A Man of Honor (15 page)

She wrapped her wet arms around his waist. Looked into his eyes. He was a big guy, a warrior, all brawn and hardness. A man who was so severely hard on himself that he couldn’t even see it, but she swore she saw a glimmer of his marshmallow insides.

His posture was rigid, his thick brows pulled down in a frown, but he didn’t back away from her touch.

Good, because this time, she wasn’t giving up. “I lost a fiancé and a job, and I walked out of my only job interview. And I’m living with my parents. If we wait for life to be perfect, we’ll be waiting forever.”

She acted on impulse to cup his cheek and didn’t miss the brief wince he made at her touch. She touched him anyway, running her fingers along the roughness of his five-o’clock shadow, enjoying the contrast between smooth and rough. Stubborn and soft. Holding the line and giving in. She was determined to make him cave.

“I’m damaged,” he blurted. “I’ve never felt my faults like I do since I’ve been back. I-I don’t know what I can offer you. All I know is I want to wrap my hands around that guy’s neck every time he touches you.”

“Take me home,” she said softly, standing on tiptoe and placing her lips against his ear. “Make love to me, Preston. Do it because you’re an honorable man, and it’s the right thing to do.”

His grip on her arms tightened, and his eyes lit up with agonized feeling. “So help me God, Cat. I’ve tried but I can’t stay away.” With one quick movement, he pulled her to him, his lips crushing hers, his tongue sweeping inside her mouth in strokes of hot, pure pleasure. He pulled back long enough to murmur against her lips, “Let’s get out of here.”

Chapter Fourteen

As they crossed the threshold of his house, Preston kicked the front door shut behind them with his foot, not wanting to let go of Cat for even a second. They were out of breath and sopping wet. Cat gave an involuntary shiver as the air-conditioning hit her wet skin.

“Are you cold?” he asked, running his hands up and down her arms to make her warm. As he did, Harriet skittered past. He was glad Cat didn’t see the animal, because right now he wasn’t about to share her attention with anyone.

She shrugged. “A little.” There was a slight change in her from the bold confidence she’d exhibited at the gazebo. She’d been quiet in the car, and now her mouth was drawn in a troubled line.

“I’ll get us some towels,” he said. If she had something to say, this would give her time to say it.

She held him back with a troubled look that stopped him in his tracks. “Wait, before we do this I—I need to tell you something.”

His heart plummeted. “What is it?” He tried to sound casual.
Please, God, don’t let it be
this is wrong
or
I’m having second thoughts
. We’ve come too far.

“It’s—about Robert.”

A bad sign. Bringing up the ex as they’re about to make love. Very bad.

“What about Robert?”

“He said some things to me that I think you should know.”

“Like what?” That gnawing feeling was back in his gut again. The feeling that made him want to strangle the son of a bitch.

A scarlet flush crept up her neck, and she kept gnawing on her lower lip. She looked so uncomfortable, he wanted to take her in his arms right there and tell her anything she had to say didn’t matter, couldn’t matter. Didn’t she know that? “He said I—well, I had a problem when we—when we made love.”

“A problem?” He raised a careful brow. On second thought, strangling was too kind.

“Yes. I wasn’t ever able to…come. When I tried to talk to him about it, he said it was my problem, that he’d never had that issue with anyone else.”

He smiled slow and predatory, wanting her to see how little anything that idiot said meant to him. Her eyes went wide with surprise. “Honey, the only thing wrong was that you were with that asshole.” He ran his hands over her chilled arms. “Let me get you those towels.”

He moved to go, but she held out a hand to stop him. “I have a better idea,” she said. “You make us warm.”

“I can do that.” He wasted no time undoing his buttons and shrugging his wet shirt to the floor. Then he pushed her up against the wall and held her there, arms on either side of her head, his good knee fast between her legs, surrounding her with masculine heat.

He smiled as he slowly took in her dripping wet hair and her streaked mascara. He traced a drop of water that had fallen from her hair down her cheek, reveling in the fact that, running makeup or not, she was hands down the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She was beautiful on the inside as well as out, and he would prove it to her, starting right now.

With a quick flick, he pushed the strap of her bridesmaid’s gown over her bare shoulder and lowered his lips slowly to the fine curve between her shoulder and neck. He nuzzled there, dropping soft kisses on her wet skin until she shivered and tipped her head back against the wall to give him better access. “Let’s get you out of these wet clothes,” Preston said in a low voice.

She turned willingly around and lifted her hair so he could undo her zipper. He unzipped it slowly, relishing every glimpse of her finely arched back. The undone zipper gave him access to her bare skin, and he couldn’t help slipping his hands under her dress and caressing her, circling her waist with his hands, tracing over the sweet curves of her hips. Finally, his hands wandered upward to slowly skim over her lacy bra, memorizing the feel and shape of her breasts while he kissed her shoulders and back.

She placed her hands against the wall. “I—I’m afraid I’m going to fall.”

“I’ve got you tight,” he said. “Where was I? Oh, yes, here.” Still standing behind her, he unclasped her bra, which freed him to circle each breast with his hands. He rubbed slowly over her nipples until they grew taut under his touch and she squirmed, pushing her sweet ass against him until he thought he’d died and gone to heaven.

“They’re small,” she said.

“Beautiful,” he said, devoting his attention to gently fingering each tip. With his teeth, he tugged down one side of her dress, then withdrew his hands from her body long enough to pull it and her bra off the rest of the way. Before she could turn around, he pulled her gently toward him so that her spectacular ass ground into his crotch. His hands roamed her body freely, memorizing her curves as he glided from her breasts to the edges of her lace panties, where he paused at the waistband for just a moment. “I love having you in my arms,” he whispered in her ear. “I love the feel of you, your beautiful lines and curves. I’ve been dying to make love to you from the moment I saw you last fall at that wedding. After all this time, Cat, I can’t believe you’re really here.” His fingers traced the waist of her lacy panties where they rested against her flat abdomen. He teased around one leg opening, lightly grazing her skin with his fingers until he heard her sweet gasp.

His arm encircled her, holding her tightly against him as he worked a finger under her panties. Her breath grew ragged, and he was thrilled at how she trembled under his touch. “Cat,” he said softly, dropping kisses on the back of her neck.

“What is it?” she asked in a throaty whisper. He swept his fingers lightly around her feminine folds, loving that she was wet and slick for
him
. He continued to tease her until her head rolled back on his shoulder and she fought for equilibrium, her breath coming in soft sobs. “Oh God, what are you doing to me?”

“Making love to you.” His fingers teased back and forth, homing in on her intimate core. “I was a fool not to make you mine before I left. I’ve regretted that every day of my life since.”

He gave her shoulder a playful bite as he slipped his finger into her hot wetness. She quivered under his touch, arching her back against him. The feel of her soft, smooth skin against him made him crazy, but he focused on his task. “Enjoy it, sweetheart.” Relentlessly, he added a second finger to the first and was thrilled when she moaned aloud, her body tensing.

“Preston—no—I—I need to see you. Don’t want to come like this.”

“Why not?” He nipped her earlobe playfully. “We have all night. I want to feel you come apart in my arms, baby. I want you to let go for me.” Showing no mercy, he worked magic with his fingers, caressing a breast, rubbing a taut nipple as she clung helplessly to the wall. He loved every minute of it, loved how responsive she was, reveled in her soft whimpers and moans as she reacted to his touch.

At last her hips bucked against him, and she let go, crying his name into the dim room. He held her, drawing out her climax as long as he could, until she collapsed against him. When she turned around, she had tears in her eyes.

“You were saying something about some idiot?” he said, grinning, as he held her close, kissing her neck, taking in the sweet scent of her hair, the soft feel of her skin, trying to comprehend that she was here with him, really
here
. And nothing else mattered.

“It—that wasn’t supposed to be about me.”

“Honey, that was just an appetizer,” he said, pulling back and looking into her eyes. “Wait till we get to dessert.”

…

Cat’s whole body felt shaky, like if she stopped holding on to him, she’d collapse into a boneless pile on the floor. She felt safe in his arms, secure, yet free at the same time, something she’d never felt with Robert, who’d do a play-by-play about their lovemaking and critique her every move.

Preston had made her come as easily as if it were brushing her teeth or riding her bike. He’d whispered things to her like how beautiful she was and how he loved touching her. The man was gentle, confident, and kind. Not to mention superhot. She couldn’t wait to do the same to him.

“If I didn’t have this bum leg,” he said, “I’d pick you up and carry you to the bedroom.”

“Walking is nice,” she said, wrapping herself around him and kissing him. “Healthy for you, too.”

Preston took her hand and led her down a carpeted hallway. She followed him on wobbly legs. He stood in front of a big bed, covered with a neutral comforter and tons of down pillows, and began unfastening his belt. In the light of the single lamp on a bedside table, she saw the proud warrior in him, the dragon curling its tail down his left arm, his muscles flexing as he went through the motions of the everyday task. That’s when it hit her.

He stopped and stood in front of her, cupping her face in his hands. “You’re crying.”

“I was thinking how lucky I am to have you here. What if I’d lost you? What if you wouldn’t have come back?”

He pulled her into his arms and lay back on the bed, pulling her on top of him. The combination of the hard muscle and smooth skin of his chest against her breasts nearly undid her. “Don’t,” he said, looking at her with his intense blue eyes that were full of tenderness and desire. He wiped her tears and stroked the hair back from her face. “I made it back, safe and sound.”

He said it like it had never occurred to him that someone would be so pained by his loss. “You’ll never know the terror that went through me when I found out what happened to you,” she said. “I wanted to be the one by your side. I wanted to be there for you. You don’t have to shoulder all your burdens alone.”

“I’m sorry, Cat. I’m sorry for shutting you out.”

She worked on his belt buckle until finally he reached down and helped her undo it. He watched her—no, he
allowed
her to unzip his pants and pull them with his boxers down his legs, carefully navigating around his brace.

Although she did slow a bit admiring his cock, long and proud, and thought again what a beautiful man he was and how right it felt to be here with him.

She surprised him by starting at his calf, placing gentle kisses on the skin above his ankle, ignoring his protests. It was so like him not to want to be fussed over. “Now it’s your turn, okay?”

And she’d better stop crying. It had to be enough that she had him now, that after all his pain and conflict, he was here. She wanted to give him everything, all of herself, but she knew how reluctant he was. She wouldn’t demand more, but she would give him all she had.

He gave a wide grin. She reached up and pushed on his chest, forcing him to lie back and relax. She left a trail of kisses on his calf, fingered the Velcro-wrapped brace that caged in his scarred and battered knee. When she kissed his knee, he froze. “No, Cat, don’t,” he said.

She skirted the brace, knowing he didn’t want her to see his knee. Honest, terrible words rose to her throat but she bit them back. Words he would never accept, like
I love every part of you. I always have, and I always will.
“I treasure every part of you,” she said instead. “I’m so happy to be here with you. I’ve longed for this forever.” She kissed his inner thigh, then moved over to his cock. Grasping his length, she ran her hand up and down his shaft until he groaned with pleasure.

“You don’t have to—”

“Does this feel good?” She licked the tip, then put her mouth over him, taking in as much as she could until he gave a grunt of pleasure.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she said, using her hand to slide up and down his length and alternating with her mouth.

He lay still, his eyes riveted on her every move. Then strong arms pulled her up, up, until she was lying on top of him, her hands on his perfect chest.

“That felt so damn good, but it’s been way too long. I want to be inside you, Cat. Now.” He pulled himself up and struggled to reach over to a nightstand drawer. She leaned over and opened it, taking out a condom. “Thanks,” he said as he tore open the package and sheathed himself.

“My pleasure.” She said it glibly, teasingly, but she felt anything but as she straddled him, poising her body over his.

He never stopped looking at her with an intensity that nearly brought tears back to her eyes, but he didn’t speak. She wanted to tell him so many things. That she’d loved him for years, that she would do anything to stop his pain, that she’d dreamed of this very moment every night before she slept and every morning when she woke. But she didn’t want to spook him, didn’t want to pressure him to say more than he had. So she just decided to love him.

She bent low to kiss him, her hair falling around her face. He brushed it back, gazing deep into her eyes. “You’re the reason I survived that hellhole,” he said, cupping her face with his hands. “You made me laugh when there was nothing to laugh about. Thinking of you and how full of love and life you are made me want to stay alive and make it home. It’s always been you, Cat.”

She cried out his name as he filled her, her inner muscles taking his length, all of him as she trembled, as sensations and feelings overcame her and words and thoughts fled.

His kisses lit her on fire, stroke after deep stroke, his tongue possessing her mercilessly. His hands skimmed over her back and grabbed her ass as he moved his hips to their rhythm, and she clung to him, buried her face in his neck and held on while the waves of pleasure engulfed them.

They let loose together. As the world shattered around her, Cat clutched him hard, holding on to the hard smoothness of him, languishing in the soft warmth of his skin, his flesh-and-blood
realness
, and vowing that come hell or high water, she would never let him go.

Preston rolled them on their sides, wincing just a little as he tried to keep the weight off his braced leg. He held her close, stroking her hair and murmuring sweet things to her. She curled into his chest, against the fierce dragon she once regarded as something that needed to be slain, but now seemed more protector and defender, part of him that would always keep her secure and safe.

She lay there reveling in the feel of his arms wrapped around her, the scent of his soap mingling with the unique scent that was him and only him. Nothing had ever felt so right. After a while, she reached up to kiss him softly on the cheek, but his eyes were closed and his breathing had deepened and slowed. He wore a peaceful expression in sleep that was so different from his usual hypervigilance while awake. She stretched out against him and thanked her lucky stars that he was hers at last.