Kate took the glass from his hands and brought it to her lips. Sweet liquid trickled down her throat.
Richard patted the space next to him into which she quickly settled. She felt his lips touch the top of
her head and his arm circle her shoulders.
“Feeling better?”
“Am I so obvious?”
Richard gave the swinging love seat a little push and set them into motion. “Seeing your father after all you’ve been through is bound to leave an impact.”
“I don’t know if I can trust him again, although he did sound so sincere.”
“If it makes a difference, I think he was. He appeared rather lost when he saw you. When Joey came in, it seemed he would burst into tears. Men don’t normally do that.”
No, she knew they didn’t. She couldn’t ever remember a time her father cried. Today was the closest he’d even come to it.
“After all these years on my own, it’s difficult to think of them back in my life, in Joey’s.” She took another sip and continued, “I’ve been the only person in Joey’s life.” After her brush with violence, her thoughts often wavered to what would happen to her son if something happened to her. Maybe the time had come for forgiveness. For healing.
“You don’t have to be alone anymore.” For a brief moment, Kate wondered if Richard referred to himself. She vanquished the thought as soon as it emerged. He spoke of her parents, not him.
“This is beautiful.” She changed the subject.
“More so, because you are here.”
“Careful, Richard, I’ll start thinking you want me here.”
He chuckled and asked, “What was the other reason?”
Her eyes narrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“The other reason. Today, with your dad, you told him that one of the reasons why you were staying at my brother’s was because of the threat.
What was the other reason?”
He caught that did he? Kate set her glass down and turned her gaze to him. His laughing eyes sobered at the intensity of her stare.
She spread her hand on his chest and worked her way down his torso.
His eyes turned smoky right before she caught his lips to hers. His arm circled her waist drawing her closer. On a deep sigh, he opened his mouth and plunged.
Before he had a chance to deepen their kiss, Kate drew back. “Does that answer your question?”
“You want me for my body?” he teased.
Kate moved her hands over the bulge between his legs. “There is that.”
Richard pulled back and let her hands take charge. He folded his own hands behind his head while a wicked smile crested his face. “What else?” Delicate fingers went from tracing the outline of his erection to his vast chest. When she moved to his muscular arms, she gave his biceps a little squeeze.
“For the muscle?” he asked.
“Your ability to protect,” she corrected.
“What else?”
He was enjoying their little game. The question was how far should she go? Was it only a game to him? Would he push her away when he finished playing?
Her hands traveled over his neck, fingers wound in his thick, dark hair.
“My mind? You want me for my mind?”
“Intellectual men are quite a turn on.”
“Hmmm…”
Kate dropped her hands to his shoulders and rested them there for a brief moment. On its own, her hand descended over his chest and rested above his thumping heart.
His eyes caught hers and locked.
Neither of them said a word.
Richards smirk slid into something much
deeper. More powerful.
Kate’s heart pounded so hard she thought she heard it.
Richard covered her hand with his before crushing his lips to hers.
While his tongue swirled the inside of her mouth and his hands roamed her back, Kate wondered at his thoughts. What would he say if he knew he was wiggling his way into her heart? That she wanted a piece of his.
A full palm cupped her aching breast and squeezed.
She moaned into his lips. Her head fell back. He attacked her exposed neck and continued to travel south.
“We should move this upstairs.”
Breathless she moaned, “Your bedroom would be more… oh, God.” He found the spot behind her ear.
His breath came in a panting gasp while he worked the sensitive spot that drove her wild with passion.
“…private.”
“Come on.” Richard stood and grabbed both glasses of wine.
Once inside the house, he gave her the wine and closed the sliding door. After locking it, he went through a series of steps of setting the house alarm.
“What are you doing?’
“I’m setting the motion detectors on chime and alarms on all doors and windows except one.”
“Which one?”
He finished with the electronics and removed the glasses from her hands. “Let me show you.” Kate walked behind him up the stairs to the second floor. Passing Joey’s room and Richard’s, she followed along to a second staircase she’d not noticed when he’d showed her through the house earlier.
The dimly lit narrow staircase had an extremely steep passageway. A small door with a tiny pane of glass sat at the end.
“Where are we going, the roof?”
“You’ll see.” Richard smiled over his shoulder.
It was the roof. Instead of asphalt shingles and stucco, a beautiful oasis awaited them. Richard had a virtual garden on his roof, complete with every potted plant imaginable and several trees granting privacy from lurking neighbors. In the middle of the mirage sat a large hot tub that could seat eight people without effort. Across from the tub sat a flat screen television covered by large black canvas. Over the entire rooftop, a covered balcony kept the direct sun from damaging all the plant life and property.
“It’s amazing.”
Richard went through a few motions of uncovering the television and turning it on.
Surprised, Kate asked, “We’re going to watch TV?”
“Do you want to watch TV?”
“Ah, well… I thought…” I thought we were going to make love she wanted to scream. Her body still hummed from the interlude downstairs.
Richard flipped on a separate box and his large flat screen held a grid of images, all of which showed different angles of the house.
They could see the welcome mat and porch light of the front door. The back door illuminated only by the setting sun. Both hallways in the house were visible as well as Joey’s bedroom door. Then the garage and the door they just came through flickered on the set.