Just Between Friends (O'Rourke Family 4) (11 page)

“Come down here,” she whispered, pulling on his shoulders.

His head still warred with his body, but his head was losing.
Fast.

“Only for a minute.”

“Okay. A minute,” Kate agreed. She didn’t know how much longer she could wait for the deeper joining she craved, and she could only pray his minute would turn into a whole night.

Dylan kissed the very tip of her breast, then drew her deeply into his mouth, shaping her throbbing nipple with his teeth and tongue, while his hand rolled the other between his fingers.

Mmm.

His hands were big and hard from years of long work, and she loved the feel of them.

Kate stared at the ceiling for a dreamy moment. Dylan really did build beautiful things. Even when he was a boy it had been obvious—his love for creating something good and strong, and his gift for making it happen. He built houses people could turn into homes. He built skyscrapers and churches and bridges. Best of all, he’d make beautiful babies.

And of course she was in the middle of her cycle, and her hormones were simply screaming about babies.

She wanted him.

All of him.

Yet it was still a shock when Dylan eased her thighs apart and slid between, and she felt him gently probing her.

Her breath caught as it stung for a moment, and it
took longer than she’d expected to adjust to the age-old rhythm. She’d thought of being with Dylan so often she ought to be good at it, but the discomfort lingered, distracting her from the heat and need beneath.

“Relax, baby,” Dylan said, his voice sounding harsh.

He reached between their joined bodies and touched her, dragging a low cry from her throat.

The tension built again.

“That’s it.” He whispered his encouragement and murmured other dark, intimate things that should have been shocking, yet somehow just made her more excited…more
his
.

Dylan caught the back of her knees and lifted them high. The new angle seemed to please him, and Kate’s eyes widened as he thrust even deeper, sinking to the center of her being.

“Let go,” he muttered, sounding stressed. “Please, honey, let
go.
”

Kate sensed he was holding off, waiting for something, and she knew it was her release.

Briefly she considered pretending, then sensation exploded in her abdomen, taking control, erasing any need for pretense. She cried out and clung to Dylan, losing herself, knowing he was the only one who could keep her from scattering across the universe in countless particles of fire.

Dylan yawned.

Something was different.

Really different.

He woke slowly at the best of times, and he’d spent the night in a deep, dreamless sleep he hated to disturb.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept so soundly, then decided that wasn’t true. He did remember—he hadn’t slept soundly since Kate had made her absurd proposal about them getting married.

Kate?

He lifted his head and looked down at the vision of pink and gold sleeping at his side.

It
was
Kate.

His head hit the pillow again and he groaned. After everything, after all his best intentions, he’d made love to her, and it had been the hottest sex of his life.

Memories of the previous night tumbled through his head, the tastes and sounds and sight of Kate’s silky body. She made such eager little noises when he was inside of her, though she’d seemed uncomfortable at first.

Uncomfortable? Dylan frowned, sorting through the befuddled state of his brain, then his stomach did a cartwheel.

Of course it was uncomfortable. Kate had been a virgin.

Sweat broke out on his forehead, and he eased his arm from under her head. Not only had his marriage been consummated, he’d hurt Kate by not being as gentle as she deserved.

And why had it happened? Because she was grateful he’d offered to tear down an old building. He’d gotten carried away and couldn’t even blame her damned night-shirts because she’d been wearing a skirt and blouse.

As for the divorce…now it would be a divorce in truth.

Dylan stumbled out of Kate’s bedroom, nausea churning his stomach. He needed to think, and the best way he knew how to do that was by getting to work.

When Kate woke alone she thought the previous night had been nothing more than a pulse-pounding dream, then she crawled out of bed and felt sore in a very feminine location.

A warm, silly smile crossed her mouth, then faded as she wondered what Dylan’s reaction would be. She somehow doubted he’d suddenly seen the light and wanted to be a real husband.

A tremor of fear went through her. It had happened too soon. She’d hoped living together would make him see her as sexy and capable instead of helpless and childlike, but there was a proper time to everything. Now he’d feel more trapped than before and would push further away from her.

She took a shower and dressed in a skirt and light summer sweater, trying to decide how to handle the next few hours.

Act normally?

It was probably best, though she didn’t feel at all normal. Shaking her head, Kate went into the living room and heard faint sounds from the far end of the carriage house. It sounded like wood being sawed, so Dylan must have decided to spend his Saturday morning working on the new rooms.

An hour later she had fresh blueberry muffins baked, bacon and ham keeping warm on the back griddle, and a fluffy mound of scrambled eggs seasoned and ready to go. Coffee was hot in the pot and the table set.

Sucking up her courage, Kate went in search of Dylan.

“Good morning,” she called.

Dylan froze.

“Breakfast is ready.”

He turned around reluctantly, wishing there was a time machine that could undo the past twelve hours. He searched Kate’s face, and though something unknown lurked in her green eyes, she didn’t seem any different.

“Kate, about…last night. It was your…” Dylan stopped, feeling like a babbling idiot. How could he be embarrassed to point out that Kate had been a virgin? “The thing is, I couldn’t help noticing it…uh…was your first…time.”

“Oh, well, it’s every woman’s first time once.”

“But you were a virgin. I shouldn’t have…That is, it shouldn’t have—”

“Don’t worry about it, Dylan.” She shrugged. “It was quite pleasant, and if you’d like to do it again, I’d like that, as well. But let’s eat breakfast before the eggs dry out.”

Pleasant?

Dylan stared at Kate’s disappearing back with disbelief.

It was
quite pleasant?

What in hell did she mean by that? He might not have been at his best, but she’d gone off like a firecracker, he’d bet his life on it.

He was furious with Kate and even more furious with himself. She was his wife now, no dancing around the truth. They had a legal piece of paper, had made vows in front of friends and family and a judge, and he’d slept with her. So much for his promise to keep his hands to himself.

He’d married Kate so she wouldn’t have to sleep
with someone just to get her grandmother’s house, and now she acted like it wasn’t a big deal that
they’d
slept together.

Women were impossible.

S
everal days later Dylan was still chewing on his frustration, and Kate wasn’t helping in the slightest. She gave him enigmatic smiles, acted as if nothing had happened, and was generally turning him into a basket case.

Weren’t women the ones who wanted to analyze everything to death?

They’d made love. It had been her first time. But she didn’t talk about it or assume their relationship had changed. All she’d said was that it was quite nice, and she was willing to do it again. When she was little Kate used to spill out her heart to him, and now all he saw was a polite mask. It bothered him more than he could understand.

“Do we have any functions or anything this weekend?” he asked Thursday as they ate dinner.

“No.”

His knife grated on the plate as he hacked at his succulent
stuffed pork chop. He looked at Kate and wondered if she was paler than normal or if it was just his imagination. “Then we can spend Sunday with my family, right?”

“I guess you haven’t noticed that I don’t commit to anything on Sundays,” Kate said, trying to keep an edge from her voice. Making love had complicated things horribly, and it was all she could do to keep from crying over dreams that were breaking apart.

My
family. Was that Dylan’s way of reminding her that the O’Rourkes weren’t her relations? Or was it just her imagination working overtime?

“Yeah, I know. I just…what’s wrong, Kate?”

She gathered herself and pinned a smile on her face. “Nothing. Everything is going great with the hospital board now. Our bid has been accepted on the Candler property, and we’re just waiting for the environmental study.”

“That’s good. I’ll work with the board on the best time to do the demolition.”

“Thanks, but it won’t be necessary,” she murmured. “I called a bunch of places before you offered, including O’Rourke Enterprises, and Kane contacted the board yesterday. He’s going to cover the cost of demolition, so you’re off the hook.”

Dylan’s eyes narrowed. “What if I don’t want to be off the hook?”

“You only offered because we’re married…sort of married,” she qualified. “It doesn’t seem fair.”

“Dammit.”

Startled, she watched him throw his wadded-up napkin across the room. “What?”

“I’ll make my own decisions, thank you,” Dylan snapped, infuriated. “Tell the board I’m taking down the building, and Kane can redesignate his contribution.”

Kate remained silent, staring at him, and he tried to calm down. They had to get back to their old camaraderie, the comfortable teasing and warmth they’d shared before getting married. Kate was special to him, and no matter how frustrated he might be for a lot of different reasons, she was still his friend.

His pride was more hurt than anything.

Quite pleasant.

With an effort he pushed the thought away. Kate was an innocent, she probably didn’t know how a comment like that would grate on a man’s ego.

He felt guilty, that was the problem. His code of behavior was having trouble processing the fact that he’d made love to his best friend, and she’d turned out to be a virgin.

“Kate, honestly, I want to help the hospital out,” he said more quietly. “And it isn’t just because of you—though I have to point out you never used to be shy about asking for donations from me before.”

“Oh.” She blushed, the way she used to when he teased her, and something tight in his chest eased a little.

“Come on, admit it,” he continued in a light tone. “You were always after me to donate to some cause or another. And you kept dragging me around to your fundraisers whenever possible, so nothing much has changed. I know how to say no, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

She laughed. “Okay, okay. I’ll talk to Kane. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“Good. Tell you what, let’s pop some popcorn and pick out a movie for the VCR.”

“Don’t you want to work on the remodeling?”

The answer was yes.

He desperately wanted to work on the remodeling, because the sooner he found a way to be farther away from Kate at night, the less temptation he’d have to fight. But he wasn’t going to do anything to erase the smile on her face.

“Nah,” he lied. “Not tonight. I’m in the mood to play couch potato.”

They argued in their old teasing way over which movie to watch. Kate liked classic films, while Dylan preferred science fiction. They finally settled on
When Worlds Collide
, an early sci-fi flick. They’d watched it before, and he had his usual good time poking fun at the special effects, while she critiqued the relationship between the hero and heroine.

It was the way things should have been from the day he’d moved into the carriage house, but then he’d kissed her and everything had gone to hell.

“You do know that movie won an Academy Award for special effects, right?” she asked as the credits rolled up the screen.

“I heard that, then dismissed it as vicious gossip.” Kate rolled her eyes. “I’m sure they were impressive at the time. You’re just spoiled by
Star Wars
and all that fancy computer stuff they can do now. But sooner or later even
Star Wars
is going to look outdated.”

Dylan lifted an eyebrow at Kate. “Bite your tongue, woman.
Star Wars
is sacred. It will live forever.”

She threw an unpopped piece of popcorn at him and
he felt good for the first time in days. Then his gaze drifted to the snug fit of her T-shirt and desire shrank his comfort zone back to zero.

How could he be lusting after Katydid?

It was quite pleasant. If you’d like to do it again, I’d like that, as well.

She’d invited him into her bedroom, something he’d tried to forget. But forgetting he could make love to her again was impossible. It kept him awake at night, distracted him at work, and had sent him to the store to stock up on protection.

Protection?

Dylan snorted to himself. That was locking the barn door after the horse had been stolen, because for the first time in his life he’d failed to use anything when making love to a woman. Could Kate be pregnant?

His mouth went dry at the possibility, but he wasn’t sure if it was panic or something more primitive. He wanted her so badly, and it was becoming obvious to him that he’d wanted her for a long time. But she’d always seemed so unattainable, he’d never let himself think about her that way.

“That was fun,” Kate said, smiling sleepily as she turned off the TV and VCR with the remote control. “But I’d better clean the kitchen before I end up spending the night here.”

“You go to bed, I’ll take care of it,” Dylan said, shaking his head. He’d gotten into the habit of helping with the dishes every night, but she never took his assistance for granted.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“You don’t have to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner
for me, either,” he reminded gently. “But you keep insisting.”

Kate shrugged. “I’d cook for myself, anyway, and how much trouble is it to add a steak or lamb chop? Besides, you work so hard.”

“So do you.”

She blinked. “But I don’t…you know, have a regular job.”

Dylan shook his head. Kate might not have regular punch-the-time-clock sort of work, but she dedicated long hours to her community concerns, and he knew she wasn’t just browsing the Web the way she claimed. Anyone with so much concern for others didn’t have time to spend that way.

“You work,” he said firmly. “Lately you’ve been gone nearly every evening because of that blessed hospital board.”

Once again he felt annoyed, even cheated because of Kate’s dedication. Wasn’t that a laugh? He’d tried to keep his distance from her, and now he resented it when she wasn’t around. No wonder his sisters rolled their eyes and talked with disgust about male irrationality.

“Things should ease up now that the board has voted,” Kate murmured. She stretched and untucked her legs from under her. “But I’ll take you up on the offer. See you in the morning.”

Kate walked into her bedroom and leaned against the door, trying to control her breathing. Dylan had acknowledged that she worked hard. And the way he’d looked at her…

She didn’t know what it meant, but it seemed good.

Her skin was so sensitized, she couldn’t bear to wear one of her nightshirts, so she crawled into bed naked.

It didn’t help the burning need in her abdomen, but it felt good. Sensuous. A reminder of Dylan’s lovemaking. Moonlight shone through the windows, splintered by the wavery old glass, and she laid her hand in a shaft of silver light, palm up, trying to capture any magic it might hold.

Moonlight was magical.

It belonged to lovers and fairies and leprechauns. As a child she’d poured her heart out to the moon, so it knew all her secrets.

Faint sounds came from the kitchen, distracting Kate, and she sighed. The movie had been fun, though she didn’t know what had prompted Dylan to suggest it. Maybe he just wanted the old times back, before she’d complicated everything by asking him to marry her.

She’d just begun to doze off when her door opened and Dylan approached the bed. Her eyes shot open, and she was suddenly wide awake.

“Kate?” he murmured.

“Y-yes?”

“Did you mean what you said about us? About being interested in…?” His voice trailed, but she knew what he was asking.

Her pulse rate doubled, and she wasn’t certain she could talk. Actions seemed as good as words, though, so she lifted the blankets in an inviting gesture.

Apparently it was enough.

Moving with blurring speed, Dylan shed his clothes, but instead of getting under the sheet with her, he grabbed the bedding and flung it to the foot of the bed.

Kate closed her eyes, knowing she was revealed in the silver light. Perhaps not as fully as during the day, but in a way she couldn’t hide. Her figure was all right, but nothing spectacular, and he must have been with women who made her look pretty inadequate by comparison.

“Dylan?”

“Don’t.” He put a finger on her lips and a part of her understood. He didn’t want to talk, he only wanted their two bodies, moving together in the night.

Lightly, gently, he touched her.

Every bit of her.

Places she’d never imagined being touched, and it seemed to strip away any inhibitions. After a while she longed for a bolder caress, the tension building unbearably. As if he’d read her mind, Dylan’s fingers became more demanding. Without a word he taught her what he enjoyed the most and let her explore her own pleasure.

But he always led the way, never out of control until that last moment when the endless pulses of his release stripped everything else away.

Tears streaked Kate’s cheek and she was still trembling, trying to gather herself, when Dylan swung his legs onto the floor and gathered his clothes.

A moment later he closed the door behind him.

Kate doodled on the pad of paper in front of her, trying to look interested in yet another hospital board meeting.

Unfortunately she had other things on her mind.

It had been over five weeks since the night Dylan had slipped into her room to make love…and every night since.

She’d thought marriage to Dylan was the answer to her prayers, but now things seemed more impossible
than ever. She was trying to follow his lead when it came to making love, but he seemed to want one thing at night, another during the day.

Nobody who saw them chatting over breakfast or washing dishes after dinner would guess that a few hours later they’d be naked in bed, moving together, over and over, until they were limp and sated and barely able to stir a muscle.

Except Dylan
did
stir.

He’d leave without saying anything.

Her life was now divided between sensual, wordless nights of passion, and friendly, distant days.

“Be sure to thank both your husband and brother-in-law for us, Mrs. O’Rourke,” urged the hospital director, Leon Freeman.

“I will.” Kate forced a smile to her stiff lips.

“Well, your marriage has certainly proved advantageous to the hospital,” said Brian Wayland. “With first your husband and then your brother-in-law making such generous donations.”

A wry smile tugged at Kate’s mouth. Apparently her own value was now relegated to making an advantageous marriage.

As the meeting broke up and they walked out to their cars, Leon Freeman caught up with her. “Is everything all right, Katrina?” he asked. “You haven’t seemed yourself lately.”

“Oh…” Kate shook her head. “I’m fine. Adjusting to marriage, I guess.”

Leon’s kind, dark eyes regarded her with gentle understanding. “Change is never easy. Even good change.”

She wished she could talk to him, but she couldn’t.
There wasn’t anyone she could talk to. Not Dylan, not his family. Not anyone. It was odd, now that she was married, she felt more alone than at any time in her life.

“Don’t worry, Leon. I’ve loved Dylan for so long, it’s a dream come true being together.”

“Yes. I’ve heard such excellent things about Mr. O’Rourke. They say he’s the most honest builder in the state. Are you certain he won’t consider bidding on the hospital? Having a company with his reputation would be a blessing.”

“Very certain,” Kate said. “Dylan feels it wouldn’t look right considering my position on the board and the donation of his company’s time for the building demolition.”

“I suppose, but it’s still a shame. Give him my best.”

Kate nodded and got into the new car Dylan had talked her into accepting a few weeks before. It was a shiny silver Volkswagen Passat, but she missed her old Beetle. She’d earned the money for the Beetle herself, and it was a symbol of her independence from her family’s wealth.

Back at the carriage house she felt so exhausted she decided to lie down for a while. Her energy level was nonexistent these days, no doubt the result of stress. Or it might be from lack of sleep, she mused as she curled up on the bed.

Dylan’s stamina was astonishing.

When Dylan came in that evening he was surprised to find the house virtually silent.

“Kate?” he called.