CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
GRAY
The sight of Kate looking shocked and vulnerable at the same time had my feelings torn between guilt at not visiting her sooner and joy at finally seeing her. I was planning to visit her today, already driving on my way until Paul texted and said that they got the all clear and headed back to the hotel. Since I was near the hotel, I decided to head straight there and wait for them at the room number Paul mentioned.
We were pretty much staring at each other for the first few seconds, with me simply taking her in. She was wearing a simple gray dress, one that was loose on her. She was lovely, though there were dark circles under her eyes that indicated how tired she was.
Someone cleared their throat, and the spell was broken. I glanced at Paul, who was frowning at me. I ignored the look and stepped forward until I was a few inches away from them. I stood in front of Kate, absorbing her again.
“Gray,” she said softly, her tone melodious and just a little bit sleepy. Shit.
My cock stirred, a most inconvenient reaction. I scolded myself, knowing how inappropriate it was. In response, I held out the bouquet to her and hoped Paul wouldn’t look down because he would probably beat me up.
Kate’s eyes widened at the flowers before she accepted them. She sniffed appreciatively, then stared in fascination at the colorful blooms. My hands itched to touch her, just to feel her warmth, but I held back. Instead, I spoke in a calm tone.
“Kate, we need to talk.”
She nodded her head, her expression turning serious. Paul grumbled for a bit but led the way, and I took over standing beside Kate as she insisted walking on her own. Paul ushered us to the sofa, and I gave him a look. He gave me a look back, then reluctantly nodded and excused himself to give us some time alone.
When he was gone, I turned back to Kate, who was staring at me. I couldn’t stop staring back at her—in fact, I couldn’t stop staring, period, because my gaze just wanted to devour her. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, she cut me off with a certain sadness in her tone.
“I’m sorry for making you miss the race and losing your sponsorship,” she said.
Even if she didn’t say it, I could feel the guilt radiating off her in waves. She looked down at her lap, and all I wanted to do was gather her in my arms and crush her to me. But I wasn’t sure her body could take it, not after the abuse that bastard did to her. Instead, I took her chin and gently tilted her head up, meeting her eyes.
“Don’t be,” I said. “I wouldn’t have changed it for anything in the world. I should have gotten to you sooner.”
“You saved my life. I’ll be forever grateful for that.”
I nodded. Then I sighed. “I’m sorry for not visiting you in the hospital. I had some matters to take care of.” Those matters included the case Steve filed against me for quitting ahead of our contract, to which I had to pay him. I did pay him. I also paid Mark and my crew out of courtesy, wishing them good luck with whoever they worked with next. To my surprise, Roger and Mark were adamant that they would come to me whenever I was ready to race again. That was a blurry thought for now, but it didn’t matter.
She was the one who mattered.
There was something else that I was taking care of without going to her first, even if all I wanted was to be by her side. I knew Paul would take good care of her, so I didn’t have to worry about that, despite the fact that she was constantly on my mind. God, I missed her. I missed her so much, it was insane.
“It’s okay,” Kate said. “You have your life, and I have mine.” She offered me a smile, but I didn’t miss the sadness that flashed there again, which she tried to clear almost immediately.
It gave me hope, and I knew what I had to do.
What I wanted to do.
I took a deep breath. Then, before I could lose whatever courage I had, I was already leaning forward. I placed my hand on her neck as gently as I could, watching her coffee-colored eyes widening and her mouth opening almost breathlessly. But she didn’t protest, moving forward until our lips met in a tentative, gentle kiss.
It wasn’t gentle for long. The moment her taste seeped into me, I had to refrain myself from yanking her to my lap and just ravishing her then and there. I settled for kissing her over and over, angling the kiss deeper until she was moaning, and her hands were clutching my shoulders. She felt so soft and smelled so good, and I wanted to be with her like this for a long, long time.
“I love you,” I said in between kisses, something that had Kate stilling. Then she was pressing up against me and telling me she loved me, too. Joy burst inside me, but it wasn’t over yet. I pulled back, trying to breathe from the rush in my head and my pounding blood. I pretty much just drowned in her taste and would have gladly remained doing so, but there was something I needed to do first.
With a deep, calming breath, I slipped something out of my pocket. Then I opened the tiny box, one that was a deep velvet red. Inside, the ring sparkled, as beautiful as when I saw it in the jewelry shop where I went in a few days ago to purchase it. I’d been carrying it ever since.
Kate stared at it in shock. Her mouth might have dropped open slightly, distracting me once more as I stared at how pale her lips had gotten. They still looked delicious, and I almost leaned forward to catch the plump bottom one between my tee—
“What the hell, Gray?”
I snapped back and straightened my shoulders. Then I was staring at the door, where Paul stood and looked at me like I’d gone crazy. I frowned at him, not really pleased with the interruption.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” I asked testily.
Paul glared at me. I glared back. Someone cleared her throat, and I turned my attention to Kate, whose eyes were twinkling as she eyed us in amusement. Then she focused on me, and my heart dropped as a serious expression flashed on her face.
Dismay surged at the thought that she was going to turn me down.
“Yes,” she blurted out. “I’ll marry you, Gray.”
“He didn’t even ask you yet,” Paul complained.
“He was going to,” Kate shot back, this time giving Paul a warning look. “And I would have answered yes either way.”
Shock flitted through me at how confident she was about her answer—about how sure she was of her feelings. Then the shock was replaced by happiness once more, and I was pulling her in my arms and kissing her with all the pent-up passion inside me.
“I guess I’ll let you be,” Paul grumbled as he left.
Kate choked on a laugh as Paul ducked out.
*****
“We can’t have sex until we get married.”
It was a statement Kate hadn’t expected me to say when we began talking about details of the wedding. I wouldn’t have said it normally—hell, this was me, after all. But I had a long conversation with Paul prior to me proposing (not that I included me proposing in that talk), and he had made some threat that if I ever hurt his sister, then I was going to wish I’d never been born. He then began to demand that I prove that I really loved her by, say, not having my dick dictate my needs unless I actually married her.
I didn’t think Paul meant it literally, but I took it that way. I wanted to.
“You’re kidding,” Kate exclaimed after a long silence.
“I’m being very serious, babe,” I said solemnly. “I want us to anticipate that moment, and I want everything to be sweeter when we do.”
Her eyes softened. But then she pouted, sticking out her bottom lip, and my gaze landed there. She leaned towards me, practically breathing into my neck.
“What if I want to?” she whispered, her voice throaty and her hand settling on my chest. “What if I want you to touch me?”
I silently groaned as I felt my dick rage and stand at attention. Had her hand or gaze wandered lower, she’d have felt and seen it right away. But she was staring into my eyes, and I tried to block off my raging desire and address her question. “There’s nothing I want more than that, trust me…but I also want you to rest up and recuperate.”
It was the lamest excuse ever, but I didn’t want to involve Paul in my reasons and cause a rift between them. I knew where he was coming from as an older brother whose beloved sister just got recently abused, and I knew it couldn’t have been easy for him to watch her in that hospital and wish he’d come sooner. He’d lamented about it enough to me, and that kind of guilt wouldn’t go away easy. It was the least I could do for him.
And for her.
But Kate had always been the stubborn kind, and she proved that now by leaning even closer. She did it so fast that the movement had her cringing in pain, and I was suddenly cursing in the air as I tried to straighten her up and fumble around for what was wrong.
“Language,” she corrected, making me stare at her incredulously.
“Now’s not the time to lecture me,” I warned.
“I’m okay,” she said, though her voice came out weak. Her body shook, and I had to hold her until she finally breathed easier. Finally, Kate sighed. “I’d better take it easy.”
I nodded firmly. “This only cements my idea.” She looked so forlorn that I couldn’t help leaning forward and kissing her again. I kept it light and gentle this time. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll make you scream in pleasure on our wedding night. It will be the best sex of your life.”
She choked on her laughter, then winced in pain again. I soothed her with my hands, wanting nothing more than for her to get better and this part of her life to be nothing but a faint memory. She still had a long way to go, but I would do my best to help in whatever way I could. I would stay by her side. For now, I would be her supportive friend—and in a few weeks’ time, I would be her husband.
“I’d love that,” Kate finally replied, returning my kiss. Then she leaned in slowly this time, and I wrapped her in my arms.
Paul was right. Kate deserved nothing but the best.
And by God, I was going to give her the very best.