Strangers (22 page)

There was no sign of Kate outside, but then he hadn’t expected her to hang around.
He fled to his car, pursued by a determined posse.
He tried to call her, but couldn’t get through on her mobile or landline.

Charlie drove to Kate’s apartment.
He had to park on the road because she wouldn’t answer her buzzer to let him in the car park.
In desperation, he climbed over the security gate and took up a position below her window.

“Juliet,” he shouted.
“Get your skinny butt out here.”

Kate hid behind the curtains, shaking her head.
He was a compete lunatic.
She laughed and then was cross with herself.
Sliding open the glass doors, she stepped onto her balcony.
She looked down and Charlie smiled when he saw her.
Her heart did a reverse somersault with several twists and landed right in his hands.
When he began to speak, she couldn’t move.

“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east, and Kate is the sun.

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Who is already sick and pale with grief

That thou her maid art far more fair than she.”

He stared up into Kate’s eyes.
She wanted to follow her heart and dive into his arms.
His voice was so smooth and lyrical, it was like drinking nectar.
The words poured out of him into her.
When he’d finished Romeo’s speech, he waited.

At first, Kate didn’t know what to say, then she smiled.
“Skinny butt?”

“Maybe I need to check.
I could be wrong.”

“Come up.” She had the willpower of a vampire passing a blood bank.

“What have I done?” he asked as Kate opened the door of her apartment.

But when she pulled him inside and kissed him, he forgot what he’d asked.

They were both naked before they reached the bedroom.
Once inside, Charlie pinned her against the wall with his weight, his breathing loud and ragged.
He circled his thumb around her clit and then slid his fingers between her damp folds.
While her body shook, he held her.

“Ready, steady, go,” he whispered, thrilled she’d come so fast.

“You think I’m quick?” Kate asked and dropped to her knees.
She wrapped her fingers around him, squeezing gently.

Charlie groaned and put his hand over hers.
The pressure milked a drop of pearly moisture from the tip of his cock.
Kate’s tongue shot out and licked it away.
He gasped and sank his fingers into her hair.
She sucked him deep into her mouth, just once and then let him go.
When she moved her head back, he pushed her away.

“No,” Charlie said in a strangled voice.
“I want to be inside you.”

He pulled her to the bed and pushed her onto her back.
Taking her wrists in one hand, Charlie held them above her head as he settled between her thighs, the head of his cock already part way home.

“Charlie,” Kate whispered.
“A condom.”

The second time he’d nearly done that.
He fumbled in the bedside drawer and ripped open the packet with his teeth.
She made him forget.
She drove him so wild he couldn’t think.
He slipped on the protective sheath and then pushed her wrists back over her head.
Charlie drove himself into her, deep, slamming thrusts that sent them farther and farther up the bed until she was pressed against the metal headboard.
Still he didn’t stop, couldn’t stop until the noise she made told him he was hurting her.
Charlie dragged her back down the bed, folding up her legs so she could see him taking her and lunged into her again.

He kept his eyes on her face, watched her watching him.
He wanted to slow down but he couldn’t.
He wanted to be slow and gentle.
Why couldn’t he make love to her like that?
She made him so he couldn’t think.

“Charlie, Charlie,” Kate moaned his name and arched into him.

“Come with me,” Charlie gasped.

He tried to hold back, managed for a few moments, but the feeling of her clenching around him was too much to resist.
Charlie exploded into her like a dragster bursting off the line, the rushing pleasure fusing them together, so neither knew where one ended and the other began.

He lay shaking on top of her for a moment and then lifted himself up, so Kate could straighten her legs.
Charlie flopped down again.

“Are you trying to kill me?” she asked.

He grunted.
“I could ask you the same thing.
I always mean to go slow, but I never can, not with you.
I think I’m scared you’re going to disappear.”

His fingers slid up her neck, over her cheek to her lips.

“Whatever I’ve done, I’m sorry,” he said.

“Whatever you’ve done, I forgive you.”

He kissed her gently, brushed his lips across hers and sighed.

“I lost my phone yesterday,” he said.
“I’m always putting it down and forgetting where.
I phoned you once I’d found it, but you had yours switched off.”

“I was busy.”

“What have you been doing?”

“Working.”

“Doing what?” he pressed.

“Working, at work,” Kate said.

“I did lose my phone, honestly.
It was in the fridge.”

She laughed.
“And was the ice cream on the coffee table?”

“Oh, ha ha.”

Kate bit her lip.
“You lost your phone and I guess I’ve just lost my job.”

“She won’t sack you.
I told her I’d provoked you by pinching your bum.”

Kate gaped at him.
“After which I kissed you?”

“Hey, it happens.
They were bloody well queuing up after you stomped out.
I’d have been here sooner, only I had to smooth things over for you with Mel.”

“First name terms?”

“She gave me her phone number.
I bet she’d answer
her
phone if I called.”

Kate sighed.

“You could have rung me,” he said, stroking her cheek with his fingers.
“No messages from Miss Mermaid?
No voice mail from my sultry siren?
I could think you don’t care.”

It didn’t escape his attention she didn’t respond to that.

“I suppose I’d better ring Mel and apologize,” Kate said.
“I didn’t even finish my shift.”

“Ring her now.
She’ll still be in a good mood from having met me.” He grinned.

Kate held the phone away from her ear while Mel yelled, slotted in “sorry” as soon as she could and finished the call.

“I’ve got to go in tomorrow morning to make up the time I missed today.”

“She’s all heart.
So, what did I do?” Charlie asked, feathering her nipples with his fingers.

“Nothing.”

He sighed.
This was going to take work.
“I couldn’t remember either of your numbers without my mobile.
You’re not in the phone book.
I checked.”

“No.”

Charlie waited.
He’d thought this was because he hadn’t rung, now he wasn’t sure.

“What are you doing tomorrow night?” he asked.

“Washing my hair.”

“I’ve been invited to a party at Armageddon.
Want to go?” He nibbled her ear and Kate squirmed.

“Is there food?”

Charlie rolled onto his back and laughed.
“I can’t think of anyone else who would ask that.” He turned to face her.
“Kate, I don’t want you to get hurt.
If the press link you with me, they won’t leave you alone.
I made one film with Jody Morton, had one dance with her and they’ve got us planning our wedding.
I don’t want to share you, but I want you to come.”

“So, is there food?” Kate asked again, smiling.

“Yep, and you’ll be the only woman eating, because the rest of them only allow their bodies five calories a day.”

“Good, all the more for me.”

“I’ll send a car for you, so at least we aren’t seen arriving together,” Charlie said.

He saw Kate ready to get uppity, so he pulled her into his arms and pressed his mouth against her ear.

“It’s for your own good.
Believe me, you do not want to come to the attention of the press.”

“Okay.”

“Good, now I want to ask you to do something else for me,” Charlie said.

“I need a rest first.”

“Not that…well, not yet.
I want you to come with me to see my parents.”

Her body tensed.
He knew he’d shocked her.

“When?” Kate asked.

“Saturday.”

“You need me to hold your hand?” Kate slid her fingers through his.

“Exactly that.”

“All right.”

“Thank you,” he whispered, and kissed her on the end of her nose, sliding his lips down to her mouth.

Kate pulled away.
“How do you manage that?
One minute you make me so mad I want to kill you, and the next you’re so helpless I’d kill anyone who tried to hurt you.”

“I have a way with words,” he said, keeping a straight face.

“No, I don’t think it’s that,” Kate said.

“Then it must be the other things I can do with my mouth.” He bent his head to her breast and licked her nipple.

* * * * *

Dan was waiting for Kate outside the next morning.

“Is Mel dragging you in again?” Kate asked.
“How many times this week?”

“Since I’m not in the middle of painting my masterpiece, I can afford to be nice to her and at least I get fed.”

“Well, walk fast.
I daren’t be late.”

“You’re lucky you still have a job.”

Kate faltered and glanced at his face.

“I know you don’t work on Fridays, so why have I waited for you?” Dan raised his eyebrows.

“Ah, yesterday.”

“So, did you kiss him before or after he pinched your bum?”

“After.
If he can take liberties, I don’t see why I shouldn’t.”

Kate realized she and Charlie were still a secret.
No one had done the math or if they had, they’d not come up with the right answer.

“Was Mel furious?” Kate asked.

“Only that he pinched your bum and not hers.”

Kate made herself laugh.

Crispies was busier than usual, the hope Charlie might reappear, almost tangible.
Customers looked for him, talked about him, asked about him.
Mel’s line—given to staff to feed customers—was that if he’d come in once, he could come in again.
Kate refused to cave in to pressure from Mel to explain how she knew Charlie but it was only because they were so busy that Kate won a temporary reprieve.
Mel pleaded with her to work the afternoon too and although Kate had intended to look for a new outfit to wear to Armageddon, she needed to keep Mel happy, so she stayed.
Anyway, now she’d lost the cash for premium line sex chats, she really couldn’t afford to buy stuff she’d only end up wearing a couple of times.
Something old would have to do.

* * * * *

Ethan pressed Kate’s buzzer and waited for her to answer.

“Kate?
I’m Ethan Silver, Charlie’s agent.
Can I come up?”

“Sure.”

She was waiting at her door and Ethan saw at once what Charlie liked about her.
She was tall and slim, with short, cropped hair.
Her large gray eyes shone in her face.
She looked like a female version of Charlie—apart from the red dress.
Ethan shook her outstretched hand.

“Hello,” Kate said.
“Come in.”

“Good to meet you.
You’re very pretty.”

Kate laughed.
“Right.
When did you last have your eyes tested?”

For a moment, Ethan thought her reaction genuine, but then dismissed the notion.
She was out for what she could get.

“You’re not what I expected,” Kate said as Ethan walked into her apartment.

“Explain.”

“I thought you’d be a bald, red-faced man who spoke like a lightning bolt and moved even faster, but you’re taller than Charlie and you look a bit like Kevin Costner.”

Ethan laughed.
“I take it that’s a compliment.”

“Assuming I like Kevin Costner.”

“Do you?”

“I might,” Kate said.
“So, have you come to tell me I’m un-invited to Armageddon?”

Ethan shook his head.
“Not at all.
My driver’s on double yellow lines downstairs waiting for us.
Charlie asked me to arrange a car and I thought I’d come myself and see who’s done such a good job of taming him.
What’s your secret?”

“Say no and mean it.
He’s too used to having his own way.”

Ethan smiled.
“Clever girl.
Right, go and get changed and we’ll be off.”

Kate’s mouth tightened.

“Ah,” he said.
“You had changed.
Sorry.” He gave a wry smile.
“Kate, the dress looks…lovely, but there’s going to be a lot of people tonight who’ll notice you’re wearing something from a chain store.
Show me what else you’ve got.”

Kate led him to her bedroom and opened her wardrobe.
Ethan flicked through her clothes.
Not much to choose from, but the cheap cotton thing she wore was too obvious.
He pulled out a green dress, a pair of jeans and a sleeveless pink top.

“Try the dress first.
I’ll wait in the other room.”

While Kate changed, Ethan looked around the apartment.
Her bedroom was fabulous, but the rest of the place was weird.
How could she live with no furniture?
He was surprised Charlie hadn’t bought some for her.
Ethan gave a short laugh.
It was probably on order.
He ran his hand over the sewing machine.
She didn’t look like a woman who sewed.
Picking through the material in the boxes, he realized Kate made underwear.
He found two half-finished underwire bras, one with tiny beads attached in curving swirls from the nipples, the other made of soft cream leather.
They were exquisite and a flicker of lust licked Ethan’s groin.

“Is this better?” Kate said behind him.

He slipped the underwear back where he’d found it and turned to look at her.

“No, try the pink top and the jeans.”

“They’re very old.”

“That’s not a problem.”

Kate emerged a few moments later, but Ethan still wasn’t satisfied.
Nowhere near tarty enough.

“What are you wearing under that top?”

“Strapless green bra.”

“Let’s have a look.”

Kate hesitated.

“You haven’t got anything I haven’t seen before,” he said, though he wasn’t sure that was true.

Kate peeled the top over her head.

Ethan sighed.
“It looks like a bra.” A fabulous lacy thing, but still a bra.