| Chapter Fourteen Kel paced nervously as she waited for someone to answer the phone. She didn't know what happened between Kat and Howie the night before, but the way Kat had tore out of the house this morning had left her feeling uneasy. After she had heard the front door close last night, she had emerged from the patio and walked through to look out the front door, only to see the taillights on Howie's car as he drove away. By the time she'd made it upstairs to the room Kat was using, Kat was sound asleep. She could clearly see that she'd been crying and her heart went out to her friend. Guys could really be dumb sometimes, but she just couldn't see Howie stepping out on Kat. In the weeks after Kat had went back to Cincinnati, she and Howie had kept in touch and she knew that he loved her, even if he didn't know it yet. A groggy "Hello" brought her back to the present and she said, "Howie." "Yeah, who is this?" he asked in a whisper, not wanting to wake Kat. "It's Kel. Kat tore out of here early this morning without a word as to where she was going and I haven't heard from her since then. Have you seen or heard from her?" she asked. Howie smiled down at the woman in question and answered, "She's here with me. She's sleeping right now, but we're okay,” he said, letting her know without alot of details that things between them were settled. "Thank God!" Kel said as she released a pent up sigh of relief. "I was really worried, but I didn't want to call earlier in case you two were talking. Will you let her know that I called and I'll talk to her later?" she asked. Howie said that he would and then they hung up. Howie turned from replacing the phone in its cradle to find Kat's eyes open. "Is everything okay?" she asked as she stretched. "Yeah! Kel called. It seems she was worried after you flew out of the house this morning. I told her that you were here and that you were fine." Kat nodded and rolled to her side to face him. She pillowed her head on his chest as his arms wrapped around her. "I've missed you,” she whispered as she lifted her head and gently kissed him good-morning. "I've missed you too Kat. I'm so glad you came down to surprise me, I'm just sorry you were the one to get a surprise of the worst kind." "It's over with Howie. I was stupid and jumped to conclusions when I should have trusted you. I'll never be able to say I'm sorry enough to make up for that,” she said as she lowered her eyes in shame. "Hey, hey now! It was a bad situation all the way around and I'm just as much to blame. You said something this morning about moving on, and I really think we should just chalk this up to experience and go from there. We've both apologized and we've both forgiven each other so let's just let it go. We don't have alot of time left before I leave and you go home and I don't want to spend the rest of our time together rehashing this. Okay?" he asked as his hand stroked her arm. "Agreed!" she said as she raised herself up on her elbow and looked down at him. Her finger traced the outline of his lips teasingly. She was on her second trip around when he moved quickly and pulled her finger into his warm moist mouth. He suckled gently, pulling her finger further into his mouth letting his teeth scrape along the top and bottom. Fire licked its way through her veins as he continued to lave her finger. Her breath hitched in her chest as she locked her gaze with his. She wasn't naive, but the things he was making her feel were new to her. She'd never before felt desire this strong. She was lost on a sea of white-hot passion and every nerve ending in her body felt it. But it was also more than just her body's response to what he was doing to her; it was emotional. For the first time her heart had entered the dance and everything she felt was magnified a thousand times. Sex was just sex, but add love and she felt like she could conquer anything. Howie released her finger and pulled her up to meet his lips, flipping her onto her back in one smooth motion. He crushed his lips down on hers and his tongue plundered the depths of her mouth, reaching for the farthest corners. Kat stroked her tongue along his and moaned deep in her throat as he teased her tongue into his mouth and then proceeded to suck on it. Heat pooled low in her belly as he nipped her lower lip. Their hands roamed, touching, teasing as their kiss deepened. They broke apart only long enough to catch their breath and then dived back in for more. Kat's hands found his nipples and she ran her fingertips around them, bringing them to sharp points. His groan of satisfaction let her know that he liked what she was doing. Pleased with his reaction, she scooted down and raised her head to lick and nip at the tender nubs. His hands fisted in her hair, alternately pushing her closer and pulling her away. His breath was ragged and he felt like he would explode with pleasure as she kissed her way across his chest. Her hot breath caressed his skin as she trailed from one nipple to the other. God how he wanted to make love to her. His body was hard with desire, his heart pounded with love. He pulled her back up and placed a chain of kisses along her throat and collarbone as he ground his hips into hers. He could feel her heat through their clothes as she arched her hips up to his. Slowly his hands reached for the buttons on the front of her shirt, releasing them one at a time as he claimed her lips. He brushed aside the two halves of fabric and let his eyes roam over her. His hand reached for her and her back arched off the bed, pushing herself into his hand. Her nipple beaded and poked through the material of her bra. Gently, reverently his thumb rubbed over it, wringing a half sigh, half moan from her. He reached for the clasp at the front and unhooked it, moving the material away to reveal her creamy skin. He stared at the difference between his dark hand and her lighter skin, feeling another rush of desire slam through him. He lowered his lips to her nipple, flicking it with his tongue and then nipping it with his teeth. "Howie!" she moaned as feelings of pure pleasure shot through her body, leaving her feeling weightless. He laved her breast with his tongue, sucking gently, kissing around the most sensitive area, purposely missing her nipple, teasing her mercilessly until she took his head between her hands and put his mouth where she wanted it most. He whispered words she couldn't quiet hear as the sound of her beating heart pounded in her ears. He began kissing his way to the other side, taking his time, giving her as much pleasure as he was receiving from giving it to her. Just as his mouth started to close over her, the phone rang. He groaned and laid his head on her chest to catch his breath. He looked up into her eyes, apologizing silently for the interruption as his hand reached for the handset. "Hello" he said as he pulled her into his arms to prevent her escape. He nuzzled the top of her neck as he listened to his mother ask about his plans for the day. "I'm not sure what time I'll be over mom, Kat flew in to surprise me last night and we haven't made any definite plans yet. I'll probably bring her with me though, if that's okay" he said. "That's fine Howard. It's been some time since I've seen Katherine. Just let me know when you've made your plans so I can get things together" she requested before saying good-bye. "You don't have to take me with you. I know how important your family is to you. If you want to spend time with them alone, I understand" Kat said softly. Howie smiled down at her and sat up, pulling her with him. He took her by the shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. "I want you with me. You're just as important to me as they are. I love you Kat,” he said before sealing his lips over hers. Inside, Kat felt like shouting with joy. He said he loved her. He'd said it so many different ways in the last couple of weeks, but this time he said it with words. She pulled away and looked at him. She ran her fingers through his hair and said, "I love you too. I always have." Their lips met in a sweet kiss, sealing their declarations. "I'm hungry, what about you?" he asked as they broke apart and rose from the bed. "Very! Why don't you clean up and I'll go fix us something" she suggested. Howie nodded and watched as she left the room. His heart was full and he was content. He knew he was leaving soon, but he pushed those morose thoughts away, focusing instead on the fact that he'd told her how he felt and she felt the same. Life, at the moment, was most definitely better than good. Reunion Index Next Chapter Main Page |