No Reservations (18 page)

So tight.

She was so aroused, her sheath so sensitive, he felt ten times thicker than normal.
If he retreated, she thought he’d never get back in.

When he began to withdraw, the pleasure was so intense, she would have promised him
anything just to continue.

Turns out she didn’t need to.

He moved, slow at first. Each thrust forward found new points of pleasure. Each retreat
made her long for the moment he returned.

His rhythm increased by tiny increments, almost too tiny to realize at first. It’d
been almost like torture, denying her what she needed, but it built until she could
barely breathe.

With her hands cuffed together, she couldn’t move her arms. She realized she’d fallen
forward over the hump and that was all that was holding her upright. She didn’t have
the strength to lift her chest away from the bench.

She felt like she was hanging over a great cavern. She only needed the slightest push
to send her . . .

Tyler paused behind her, his cock swelling even more, and she came.

She fell into that cavern and the sensation of falling overwhelmed her. Overloaded
her senses and everything went dark as the sharp contractions of her pussy milked
his cock. Sucked him deeper and drew him over with her.

She heard him groan out her name, felt his hands tighten at her shoulder and hip just
before she felt the jerk of his cock inside her as he shoved even farther inside and
held.

She’d never felt this way in her life before.

And she was pretty sure she never would again.

**

As Tyler came down from the best damn orgasm he’d ever had, he realized he still had
a pretty good grip on Kate.

His cock had finally stopped pulsing inside her but he found it hard to release her.

At least he could loosen his grip a little before he left bruises.

Still breathing like a freight train, he looked at her shoulder and winced.

Too late. He saw the barest hint of black smudges.

Damn
it.

He pulled out, breath hissing between his teeth as her sheath clenched around his
cock, almost as if she refused to release him.

He liked the thought of that.

“Kate, are you okay?”

She made a sound somewhere between a sigh and a moan as he got rid of the condom and
tucked himself back in his pants.

Reaching for her ankles, he released the restraints, rubbing at the slight red marks
before moving around the horse to release her wrists. As he did, he studied her face.
Her eyes were closed but her lips curved in a satisfied smile.

Which made him smile.

“Time for bed for you.”

“I think I could sleep until tomorrow night.” She opened her eyes and looked up at
him. “Undisturbed.”

With a yawn, she twisted around to sit on the bench, flexing her fingers and twisting
her neck, as if she were stiff. Then she held out her hand. “Can I have my thong back
now?”

No, he didn’t want to give it back, but he dug it out of his pocket and handed it
over. Leaning back, she slipped it up her legs then stood.

He should take it back so he could watch her do that again. He could’ve watched her
all night.

But when he looked into her eyes, he saw how tired she was.

And he had to admit, he was too.

“Let me get you a robe.”

After he had her bundled into a thick white hotel robe, he lifted her into his arms
and carried her back to his apartment.

She didn’t give him a hassle as he stripped her, laid her in his bed, then pulled
the covers over her.

After he’d shed his own clothes and climbed in next to her, he put his arm around
her, deeply satisfied when she pressed herself against his side, sighed, and almost
immediately dropped off to sleep.

He felt like a caveman, wanting to beat his chest at his own prowess.

But the thought was tempered by the fact that tomorrow she’d go back to her apartment
and he’d have to face all the crap going on here.

Without her.

It took him a while to drift off after that.

Twelve

“No. I’m not going to be able to work those extra shifts, Joe. I told you, I’ve got
some things going on that need to be taken care of.”

Joe Parisi had that look on his face Monday morning. The one that usually made Kate
grit her teeth until she caved in to what he wanted.

But not this time. Damn it, she wasn’t an indentured servant and she had her own life.

She had a meeting with a client for another wedding dress on Wednesday. She also needed
to get moving on a couple of orders from one of the burlesque-wear companies that
contracted her to create some of their custom pieces.

“Katie, I’m in a bind here. I need you. And what’s so important that you can’t help
me for a few extra hours?”

“It’s called a life, Joe. You know what that means, right? A personal life.”

He waved his hands as if waving away her words. “I know what a personal life is,
bambina
. I’ve been telling you to get one for ages. But not now when I’m swamped.”

“Then you need to get some more help like I’ve been begging you to do for the past
five months since Mona left.”

The part-time seamstress had left after the birth of her second child. Joe had sent
her off with a gift basket and a smile.

“Why do I need more help? I have you.”

And that was the problem, wasn’t it? She’d lead him to believe she was staying.

When that was now the farthest thing from her mind.

But he had to know, didn’t he?

They fought like cats and dogs most of the time and, besides her father, he was the
only person who could piss her off in under five seconds flat.

Their Italian tempers clashed, and he was a control-freak taskmaster who demanded
her absolute best work every single second of every work day.

She also loved the guy like a second father.

But this was her life they were talking about. The life she wanted to build.

And she wasn’t giving that up. Not for anyone.

“But you’re not always going to have me. You know that, right?”

She swore if he said something stupid, she’d walk out the door and never look back.
Holding her breath, she waited, watching his expression.

His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his barrel chest. Joe only stood about
five eight but he weighed at least one ninety. If they were casting for another
Godfather
movie, he’d fit right in with his bald head and Mediterranean features.

And his penchant for using bastardized Italian swear words when he was pissed off.

The only way you could tell he was really angry was when his ears went beet red. Then
you learned to stay out of his way.

But his ears weren’t red.

“So you’re finally going to do something with that fancy college education your father
paid so much money for?”

That was so not the response she’d been expecting that her mouth actually dropped
open, though she couldn’t think of one appropriate response.

Finally, she realized exactly what she needed to say. “Yes, I am.”

Joe’s eyes narrowed. “Oh yeah? So how’re you gonna make a living? You got another
job I don’t know about?”

The doubt in his voice stiffened her backbone. “I’ve got several. You know I’ve been
doing contract work for a couple years and it’s starting to pick up. And I may be
investing in a small boutique.”

“Now, Katie, you know how the economy is. It’s the worst time to be starting a new
business. It’s a huge risk—”

“But if I don’t take any risks, I’m never going to get anywhere. I love to sew, but
this is not what I envisioned myself doing for the rest of my life.”

His eyebrows rose. “So you’re too good for tailoring?”

Ooh, he made her furious, but she reeled it back, struggling for calm. “You know that’s
not what I mean. Stop trying to put words in my mouth.”

He held his hands out in surrender. “I’m not. It’s just that I don’t want to see you
fail. And it’s a tough time to be out in the world on your own. You need to make sure
the people you’re going into business with have your back. Katie.” He was the only
person beside her parents that ever used that nickname and it made her a little misty-eyed.
“You know I only want the best for you. Make sure you know what you’re getting into
before you make such a huge leap.”

She was still thinking about his last words when she sat down to eat dinner with Jared
and Annabelle that night.

“Is everything okay?” Annabelle asked. “You’re kinda not all here, if you know what
I mean.”

She sighed, knowing exactly what Annabelle meant. “I’m fine. Just thinking about a
conversation I had with Joe today.”

“That’s your boss, right?” Jared leaned back in his chair at Annabelle’s dining room
table, one arm lying across the back of her chair, his fingers playing with her hair.

They both looked so . . . content, Kate thought. They still had that new relationship
glow, so confident in each other.

And here she’d brought all of her problems to dinner.

Not to mention the fact that every time she looked at Jared, she wanted to interrogate
him about Tyler.

He’d driven her home Sunday afternoon but hadn’t been able to stay. And she was supposed
to have had dinner with her father, but he’d canceled at the last minute. Work, he’d
said. She hadn’t argued because she hadn’t really wanted to sit across from him after
the weekend she’d had with Tyler.

Her dad probably would’ve been able to tell what she’d been doing just by the look
on her face. Then he would’ve given her the “I hope you’re being careful” speech.

Thank God she hadn’t had to listen to that. She might’ve actually broken down and
told her dad exactly what she’d done all weekend with Tyler.

Who hadn’t called since he’d left. He had so many responsibilities at Haven, and now
this business with the hotel board of directors. She didn’t want to dump her problems
on him, as well.

But she was dying to talk to him.

Which is why she’d jumped at the chance to join Annabelle and Jared for dinner tonight
when Annabelle had called earlier.

“Yeah, Joe’s my boss. He’s a pain in the ass most of the time but he’s a decent guy.
He treats me great, it’s just . . .”

She sighed.

“Just what?” Jared asked.

“He’s too uptight, too set in his ways. He doesn’t understand that I have to take
chances if I’m ever going to get anywhere with my career. I don’t want to be a tailor
all my life. I want to design. He thinks I’m crazy.”

“He’s also almost seventy years old.” Annabelle set a huge bowl of pasta on the table.
Luckily, they’d already opened the wine. “And when he started his business, he charged
two dollars to hem a pair of pants and had to walk five miles uphill both ways in
the snow to school.”

When Jared aimed a smile at Annabelle, Kate felt like she was intruding. But oh my
God, could the man smile.

No, it didn’t do the same things to her that Tyler’s much rarer smile did, but still.
It would take a better woman than she was not to notice and appreciate it.

“You know that smile should come with a warning label, right? I mean, really, dude,
dial it back. You’ve already sealed the deal.”

If anything, his smile widened when he swung his attention back to her. “Nice to know
I haven’t lost my edge.”

Then he winked and Kate shook her head at him, just before she tossed the wine cork
at him.

“You’re a menace.”

“Hey, that’s my boyfriend you’re denigrating.” Annabelle sank into her seat and started
to eat the pasta Jared had dished onto her plate.

They already acted like a cute little old married couple, which should have made Kate
want to say inappropriate things about how they’d become worse than Rita and Sam Shumacher.

The sixty-something husband and wife lived up the street above Rita’s hair salon,
and they still held hands and talked about how good their sex life was to anyone who
would listen. Or didn’t move fast enough.

But she couldn’t, because she thought Rita and Sam were adorable. And because she
wanted the same for herself.

“Sorry, but you know he is, Annabelle. I have no idea how you and Tyler are at all
related, Jared.”

“He inherited the stick up his ass from our dad. Unfortunately, the control issues . . .”
He shared a look with Annabelle. “They come from our mom.”

Kate grimaced. “I’m sorry. I know your mom’s bipolar. Tyler told me. That had to be
tough growing up.”

“It was. Tyler dealt with it by internalizing everything and making sure he controlled
as much of his life as possible. It’s part of the reason we built Haven rather than
going to work for our dad. We knew we wouldn’t be able to have our own lives.”

And now their dad was trying to force Tyler to take over the chairmanship of the board.
And she’d been bitching because her boss was mean to her today.

With a sigh, she started twirling pasta around her fork. “Sorry for dumping this on
you guys.”

Annabelle reached over and smacked her arm. “Stop that. It’s not like you didn’t listen
to me bitch before. That’s what friends are for.”

“And other things.”

Jared’s deliberately suggestive comment left both of them in stitches and, for the
rest of dinner, she made a deliberate effort to pull herself out of her funk.

By the time she wandered back to her apartment, not long after they’d polished off
a third bottle of wine, Kate lay in her bed, nearly asleep when her phone rang.

She thought about not answering it, but then it could be Tyler. Maybe he was sitting
in her parking lot again.

That got her moving.

“Hello.”

“Kate.”

Yes.
“Tyler. I’m so happy to hear your voice.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine.”

She thought she heard him chuckle. “Yeah, it sure sounds that way. What were you drinking?”

“A few bottl—glasses of wine. What makes you think I was drinking?”

She definitely heard him laughing now. “No reason. Just a lucky guess. How was work?”

“Sucked. Are you in my parking lot again?”

“No, unfortunately I’m not. I had a sucky day here too.”

“When will I see you again?” The words slipped out before she could check them. She
didn’t want to be the clingy type but alcohol loosened her tongue. And her inhibitions.
“I wish you were naked and spread out on my bed so I could do whatever I wanted to
you.”

He paused before asking, “And what would you do?”

His voice had dropped to a low growl that made her go wet. As payback, she told him.

“I’d sit on your thighs and put my hands on your chest so you couldn’t move. Then
I’d bend down and bite your nipples. Not too hard. Just enough to let you know I was
using my teeth. Then I’d lick them so they wouldn’t hurt at all.”

“So far, so good.”

Did he sound a little out of breath? She smiled. “Oh, I’ve got lots more planned.
Next, I’d pet you for a while because you have such a great chest. Firm and hard and—wait,
they mean the same things. Never mind.”

“No, please continue. You can call my chest any version of
hard
you want.”

“Hey, are you making fun of me?”

She definitely heard amusement in his voice.

“Not at all. I’m enjoying you talking about my hard chest. Tell me more.”

“I’m not sure you totally appreciate the effort I’m putting into this.”

“Honey, if I were there, I’d show you how much I appreciate it.”

She smiled, loving this side of him. Tyler had serious down to an art but his dry
humor had a way of sneaking out when you weren’t expecting it.

“Oh, yeah?” she said. “Tell me?”

“I’d kind of like you to finish what you were saying.”

“About how I was stroking your chest?”

“Will you be stroking anything else?”

“Do you want me to?”

“I want you to stroke anything your heart desires, Kate.”

“Then after your chest, I let my hands stroke down your stomach until I reach the
waistband of your jeans. I’d open the button at the top and pull down the zipper,
carefully because your dick’s so hard, it’s pushing against it.”

She swore she heard him swallow over the phone. “Because I want you to suck me.”

Yes, she wanted that too. “I push you until you’re lying on your back. I have your
pants and your underwear around your thighs and your cock is right at my mouth.”

“Jesus, Kate—”

“I open my mouth and take in the tip, let my tongue swirl around it.” She swore she
heard him groan, and it made her even bolder. “I put my hand between your thighs and
cup your balls. They’re so tight and hot and I know you like me to play with them.
Your cock’s swelling inside my mouth so I take you deeper. You taste so good.”

Her eyes had closed and, in her mind, she saw exactly what she was doing to him. One
hand slipped between her own legs to finger her clit, rubbing, trying to ease the
ache in her gut.

“I let my mouth slide down your cock until I can’t take any more. My nose rubs against
your stomach and I swallow—”