Crimson and Clover (10 page)

“Unless, of course,” Jay told her, still watching her with the intensity of a hawk after prey, “you’re only saying this because you’re cataclysmically stoned.”

Katie’s smile grew wider and wanton. “I’m not
that
stoned,” she purred, all her inhibitions relaxed by the pot and the way he was looking at her, a look that grew even more intense at her statement.

“Man,” Stuart breathed, but Katie ignored him. All her focus was centered on Jay; nothing else was worth noticing, not even the aggrieved tone in Adam’s voice.

“I thought we were talking about fantasy here.”

“What’s the problem, Adam?” Maureen retorted. “After all, none of them are involved with other people, right?”

“Actually, I think Jimmy is.” Nicky’s gaze moved between Jay and Katie and back again, giving him the appearance of a man watching a tennis match. “Although at the moment, I don’t think he’d be missed.”

Jay continued smiling into Katie’s eyes and she couldn’t attribute her sizzling nerve endings to just the pot.

“Jimmy who?” she asked softly before struggling to her feet. “As interesting as all this is, people, I have to make a pit stop.”

Laughing, Stuart pointed toward the door. “Out the door, turn right, second door down.”

“Thank you.” Hoping she wouldn’t run into any more furniture, Katie left in search of a bathroom.

After relieving the pressure on her bladder, Katie checked her appearance in the mirror over the sink as she washed her hands. Yeah, she looked stoned all right; eyes a shade too bright, the lids over them drooping just a bit too much and a faint flush high on her cheeks. She dried her hands on the small towel hanging next to the sink and ran her fingers through her hair, her thoughts turning to Jay Carey and his mesmerizing hazel eyes. Not to mention the expression in those eyes that told her he’d like nothing better than to … A delicious shiver rippled through her and she smiled at her reflection before leaving the bathroom.

A few moments later she realized she was lost. The small, narrow hallway in which she found herself was unfamiliar, and though she strained her ears she could hear no sounds of talking or laughter, or anything else to indicate where her friends were.

“Must’ve taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque,” she muttered and leaned against the wall wondering who had chosen the muddy-looking paisley wallpaper. Funny; if she squinted her eyes and tilted her head the design seemed to realign itself into a face with slanted eyes, a narrow beard and an over-excited smile. It got even weirder when the face spoke.

“What are you doing back here?”

It took a moment for Katie to realize the laughing question came not from the wallpaper, but from the man standing next to her. She glanced at Jay from under her lashes. “Can you believe I got lost?” Embarrassment made her look away before she could see his reaction.

Jay’s soft laugh seemed to buzz directly into her ear. “I can,” he said as he leaned a shoulder against the wall. “Tell me something.”

Katie examined the wallpaper again, but the face had disappeared; all she could think about was Jay standing so close to her that she could feel the warmth from his body. “What do you want to know?”

“Is that little threesome you mentioned something you’d really want?”

Her heart stuttered in excitement as his warm breath tickled her cheek, a cheek that grew even warmer with what she knew was a furious blush. “Mm-hm.”

“You and me. And Jimmy Page,” he added with a marked lack of enthusiasm.

“Well … ” Her eyes dropped to her feet as she felt her blush rise higher. “It wouldn’t be horrible if we forgot to invite him.”

“Ah. That’s good.” He leaned forward and his chest came into contact with her shoulder. “Katie? Why won’t you look at me?”

Her gaze stayed glued to the toes of her shoes even as her shoulder ignited with a fire that spread with speed through her body. “Maybe I’m embarrassed,” she whispered.

“Don’t be; you’ve no reason to be. I don’t have a problem looking at you.” His hand rose into her line of vision and hovered close to her cheek. “Touching you, however … ”

Katie swallowed as she watched his hand trace the lines of her face, remaining just above her skin. It seemed a trail of light followed its path and she held her breath, waiting.

“Actually,” he continued, “it’s the not touching you I have a problem with.” His voice was low and husky, just above a whisper, but Katie heard every word as if he’d shouted it in her ear. “Every time I’m with you all I can think about is … touching you.”

When his fingers made the lightest of contact with the skin of her cheek she let her breath out and closed her eyes. His touch grew firmer as he stroked her cheek, ran his finger across her eyebrows and traced her lips. His hand slipped lower and closed over her throat. She knew he could feel her pulse trip-hammering against her skin.

“Look at me, Katie. Please.”

Katie drew in her breath, turned her head and stared into his eyes. Jay’s gaze held her captive as he gently squeezed her throat for the barest instant. His hand slid along her neck, then up to cup the back of her head before he pulled her close and lowered his lips to hers.

Katie moaned soft in her throat and opened her lips to his probing tongue. She felt as if she were melting into him as the kiss deepened and she met his tongue with her own. His hands ignited the rest of her body as he slid them down to her hips and pulled her tight against him. She could feel the firmness of his erection pressing against her and she moved to fit her body closer to his.

Jay’s hands slid up her ribs and the heat of his hands seared through the white linen of her shirt, cupping her breasts, his thumbs teasing her nipples. She fought the urge to reach up and rip her shirt apart, aching to feel Jay’s hands on her bare flesh. And not just his hands; she could almost feel his lips on her breasts, his tongue teasing her nipples as he drew them into his mouth. A lightning bolt of yearning shot through her at thought of his black hair against her skin, his head framed by the lace ruffles of her open shirt.

Wild with need, she slid her hands down his chest, feeling his nipples hard and erect through the light covering of fabric. Her fingers curved as she lightly scratched her nails across his shirt, and then moved lower to slip around his waist and over his ass, urging him closer.

“Touch me, Katie,” he whispered almost too low to hear. “I need you to touch me.”

Her hands convulsively clutched the rough fabric of his jeans. She wanted to touch him, to feel that hardness pressing against her hand through the denim, feel it swell and twitch at the touch of her fingers tracing its outline; to pull open the snap of his jeans and lower the zipper until she could get her hand inside, feel him hot and heavy and growing larger in the grip of her fingers. She could imagine sliding down his body until her knees made contact with the thin brown carpet, pulling his jeans down just enough to release him from the confinement of his clothing. Her breath grew labored at the thought of looking up at him to make sure he was watching her as she put her tongue out and touched it to the tip of his cock, tasting him for the first time, hearing him groan and feeling his hands clutch her hair. All this went through her mind in the split second before she replied, “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can,” he insisted, spreading kisses over her face.

“No, I can’t. I won’t be able to stop at touching you. I want to taste you.”

Jay became immobile for a frozen second at her words. “Christ!” he muttered and devoured her lips again.

Desperate to bring their bodies into closer contact, Katie wrapped her legs around his waist. Jay’s hand slid between them to stroke her through her pants between her open thighs. She gasped at his touch and rolled her head against the wall.

“I want you so much, Katie,” he murmured against her lips. “I could take you right now against this wall.” His fingers continued to stroke her, rotating and teasing, and little whimpering noises came from her throat. “But I want more,” he breathed, “I want you spread out across my bed so I can feel every inch of you against me, feel your hair on my skin, feel your lips on me. And after you’ve tasted me, I want to taste you. To lick you, and suck you, and nibble you, and … ”

“Yes,” she sighed and ran her tongue up his neck, tasting the salt of the light sweat that had broken out on his skin.

Jay groaned and pulled her tight against him. “Damn, Katie, you drive me mad.”

“I want you,” she whispered against his lips and rotated her lower body on his. “But … ”

“No buts,” he growled. When his eyes met hers, the raw emotion she saw in them stopped her breath. He wrenched her wrists from around his neck and pinned them above her against the wall, holding her captive. Shaking his hair back, he brought his face within an inch of hers. “Don’t play with me, Katie. I can’t take this. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted any woman in my life.” There was nothing gentle about his voice now; it was ragged and hoarse and full of lust. “I want you and I’ve got to have you, do you hear me?”

“I’ve got to have you, too.” Her voice trembled with the force of her emotions. “But not here; not like this. I want what you said. I want you spread across your bed, looking up at me, watching me while I make love to you.”

The look in Jay’s eyes changed from raw urgency to one so tender it almost stopped her heart. He released the tight grip on her wrists and slid his hands upward, lacing his fingers with hers. “How the fuck am I going to bear waiting when all I want is to be inside you?” He kissed her again and ground his body into hers.

Katie wasn’t expecting the powerful orgasm that ripped through her and cried out against his lips in a mixture of pleasure and surprise as her body shuddered against his. Her bones turned to liquid fire and if he hadn’t been holding her against the wall she would have fallen to the floor at his feet.

“Oh my Christ, Katie,” Jay groaned. “That feels so sweet.”

Still shuddering with the fading spasms, Katie took his face between her hands and ran the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip. “Do it to me again.”

The sound of a throat being cleared made them both jump in surprise. Katie’s head turned in concert with Jay’s to find Adam standing a few feet away, arms crossed and a shuttered expression on his face. Katie’s body twitched, preparing to pull away from Jay, but he stayed where he was, keeping her pinioned against the wall.

“What is it, Adam?”

Katie’s head whirled with the change from the rough, lusty growls she’d just heard to the cool, detached voice in which he addressed Adam.

“We were just wondering if we’re going to rehearse any more today.” Adam’s eyes were cold as his gaze swept them from head to toe, lingering on Katie’s legs still wrapped around Jay’s waist and Jay’s hands on her hips.

“Might as well since we’re all here.” Jay sighed like a man about to lift a heavy load. “I’ll be along in a bit.”

Adam’s short laugh carried no trace of amusement. “Don’t hurry on my account.” With a last accusatory look at Katie, Adam turned and left.

Katie drew a shaky breath. “Well, that was awkward.”

“He never did have much tact.” Jay leaned his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “I guess I have to go back to work.”

“Looks that way.” Katie let her legs slide down until her feet reached the floor. Before she could move away, though, Jay’s warm hands cupped her face and his lips pressed a soft kiss to hers.

“I’ve got to have you, Katie,” he whispered.

“Yes,” she breathed against his lips.

His hands slid into her hair and he gripped her head. “I want to hear you say that again. And again and again.”

“Yes, Jay.” She gasped as he pulled her head forward and kissed her with a leashed-in ferocity.

He released her and smoothed her hair before he stepped back. One finger traced the outline of her lips. “Soon,” he said under his breath before he followed Adam down the hall.

A three-hour nap worked wonders in restoring brain cells and Katie awoke feeling alert, refreshed and hungry. She’d been too busy coming on to and making out with Jay to satisfy the munchies that had resulted from Carol’s contribution to the afternoon’s festivities and the toast she’d had for breakfast was a distant memory.

Despite the chill in her bedroom, she rolled out of bed and shed the clothes she’d fallen asleep wearing. Shivering, she pulled on her worn lilac robe, gasping as the cool satin came into contact with her bare skin. After adding a thick pair of socks to protect her feet from the cold floor, she darted into the kitchen and cranked the space heater to its highest setting. As the coils slowly began to glow orange, she checked the refrigerator, stomach growling in anticipation. A container of leftover lo mein caught her eye and she pulled it from the fridge along with the pitcher of tea. They were both cold, but the kitchen would warm up soon enough.

Over her head, she heard the mechanical whirr of Maureen’s sewing machine and it served to emphasize how quiet her own flat was. She placed her food on the table and went into the front room where she turned on the heater before grabbing a stack of random forty-five rpm records. She piled them onto the spindle of the turntable and turned on the stereo. The gentle melody of The Troggs’ “Love Is All Around” flowed from the speakers, and Katie adjusted the volume so she could hear it while she ate.

Back in the kitchen, she sat down to her solitary meal. When the phone rang halfway through, she reached behind her and snagged the receiver from its cradle. Her contented frame of mind vanished in an instant as Jay’s voice came down the line.

“Hello, love.”

A bolt of excitement shot through her, leaving all of her tingling. “Hi, Jay.” It was only as she spoke that she realized her mouth was curved in a goofy smile she was unable to erase.

“I know it’s rather late,” Jay’s voice purred into her ear. “But I was wondering if you have plans tonight.”

Katie didn’t realize she’d leaped to her feet until she found herself standing upright with a death grip on the back of the chair. “No. No plans.”

“Then I’ll pick you up in a half-hour, shall I?”