Dear Cupid (33 page)

“Yes,” she said at last, then gasped and arched beneath him as he drove inside her.

“Again,” he whispered against her ear as he moved inside her, hard and steady. “Tell me you love me.”

“I do,” she wept in a choked voice. As if a dam had broken, she repeated the words as she kissed his shoulders and face. “I love you. I love you.”

He wanted to shout with joy as each stroke drove them higher. The sheer, piercing pleasure mounted until the tide ripped through them both, sweeping them away. He tightened his arms about her, felt her cling to him with equal strength as they rode the crest and crashed over the other side.

The moment receded slowly, leaving behind a warm sense of contentment. A laugh rumbled in his chest. Raising his head, he gazed down at her in wonder. She smiled back, looking equally awed.
I love you
, he told her again in silence as he captured her lips in a tender kiss. She kissed him back, with the same gentle abandon, as if equally overwhelmed by what had just passed between them.

With a sigh, he settled down beside her, smiling as she snuggled in his arms, Never in his life had he felt so physically drained, yet so emotionally filled.

MIKE
woke to the pleasant sensation of having Kate’s body nestled in the rumpled bed beside him, her head on the opposite pillow facing him. He indulged himself a moment, watching her. Relaxed in sleep, her face wore an expression of childish innocence, which made him smile since it was framed in the orange blaze of her siren’s hair.
Kate
, he thought, letting the name sink deep into his bones.
My Kate
. He could have lain like that for hours, simply watching her.

Eventually, though, the call of nature could not be put off. He eased from the bed, slipped on his pants, and went in search of a bathroom. He found it tucked between the bedroom and living area, a room no bigger than a walk-in closet and filled with fascinating feminine clutter. A floral-patterned silk robe hung on the back of the door, while talcum powder and scented deodorant crowded together with hairspray and body lotion on a shelf over the tiny sink.

After finishing in the bathroom, he couldn’t resist exploring the place a bit more, as if it held secrets to the woman who lived there. He slipped silently into the living area and heard Dylan’s soft snores drifting down from the loft. A few toys littered the floor, with even more stuffed into a large grapevine basket in the corner. The faint tinge of red light creeping over the horizon drew him to the windows. He looked outside, marveling at the sheer beauty of the mist-shrouded lake at sunrise. Then, he turned back and let the feel of the room settle around him. Peaceful, he decided. And welcoming.

This place had the one thing his house on Challenger didn’t have. It felt like a home. The feeling had nothing to do with the structure or the décor, and everything to do with the people who lived within these walls—and how they felt about each other.

Now that Kate had admitted she loved him, she and Dylan would move into his house and help him capture this same feeling—just as soon as they married.

A smile tugged at his lips as he made his way back to the bedroom. He closed the door quietly, and tiptoed over to the bed. He found her still asleep. The morning light pressed through the sheer curtains, dusting her hair and cheeks with gold.

He crawled back beneath the covers and eased his body along hers. She turned instinctively and snuggled up to him. Could the world possibly be more right? Well, he thought of one thing that would make the morning even sweeter.

“Kate,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. “Wake up, sweetheart, it’s morning.” With any luck, they’d have a few minutes alone before Dylan woke.

“Wha—?” she muttered and raised a hand to rub her eyes. He watched in amusement as she blinked away a few layers of sleep and half focused on his face. A smile softened her lips and turned up the corners of her eyes.

He smiled back. God she was sexy all rumpled from sleep. “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

“Morning,” she repeated in a contented purr. Then, her smile faded, replaced by a look of confusion. “Morning?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, my God.” She glanced about as if she were the one who had awoken in a strange room. Her gaze zipped back to him. “Mike! What are you doing here?”

He cocked a brow and waited for her to remember last night. He knew the instant memory returned.

She sat bolt upright, knocking him backward as she clutched the covers to her naked breasts. “You’ve got to get out of here before Dylan wakes up.”

“Can’t,” he told her. “I don’t have a car.”

“What?”

“I drove Jim home in his truck. We sort of forgot to plan on a way for me to get home.”

“What! Why didn’t you tell me this last night?”

“Perhaps because the subject didn’t come up?” he offered helpfully.

“Oh, never mind.” She turned to the clock on her nightstand. “Look what time it is! I can’t believe I didn’t set the alarm last night. I’ve got to get you out of here. No, wait, I’ve got to get Dylan ready for school first.”

“Kate, hey, it’s all right.” He rubbed her arm. “In fact, I kind of hoped we could tell him this morning.”

“Tell him?” She blinked.

“You know, about us.” He smiled sheepishly.

“Us?” She drew back. “Oh, Mike, please don’t do this.”

The words were so unexpected, they took a second to sink in. He sat up, slowly. “What do you mean? What about last night?”

“Oh, God.” She hid her face in her hands. “I am not going to discuss last night, at least not now.”

“Kate?” He caressed her shoulder as foreboding tightened his chest.

“No.” She scrambled from the bed and ducked into the closet. “I’ve got to get Dylan ready for school.” She reappeared an instant later, wearing shorts and a crop top and running her fingers through her tangled hair.

“Wait a second.” He leapt up, still wearing his trousers, to block her way to the door. He waited until she lifted her eyes, and her frightened expression twisted his gut. “Look, Kate ...” He rubbed her bare arms. “I know you’re a little freaked out about how fast things are going between us, but—”

“No, please!” She stepped back and wrapped her arms about her middle. That simple act frustrated him to the point of anger even as her eyes pleaded with him to understand. “Promise me you’ll stay in here and be quiet until I have Dylan out of the house.”

She was right, of course. Dylan shouldn’t know he’d stayed the night. That, however, didn’t make him any less angry at the moment. Had last night meant nothing to her? Did
he
mean nothing to her? “We need to talk about this.”

“Yes, we do. But not now. We’ll talk as soon as I get back from taking him to school, all right?”

“Sure,” he said in an even voice. “Fine.”

He watched her go, grinding his teeth. How could she insist nothing existed between them after last night? She’d admitted she loved him, dammit! Did that mean nothing to her?

~ ~ ~

Kate still had no idea what she wanted to say to Mike when she returned home. Her tight stomach and shaky hands made thinking straight impossible.

She found him sitting on the far end of the sofa, his arms crossed over his chest, his feet propped on the coffee table. Even with the sullen expression on his face, he looked far too at home, and far too firmly implanted into her world for her peace of mind.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other.

“So, you’re back,” he said.

“And you’re angry.”

“I’m not sure if ‘angry’ is the right word.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it, Kate. How would you feel if you told someone you loved them, if they admitted they felt the same way, and then they turned around and tried to hide you in a closet?”

“I didn’t hide you in a closet. I—Never mind. You’re right.” She came forward and sat gingerly on the opposite end of the sofa. “I’m sorry.”

“Kate ...” He turned his head away as if he couldn’t bear to even look at her. Hurt by the gesture, she watched his throat move as he swallowed. “I’m trying very hard to understand, but none of this makes sense to me.” He turned back to nail her with a wounded look. “Why is it so hard for you to accept what’s happening between us?”

“Because ...” She searched for words that didn’t exist. “It’s happening too fast. Don’t you see? I need time, Mike. I just need time.”

“Time?” He looked confused. “What the hell does time have to do with anything? Ten years could pass, and I’d still feel the same way. I’m in love with you. And I have been from the moment I first met you.”

Seeing the conviction in his eyes, she almost believed him—almost believed he’d fallen for her at first sight. “I’m sorry. I’m just not ready.”

“Why? Because some jerk who was too stupid to realize what he had let you slip through his fingers?”

“What if it was my fault, though?” Tears clogged her throat. “What if I just wasn’t enough?”

“That is such bunk!” He sat forward. “How can you even think that?”

“Because I’m scared, okay?” Her vision blurred and she wiped at her cheeks. “I’m scared!”

He stared at her incredulously as her heart pounded against her ribs. “Of what?”

“That I’ll fail again.”

“You won’t.”

“I don’t exactly have the best track record for success.” She tried and failed to dry her tears.

He stared at her as if dumbstruck. “So, that’s it, isn’t it? You haven’t lost faith in men, or even love. You’ve lost faith in yourself.”

She nodded as more tears spilled.

“Ah, Kate.” He gathered her in his aims. “Do you have any idea how wonderful you are? Do you have a clue what I see when I look at you, what I feel when I’m around you?” He cupped her face and stared into her eyes. “You are the most incredible person I’ve ever met, because you’re filled to the brim with life. You’re intelligent, compassionate, funny, and wise. I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know you. Every time I’m with you, you simply take my breath away. And if that isn’t love, then I don’t know what is.”

She searched his eyes, and marveled at the sincerity she saw there. “I want to believe you. But it’s so hard. I don’t know if l can survive letting someone else down. Especially—” Her breath caught. “Someone as wonderful as you.”

His face softened as he wiped away her tears. “You could never let me down. If there were some way I could prove that to you, I would. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to accept it on your own. To do that, you have to learn to believe in yourself again. To believe in your own judgment, and believe that you are very, very lovable.”

A car horn sounded. “What’s that?” She glanced at the door, breaking the contact of his hands.

“Frank. I called and asked him to come get me.” He took one of her hands in his and squeezed. “Kate, all I’m asking is that you give us a chance. Give yourself a chance.”

“I—” She stared at their joined hands, searching for courage, but found none. “Maybe if we took a break. Some time apart would allow us both room to think this through. To be sure.”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

“Why not?” She glanced up, frowning.

“Because,” he sighed, “last night, Dylan asked me again to be in his play, which is this Friday. And since you didn’t exactly forbid me from doing it, I—well, I told him I would do it, all right?”

“Mike ...” She pushed the hair back from her forehead.

“I promised him, Kate. Don’t ask me to go back on that. Ask me to do anything else, but don’t ask me to break a promise to that kid.”

She wrapped her arms around herself as her safe world crumbled a bit more. Outside, the car horn sounded again.

“Look, I’ll make you a deal,” Mike said. “If you don’t interfere with Dylan and me, I’ll stay out of your way as much as possible until Friday night.” With one finger on her chin, he turned her face toward his and gave her a determined look. “After that, your reprieve is over. I want to spend time with you. Hell, I want to marry you. And I will. Even if I have to wear you down, bit by bit, until you’re finally ready to admit that you’re as crazy about me as I am about you.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Mike—”

“No.” He moved his finger to cover her lips. “You have all week to think about it. After that, my real campaign begins.”

She hesitated, then nodded, too grateful for even a short reprieve to argue.

“All right, then.” He placed a brief, chaste kiss on her lips, then rose and crossed to the door. With one hand on the knob, he turned back. “I’ll see you on Friday.”

She nodded weakly as he closed the door behind him.

The instant she was alone, tears slipped hot and fast down her cheeks. What was she going to do? It would be so easy to take this tumble—to believe Mike really did love her. But what if she was wrong?

You
’
re going to have to learn to believe in yourself again.