Just Sex (5 page)

J.J. watched Joe lead Kat back to the bar. He stood and held out his hand to Patricia.

She slapped her palm into his large one. He yanked her to her feet and led her over to the bar.

“Take Kat for a dance. I need to talk to Joe.”

Kat stumbled into his arms. Electricity shot through him and settled in his groin. He pulled her close and his cock jumped against her softness.

“This feels nice. You make me hot and bothered,” she sighed and melted into his arms.

His cock pressed harder against his jeans. “Kat, you’re killing me.”

She stared up at him. A dreamy expression crossed her face. “Sorry, you’ll have to excuse me, I’m drunk. I probably won’t remember this tomorrow.”

His arm flexed and pulled her tighter. He gave Patricia a small wave when she slipped out the door. Irish music dimmed into the background. “If you’re not going to remember this, then I want to say you make me so horny. I haven’t wanted any other woman like I want you.”

He leaned in and said softly in her ear, “I want to feel you under me. I want to hear you scream in ecstasy. I want to fuck you all night long.”

She missed a dance step and gripped onto him. The dark wood-paneled walls closed in on them. “I don’t know what to say to that. You make me feel things I haven’t felt in a long time.”

The song had long stopped and they were still in each other’s arms. Kat peeked over to the bar. “Patricia left me. How am I going to get home?”

“I’ll take you.”

“I don’t want to go back to my empty house.” She stepped away from him. “Drop me off at the B and B up the street. Linda will have a room for me.”

Like hell, he would. If Kat was spending a night in a strange bed, he would be in it. “You’ll come home with me.”

Pink crept up her neck and disappeared in her hairline. “What will people think?”

The need to kiss her almost overpowered him. He sucked in bar-scented air. “That I’m giving you a ride home.”

He led Kat toward the door and nodded goodbye to Fred. The bartender raised his hand in a salute. “Take care of her.”

I plan to do more than that
. He glanced over his shoulder and winked. Kat stumbled, her shoe sinking into a crack in the pavement. He steadied her. “Are you okay?” Kat’s hand wrapped around his forearm, her touch sending his now semi-hard dick to full staff.

She peered down to study her foot. “Yes, I’m fine, but I’m not so sure about my shoe.” She wrenched it out of the crack and continued to his truck.

He opened the passenger side door and helped her in. His eyes wandered down her legs and landed on her shoe. “I hope the shoe makes it.”

“Me too.” Kat peeled the pump off and examined it. “I really like them.” She slid the shoe back on and rested against the seat. Kat took a deep breath. “It smells nice in here.”

Her words pleased him, for reasons he didn’t understand. “Thanks.”

“It smells like you. It makes me hot.”

J.J. turned the engine over and shot her a wicked grin. “I’m glad.”

Kat laid her head against the headrest and closed her eyes.

He shifted the truck into reverse and remembered what Patricia said to him earlier about making Kat feel good about herself. J.J. pulled at his collar. “Kat, I feel I have to tell you something.”

“Mmm?” She opened her eyes. “What?”

“You looked incredibly sexy tonight and, um, when I saw you.” He cleared his throat and backed the truck up. “I had to go into the bathroom and beat off.”

Kat’s whole body seemed to glow. She shifted to stare at him “You did?” Her beautiful eyes lit with excitement.

“Yes. I’ve never done that before. Well, I’ve done that before.” J.J. raked his hands over his face. No other woman had ever flustered him like Kat did. “What I mean to say is I’ve always been able to control myself.” His fingers drummed a fast beat on the steering wheel. “But when I saw you, I lost it.”

She blushed, with what he hoped was need and flattery. J.J. let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Kat lifted her hand and rested it on his thigh. “J.J., you do things to me I don’t understand.”

His leg jerked. He turned the wheel and pulled into his parking spot. “Well, we’re here. Please excuse the mess.” Nerves jumbled in his gut. “I haven’t cleaned up in a while.”

“This is a nice place, I’m sure it’s fine.” Kat climbed out of the truck.

He took her hand and led her to his apartment. “You haven’t seen the inside yet.” He fumbled with his keys and unlocked the door. He showed Kat in.

“This is really nice.”

J.J. led her through the living room, picking up soda cans and beer bottles. “Have a seat.” He threw his keys in a wood bowl in the middle of the dining room table. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Water, please.” Kat plunked down into an overstuffed chair.

He walked into the galley kitchen and wrenched open the refrigerator. Cool air wafted on his face. J.J. leaned in and pushed aside an old Chinese food container. His hand trembled. He grabbed a bottle of water and straightened.

A thought popped into his head. He cupped his hands over his mouth and nose and tested the trapped air. J.J. reached into his back pocket for his wallet, flipped it open, found the little foil packet and examined the condom, tucked it back in and stuck his wallet in his front pocket for easy access and last but not least, J.J. ran his tongue over his teeth and examined them in the shiny stainless steel surface of the fridge. Satisfied, he walked back to Kat.

She sat thumbing through a landscaping magazine. J.J. sat on the arm of the chair and handed her the bottled water. “Here you go.” Her scent enveloped him and a sense of rightness infused him.

“Thank you.” Kat unscrewed the cap, took a long drink and patted her mouth with the back of her hand. “I needed that.”

J.J. leaned in, rested his arm over her shoulder and thought how he would seduce her into his bed. “You’re welcome.”

Kat relaxed her head on his arm. “Can we just go to bed?”

Yes.
Hope and need filled him. He shot off the arm of the chair. “Of course.”

“I know you want to… Well, you know, but I really just want you to hold me.”

His shoulders slumped.
Shit.
He held out his hand for Kat. She placed her palm in his and heaved herself up.

J.J. led her to his bedroom. Air hummed around them. J.J.’s pulse thrummed in his ears.
I hope I don’t screw this up
. He stopped by the door and switched on the overhead light. The midsize room came alive, the warm yellow hue washing over them.
Thank God, I changed the sheets this morning.

She stumbled again. “Sorry, I guess I had a little too much to drink.”

His grip tightened around her hand. “A little?” he teased.

She giggled. “Okay, a lot.”

“I like you drunk, you let your reserve down.” He yearned to strip her down and run his mouth over her entire body, but instead J.J. pulled down the rich brown sheet. “I hope you’re comfortable.”

Kat slid into his bed. “Mmm, this is nice.”

He dimmed the lights, crawled in next to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Tell me if I’m doing this wrong.”

Kat wiggled against him. “You’re doing just fine,” she said and fell asleep.

For the first time in J.J.’s life, he wanted someone to spend the night. Kat sighed and rolled over. Her arm landed on his chest. Her hand fell on his heart. Contentment filled him. He buried his nose in her hair and fell asleep.

Chapter Five

Nausea rolled in Kat’s belly and a freight train sped though her head. “God, I think I’m going to die.” She tried to open her sand-filled eyes.

A warm, strong arm flexed and moved her closer to a solid chest. “Morning.”

A hard object pushed into her hip. Kat couldn’t remember the last time she woke up in a man’s arms with a hard-on pressed against her. Every one of her brain cells fired and reality hit her.
Oh my God, what did I do?
She tried to sit up, but her head wanted to fall off. “Oh God.” She settled back down and faced J.J. and her reality.

He smiled. “How do you feel?”

It should have been illegal to look that good first thing in the morning. Kat tried to grin back, but her lips stuck to her teeth. She sucked back tequila breath. “Ugg. I feel like crap.”

J.J. stroked Kat’s hair from her face. “I bet. You were pretty drunk last night.”

“What happened? Did I make a fool of myself? Did we…”

“Let’s see.” He leaned up on one elbow and grinned down at her. “I’ll answer your questions in order. You got drunk last night and we danced. No, and regrettably no, but you did have loose lips.”

Kat squeezed her eyes shut and winced. She wanted to bury her pounding head under the covers. “I didn’t mean any of it. I’m so sorry.” Bits and pieces of their conversation clicked into place. Red-hot embarrassment filled her. “I should go hang my head in shame.”

J.J. ran his work-roughened hand over her arm. “I liked what you had to say.”

Kat wanted to die from embarrassment. Her eyes flew open. She had to swallow back last night’s shots before they bubbled up and spilled out of her mouth. “I was drunk. I can’t be held responsible.”

“Are you telling me you didn’t mean any of it?”

She shook her heavy head and looked at his tight expression. “I meant every drunken word.” She closed her eyes to block out the pitying look J.J. was probably giving her. “Just kill me now. Apparently I can’t shut the truth button off.”

Kat moaned and flopped back on the bed as he sprinted out of bed. She yanked the comforter over her head. “Just put me out of my misery.”

A bottle rattled by her ear.

“Aspirin and water will help.”

Kat poked her head out of her makeshift cave and squinted up at J.J.’s handsome face. “Thank you.” She pushed herself up on her elbows. “Why is the room spinning? You need to call the landlord and have him fix it.”

J.J. sat on the edge of the bed. “I will.” He shoved the water and aspirin bottles at her. “Now take this.”

She fumbled with the pill bottle. The lid popped off and landed on the floor. “Shoot.”

“I’ll get it.” He bent and picked up the cap.

“Thanks.” She poured three aspirins into her palm and twisted the top off the water and forced the pills down her throat. She washed them down with the cold water. Kat rubbed her hands over her face and searched for a clock. “What time is it?”

“Eight.”

“I need to get home.” She tried to smooth her wrinkled clothes. “I have workers showing up in a little bit.”

“What do you have going on today?”

“Painting. Patricia and Ron are coming over and helping me paint my kitchen.”

“What about Sam?”

Kat’s stomach roiled and her heart pounded in her chest. “He stayed at Patricia’s last night. Ron is dropping him off at his friend’s house this morning.”

He ran his hands down her back. “Do you need any help today?”

Kat pushed her hair off her forehead and resisted the urge to lean into his hand, that at the moment was doing delectable things to her back. She wanted nothing more than to tackle him. “That’s sweet of you, but I’m sure you have other things to do.”

“I could put them off.” He moved his hand and twisted one of her curls around his finger.

Anxiety clawed in her belly. “What do you have planned today?”

“I need to go to my mom’s, fix a tile on her roof and do some yard work.”

Kat’s heart melted. Her grandmother always said a man who loved his mother was a keeper. “You’re a sweet boy.”

Hurt fluttered over his face and his eyes hardened. Her hand flew to her mouth. She didn’t mean to insult him. “I’m so sorry, I know you’re not a boy. I felt that this morning.”

J.J. grabbed her by the hair, pulled Kat close to him and kissed her hard. White-hot passion rolled through her. Her lips parted. He delved in deeper. She heard a moan from somewhere far away.
Was that from me?

When his tongue explored her mouth, Kat felt it all over her body. J.J.’s solid chest pressed against hers, proving he was one hundred percent man. Her panties moistened and her toes curled. He made love to her mouth.
Oh God
,
what is he doing to me? More. I need more.

He pulled back and licked his lips. “We should get you home.”

She watched him rise and leave the room. His icy tone chilled her overheated hormones. Kat fell back on the bed and buried her head in a pillow. “You idiot, you hurt his pride.”

“My pride will survive.”

“Oh crap.”
Could it get any worse?
Kat tossed the pillow from her head. “I can’t do anything right this morning.”

J.J. stalked into the room and loomed over her. “I need to say something to you.”

Kat rolled onto her back. He was going to tell her to find her own way home. She was too much of a mess for him. She wouldn’t blame J.J. if he asked her to find another landscaping company. She tried to sit up and pull her dignity together. The room spun again and she fell back. “Crap.”

He crawled over the bed and settled next to her.
Great, he’s going to tell me to leave while his sexy man smell washes over me.

“Kat, we need to get something straight. I know it bothers you that you are a couple of years older than me.” He ran a finger over a curl.

She wanted to rest her sore head on his strong shoulder. “I’m more than a couple of years older than you. I’m ten years older than you are. We are at different places in life.”

“Let me finish.” J.J. twisted her hair around his finger. “I’m not a boy. I have owned my own business since I was in high school. I pay my bills on time and the reason I don’t own my own home is because I paid off my mother’s house two years back, so I’m not interested in your money.”

“I never thought you were.”

“Shh.” He pressed his finger over her lips. “How many people my age do you know who have savings and retirement?”

She made herself sit up. “J.J., this isn’t an interview.” Her mind was clearer now. “I can’t offer you what you want.”

“You don’t know what I want.” He kissed her cheek and rolled off the bed. “We need to get you home.”

“I’m sorry.” She turned and dangled her feet off the mattress.

“Just tell me one thing.” He knelt in front of Kat and captured her mouth with his.

He leaned back, broke their contact and searched her face. “If you don’t see stars like I do, then I’ll back off.”

Her body all but melted into his kiss and she didn’t have it in her to lie. “All I see is stars.”

“Then, honey, I’m not giving up.” He held out his hand and helped her to her feet.

* * * * *

J.J. turned into Kat’s driveway twenty minutes later. “Look who’s here,” he said. Patricia sat on a bench next to Kat’s front door, smirking. She stood and waved.

Heat washed over Kat and she remembered how mad she was at Patricia. In one night Patty put in jeopardy a reputation she spent years building. “How am I going to explain myself?” Kat knew she shouldn’t have let Patty talk her into going out last night and getting drunk. She felt her face flush.

“You don’t have to explain anything to anyone.” He tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “Can I see you tonight?”

Sexual tension filled her belly and regret washed over Kat. “No, Sam’s having a friend stay the night.”

Disappointment flared in his gaze. “What about Sunday?”

“I’m sorry, we’ll be painting all weekend. We have to have most of the painting done by Monday, Joe is coming to start on the floors.”

“Joe?”

Fresh desire seeped into her core. She loved the jealous tone in his voice. She knew it wasn’t politically correct to be turned-on by a glimpse of caveman tendencies, but the power to make a man like J.J. even a tiny bit jealous turned her on. “Yes. He’s putting in reclaimed wood floors downstairs.”

“Can I call you?”

She stared into his smoky eyes “It would be better if you texted me, so we can have some privacy from boy’s ears.”

Kat’s hand fumbled behind her. She yanked at the door handle and dragged herself out of the truck before J.J. kissed her again and made her forget all her responsibilities. “Bye!”

He rolled down his window. “I’ll text you later.”

Patricia met Kat in the driveway. They watched J.J. drive down the street. Patricia nudged her. “Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in.” She gestured to the work trucks that had just pulled up the street. “Just in time. Now you don’t have to do the walk of shame with an audience.” She grinned and winked. “So, Kat, do you have anything to report?”

That now familiar butterfly feeling overwhelmed her and Kat remembered that she was mad at Patricia. “We have all day for the juicy details.” She whirled and sashayed toward the house.

Patricia trotted behind her. “You bitch!”

Kat whirled around. “Payback for setting me up and abandoning me.”

“Someone had to do it. Think of me as your Fairy Godsister.”

Kat unlocked the door. “Yeah, I turned into a pumpkin.” She walked into the foyer.

“No you didn’t.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever, I need a shower.”

Patricia followed her up the stairs. “Why are you mad? I bet J.J. comes back with your glass slipper.”

“What does he want from me? I can’t give him a future and I don’t know if I am cut out for a fling.”

Patricia threw up her hands. “Grr! You whine too much.”

Kat had enough. She was hung-over and felt betrayed by the one person who had always been on her side. “You bitch! We can’t all be skinny and beautiful like you.”

“I can’t believe you don’t know how sexy you are.” Patty stomped after her. “Men drool over you.”

She grabbed a towel out of the bathroom closet. “Oh stop it. They do not.”

“Do you know how many of Ron’s single friends have asked about you since Gary died? What is it that scares you about J.J.?”

Leave it to Patty to cut to the heart of the matter. “I’m not scared of J.J.,” Kat said.

“Bullshit. You are terrified. Why?”

All of her insecurities exploded inside her. She collapsed onto the bed and took a deep breath. “Would you like a list?”

“Yes.”

Kat willed herself not to punch Patricia in the nose. “Okay, first, the only person to see me naked since I had Sam is you and I haven’t had sex in over eleven years. What if I suck?”

“Honey.” Patricia plunked down next to her and wrapped her arm around Kat’s shoulder.

“He’s used to being with young skinny girls.” Tears pricked at her eyes. “Not thirty-five-year-old women with stretch marks.”

“But he’s seen you naked and he didn’t run away. He called me for help.”

“That’s different.” Kat stood and walked into the bathroom.

“How?” Patricia leaned in the doorway. “Did he give you any indication that he didn’t like what he saw?”

All the fight left Kat. “No, he looked at me like I was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.”

“All right then, what do you have to lose?”

“Oh I don’t know. My pride.” She needed to get away from Patricia before Kat did or said something she would regret. She pushed past her best friend, back into the bedroom.

Patricia turned and snorted. “What pride, your husband fucked around on you for years.”

Pain hit Kat hard and fast. The tears that had stung her eyes moments ago fell down her cheeks.

“That’s enough, you two.” Ron walked into the bedroom. “Patricia, that was low.”

“She needs to hear it,” Patricia defended and marched out of the room.

“Maybe she’s right,” Kat said and sat on the bed.

Ron knelt in front of her. “I heard you two, and coming from a man’s point of view, we don’t see stretch marks, cellulite and whatever else you think we do. Give J.J. the benefit of the doubt. He’s not Gary.” Ron walked out.

Every man in her life since high school had rejected her in some way. “Maybe it’s me.”

Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, Katherine Elizabeth, life is not worth living without risk.
Her grandmother’s voice echoed in her head.

Kat gazed upward. “What would you do?”

Her grandmother’s words floated in her mind.
Have fun. Life’s too short to waste it being boring, and screw that boy five ways to Sunday.

Kat glanced at the frame on her dresser and chuckled. “Thanks, Gram.” She ran her finger over the old photo.