled, pulling her in closer and locking her in tightly to his side with his arm.

“Nope, you made me promise to not listen to your pleas for more sleep this morning. Remember, you wanted to show me some bridge you’ve found for the gardens, and then we have to go over to the godfathers to help out,” she said, watching him closely, his head still resting on the pillow. She ran her hands though his short crop of hair again, loving the way it stood up.

Today they were going to help the godfathers at the garden center with the Christmas rush after Will showed her this wonderful bridge he’d found. They were at his home. She had brought some clothes over last night and had already showered and dressed. She was hungry, and as soon as she could get him going, she was off to find some food.

“Come on, Will. Let’s go.”

“Okay,” he mumbled into his pillow, but then he rolled over until he was on top of her. He kissed her and then just as quickly rolled off, sitting up on the side of his bed, running his hand over his face and through his hair before standing. She sat on the bed and watched him as he walked toward the bathroom, admiring the body that she couldn’t seem to get enough of. He turned around and gave her a smile, the one that she liked so much, moving his black eyebrows up and down, teasing her. He knew she was watching. She always watched.

A few minutes later she went to the kitchen and stood in front of Will’s refrigerator; nothing much there except the yogurt she had brought over earlier in the week. She’d gone down this empty refrigerator path before. She grabbed a banana from his fruit bowl, found a bowl, and added her banana and yogurt to it. She found a spoon, hopped onto the counter, and ate. She couldn’t believe she was here sometimes, approaching two months with him. This was all so new to her.

She’d dated before, but it had never led to this; there was sex, maybe, but not this need to be around each other constantly, this wondering what he was doing when she wasn’t there and hurrying to get through whatever she was doing so she could get wherever he was.

He walked into the kitchen, dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt, grabbed a banana, peeled it, and walked over to stand in between her legs. He pushed into her lower body with his, touching her while he dunked his banana into her yogurt and took a bite. He chewed for a minute, and, before taking another bite, asked, “Ready?”

“Almost,” she said.

“I’ll meet you in the garage.”

“Kay,” she said, watching him as he walked away.

She finished eating, placed the bowl in the sink, grabbed her backpack, and followed him out the door. She’d taken about four steps into the garage before she pulled up short. He was standing next to his motorcycle, one helmet on his head and another one in his hand. She shook her head and started to walk backward. He placed the helmet he’d held for her on the ground and, taking his off, walked toward her.

“Come on, Katrina. Try it. I’ll be careful and I’ll go really slow. I promise,” he said, his face a study in contrast; his shining eyes were earnest and pleading, at war with his sexy, slightly cocky smile, the one she could never seem to resist.

“Don’t be scared; I’ll be careful with you,” he said, losing the smile, serious now. She wasn’t sure he was just talking about the bike ride. He reached for her hand and slowly pulled her to the bike. He kissed her lips, smiled again, and quickly slid the helmet on her head before she could speak. He replaced his own and sat on the bike, waiting. She got on behind him, and he started the engine. It was quieter than she had thought. She moved her hands to circle his waist. He grabbed them and pulled them so that her hold on him was tight. He backed out, lowered his garage door, and took off. She held on, eyes closed, head resting on his back.

They rode for about twenty minutes before she opened her eyes. He was up in front of an old beat-up barn with old stuff on the ground all around it. A middle-aged African-American woman was sitting in a chair by a tree. Will pulled in and stopped. Katrina climbed off first, followed by Will. Both took off their helmets. He looked at her and smiled and then grabbed her hand and led her towards the woman, who was now headed toward them.

“Hello, Will,” she said, smiling, her eyes drinking him in.

I’m feeling you there, sister
, Katrina thought.

“I see you came back,” she said.

“Yes,” he said with a big smile and then introduced Katrina.

The woman’s name was Sallie. They followed her to the back of her property, and Katrina thought most of the stuff she saw looked like junk; hell, the bridge looked a little like junk, too. She could see some potential, though. This could work, she thought.

He thanked Sallie for holding it for him, paid her, and told her he would pick it up next weekend.

He and Katrina left as unceremoniously as they had arrived. She opened her eyes and looked around at the traffic and the life around her as she rode behind Will. This wasn’t as bad as she thought. She was still a little nervous, but it had turned out to be fun. Who knew? She smiled to herself. She wasn’t going to tell Will; he was too sure of himself already as far as she was concerned.

***

January

Somehow, over the following weeks, Katrina found herself, after much prodding from Will, attempting her first long bike trip—the cycling kind. He’d already talked her into shorter rides with him around the neighborhood. But today they’d awakened earlier than usual and he was taking her for her first bike ride that would last longer than an hour. He was decked out in his usual Lance wear—just with longer pants in deference to the weather—and he’d picked out an outfit for her. She’d spent last night trying it on, wiggling into it, only to be interrupted by Will after seeing her in it proved more than he could take. So they’d spent time in bed helping her out of it.

Truth be told, she didn’t think she’d be at this riding stuff long. Will had warned her that he’d be introducing her to new and different things, and, true to his word, he had, pulling her from her yard work for just a little while. It wasn’t going anywhere, anyway, so she let herself be coaxed away, trying things she didn’t normally do.

She was once again preparing to try something new. She was in shape; she ran regularly on her treadmill, plus gardening, for her at least, was tough stuff. She hoped it was enough to keep up with him. She’d looked up some facts on the internet regarding bike safety, starting to enjoy his reaction to her facts and statistics. He found it amusing, and she liked it very much when he laughed at her jokes.

“Ready?” That one-word question had become his standard question for her, as if she would ever be ready for all the new things he’d planned for her. If she were honest with herself, she would think they were fun, too. Work had been less pressing, less tiring, and less interesting now that he was here.