Kate lay perfectly motionless for a long moment, reveling in the
contact, in Josh's tender kisses and caresses, not wanting to move,
lest the spell be broken. Through the haze that had settled over her
mind, she was at once both vaguely and acutely aware of every nuance
and every sensation - the seductive dance of the light from the fire as
it played across the walls and the fiery trail left behind by Josh's
fingers as he traced the lines of her body with a slow and excruciating
thoroughness that was almost hypnotic. Her eyes drifted shut against
her will, and she nestled closer to Josh, resting her head on his
shoulder. Everything, even her own thoughts, seemed far away and, for
the time being, meaningless.
Eventually, she became aware that Josh had propped himself up on one
elbow and was leaning over her. Opening her eyes, she saw him watching
her and smiling.
"I hope I'm not boring you," he teased.
"Just the opposite," Kate said, her mouth close to his ear.
"Hypnotizing would be a more accurate description."
She placed a light kiss on his jaw and began working slowly down his
neck and shoulder, while her hands played gently over the muscles of
his back, teasing him with a touch that barely made contact, her
exploration slower than before and this time, conscious of trying to
memorize every detail of him. Josh slipped an arm underneath her,
wrapping it around her and pulling her close, while his other hand
wandered over her skin, quickly rebuilding the passion that had been
quenched mere moments ago.
Using Josh's movement to her advantage, Kate pushed against him,
rolling him onto his back and stretching out atop him in a leisurely,
cat-like motion, providing as much contact as possible. Slowly, she
reached out to touch his face, outlining his features with the tip of
one finger. She gazed deeply into his eyes, searching them for a
glimpse into his soul.
Amazing, she thought, that it had been just that morning that she had
walked into his office, filled with the anticipation of a new
challenge, but never in her wildest imaginings could she have
anticipated this. Fate works in mysterious ways. But even as that
thought formed, a wave of incertitude that bordered on panic came over
her and her body tensed in reaction to it. She couldn't help wondering
if she had made the right decision or gambled away all the
possibilities of... whatever the possibilities were. Too much too soon?
Josh whispered her name. That sound was enough to rouse her from those
thoughts and begin to dispel her fears. "You are staying tonight,
aren't you," he asked, twining his fingers in her hair and urging her
face closer to his.
Kate laughed softly and relaxed. "I was just wondering how to approach
that subject," she said. "I suddenly don't like the idea of waking up
alone. But," she said as another thought occurred to her, "I really
should at least call home and let the kids know..." She almost said 'let
them know where I am,' but they would figure that out without a full
confession, she was sure. "Well, let them know that I won't be home."
Josh smiled at that hesitation, aware of the thought behind it. "Do
you think they'll be fooled?"
"Not even for a second," Kate said. "But they'll just have to live
with it." She covered his mouth with her own and kissed him forcefully
and hungrily, but all too briefly, as a moment later, she was
disentangling herself from him. "Where's the phone," she asked.
"There's one in the bedroom."
Kate arched an eyebrow at the look on his face that suggested more than
just a phone awaited her there. "Mm. Good place for it," she purred.
Josh stood up, held out a hand to her and pulled her onto her feet.
Without another word and without releasing her hand, he led her to the
bedroom and ushered her inside with a gallant sweep of the arm. Kate
smiled at the chivalrous gesture that seemed slightly out of place
under the circumstances, but it was an example of one of the many
things that had impressed her so much about Josh.
Kate took just a few seconds to glance around the room, which was as
simply decorated and designed for comfort as the rest of the apartment.
Her eyes settled on the bed, which looked soft and inviting, then
turned back to Josh, who was watching her casual inspection with an
amused smile.
They moved to the bed, and while Kate picked up the phone, Josh lay
down close to her, sliding an arm around her and trailing kisses across
her shoulders, mercilessly dividing her attention. She leaned back
into his embrace for a moment until the phone was answered.
While she talked, Josh lay back against the pillows, watching her,
taking note of the lean and muscular form that he had so far observed
mostly by touch. He noticed, not for the first time, the way she held
herself in a proud, almost defiant posture that was belied by the
constant glint of roguishness that was visible through every expression
that crossed her face. Watching and listening to her over the course
of the evening, he had been impressed by the openness with which she
expressed herself, even without words, holding nothing back.
Kate ended the phone call with a soft laugh at something that had been
said and, hanging up, turned back to Josh, pressing herself against
him. "Now, where were we," she muttered.
Their lips met once again in an eager kiss, the fresh memory of their
joining only inflaming their desire all the more. Josh tightened his
hold on her, pulling her over on top of him. Kate moaned at the
feeling of his hands gliding over her and the heat of skin on skin.
Rising to shift her position, Kate straddled him, leaning down to kiss
his chest, taking her time and savoring the taste of him. Encouraged
by his response and by the intensifying heat between them, she began to
move ever so slightly against him.
Holding her tightly around the waist, Josh tried to roll them over, but
this time, Kate held her ground, keeping him trapped beneath her.
Rising up, Kate pulled him along with her, wrapping her arms around him
and running her fingers through his hair while he drew a line of kisses
along her jaw.
As they came together for the second time, Kate gasped Josh's name,
already feeling the burning fire of pleasure welling within her. They
moved together in almost slow motion, instantly recapturing that
perfect rhythm. Their eyes, darkened with desire, locked on each other
as securely as their bodies were locked together.
Setting a painfully slow and wonderfully frustrating pace, Kate brought
them near to the brink, then backed off. Ceasing all movement they
clung together until they had regained control of their haggard
breathing, then began once again, still slowly, but control slipping
away as the intensity grew, threatening to overwhelm them.
Surrendering to it and urged on by Josh's hands which were partially
supporting her, Kate quickened the pace. Drawn into an abyss of
pleasure, spurred on by an unconscious force within them, the passion
overcame them in a powerful crescendo of sudden release.
Josh caught Kate in his arms as she collapsed against him and they both
fell back onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. Almost blindly, Kate
sought his lips, spending the last of the electricity and the last of
their energy in a heated kiss that dwindled to a mere touch as
exhaustion washed over them. Still wrapped around each
other, they greeted sleep each with pleasant thoughts of the other and
of what tomorrow might bring.
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