the door and started to ask him what was wrong when he pushed past her into the living room.
“I hope you’re happy.”
“What… I… What’re you talking about?”
Watching him pace around the small room like a caged tiger, Kate was reminded of the long-ago night when he’d come to her place, intending to end their relationship. Rather, they’d gone to Memphis the next day and ended up in bed together.
“Mari has left me. Happy?”
“She… Why?”
“Because of you! Because you showed up and ruined everything, just like before!” The sleepy-looking brown eyes she’d adored from the start were shooting fire at her as he spoke. He wore a white shirt that offset his dark tan, and his hair was mussed, as if he’d been pulling at it. He was fifty-five now but didn’t look a day over forty, and Kate still loved him as much as she ever had.
The realization sent her reeling, making her heart beat erratically and her mouth go dry. “I…I’m sorry. I never meant to ruin anything for you. I only wanted to see you, to tell you… I’m sorry.”
His gaze moved over her slowly and intently, which put her already frazzled nerves on alert. “Are you?” he asked in that slow Tennessean drawl that got her every time.
“Am I… Am I what?” She hated that he turned her into a stuttering fool, but being this close to him when he was obviously enraged with her had fried her brain cells.
“Are you sorry she left me?” He stepped closer, forcing Kate to back up—right into a wall.
“I, um…” What was she supposed to say to that?
His face was now an inch from hers when he asked again, more slowly this time. “Are you sorry she left me?”
Since she didn’t dare try to speak, Kate shook her head.
“Why?” He zeroed in on her lips, which made them go dry.
Kate licked them and watched his eyes darken with what looked like desire. His eyes had always gotten darker and sexier when he was turned on.
His hands landed on her hips, fingertips digging into her skin through the silk and setting her on fire. “ Why? ”
“Because I want you.” With him standing a mere inch from her, with him touching her for the first time in a very long decade, it suddenly wasn’t difficult at all to tell him the truth. “I’ve always wanted you. Even when I wasn’t supposed to want you.”
And then he was devouring her. There was simply no other word to describe the way he kissed her, as if he’d been saving up for this moment for as long as they’d been apart. He consumed her with his lips, tongue and teeth.
Kate wound her arms around his neck and held on as tightly as she could, kissing him back with everything she had. She had no idea how long they stood there, pressed against the wall, kissing each other with years of pent-up passion and desire fueling their embrace. It was unlike anything Kate had ever experienced, even with him. And still his hands never moved from her hips. He held on so tightly, as if he was afraid she might get away if he let go.
Wanting more of him, Kate arched into his embrace, encountering the hard press of his erection against her belly. When she gasped, he broke the kiss and turned his focus on her neck.
“This is crazy,” he whispered between openmouthed kisses that made her melt in his arms. “What’re you even doing here?”
“I came for you.” She fisted a handful of his hair, remembering the way the dark silky strands had felt between her fingers the first time they were together. The feel of his hair on her skin was something she’d thought about long after they broke up. “I couldn’t stop wanting you. I tried for so long to stop, but I couldn’t. I never stopped.”
His groan was nothing less than tortured. “I never stopped either. I thought of you every day. I listened to your music whenever I was in the car alone. It made me feel closer to you.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, a sob escaping from her lips almost against her will. “I was horrible to
“I hope you’re happy.”
“What… I… What’re you talking about?”
Watching him pace around the small room like a caged tiger, Kate was reminded of the long-ago night when he’d come to her place, intending to end their relationship. Rather, they’d gone to Memphis the next day and ended up in bed together.
“Mari has left me. Happy?”
“She… Why?”
“Because of you! Because you showed up and ruined everything, just like before!” The sleepy-looking brown eyes she’d adored from the start were shooting fire at her as he spoke. He wore a white shirt that offset his dark tan, and his hair was mussed, as if he’d been pulling at it. He was fifty-five now but didn’t look a day over forty, and Kate still loved him as much as she ever had.
The realization sent her reeling, making her heart beat erratically and her mouth go dry. “I…I’m sorry. I never meant to ruin anything for you. I only wanted to see you, to tell you… I’m sorry.”
His gaze moved over her slowly and intently, which put her already frazzled nerves on alert. “Are you?” he asked in that slow Tennessean drawl that got her every time.
“Am I… Am I what?” She hated that he turned her into a stuttering fool, but being this close to him when he was obviously enraged with her had fried her brain cells.
“Are you sorry she left me?” He stepped closer, forcing Kate to back up—right into a wall.
“I, um…” What was she supposed to say to that?
His face was now an inch from hers when he asked again, more slowly this time. “Are you sorry she left me?”
Since she didn’t dare try to speak, Kate shook her head.
“Why?” He zeroed in on her lips, which made them go dry.
Kate licked them and watched his eyes darken with what looked like desire. His eyes had always gotten darker and sexier when he was turned on.
His hands landed on her hips, fingertips digging into her skin through the silk and setting her on fire. “ Why? ”
“Because I want you.” With him standing a mere inch from her, with him touching her for the first time in a very long decade, it suddenly wasn’t difficult at all to tell him the truth. “I’ve always wanted you. Even when I wasn’t supposed to want you.”
And then he was devouring her. There was simply no other word to describe the way he kissed her, as if he’d been saving up for this moment for as long as they’d been apart. He consumed her with his lips, tongue and teeth.
Kate wound her arms around his neck and held on as tightly as she could, kissing him back with everything she had. She had no idea how long they stood there, pressed against the wall, kissing each other with years of pent-up passion and desire fueling their embrace. It was unlike anything Kate had ever experienced, even with him. And still his hands never moved from her hips. He held on so tightly, as if he was afraid she might get away if he let go.
Wanting more of him, Kate arched into his embrace, encountering the hard press of his erection against her belly. When she gasped, he broke the kiss and turned his focus on her neck.
“This is crazy,” he whispered between openmouthed kisses that made her melt in his arms. “What’re you even doing here?”
“I came for you.” She fisted a handful of his hair, remembering the way the dark silky strands had felt between her fingers the first time they were together. The feel of his hair on her skin was something she’d thought about long after they broke up. “I couldn’t stop wanting you. I tried for so long to stop, but I couldn’t. I never stopped.”
His groan was nothing less than tortured. “I never stopped either. I thought of you every day. I listened to your music whenever I was in the car alone. It made me feel closer to you.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, a sob escaping from her lips almost against her will. “I was horrible to
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