Millionaire's Women Part 30

'You wanted to kill me?'

'Yes. Very slowly.'

'Do you still want to kill me?' he asked, and took her earlobe between his teeth. 'Because if you don't let me make love to you very soon you'll get your wish.'

Kate gave a smothered laugh. 'That's the last thing I want, Jack.'

He pulled her closer. 'What do you want then, my darling?'

Instead of words Kate gave him a slow, explicit smile which won her a kiss she responded to with such fervour he lifted her from the bed and stood her on her feet to undress her with unsteady hands, fighting to go slowly rather than tear off her clothes. When she was naked to the waist he began kissing his way down her throat to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, lingering on nipples that rose erect and hard in response to his lips and tongue. But when he reached for her zip she shook her head.

'You too,' she ordered, and Jack began pulling off his clothes. But, before he could get naked, Kate had undressed herself and burrowed under the covers. She turned them back a little and held out her arms. 'Hold me, please.'

Jack dived under the quilt, exerting every iota of will-power he possessed to keep from pulling her beneath him and taking swift, desperate possession of her in the way he'd wanted since he first set eyes on her again. He drew in a deep, shuddering breath and closed his eyes as he kissed her gently, teasing her tongue with his and nibbling gently on her bottom lip. He pressed kisses all over her face while his hands stroked and smoothed, and gained his reward when he felt the tense, slender body begin to relax.

'No rush,' he whispered in her ear. 'I want to enjoy every little inch of you.'

Kate felt as though every bone in her body was slowly melting as Jack kissed her and caressed her with a languorous lack of haste that made her impatient at last for the heat and hunger she'd seen in his eyes before she dived into bed. But at last his caresses grew more urgent, his lips and tongue and grazing teeth sending fiery sensation from the tips of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s to the part which melted in hot liquid response deep down inside her. She thrust her hips against him and felt a surge of triumph as his breath caught and his muscles grew taught under the hands she dug into his shoulders. She gave a husky little moan as his caressing fingers slid between her thighs to find the small, hidden bud that rose, tumescent, to the caresses which sent her wild with almost unbearable pleasure, and in answer to her gasped, broken pleading he nudged her thighs apart with his knee. He raised his head and their eyes met and held as he took slow, sure possession of her at last. They stayed as still as their rapid breathing allowed for a moment, then began to move together, savouring every last nuance of sensation as he slid home and withdrew, then repeated the process a little faster and harder each time, their mutual fire stoked higher and higher with every stroke until the rhythm of their loving rose to frenzy and at last the climax engulfed them in heart-stopping release.

'We never achieved that in the past,' Kate whispered a long time later.

Jack raised the face he'd buried in her hair and lifted an eyebrow. 'That?' he inquired. 'A small word for a mind altering experience.'

She chuckled. 'I meant the timing. We were sometimes out of step back then.'

'You mean I was so hot for you I sometimes lost control,' he said wryly. 'I felt the same this time. It took every sc.r.a.p of will-power I possessed to keep from ravishing you the moment I laid you on the bed.'

'Ravishing is good,' she a.s.sured him. 'A woman likes to know she's desirable.' Kate's eyes clouded. 'It was a long time before I felt even pa.s.sably attractive after you left me for Dawn.'

He winced, and moved away a fraction. 'I suppose this banker of yours helped with that.'

'Yes, he did. But it was never like this with David.' Kate looked at him steadily. 'Nor with anyone else, Jack.'

He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her. 'G.o.d, I've missed you, Katie.'

They lay in each other's arms for a long, quiet interval, but at last Jack kissed her again and slid out of bed.

'Let's eat,' he said, getting dressed.

'You go on down. I'll follow you in a minute.'

He grinned as he collected her clothes. 'I've watched you dress before.'

'But not lately and not today.' Kate pulled the quilt up to her chin.

Jack gave her a threatening look as he strolled to the door. 'Ten minutes or I come and get you.'

Once the door closed behind him Kate slid out of bed, picked up her clothes and raced into the bathroom. Ten minutes later she met Jack in the hall.

'I was just coming to look for you.'

Kate patted her midriff. 'I'm hungry. I didn't think I would be after that huge breakfast, but I am.'

Jack grinned. 'Making love always did give you an appet.i.te. You were so skinny in those days it always amazed me that you ate as much as I did-more sometimes.'

'Lucky metabolism.'

Bran came wagging in joyful greeting as they went into the kitchen. Kate made a big fuss of him, then inspected the kitchen table with approval. Jack had put out the remains of the ham with a bowl of ripe red tomatoes, a loaf of Molly's wholemeal bread and the platter of cheese from the night before.

'I gave Bran one of his treats to celebrate,' said Jack as he began to carve the ham.

'Celebrate what?' said Kate innocently.

He gave her a look which curled her toes. 'You know d.a.m.n well!'

Kate enjoyed the meal far more than the dinner of the evening before. They brought each other up to date on their taste in books, Jack reported on the progress of his current project and Kate talked about her clients and the trip she was making the following weekend to see Joanna.

When her phone rang Kate touched a finger to her lips and showed Jack the ident.i.ty of her caller as she went out into the hall. 'Hi, Anna.'

'Did Jack drive you home last night?'

'No. I stayed the night in his guest room.'

'Thank goodness for that. I was worried sick. Look, I must apologise for Lucy. She was an absolute cow to you last night.'

'Not your fault. She's obviously got a great big crush on Jack.'

'I didn't realise just how great big it was. She was so c.o.c.ka-hoop about being invited, but then she found you in possession, stunning in your black velvet against all that whiteness, and Lucy was jealous as h.e.l.l.'

'You looked stunning yourself. But did Lucy borrow her dress from her daughter by any chance?'

'No way-Rose wouldn't be seen dead in something like that.' Anna chuckled. 'Lucy was-and is-a fan of s.e.x and the City, hence the dress and matching toenails. She owns the entire series on DVD and watches for hours when George is away.'

'That explains a lot. But I don't remember her looking like that at your party.'

'You were too stunned by meeting Jack again to notice.'

'True. But never mind Lucy; is everything all right with baby after your epic drive home last night?'

'Absolutely fine. Anxious Daddy cooked lunch today and I'm putting my feet up this afternoon.'

'Good. Keep doing that. I'll talk to you tomorrow.'

Kate turned to see Jack laughing in the doorway. 'Did you eavesdrop?'

'Every word. You were discussing Lucy Beresford's dress, I take it.'

'Guilty! Girls will be girls.' She explained about the television series which Jack, as expected, had never seen, so wasn't much the wiser.

'Are you saying she got herself up like that purely on my account?'

Kate grinned. 'It certainly wasn't on mine!'

Jack's mouth twisted in distaste. 'Even if I were fool enough to play around with the wife of a friend I like and respect, it would not be Lucy Beresford.'

'Sensible man!'

He sighed. 'But somehow I have to make that clear to the lady, and at the same time keep George as a friend.'

'Tricky,' agreed Kate.

Jack's patience suddenly ran out. 'You could help me with that.'

'How?' she said, eyes narrowed.

He took her hands in his. 'Darling, I meant to wait a while before I brought it up, but surely you can see what I'm getting at?'

'No, I can't.'

'The best way out of the dilemma is to acquire a wife of my own-you, Kate.'

She stared at him. 'Are you serious?'

'It's not the sort of thing one says as a joke! We've wasted too much of our lives apart already, so for G.o.d's sake let's get married, Kate.' He waited, his eyes darkening at her lack of response. 'I see. You obviously don't care for the idea. Should I have gone down on one knee?'

'The answer would still have been no, Jack.'

He dropped her hands, turned his back and strode into the living room to stand at the far windows, his back turned.

Kate followed as far as the fireplace. She waited quietly until he faced her, and forced herself to meet the ice in his eyes.

'Did you plan this?' he asked, in a voice so quiet and cutting she winced.

'What do you mean?'

'When you met me again, and found I was divorced,' he went on in that same deadly quiet voice, 'did you see a golden opportunity for revenge?'

'Unlike you to be melodramatic, Jack,' she said with distaste. 'Anyway, you're wrong.'

'I don't think so.' He thrust his hands in his pockets and strolled towards her, lover transformed into menacing stranger. 'The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that you've had this in mind from the moment we met up again. String him along, play hard to get, and then show him what he's been missing. And put the cherry on top by turning him down flat when he proposes. Did that feel good, Kate?' he demanded.

She shook her head silently.

'So now what? Don't tell me you want us to be good friends!' He gave a mirthless bark of laughter. 'At this moment in time, Kate Durant, I don't feel friendly at all.'

'I can see that, and I'm sorry for it.' She turned away, unable to hold that hard, implacable gaze a moment longer. 'It's my fault. I shared your room last night because after the sleepwalking episode I was scared to stay on my own.'

'That was last night,' said Jack grimly. 'But it was broad daylight when we made love this morning. You were wide awake when we walked all the way upstairs to my bedroom, Kate. You had ample opportunity to say no along the way. So why the h.e.l.l didn't you?'

She eyed him in surprise. 'Surely it's obvious. I wanted to make love with you-simple as that.'

'Why?'

'Curiosity, nostalgia, l.u.s.t-take your pick. I wanted to find out if it would still be good with you.'

'And was it?' he asked casually, as though her answer was unimportant.

But Kate knew it wasn't. She could see a telltale pulse throbbing at the corner of his clenched mouth. 'It was miraculous, Jack. I told you that. Better than with anyone else. But it makes no difference. Even if you're still of the same mind...and, by the look on your face, I doubt that-Ican't marry you.' She hesitated. 'We could be lovers again,though, surely?'

Jack gave her a flaying look, then bent to put more logs on the fire. 'You mean you love the s.e.x, but you don't want me as a husband?'

'Something like that.'

He turned expressionless eyes on her. 'Did it give you a buzz to tell me that, Kate? Did it make up for your hurt when I married Dawn?'

'You have no idea how much you hurt me,' she said with sudden pa.s.sion. 'One of my reasons for turning you down is to avoid similar hurt in future.'

His mouth twisted. 'A pity you didn't let me know that sooner.'

'A great pity,' she agreed.

'What are the other reasons?'

'Pretty obvious ones. When I inherited the house I found a new job, made a home here for Joanna and me-'

'And there's no room for a husband in your tidy little life,' Jack said harshly. He looked at her objectively, as though seeing her for the first time. 'When we met up again I thought you'd hardly changed at all. I was wrong. You've grown hard, Kate.'

'I prefer to think of it as mature. But I agree I'm not the malleable little girl you once knew.'

'Malleable!' He laughed again. 'That's a joke. Nothing I could do or say back then changed your mind about a job in London.'

'True. But marrying someone else by way of retaliation was a bit extreme, even for you, Jack,' she flung at him.

They looked at each other in hostile silence for a while, then Jack took the phone from his pocket, excused himself politely and went out. Kate stayed by the fire, staring down into the flames as her heartbeat gradually slowed to normal. The odd, abrupt proposal had taken her by surprise. She just hadn't seen it coming. If she had, maybe she could have deflected it somehow without alienating Jack so completely.

Jack came back into the room with Bran padding after him, and Kate bent to fondle the dog's ears to hide the sudden tears of bitter regret in her eyes.

'I rang up to check on the roads,' Jack told her, making the fire safe. 'Apparently there's a lot of surface water in places, so I'll drive you back in the Jeep. I'll have your car sent to Park Crescent in the morning.'

Kate eyed him militantly. This was the last thing she wanted. 'I'm perfectly capable of driving through a few puddles.'

'The river's broken its banks at one place. Your car is too small to cope,' he said in a tone that warned her not to argue.

'I don't want to put you out-'

'You're not. I was driving into town to see Dad, anyway. If you'll get your things I'll bring the Jeep round.'

Feeling well and truly put in her place, Kate went up to the guest room. She removed the sweatshirt, folded it neatly and left it on the bed, put on her camisole and suit jacket and went downstairs. Jack was waiting with her raincoat over his arm. He held it out, and in silence Kate put it on and belted it tightly.