Kat quirked her head to the side with a cocky smile on her gorgeous lips. “Oh I’m not afraid of her at all. Bring it on.”
That’s my Cranberry, I thought almost automatically before I realized that I was thinking of her as mine. That, in a way, I had been all along
Nothing phased her. She was pure tough girl… except when she wasn’t. That night she’d cried in my arms had been proof positive that not too far beneath that hard exterior was a vulnerable, compassionate woman.
And beneath those hip-hugging jean shorts she wore was one sexy body that I wanted to get to know intimately over the next few days. Starting the minute we got back to the guest house tonight.
We didn’t have lots of time left. Why not take advantage of what we did have?
Except we didn’t get back to our place until late. There was swimming at sunset, a late dinner and a ridiculous game of charades. All of these dumbass activities placed barriers between me, her, a few orgasms and a whole lot of naked fun.
At around ten p.m. Kat headed back but my mother commandeered me to help with an odd job for the dinner party tomorrow evening.
It didn’t take long for me to figure out the real reason I was there. In the middle of reading off names for her to write down on the place cards, she lay a hand on my wrist.
“Has the reporter set up an interview slot for you and Katharina yet? Also, be aware that after Sunday’s small brunch for the five of us, we’ll be doing a photo shoot. Be sure to arrive dressed ready for that.”
“I don’t have much to say to reporters. Fair warning that I’m not going to be talkative.”
She jerked her head away, clearly annoyed, but did not argue the point. Through my own clenched teeth, I read her a few more names. She then interrupted me again. At this rate, we wouldn’t be done until three in the morning and I was dragging ass already.
“Also, please make an effort with Claire and her family. It would look so much better, especially with our guests around.”
I fought rolling my eyes—and sarcastically asking why Claire and her parents were even present at our family reunion. Especially given that she hadn’t been a member of this family for six years now.
“You made the choice to have her here. There are consequences. She brings drama to everything. And somehow, I’m supposed to do something to mitigate that?. Well, I did do that six years ago. I divorced her. Now she’s your problem.” I set down her dumbass list on the table. I was done.
Nodding goodnight to a cousin from the Netherlands who was helping out my mother, I turned and left. Then I was out in the cool night air, hoping that taking a moment and inhaling some of it would help calm me down.
My mother never ceased to get my blood pressure up but the lengthy walk did some good.
When I got back to the guesthouse, Kat was fast asleep in our bed.
Admittedly, I made no effort to be quiet when I went about my bedtime routine—shower included—in hopes she might wake up. But she never stirred. She must have been exhausted from the day’s full schedule. But, damn it, this persistent and aching hard-on wasn’t going to let me sleep.
When I joined her in bed, I turned my back and forced myself to think of everything but her. I couldn’t help that awareness, though—of the weight of her next to me. I listened to the sound of each inhalation and exhalation, savored the feel of her breath on the back of my neck.
My last thought was that if I didn’t get inside her very soon, I might actually lose my mind.
When I woke up, again late, she wasn’t in bed. Fuck. Was I going to have to tie the woman down in order to get some?
That thought didn’t help my morning wood at all. I imagined strapping those wrists down above her head while I had my way with her body…
God damn. I ran a hand through my hair, then rose to dress. Another day doing the bullshit family reunion, smiling through a dull and ridiculous party and with no fucking time penciled in, literally, to seduce my own wife.
Today was spa day. Great, just great. The semi-naked couples massage and the alone time in the private sauna together