CHAPTER 34
When he got home, Cate was waiting for him on the sofa. She was wearing her dark purple satin robe and her hair was braided to one side, just as he liked it. The house was shrouded in darkness so he could only see her profile.
“Why are you in the dark?” Kian asked quietly.
Cate looked up at him and he could have sworn her eyes were wet as if she’d been crying.
Kian shrugged off his jacket and took her in his arms, she felt so small and fragile. “Cate, are you OK?”
“I’m fine,” Cate buried her face in his shirt. “I just missed you, that’s all.”
“Let’s go to bed,” he murmured, pressing his lips against the top of her head.
“No,” Cate shook her head. “I want to finish the chart.”
She took a step back from Kian into the pool of moonlight shining in through the front window. He could only watch transfixed as she ran her hands from her neck slowly down over her full breasts to the belt knotted around her waist. Her hard nipples strained against the satin. Kian’s mouth watered. Fuck, what he wanted to do to those breasts.
Cate slowly undid the belt of her robe and then let it fall from her hands. The satin robe fell apart, revealing her beautiful naked body.
“How do you want me?” Cate whispered. She let the robe slide off her body, pooling by her feet on the floor.
Kian was so hard he could hardly think straight. “Sofa,” he growled.
Cate walked over to the sofa and he watched as the moonlight bathed her smooth skin. His eyes drifted from the back of her neck down her spine, the small of her back and those sexy hips which fitted perfectly inside his hands. His eyes dropped to her ankles and then moved up her calves to the backs of her knees. He loved the little noises she made when he kissed her there. His eyes drifted higher, up her thighs which felt so good wrapped tightly around him. Kian had always been an arse-man and Cate’s arse was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. She could make him hard just by rubbing up against him.
“Kneel on the sofa, facing the window, hold on to the back,” Kian guided her. He quickly undressed, kicking off his trousers and boxer shorts.
He gently caressed her bottom before dropping his hands to her thighs. He parted them quickly and knelt between her legs. Cate felt his thick erection against the inside of her thigh. He was going too slowly. As he trailed soft, open-mouthed kisses along her shoulder, she pushed back, grinding her bottom against him.
“Fuck Cate,” Kian groaned, stilling her hips. “Angel, if you do that, I’m going to come before I’m even inside you.”
He tugged her braid, tilting her head to one side and grazed his teeth down her neck. Cate closed her eyes, feeling goose bumps race frantically across her bare skin.
“Are you sure you’re OK?”
“Mm,” Cate nodded, leaning her head back against his shoulder. She didn’t want to talk.
As Kian kissed her exposed throat, her pulse was quick as a hummingbird’s wings. He fluttered his fingers up over her ribs to her breasts. He could feel the soft hairs on her skin stand up, straining for his touch. He cupped her perfect breasts in his hands, feeling their warm weight.
As Cate arched her back, Kian rubbed her nipples with the pads of his thumbs. In the moonlight, her skin looked ghostly white while her nipples were dark and blood-filled.
Kian slid a hand between her thighs and pressed a finger inside her. “Ah,” she cried, clenching tightly around him. Her wetness trickled down her thighs. Kian twisted his finger deep inside her and then brought it up to his lips. She tasted so fucking good.
“I need to taste you,” Kian whispered, pulling back.
“No,” Cate gripped his wrist so tightly, her fingers were white.
“I want you,” Cate said, reaching down and wrapping her hand around the base of his cock. “Inside me, I want this.”
“Please, Kian,” Cate pleaded.
“OK,” Kian said softly. He removed her hand from around his cock and returned it to the back of the sofa.
Kian felt her relax a little as he splayed his hands on her hips and brought her back. He slid his cock through her folds, lubricating himself with her abundant wetness.
As she gripped on to the back of the sofa, he inched inside her slowly. It felt so good; he had to use all of his restraint. He wanted to draw this out as long as possible.
“So beautiful,” he murmured, stopping to kiss between her shoulder blades.
Cate felt him cherish her body; it brought tears to her eyes. She didn’t want that, not tonight. If they made love tonight, it would break her. She’d kissed, been kissed by another man tonight. Ugh, Cate shook her head, trying to get rid of the taste of Nick’s lips on hers. She wanted Kian to fuck every last vestige of Nick from her mind and body.
Cate pushed her hips back against him, trying to take him deeper.
“What’s the rush?” Kian asked softly, stilling her again.
Cate felt the tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She was glad Kian was behind her, that he couldn’t see her face. If he saw her crying, he’d stop and she needed this.
Cate took a deep breath. “I need it hard.”
Kian pulled out almost to the tip and then slammed into her hard. “Like that?” he grunted.
“Yes,” Cate cried.
Kian thrust into her hungrily. Fuck, this required even more restraint than when he’d been inching inside her slowly. He was treading a gossamer thin line between giving Cate what she wanted and hurting her.
Cate matched his rhythm, pushing back, demanding more.
He slid a hand between her legs and found her tender, swollen clit. He was so close and he needed her with him.
As the orgasm built up inside her, he used his other hand to play with her distended nipple. “Kian,” Cate screamed as she broke apart, burying her face in the cushions on the back of the sofa. Kian jerked off inside and then quickly covered her body with his. He felt her shaking underneath him and he didn’t know if it was the climax or if she was crying.
“Angel,” Kian said softly, kissing her neck and shoulders. “Angel, what happened?”
When she didn’t answer, he quickly pulled out of her and picked up the robe she’d discarded on the carpet. He draped it over her naked body, picked her up and carried her upstairs. Cate wouldn’t let him see her face, she hid in his chest.
Kian carried her into the bathroom and gently cleaned her up. He handed her clean underwear and pyjamas. When he switched the light on above the sink, he saw her tear-stained cheeks.
“It’s nothing,” Cate whispered when she saw the concern on his face. “I’m fine.”
“Angel,” Kian said. He put his hands on either side of her on the sink. “I need to know.”
“Nick kissed me tonight.”
“What?” Kian roared.
“I didn’t want him to. I pushed him away.”
Kian felt sick to his stomach. “Is that all that happened?”
“Yes,” Cate said quickly. “I don’t know why I’m so upset. I just, I really needed you tonight.”
Kian held her face in his hands. “Did he try anything else? If he did, I swear to God I’ll…”
“No,” Cate said. “We went outside to wait for Erin. As soon as I pushed him away, Erin was there.”
Cate couldn’t look at him. “I feel like I cheated on you,” she said quietly, chewing on her bottom lip.
“Come here,” Kian picked her up and carried into their bedroom. He pulled the duvet back and laid Cate down on her side of the bed. He lay down next to her and pulled the duvet up to their waists.
“Your feet are cold,” he said softly, tugging them between his calves so he could warm them up.
“I’m sorry,” Cate said, as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I really didn’t want it, I promise.”
“You’ve got nothing to be sorry about,” Kian smiled, softly brushing the tears from her cheek with his thumb.
He slid his hand underneath her hair to the back of her neck. He kissed her forehead, her eyelids and the tip of her nose.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, gently nipping her earlobe. Cate grabbed a fistful of his t-shirt; she could feel the heat of his torso through the thin cotton.
He trailed kisses along her jaw. “Don’t ever be sorry.”
As he brushed his lips against hers, Cate felt all of the tension just drain away. The warmth infused her veins, making her feel so relaxed. It was like everything beyond the two of them, beyond their bed, dropped away.
Kian watched her eyes soften. He ran the tip of his tongue over her top lip, as if tasting it for the first time. Cate used the hand she had fisted up in his t-shirt to pull him closer to her. He felt the curve of her belly against his stomach. He tugged her bottom lip, which was tender and swollen from Cate biting down on it, into his mouth. He ran his tongue gently over the plump flesh; already drifting back to that Christmas Eve not even a year ago. He still swore that his heart stopped for a second when he saw her halfway up those stairs, biting down on the same lip he was sucking on right now.
Their bodies were drawn together like powerful magnets. Kian tangled his fingers up in her black hair, now freed from its braid. He loved how her hair felt between his fingers; that teasing scent of blackberries. She rubbed her feet up and down his calves. The only parts of them that weren’t touching were their groins.
Their open mouths met; Kian slid his tongue inside to stroke and caress every inch of her mouth. “Mm,” she murmured into his mouth as he ran his tongue slowly across the back of her teeth. She tasted of blackberries, toothpaste and Cate.
When Cate finally fell asleep, wrapped up in her husband, she didn’t think about Nick at all. She was exactly where she wanted to be. Her lips had been claimed by Kian’s. She ran her tongue over her tingling lips, savouring the taste of Kian. It was his body that she fitted snugly into, his arms wrapped protectively around her, his heat that kept her warm.
Kian looked down at his wife, wrapped around him. He ran his fingers softly through her hair. All he could think about was how she’d looked after they’d had sex, slumped over the back of the sofa, her beautiful face buried in the cushions. It reminded him too much of that first night, when he’d heard her crying through the front door at Ben’s house. He never, ever wanted to hear her cry again. His heart had twisted up in a thousand knots. When eventually she’d looked at him with those huge, black eyes, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, he’d thought the worst. He’d thought that he’d hurt her again.
Then he found out she was crying because that fucking bastard had tried to kiss her. Kian had been angry before but he’d never known true rage until he thought about that bastard’s lips touching Cate’s. He touched the wedding ring on her finger. That’s my ring on her finger and my baby growing inside her stomach. She’s mine. Mine. His hands clenched into fists.
“Kian?” Cate lifted her head up from his chest. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Kian lied. He pressed his lips against hers, kissing her softly. “Turn over.”
Cate turned over on her side and Kian curled himself around her like a question mark. Mine.
When he did drift off to sleep, he dreamt of the Tavern. It used to be a pub and was a maze of small rooms and passageways. He’d come to pick Cate up from work. The “Closed” sign was on the front door even though it was only midday. Kian tried the door, which was unlocked. As he stepped inside the front room, the small bronze bell chimed above the door, echoing through the empty space. The cash register was open, the notes flickering softly in the breeze. Kian heard Cate’s voice. “Help.”
He raced through the rooms and passageways, searching frantically for his wife. He could hear her calling for him but he couldn’t find her anywhere.
“Where are you?” Kian called back. “I’m coming for you.”
“Upstairs,” Kian heard a scuffle.
He bounded up the stairs two at a time. Nick was waiting for him by the door at the far end of the corridor.
“Kian,” Cate was behind Nick. She reached out her arms to Kian but Nick pushed her back. He turned and smiled victoriously at Kian. “She’s mine now.”
Kian was almost there when Nick slammed the door shut. He heard the key turn in the lock. “No,” Kian yelled, pummelling the door with his fists.
“No.”
Kian sat bolt upright in bed, his heart was thundering inside his chest. He looked down at Cate by his side, still fast asleep, murmuring softly to herself.
Kian got up quietly and went into the bathroom. He pulled off his sweat-soaked t-shirt and tossed it in the laundry basket. He washed his chest, needing the shock of the cold water to bring him back to the here and now. He was about to pull on a clean t-shirt and then stopped; he needed to feel Cate against his skin again.
“She’s OK,” he told himself as his breathing returned to normal. “She’s OK.”
Kian climbed into bed, careful not to disturb Cate and softly pulled her back against him. She fitted so easily into his arms, as if she’d been built just for him. He could feel the warmth of her skin through her thin cotton vest. He pressed his lips against her bare shoulder, tasting her sweet skin. His hand slid over her hip and gently lifted up the hem of her cotton vest. Still asleep, Cate snuggled back against him. He splayed his hand over her warm, swollen belly and closed his eyes.
“You’re my first half,” Kian murmured softly as he drifted back off to sleep. There’s no way in hell you’re going back to work with that bastard.