First Comes Love (New Castle Book 1) Read online

  After supper the guests retired to the sitting room for coffee, tea, and cordials. Mia was getting tired, so Kat set her up in her father’s study with some paper, books, and toys. The rest of the evening dragged, but sooner than she expected, the guests began to make their goodbyes.

  “It was a pleasure meeting you, Katherine,” Dawson said as he took her hand.

  He moved his thumb back and forth over the top of her wrist. His fingertips were smooth on her skin—fingers of a man with a desk job—not calloused like someone else’s. There was no way to withdraw from the caress without seeming rude, so she tolerated it. She gritted her teeth, smiled tightly, and waited for him to let go. When he released her, she tucked her hand safely behind her back.

  “I look forward to seeing you again,” he said, leaning in to brush his lips over her cheek and lingered a moment too. He smelled nice, but that wasn’t enough to relax her in his presence.

  With a straight spine, she muttered, “Nice meeting you too.”

  After the rest of the guests left, Kat went to change Mia into her pajamas. Chances were she’d pass out as soon as they got on the road. It’d been a long day for both of them.

  “Dawson seemed to take an interest in you,” her mother said from the doorway of the study.

  “Mia, why don’t you go say goodnight to Grandpa?” Kat suggested as Mia left the room. She turned to her mother who was wearing a triumphant grin. “Mom, I wish you wouldn’t discuss men in front of Mia. It could confuse her.”

  “She should understand that you have an adult life as well as your life as a mother.”

  “She’s three.” Mia was innocent and she wanted to keep her that way. Somewhere inside of this woman there had to be a grandmother who understood that logic.

  “Well, either way, he seemed to take notice of you. What did you think of him?”

  “He seemed nice enough, but I told you, I’m not interested in dating.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Really Katherine, sometimes you’re as stubborn as a mule. I swear you enjoy living as a pauper.”

  “I do not live as a pauper, Mother.”

  “Well, I hope that you didn’t say anything to embarrass yourself. Dawson’s used to being surrounded by very respectable, attractive women.”

  “And how humble of him to humor someone of my ilk for the evening.”

  “Don’t be derisive. It’s unflattering. I just meant—”

  “Momma, I said goodnight to Grandpa,” Mia interrupted.

  Vivian dropped the conversation and no doubt stored away her comments for another time. They said a final goodbye to her parents and as Kat suspected, her baby was sound asleep by the time they pulled off her parents’ street.

  Kat’s stomach was starting to burn from all the tension of the past few days. The stuff with Tyson, the pressure from her mother, Nathan the nipple watcher, and Dawson was more stress than she was used to handling.

  Why did Dawson have to show interest in her? That would only provoke her mother. Vivian was relentless when it came to finding a son in law. Kat wasn’t interested in finding a husband. She just wanted her normal life back.

  Chapter Six

  After carrying a sleeping Mia to her bed Kat headed into the living room. It looked like the Easter Bunny exploded. There were dyed eggs, candy wrappers, tissue paper, and the dreaded green Easter grass all over the carpet.

  Kicking off her shoes, she got on her knees and gathered Mia’s things in a basket while raking the Easter grass into a pile with her fingers. Just as the room was beginning to look somewhat tidy again there was a light knock at the door.

  She glanced at the clock. It was only nine-thirty, not as late as she suspected, but a day with her mother would make anyone weary.

  Doggedly, she stood and hit the switch for the front porch light. The sight of Tyson had her heart immediately skipping a beat. Smiling, she opened the door.

  “Happy Easter.” He was holding a plush, brown bunny with a green satin bow around its neck in one hand and a bottle of wine in his other.

  Her lips twitched. The idea of a man visiting with gifts was so novel she was afraid to acknowledge the tempting bubbles of excitement popping inside of her. Maybe she had the wrong idea. “Happy Easter. Would you like to come in?”

  “Sure. Is Mia still awake?”

  She shook her head. “No, she conked out on the way home from my parents.”

  He didn’t appear too disappointed. Was he here for her then?

  “I saw this when I was picking up something for my nephew and I thought she’d like it.” He set the bunny on the counter.

  “That’s sweet. You’ll have to give it to her tomorrow though. She’s out cold.”

  “Oh, well I can leave it here for her to find when she wakes up. How was your day?”

  How was her day? When was the last time someone other than Mia or Jade asked her that? Act casual. Don’t over think it.

  “Long. How was yours?”

  “Nice. I visited my sister.” Admiring her moldings he rubbed the back of his neck. As if catching the nervous gesture, he stopped himself and stuffed his hand back in his pocket. No way was this man uneasy around her.

  “That’s nice. Do you just have the one sister?”

  “Yes. I had a younger sister, but she passed away almost two years ago from breast cancer.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,”

  “It’s okay. She was in remission for a year and when the cancer returned she didn’t want to go through chemo again. It took her fast. She wasn’t in much pain at the end.” A flash of grief passed over his eyes.

  She motioned toward the wine he held. “Would you like a glass?”

  “Only if you have one, too. I wasn’t sure if you drank.”

  “Oh, I have a three-year-old. I drink.” She laughed. “But I’m no connoisseur. My wine etiquette is atrocious. I usually drink boxed wine and I put ice in everything.”

  He laughed. “Ice is fine. This is Pinot Grigio. It’s white, so it’s usually served cold.”

  She retrieved a corkscrew, two wine glasses, and an ice tray from the freezer. He expertly twisted the wrapper and popped the cork as she distracted herself by cracking the ice and sliding out a couple cubes for each glass.

  As she handed him a glass his hand closed around hers, holding the glass still to pour the amber liquid. She took a wobbly breath and held out the other glass. Her belly tightened as he held her hand again.

  Placing the bottle on the counter, he clinked his glass with hers before taking a sip, his dark eyes studying her over the rim.

  “So where did you spend your Easter, Kat?”

  “My parents’.”

  The cool flavor slid over her tongue and soothed her tired body, but did nothing to calm the fiery anticipation burning inside of her. She knew what it was, but she didn’t want to admit it. Admitting that this man could arouse her more than any man ever had was a very bad thing.

  Bad Kat. Bad.

  Her gaze stroked over his broad shoulders and a puddle of heated honey pooled low in her tummy. Mentally she did that gargling purr thing Jade did whenever she was near a hot guy.

  “And how did that go?” He sidled next to her with ease she couldn’t mimic.

  Kat had to get her head out of his pants—Gutter!—Head out of the gutter! “As good as could be expected.”

  “That good?” He smirked. “Did Mia enjoy herself?”

  “Probably not, but she made the best of it. My mother doesn’t seem to understand the concept of being three. I think she was born middle aged.”

  He laughed, genuine amusement playing in his eyes. “Mia’s a good girl.”

  “She is.” A contemplative smile curled her lips, remembering how cute she’d been about the Easter Bunny that morning.

  He tilted his head. “What are you thinking about? You have the sweetest expression on your face.”

  Stay calm. “I was thinking about Mia this morning. She’s getting so big. She loved that the Easter Bunny hid h
er eggs and she went nuts when she saw the basket.”

  “I can see that.”

  Her breath hitched as he reached for her face and removed a string of green grass from her hair. Her heart spun into a rapid flutter. She wanted to press her cheek into his palm, but forced herself to remain still.

  Self-consciously, her hand inspected her hair for any other foreign objects. What a way to make an impression. She was killing it tonight.

  “I was cleaning up when you knocked,” She lamely explained. Her face and neck were getting warm. She thought of removing her sweater, but didn’t want Tyson to see her ‘undesirable soft spots’. Damn her mother for adding to her list of complexes.

  The soft curve of his lips drew her gaze as she self-consciously licked her own. His dark gaze dropped to her mouth. The air crackled. Where the hell should she put her hands? Her weight shifted as she fisted her wine glass like a bouquet of flowers between them.

  His fingers gently turned a strand of hair that escaped from her French twist and a shiver chased up her spine. He stared at it as if he’d never seen hair before. Fast, shallow breaths lifted her breasts as her senses jumped to full throttle.

  “May I?” he whispered as his hand brushed her clip in the gentlest caress.

  Kat gave a slight nod. She avoided his eyes as her hand clasping the wine stem shook like a leaf.

  Impulses, moments of daring followed by cowardice, came and went like the flash of a short-circuiting firefly. The wine must’ve gone to her head. His closeness was an aphrodisiac, easing her tension, making her thoughts single-minded, fuzzy, and irrefutably sexual.

  Her hair tumbled to her shoulders, barely grazing the nape of her neck.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered, as he placed the clip and his wine glass on the counter. His simple comment sent tingles from her head to her toes.

  With a deliberateness that made her throat tight, his fingers ran through her hair, raking a ripple of shivers down her spine, leaving her quivering with barely contained arousal.

  She shouldn’t let him touch her so intimately, but nothing had ever felt so decadent. Her lashes lowered and the slightest moan vibrated in her throat.

  “It’s as soft as silk. I knew it would be.” He took a slight step forward and her lower back pressed into the counter. When he leaned his head down to her neck, she arched and stilled as he breathed in her scent. “I’ve missed you, Kat.”

  Holy Hannah!

  Chills danced under her clothes over every inch of her flesh. Her breasts swelled and her breathing turned labored.

  His breath tickled the shell of her ear as he nudged her hair away with his nose and gently pulled her lobe between his lips. “I tried to stay away. But you, young lady, are hard to ignore.”

  She wasn’t used to this kind of attention. Her shoulders awkwardly twitched. Every motion was stiff compared to his competent ease. She had no experience with intimacy.

  Holy shit! His warm tongue swirled over the place where her pulse raced and his teeth scraped her throat. Her panties dampened as her eyes rolled back in ecstasy.

  His palm cupped the back of her scalp and slightly angled her head. My God! This was beyond attention—this was blatant seduction!

  Without taking his mouth from her neck, he gently coaxed the wine glass from her death grip and placed it on the counter. As he stepped closer, the warmth of his body burned through her clothing from chest to thigh. Her hands lifted and pressed into his shoulders.

  Push him away! This is insane!

  Her fingers bunched in the fabric of his shirt and held him tight. She shivered and tried to remain coherent, his words finally sinking in. “Wha…What do you mean stay away?”

  Her head rolled back as his lips pressed against the curve of her shoulder. Warm pillowy lips pressed over her flesh, gently sucking and kissing her skin. His tongue left a delicate trail of heat in its wake.

  The hand cradling the back of her head massaged her scalp as kisses lingered down her exposed throat. Heat burst inside of her, unfamiliar and overwhelming, startling her.

  She released his shoulders, forcing space between them, but he only stepped closer. She felt the hardness of his arousal poking at her belly and panicked, her mind objecting as her body molded to his in full agreement.

  His tongue traced the soft spot below her jaw and she moaned gripping the back of the counter until her hands went numb. She needed to stop him, but what he was doing to her was very, very nice.

  “You deserve someone your age,” he whispered between nibbles along her collarbone. His words almost penetrated the sexual haze, but then he did this phenomenal little thing with his tongue and she lost track of the conversation again.

  “You can’t be older than thirty.”

  He chuckled—a seductive tickle against her vulnerable neck and she swallowed. “I’m thirty-six and you, young lady, are veal.”

  Okay, thirty-six. That was a little older than she’d suspected. Yet, as he caressed her throat with his mouth, she couldn’t think of one good reason why age mattered. “It’s just a number. You look much younger.”

  She swayed against him and whimpered as he glided his soft lips over hers and whispered, “Kiss me, Kat.”

  She was done.

  Her fine-tuned resistance melted away as he pressed his lips to hers with a groan. She hadn’t kissed someone in years and was badly out of practice, but that didn’t seem to bother him. The firm press of his body against hers increased as his tongue slid into her mouth. Her arms wreathed around his neck as he deepened the kiss. Tasting. Taking. Devouring.

  A combination of expensive wine and sharp cologne created a taste that was uniquely Tyson. Her hands slid over his chest and neck to caress his smooth head while his firm grip glided down her back until his palms rested on her ass.

  He gripped her and groaned. There was no mistaking the pleasure in the sound. His hands massaged through her skirt and she savored every moment like a dream on the brink of a waking mind.

  His teeth nipped at her lips as his tongue continuously dipped back into her mouth to steal another taste. His hips ground against hers and her senses luxuriated in the complete attention being paid to her body. Every part of her being was affected by his touch.

  As the kiss heated, his arousal pressed harder against her soft belly. He gave her ass one last squeeze, and his hands moved up to cup her hips. His thumb played under the hem of her blouse, gently gliding over her skin. Chills climbed over her shoulders and her nipples pebbled as his touch dragged over her flesh.

  Afraid he would feel her flabby stomach, she sucked in and held her breath. His grip suddenly tightened on her hips choking a tight gasp from her as her feet left the ground and he lifted her onto the counter.

  Her skirt rode high on her thighs as he took up all the space between her knees. She let out a startled breath that turned into a moan as he continued to drug her with his incredible mouth.

  He settled into the cradle of her thighs. If she looked down she’d see her exposed sex. Why hadn’t she worn panties?

  His lips moved to the corner of her mouth as his palms glided up her thighs. He dragged kisses lower, gently nipped at her jaw with his teeth as his hand coasted under her blouse and finally cupped her breast.

  Things were flying way out of hand, way too fast, but she didn’t know how to make them stop, didn’t really want to either. Her willpower had left the building and her neglected hormones were having a party.

  Cool air caressed her skin as he folded her blouse above the swell of her breasts. The backs of his knuckles slid over her lace-covered chest. Soft lips moved down her neck. Her breath shot out in a rush as his fingers pinched her nipple. His lips returned to hers in a plundering kiss that seared heat from her mouth to her nipples and all the way down to the space between her thighs.

  Nipping her lower lip, he looked at her through those thick black lashes with lust filled eyes. His hand moved to the pearl buttons of her sweater and undid the two securing the cardigan at her n
eck. Her sweater slid off of her shoulders and down her arms. Anxious excitement battled against ingrained self-consciousness.

  He tilted her upper body backward against the counter and pressed his erection against her. Bracing her hands on the counter, she waited for any signs of disappointment, but she saw none. His eyes darkened as he breathed deep.

  Sliding an arm under her back, he lowered his head. Heat engulfed her nipple as his mouth closed over the tip and he gently nipped her flesh through the silk of her bra.

  She moaned. The fabric, now damp and heated from his mouth, clung to her flesh like a second skin. He turned, paying the same attention to her other breast. Her body rocked in his hold with each shallow breath. The hand at her back undid the clasp at her bra.

  “You’re so beautiful, Kat. Everything about you…” he continued as he folded the lace cups down, his breath teasing her freshly exposed skin.

  Her blood ran hot, intensifying each anxious chill. Pleasure zipped up her spine and down to her core as his dark lips close over the pale flesh of her breast and he sucked one berry tip into his mouth.

  “The way you look, your scent, the needy little sounds you make when you’re aroused.”

  The intense, pulling pleasure had her arching off the counter as his arm slid farther under her back. The stuffed bunny fell to the floor triggering the sudden thought of Mia, reality hitting her like a bucket of ice.

  What the hell am I doing?

  As his mouth pulled her nipple between his lips, his palm skated to her upper thigh, playing at the lace edge of her stockings as he moaned in appreciation. Alarm bells sounded in her mind, as she looked at the bunny lying on the floor, a taunting pile of floppy fluff telling her to stop.

  His fingers trailed up her thigh and grazed her wet sex, jerking her gaze back to him. He froze as their eyes met. The gentle pressure of his knuckles against her delicate folds had her teeth digging into her lip as she held her breath. He didn’t penetrate her. His finger stayed there against her, resting like a chess player holding their piece, debating their next move.