Knight's Game (16 page)

He beat back the reckless, glaring folly, reminded himself she’d only just returned to him. Backing away from his violent urges as if from fire, he took a deep breath, then reached up, pulled his T-shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor.

By the time he climbed into bed and drew her close, she was deep in sleep once again. Her breath was a faint whiffle across his chest, her silken curls tickling his throat, the slow rhythm of her heart against his ribs oddly tranquillizing.

He felt strangely divorced from the desolation of his life: his unfortunate history and unforgiving memories, old resentments and older family drama. And the world around him shrank to this bed on this plane with this woman in his arms. The wasteland of his memories faded and he decided that if feeling a little unbalanced about love and intimacy was the price he had to pay for this sweet, invisible peace, he’d pay the fare without complaint.

And tip the mythical gods to boot.

He inhaled deeply. The flowery scent that rose from Katherine’s skin was weirdly therapeutic. Like aromatherapy, he decided with a smile. Calming.

Delicious.

He closed his eyes and slept.

He thought he was dreaming. Then he realized he was inside her. He didn’t know how long the boundaries of dream and real life had merged, but his dick was rock hard, buried deep, and Katherine was softly purring as he lazily moved in a smooth, silken drift, in, out, in … oh fuck – that was so intense it made his jaw ache. Pulling her closer, he wrapped his arm around her waist as she lay curled against him, her back to his chest. Splaying his fingers over her stomach, he tugged her into his erection, drove in a fraction more and smiled as her sleepy purr turned into a breathy little gluttonous gasp.

Moving his hand upwards, he ran his palm slowly over the soft curve of her breast, filled his hand, then flexed his fingers and gently squeezed. The moan coming from deep in her throat was audible pleasure. ‘Feel that little ripple slide down to my dick?’ he whispered, thrusting his long, rigid length deeper, then deeper still.

‘Ummm … ummm. Oh, God … don’t move, don’t move …’

‘What if I do?’

‘I’ll die,’ she breathed.

‘We can’t have that.’ The amusement in his voice was unmistakable. ‘It would ruin our vacation.’ Slipping his hand downwards, he gently stroked the pressure cooker of her clit with extraordinary delicacy and subtlety, the pad of his finger almost weightless.

Her response was immediate and predictable: breath held, coiled and shaking.

Dominic moved then, but in a good way, in a way that sent a thrilling little frisson up her spine, jolted every strung-out, pulsing nerve, brought her in brief, trembling moments to the hovering brink of climax, and when his massive arousal cleared a path to that perfect zero spot, she gasped, then screamed as orgasmic bliss exploded.

‘Happy vacation,’ he whispered against her ear, flooding her sex with a spiritually attuned white-hot river of cum because it was near enough to morning to no longer worry about unintended consequences. Immune from liabilities now, he was free to fuck to his heart’s content.

When Kate’s last bone-melting, heart-pounding spasm waned, she breathed sleepily, ‘I don’t know if that was a dream, but it was super nice …’

‘Ummm …’ he murmured agreeably, not entirely awake either after a month with little sleep. Lifting the hair on the back of her neck, he gently kissed her nape, tugged her closer, still partially erect inside her. ‘Go to sleep, baby. I’m here …’

Hours later, coming out of a dead sleep, Dominic squinted at the light edging the window blinds.

‘Are you awake?’

‘Getting there,’ he mumbled, the soft demand in her voice dragging him up from the depths of slumber.

She wiggled her bottom in a little undulating rotation.

He sucked in a breath as his dick surged in size and length. ‘That’ll do it,’ he said in a normal tone of voice. ‘I’m up.’

Then she reached between her legs, found one of his testicles with her fingertips and squeezing gently, tugged on the sensitive flesh at the same time she pushed her little ass backward and whispered, ‘I need you. Deeper.’

‘You’ve got us, baby,’ he murmured. ‘We’re
all
up.’ And following instructions, he drove forward with a renegade thrust that mauled the head of his dick,
really
woke him up and resulted in Katherine’s high-pitched gluttonous cry that always added inches to his length. As if her ravishment ramped up his libido. As if her wanting him with equal recklessness was their justification and intent, the razzledazzle splendour that shaped their wilful desires.

It was over soon, both greedy after a month of chafing discontent and still panting, she gasped, ‘I hope … you don’t mind … but I’m going to be making up … for lost time tonight or morning … or whatever hour it is. My apologies … in advance.’

‘No need to apologize, baby.’ He kissed her shoulder. ‘We’re not going anywhere.’ He shifted his hips slightly. ‘We like it here.’

It was raining lightly when they landed, the cloud cover heavy and dense, not a star visible, even the moon completely shrouded. Dominic carried Kate to the waiting car, and left her in the warmth of the back seat while he spoke to a customs official outside.

Dominic entered the car a few minutes later and quietly asked, ‘Awake?’

‘Sorta.’

‘We’re almost there,’ he said as someone shut the car door behind him. ‘Fifteen minutes or so.’

‘I should have dressed.’ Dominic had wrapped her in a grey cashmere blanket.

‘I didn’t want to wake you. Pete knows me. I’ve been flying in and out of this airport for years. He checked you and your passport when I carried you out.’ Dominic smiled. ‘He thought you were beautiful.’ Leaning over, he kissed her lightly. ‘I couldn’t agree more.’ Resting back against the seat, he glanced out the window as the car sped
down the service road. ‘Christ, it’s good to be home. It’s been a while.’

‘You didn’t like Paris?’

‘It sucked without you.’ He turned his head and smiled. ‘Now I know the meaning of epiphany.’

‘A neural blast to your brain’s circuit board?’

‘No, baby.’ He touched her cheek with the back of his fingers. ‘I don’t have an IT mind. It means life sucks when you’re gone.’ He took her hand, slid lower on the seat, stretched out his legs. ‘Now this I like,’ he said, squeezing her hand. ‘You can’t get away.’

She wished she could speak as casually, but she was so deeply in love
her
brain’s circuit board
was
shorting out, burning away reason, shaking her confidence. She was sure to make a muddle of any reply and then he’d look at her confused – or worse, alarmed. So she just tightened her grip on his hand in acknowledgement.

He didn’t notice her silence, female acquiescence a given in his life. And he was distracted in any event, mentally running through his diminished work schedule. Realistically, he was never completely off the clock – unprecedented vacation or not.

Between leaving a number of time zones behind and their erratic sleep on the plane, Kate dozed off, sluggishly coming awake after the car came to a stop. Gradually opening her eyes, she saw Dominic leaning forward, talking quietly to the driver, the cadence of his voice softly definitive, the driver nodding in reply or answering in monosyllables. She turned
her attention to her surroundings and surveyed the quiet, perfectly manicured neighbourhood, the quiet, perfectly manicured street dense with villas on ocean-front lots with spectacular views – the scent of serious money in the air.

When she pushed herself up into a sitting position, Dominic quickly finished his conversation and turned with a smile. ‘How are you feeling? We just pulled up.’

‘I’m fine,’ she said drowsily. ‘What time is it?’

‘Almost midnight.’

The kerb-side back door opened.

‘Evening, Nick.’ A young, ponytailed man holding an umbrella leaned in. ‘Welcome home.’

‘Thanks, Eddy. It’s good to be back. Is this an all-night rain?’

‘That’s what they’re saying. No wind, though; a weak front up from the south.’

‘So we won’t be getting any waves,’ Dominic said, turning back to Kate, tucking the blanket around her like a sarong, leaving an end to throw round her shoulders. Kate chose to ignore the smooth, brisk efficiency with which Dominic accomplished the task. One point for her side. Check the mature adult box.

‘No waves this time. Maybe by the end of the week.’

‘Possibilities then.’ Picking up Kate, Dominic slid out of the car with cool, effortless strength.

Her stomach always did a little lurch at such blatant physical superiority. Some emotional regression to caveman days, she decided with an inner smile.

With Eddy holding a huge umbrella protecting them from the rain in his slack wrist, Dominic observed the courtesies. ‘Eddy, Katherine Hart; Katherine, my old friend Eddy O’Brian.’

Kate smiled. ‘Pleased to meet you.’ Fortunately her blush was masked by the night. She wasn’t as capable of ignoring her state of undress as the two men.

‘Pleasure’s mine,’ Eddy said in his slow drawl. ‘Nick doesn’t get many visitors. Nice to have you here.’ He turned to Dominic. ‘Patty’s been cooking up a storm since you called.’

‘That’s why I called.’ Dominic gave Eddy an oblique look. ‘Jet lag,’ he said. ‘I’ll talk to you later.’

The tall, lanky young man smoothly stepped aside, then followed them up the path to the house holding the umbrella. At the entrance, he nodded. ‘Door’s open. Get some rest.’

Kate’s gaze slid up the pale grey limestone-sheathed three-storey house, each level punctuated with large sash windows framed in white stone, a delicate French look to the exterior.

‘Home sweet home, baby,’ Dominic murmured, nudging the door open with his foot.

Then Kate experienced one of those kick-ass Hollywood movie moments because Dominic carried her over the threshold, shoved the door shut with his shoulder, came to a stop and gently kissed her. ‘Good?’ he whispered, as he raised his head.

‘Super good.’ As in stealing her heart good. ‘It always is with you,’ she added in a flirty lilt.

‘Ain’t it just,’ he drawled teasingly. Then he set her on her feet and raised his brows. ‘Do you want the grand tour now or in the morning?’ He touched the soft cashmere. ‘Warm enough?’

‘Plenty warm.’ She wiggled her toes. ‘Do you have heated floors everywhere?’

‘Probably. Are you hungry?’

‘I’m always hungry.’

‘That must be why we get along.’

‘Not the only reason.’

He laughed. ‘True. There’s that raging addiction of ours. But hold that thought until I show you the place.’

Kate had a tour of the main floor rooms: living room, dining room, kitchen, office, a maid’s room with an empty glass and a bottle of twenty-five-year-old Macallan on the bedside table. All the furniture in the house looked lived in, not interior-design-magazine pristine, the big kitchen gleaming stainless steel with appliances for serious cooking.

‘Impressive stove.’ She waved her hand at the red enamel restaurant-sized stove. ‘Not for you, I assume.’

‘Uh-uh. That’s Patty’s. You’ll meet her later.’

The empty glass and whisky. ‘She’s here?’

‘No. She’s mostly eight to five.’

‘So she’ll be here eight to five?’

‘Still not used to staff are you, baby?’ He took her face in his hands. ‘If you don’t want her around, she won’t be
around,’ he said gently, holding her gaze. ‘But Patty’s been with me for a helluva long time. We get along. So think about it.’ His hands slid away and he stood back.

Dominic’s casual view of hired help was light years away from Kate’s comfort zone. ‘She won’t mind company like me?’

He smiled. ‘We’ll have to ask her. You’re the first.’

‘You always say that. I don’t know if I believe you.’

He saw the blush pink her cheeks and knew what it meant. But he wanted to clear up any misunderstandings so he said, ‘Believe me. You’re the first I’ve invited into any of my homes for more than a cup of tea. OK?’

‘Tea, really?’

‘An expression, baby. I don’t drink much tea. Are you clear on your position in my life? You’re not entertainment. Not even close. You’re my girl.’

‘So you’re telling me to calm down?’

‘Pretty much.’ A smile in his eyes, he leaned in close. ‘If a further explanation is required, let me know.’

Prey as always to his heart-tripping beauty, her breath caught in her throat. ‘That’ll do,’ she murmured, having located her voice. She didn’t actually want things spelled out anyway when her dreams were vastly different from his – just like his interpretation of
my girl
was probably more transient than hers.

He eased back, held out his hand. ‘Next floor then?’

She followed him downstairs to a level that was completely dedicated to exercise. She saw every imaginable
machine, every free weight – a lap pool and a mirrored tai chi studio he only waved to in passing. But he did say, ‘The tai chi studio’s just for me, OK?’

When she didn’t respond, he pulled her to a stop. ‘That’s the truth.’

Heart pounding, she only blinked and nodded, those jarring Christmas photos forever etched on her psyche: all the nude women bound to various apparatuses in his tai chi studio in particular.

He didn’t elaborate. He knew better. ‘I’ll show you the upstairs then we’ll find something to eat.’

Four bathrooms, four bedrooms, a smaller office, his large bedroom overlooking the ocean conspicuously filled with boy’s things: baseball caps, footballs and soccer balls, a dirt bike shoved in a corner, three PlayStations, two iPods, a pair of skis, two surfboards, a guitar, a bong. Surfing photos everywhere.

She made a slow turn in the middle of the room, taking in the collective miscellany of youth. ‘You’ve been here a while.’

He hadn’t moved from the door. ‘Quite a while. I don’t like change. Or at least not here.’

‘I can tell.’

He ran a slow hand through his hair. ‘Yeah, well, some change is nice. Like having you here.’ He spoke with a kind of muffled reluctance, his clear eyes on her. He opened his mouth to speak, shut it, stood there broad shouldered and lean under his faded North Coast T-shirt, narrow hipped in
his jeans, his brooding gaze fixed on her. Then, without a word, he covered the distance between them, this man in a boy’s room, strong and powerful now, ruthless and logical, never possessive,
never, never, never
– except with her. He slid his hand around the back of her head, cupped it in his large palm, slowly pulled her up against the sleek, hard length of his body and lowered his mouth to hers. ‘I need to be inside you.’