I had to admit the relief was immense; all I could think about was whether she was up to the task. She didn’t know we would be going by private jet; despite the seriousness of the situation I could suddenly feel the urge stirring in my groin; there was no doubt that Kate affected me in a way that no other woman had for a very long time.

As I guided Kate out of the car and onto the runway, I had to chuckle; her reaction to the private jet, emblazoned with ‘Live Enterprises’ was priceless. I could hear her jaw hitting the floor.

“Where exactly is the meeting?” She had suddenly asked; it probably hadn’t occurred to her before and the journey so far had been absorbed with preparations. Knowing her stuff wasn’t enough; I needed to know her plan of attack! My smile broadened as I replied, “About an hour away, you do fly okay, don’t you?”

It was my turn for my jaw to drop when she replied, “I don’t know. I’ve never been on a plane before.”

Three and a half hours later, I let my breath out slowly. I felt like I had been holding it for the entire time. The whole journey there had been about preparing for the meeting but Kate had performed admirably. In fact, she might even have been better than Stacey.

“Time for a drink.” I said; it wasn’t a question.

Kate didn’t argue, she seemed to be in a daze; possibly from the experience of flying, maybe the obvious success of the meeting or, maybe from the glass of wine she had consumed at the end of the meeting.

I knew the nearest bar was just one block away, but I also knew of a smaller more intimate one, several blocks away. Without thinking, I hailed a cab and told them where we wanted to go.

Kate was incredibly animated as she rehashed the meeting and some additional ideas. For the first time I could see her passion.

“It would be possible to re-route it all,” her tongue didn’t appear to want to stop working as she worked out the possibilities.

I watched her for a moment, feeling a stirring deep inside. This wasn’t just an urge; there was something special about Kate. She suddenly stopped talking. Her deep, emerald green eyes connected with mine.

“What?” Her voice was husky; her eyes glinted in the dim light as her skin seemed to glow. “You know I opened up to you yesterday in a way that I never have before, to anyone. It was supposed to be just a friendly drink, but you had flair, innocence and sparkle that overcame my natural suspicion of women.” I paused, unsure why I was saying this but knowing that this was possibly the only opportunity.

“I want to know more about you.” It was my turn for my voice to be soft. I tried my best to keep my face balanced between neutral and passionate. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time I had experienced fear of rejection. It was amazing. I was used to getting whatever I want, but this young lady completely overwhelmed my defences.

Kate didn’t hesitate. She placed her hand over mine; I could feel the desire flowing through my body.

“I could say the same.” She said; her voice still husky but now low and seductive. I was suddenly glad I was sitting down as a tremor shot through my body.

For a long moment the two of us sat there, my mind was blank and anything I could think of saying would destroy the moment.

Finally, Kate spoke, “I’m not a gold digger, you know.” The concern in her eyes was obvious. I didn’t reply for a moment. My eyes gently caressed her face. Kate’s brunette hair was swept back from her face, brushed into a tidy ponytail which cascaded down her back. Her face was petite, her chin almost pointed and her lips were simply begging to be kissed.

“You can, if you want.” She said, startling me.

She knew what I was thinking. Without hesitating, I leaned across the small table and locked my lips onto her warm, soft and delicious ones. She responded instantly, her tongue slowly slipping between my lips and into my mouth.

Suddenly, I could take it no more. Pulling back from the kiss I dropped a note onto the table and slid my chair back. Within moments Kate was out of hers and we were heading for the door. The back of the cab might not have been the first place I would have chosen to become intimate with Kate, but it was the most convenient. Again, our lips locked and our tongues entwined as I ran my hand through her soft hair; feeling the smoothness of her skin and the warmth of her body against mine.

The ride to the plane was short. I wanted to tell the cab driver to take the long route, but I couldn’t. The pilot had waited long enough for us.

“That was my first kiss in over a year and my best ever.” Kate murmured softly to me as we moved up the steps to the plane. I smiled. It had been three years for me, but it was definitely the best kiss ever.