If he was a lesser man he might believe he had disappointed her but he’d made sure she’d found her pleasure before he had taken his. Was she embarrassed by what they had done? It had been the hottest sexual experience he’d ever had. He refused to let her hide from him.

  She could have a few minutes before he would persuade her to open the door, take her into his arms and kiss her until he’d convinced her that what they’d shared was beyond words and not something to regret or be ashamed of. Even now he could hardly think of anything but having her again.

  The bathroom door opened. Thank goodness, he didn’t have to storm the castle. Cathie stepped out still wrapped in the sheet. She looked everywhere but at him.

  He rolled to his side, pulling the cover over the lower half of his body. Propping up on his arm, he watched her. With his other hand, he patted the bed and said in a gentle tone, “Come sit beside me.”

  She hesitated. He feared she might not do it. He wouldn’t have thought Cathie would need reassurance but he really didn’t know her that well. He kind of liked this softer, less worldly side of her. Slowly she made her way toward him, sinking to the edge of the mattress. He gave her back a long reassuring stroke. “You know you’re amazing.”

  Dipping her head, she gave him a shy look. “You weren’t half bad yourself.”

  “Thank you. I can always use a vote of confidence.” He continued to caress her back. The tension in her shoulders was visibly easing.

  “I wouldn’t think a man with your skills would need an ego boost.” Her eyes brightened. Whatever was bothering her before must be gone.

  He raised a shoulder. “Hey, every man likes for his skills to be appreciated.”

  She smiled. “I appreciated them. I thought that was evident.”

  His heart tipped at the memory of her loud expression of her pleasure. Even now he was hardening with the idea of hearing it again. He grinned. “Come to think of it, you did. A couple of times.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

  He produced his best wicked look as his hand went to the back of her neck and pulled her mouth toward his. “It already is.”

  This time their lovemaking was slow and gentle, none of the hurried frenzy of earlier. When they were finished, Cathie curled up beside him and fell asleep.

  What was he doing? He didn’t let women spend the night. This connection between them was scary. He’d never been this instantly enamored with a woman. But he’d been deceived by Lauren, and had no intention of letting anyone do that to him again. He’d be happy with one night of pleasure. It was safer that way.

  Chapter Five

  Rick dosed, then woke to find Cathie still sleeping contently beside him. To his astonishment, he wanted her again. As a virile man, he believed his needs were in the normal range but his obsession with her was topping the chart.

  Deciding not to wake her, he slipped out of bed, pulled on sports shorts and went down to the kitchen. Taking a box of crackers from the cabinet and finding cheese in the refrigerator, he put them on the bar. With a glass in his hand ready to pour some tea, he turned at the sound of feet.

  “Hey,” Cathie said quietly.

  She wore his tuxedo shirt making her look tiny, innocent, and unsure while at the same time seductive. His clothing had never been put to better use.

  He walked around the bar between them and reached out to her. “I’m having some cheese and crackers. Iced tea. Come join me.”

  She took his hand and he led her to one of the two stools at the bar. He wanted to kiss her but he was afraid she might run. With Cathie he wasn’t sure what to expect. She continued to keep him on his toes. All insecure appearing now, she’d been nothing but open and amazing in his arms earlier. Which was the real one, or was she a combination of both? Or was she hiding something?

  He’d quickly learned she was intelligent and knowledgeable about things he wouldn’t have ever guessed would interest her. She implied she enjoyed the simpler things in life, like a morning from a porch. Who would have thought the ultra-stylish woman, with the no hair out of place, who tended to talk a little too loud, could be so different outside of work. He had to admit he liked this one better. In fact, he liked her too much.

  Cathie took a stool and he pushed the food toward her, before he poured her tea along with his. She bit into a square of cheese as she looked around the room.

  “Would you mind if we catch the last of the baseball game?”

  Another surprise. She liked baseball?

  “Sure.” He picked up the remote. Turning the TV on, he flipped channels until he found the game.

  Her eyes were fixed on the screen. “Great, they’re winning.”

  Rick was a little jealous at how easily her attention was diverted away from him to a ball game. He chuckled to himself. That was certainly a change. Most of the women he had dated complained of the same thing in regards to him. “Are you a big Braves fan?”

  “I am. I love baseball. I don’t miss many of the Braves games on TV.” She picked up a cracker and munched on it mindlessly.

  “You don’t go to the games?”

  She shook her head. “Not often. How about you? Do you follow the Braves?”

  “I have tickets behind the dugout. I go as often as work will allow.”

  Cathie glanced at him. “Must be nice.”

  He started to say he would take her sometime but their agreement was tonight. No more. If he made another date with her then he would be moving into an area he had no intention of going. “Even comes with valet parking.”

  “You do live in high cotton. Us lowly people have to park and walk,” she teased.

  She was coming out of her shell again. He liked the open Cathie.

  He shrugged. “My company has season tickets. Mostly I give them away but I keep a few choice ones for the games I want to see. It’s a good way to support the city.”

  “That’s what they all say when they take off from work to watch a game.”

  Rick laughed. There was some truth in that.

  “Okay, you are officially the coolest person I know,” Cathie announced.

  “That’s nice to hear.” And it was. He liked impressing her.

  Over the next few minutes, they watched the game. She made comments about the players and stats. This time, he was the impressed one.

  When the referee made what she believed was a bad call, she yelled her disagreement at the TV. Rick watched in amazement.

  After she settled down, she looked at him. A contrite look came over her face. “I’m sorry. I’m known to get carried away.”

  “I know.” He liked how she’d let go in bed.

  A tint of red came to her cheeks. She’d caught the double meaning. “Is that a bad thing?”

  He gave her a kiss on the temple. “Not at all. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  Cathie smiled and they went back to watching the game. When she finished the last piece of cheese, he grinned.

  “Sorry, I should’ve offered you that,” she said. “I get caught up in a game and forget what I’m doing.”

  Pushing the plate away, he said, “Hey, I like a woman who enjoys her food.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

  “No. You certainly get no complaints from me about your figure.” He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, studying her. “Just where’s all this insecurity coming from?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m taking out on you something my ex-boyfriend said. He was always securitized what I ate. Accusing me of putting on pounds.” She hmphed. “I need to let go.”

  “What’s your favorite meal to eat?”

  “Fried catfish and hushpuppies,” she said with a grin.

  He nodded. “Interesting. I’d have never guessed that.”

  “Give me a great hushpuppy and you can lead me anywhere. Not great for the waistline but wonderful for the taste buds.”

  “I’ll be sure to remember that.”

  The game forgotten, Carrie crossed her arms on the bar and looked at Rick. “You now know something I like and don’t like. So it’s your turn.”

  “Let me see,” he acted as if he were giving it great thought. “I like Banana Pudding and I hate liars.”

  She did too, even though she was one. When he had called Cathie’s name while in the middle of his release, a sick feeling had come over her. It should have been her name on his lips. She wanted it to be her name. At that moment, it was as if all her ecstasy had been sucked back in and evaporated. She’d had to escape to regain her composure.

  She dared to ask, “Because of your fiancée’s lies?”

  “Among other things.” He glanced at the TV. “Well, it looks like the Braves won the game.”

  Carrie couldn’t believe she’d become so interested in their conversation she’d missed the end of the game. Rick had some kind of power over her.

  He rose and picked up the plate, taking it to the sink. Carrie carried their glasses. As she turned to walk away, Rick’s arm around her waist stopped her. He pulled her against him then walked her back until she bumped into the bar. “I’ve been waiting for the game to be over so I could have your complete attention.”

  “I’m really that bad?” Maybe he was like Brian, thinking she was ignoring him for a sporting event.

  His smile was reassuring. “Hey, I enjoyed watching you get into the game. Now I want to get into you.” Rick lifted her onto the counter. His shirt hitched up leaving the lower half of her body exposed to his view. Rick groaned. “You look so damn sexy in my shirt.”

  Carrie’s gazed met his. His eyes were heavy with intent. Her breathing came in little bursts as her blood heated.

  Placing his hands on her knees, he slowly ran his fingers along the outside of her thighs until they slid under the hem of the shirt and rested on her hips. He kissed her slow and easy. She whimpered her protest when Rick moved away. He pushed his shorts to the floor then kicked them away, seconds before he stepped between her legs and took her mouth again. The kiss was wet and hot, and completely erotic. Carrie was on fire. She reveled in the sensations rolling through her. His fingers bit into her hips as he lifted her closer to the edge of the counter.

  She made a sound low in her throat as her legs went around his waist. Her adventurous night was taking a new turn and she was going to enjoy the ride.

  Carrie woke to morning light streaming through the large windows of Rick’s bedroom. It was even more amazing than she’d imagined, but laying in Rick’s bed with his body encircling hers topped it.

  Now she’d spent the entire night with him. No matter how remarkable it had been, it was ending soon. It would be a lovely memory, but that was all. Their relationship was built on a lie, a few dances, and a night of passion. It was temporary. That had been the plan in the beginning and it hadn’t changed.

  Rick stirred. Even in his sleep, he was dashing, rugged, all male.

  “Hey,” he said. “How long have you been staring at me?”

  “Oh heaven, the vanity of wretched fools...” she quoted without thinking.

  “Ah, Shakespeare so early in the morning.”

  The moment should have been uncomfortable yet it felt perfectly right. Carrie couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by Rick’s knowledge of a lesser known piece of Shakespeare’s work. “Wow.”

  “Are you talking about my knowledge of Shakespeare or me?”

  She rolled to her side to better see him. “I don’t think I need to feed your ego anymore but I’m interested in how you know so much about Shakespeare?”

  “I have a brother who has a PhD in Literature. I’ve heard every quote the man ever wrote.”

  She laughed. “That must be hard to deal with. Shakespeare has something to say about everything. Do you have any other siblings?”

  “A sister that lives out west. She has a couple of great kids. I don’t see enough of them.”

  “Uncle Rick.” Carrie let the name roll off her tongue. It had a nice sound to it.

  “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” he asked.

  Carrie didn’t want to talk about Cathie right now. Nude, and in bed with a super good guy, who thought she was her sister wasn’t the time for this conversation but he wasn’t leaving her any choice. “I do. A sister.”

  When she didn’t offer more Rick asked, “Does she live out of town?”

  “No, she lives here in Atlanta. We’re pretty close. Have been all our lives.” That was an understatement.

  “That’s nice. I’m crazy about my sister but I think that if she lived close she would drive me nuts. She likes to take care of me. Be in my business.”

  “Ca…my sister,” she had to remember not to slip up and use Cathie’s name, “was sick as a child. I have to admit that because of that I’ve always been a little protective of her.”

  “That’s understandable.”

  They needed to get off the subject of Cathie or she would make a mistake. She made a move to get out of the bed. “I should get going.”

  His hand stopped her. “I have to catch a plane in a few hours. Why don’t I take you home on the way to the airport? Before we go I’ll feed you. I make a good omelet.”

  “I really shouldn—” Rick’s mouth covered hers before she could say more.

  That was the last of the conversation for the next half an hour. Their lovemaking was sweet and slow. Afterwards they showered. While she was taking hers, Rick found her some clothes to wear so she wouldn’t show up at her apartment dressed in her evening gown. He earned more ‘wonderful points’ for being concerned about her reputation.

  They shared breakfast in the backyard. This morning after stuff was making her nervous. They had agreed to a night. In the light of day, her deception looked uglier. The worst part was she would have to share the details of her time with Rick so that Cathie wouldn’t get tripped up when they saw each other again. But she wanted to keep it to herself. Savor it.

  Rick asked with concern, “Are you okay? Was something wrong with your eggs?”

  “No.”

  “You sort of turned green there for a second.” He watched her too closely.

  “I’m fine.” She stood. “I know you must need to pack. I’ll do the dishes and straighten up the kitchen while you get ready to go.”

  Rick gave her a questioning look then said, “Okay, I won’t be long.”

  Carrie wiped the kitchen counter for the last time. She had stalled for as long as she could. She was tempted to go upstairs, but she knew where that would lead. Their morning had turned into a far too domestic one for her. She’d been drawn into the idea of what could be.

  Brian had done the same thing to her, made her dream of a house and family and that hadn’t ended well. She wasn’t going to start getting ideas about a man she hardly knew. Rick didn’t even know her real name or what she did for a living. She wasn’t going to let him run off with her heart. She needed to go home. Now.

  Carrie was sitting on the edge of a chair in the living room with her evening clothes in a bag waiting for Rick when he came downstairs. She stood. “Ready?”

  He gave her an unsure looked then said, “Just let me lock up.”

  At her apartment complex, she insisted he not come up with her. She didn’t want any more memories to linger.

  He argued but finally agreed, giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. “I’m still not sure I understand what has happened between us but I know it was amazing. I’d like to see you again.”

  His declaration caught her off guard. It was too-good-to-be-true while at the same time the worst idea ever.

  “Uh,” she hated having to do this but it was the only way, “I really had a wonderful night and morning.” Too wonderful. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be dating a client. I can’t afford to risk my job. Plus, I just came out of an ugly break-up and I don’t want to jump into anything serious right now. But I appreciate you asking.”

  She’d let things go too far last night. The plan had been to go out for a night of fun. Rick was a nice guy and she couldn’t continue to lie to him. Use him. Whatever was between them had to end here.

  “Nice to meet you, Rick.” She hurried out of the car.

  In her apartment, she closed the door and dropped on to the sofa. Nice to meet you. She’d forgotten she was supposed to be Cathie.

  She couldn’t believe she’d just spent the night with a man she hardly knew! She didn’t do that type of thing. Ever. Had cautioned Cathie more than once not to be so free with herself, yet she’d done it herself.

  But it had been a glorious night. Rick had been a caring and attentive lover, a genuinely nice guy. He’d been as interested in her pleasure as his own. All the other men she’d been with were more interested in themselves than if she was happy. Even now she craved more of him.

  She groaned and sunk further into the cushions, hugging a throw pillow to her chest. Sadness filled her. She would miss Rick. If it was under different circumstances, she was a different person, at a different time…

  But he believed she was Cathie. Rick deserved better. Deceit had never been something Carrie condoned. Even when they had been girls, Carrie hadn’t enjoyed their duplicity as much as Cathie. But she owed her loyalty to Cathie. She’d promise not to tell. When she’d agreed to go, the idea of spending the night had never entered head. If it had she’d pushed it away with a laugh. She’d had no idea how involved and twisted the date would become.

  The time she had spent with Rick had been so extraordinary... She’d just have to store those memories away, pull them out in a quiet moment. They had agreed to one night. And what a night it had been. Now it was time to move on.

  Chapter Six

  Four days later, Rick stood outside Cathie’s apartment door. He couldn’t stand still he was so eager to see her, have her. He rang the doorbell once more. What if she wasn’t home? He’d just have to go to his car and wait. He wouldn’t leave until he’d convinced her to help him and get her to agree to a weekend. In more ways than one, he needed her.

 

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