Chapter Eleven

Kate snuggled into Cash’s shoulder and gazed into his face.

Incredible. Amazing. Extraordinary. She could go on forever, but chose to plant a soft kiss on his bicep.

“I can sense you’re looking at me, sweetheart, but I don’t have a clue what you’re thinking.” The backs of his fingers drew lazy trails up and down her spine. “You good?”

She ran her hand across his ridged abdomen. “Umm. More than good. Blissed out. You?”

He shot her an incredulous look. “You have to ask? I’m a guy, and I just had the hottest sex of my life. And, lady, keep touching me like that, and I’ll bliss you out again.” Catching her wandering hands, he pressed them firmly over his heart.

She giggled. “Threats.”

“Promises, sweetheart, promises. You doubting me?” He turned to face her, found her hair, and smoothed it back from her damp face.

“Not after tonight. You were…”

“Hot?” he interrupted.

“Definitely hot,” she gave him.

“Spectacular?” he insisted with a grin.

Kate lifted her chin and kissed him tenderly on the jaw.

“Most definitely spectacular. More than amazing. Phenomenal. Astounding.”

“Sass. After that spectacular, amazing, phenomenal, astounding loving, the woman is giving me sass.” Grinning, he rolled her until she straddled him, her uber-sensitive parts planted on his package. Her eyes went to half-mast as she wiggled, causing him to groan.

“I need a minute, sweetheart.” He grinned up at her.

Kate smiled, ran her fingernails over his damp scalp, and got an appreciative, “Umm,” in return.

“In case you wondered, this isn’t a one-time thing,” he stated, catching the tips of her fingers in his teeth and gently biting before releasing them.

“Definitely not.” She bent, tracing his lips with the tip of her tongue until he gave her what she wanted.

Cash shifted, his hands lightly exploring her face, “seeing” her. “You have a happy expression on your face, sweetheart. Glad to be the one who put it there.”

Kate tightened her arms around his shoulders as emotion overcame her. Pressing her head at his throat, she held him while tears leaked slowly from her eyes.

“Hey…what’s this? You’re crying?” he asked.

She nodded, burying her face in his neck. “What you’ve given me, I never thought to have again. To have this connection with a man, romance, sex… I thought it was over for me. That I’d never find a man who could accept me the way I am. And now, this…you… Happy isn’t a strong enough word. I feel restored. Like myself again. Like a woman again. I don’t know how to thank you.”

“I can think of a way—or two,” he offered.

His fingers on her lips, she smiled and lifted to kiss him. “What are you waiting for?”

Mouth to mouth, lips to lips, the kiss grew heated, and again Kate was lost. She heard tearing plastic, the pause as he protected both of them; her heart raced, skin tingled, blood rushed to her head as his body moved over hers, and he entered. Her body sensitized from his lovemaking, she gasped as he filled her, and they moved as one once more. Racing. Pounding. Climbing before spinning out of control. Out of time and space, into oblivion, until they were finally replete.

Coming down slowly, gliding to a stop, Cash shuddered in her arms. “Too much?” he asked when he could speak.

“Not too much. Never too much. Suzanna…”

“Will be fine with us. We’ll talk later, but now, I’m hungry—for you. Let me in, Kate.”

She smiled against his mouth. “Best I can tell, you’re already in.” Joyful. Teasing, and totally turned on.

“Not what I mean, sweetheart. Keep your eye on the prize. Follow my lead.”

With his lovemaking, he proved he thought her all woman—all beautiful, all his.

Kate let him in—all the way.

****

Sometime during the night, Cash left her. He wouldn’t want to leave Suzanna alone all night. He was a good dad. A good man. Rolling her feet to the floor in the morning, Kate felt aches in lots of places that hadn’t ached in a long, long time. Womanly aches. Good aches. Gingerly walking to the bathroom, she took care of business, brushed her teeth, and turned the shower to scald.

She relaxed while the hot water pounded her muscles and ran over her breasts. Cash hadn’t run screaming from her bed—far from it. True, he couldn’t see, but his well-trained fingers hadn’t shied away from touching her, and doing everything possible to enhance her pleasure. It wasn’t over for her, after all. At least, not with him.

Leading her to wonder what this was, what it meant. It didn’t feel like a one-night stand, and his comments sounded like those of a man who wanted more.

More what? God, she’d been out of the game for too long. She didn’t know what anything meant any more.

More sex, certainly. But beyond that? More of a neighborly friendship-with-benefits type of thing? He didn’t seem the type. Last night had felt like more. A lot more.

Having slept a little late—busy night, she thought with a grin—she called her assistant at the foundation, letting her know she’d be in by nine, dressed, grabbed her keys and purse. When she opened the door, she almost tripped on something.

At her feet was a huge arrangement of white roses in a hand-painted bowl. A plastic thingy stuck up in the middle held a card. Surely Cash hadn’t had time to order these. Didn’t seem like him, anyway. They were way over the top.

Heavy, too, she thought as she grunted with the weight. The flowers encompassed almost the entire surface of her coffee table as she set the bowl down, but she had to admit, they were beautiful.

Plucking the card, she turned it over. I still love you. Give me another chance…Clark.

No, no, no. Her heart stopped. Fear spread all over her, and she broke out in a damp sweat. Kate was barely coming down from a sensual high from a night with Cash, and now this?

She dropped it to the floor as if it was a flame that hissed out and scorched her.

What the heck? It was long over with Clark. After what he’d done, after all this time? Another chance? Was he out of his ever-loving mind? She’d sooner make a date with the devil than give him another opportunity to lie and cheat and stab her in the heart.

Looking back, why had he stayed at all? He hadn’t really loved her—never really loved her. He couldn’t have. Not the way he’d dumped her and run.

After they were over, Gigi had met a woman who knew Clark and had been seeing him for over six months—the six months of her chemo and radiation. Faithless man. Liar. And all that while she’d been believing in him and relying on him. Such a fool. Pathetic.

Kate turned her back on the sweet-smelling flowers and headed out the door. There were better things to do than give Clark Burgess one more minute of her time or energy. He wasn’t worth either.

She called Gigi when she got to work. “Got a minute? I need to talk.”

“Yeah, sure. Something wrong?”

“You’re not going to believe this. Just as I was leaving this morning, there was a huge arrangement of white roses in the hall next to my door.”

“You go, girl. The guy from last week? The cute one? Mr. Sunglasses?” Gigi enthused.

“No. Gigi. You’re not listening. White roses… They were from Clark.” White roses were his signature.

A weighted silence filled the moment.

“That two-timing, low-life, Satan’s spawn, son of a bitch, Clark Burgess?” Gigi loudly let loose.

“Geez, Gigi. Language. But, yeah.” She told her what the card said and rolled her eyes in disgust.

“I don’t believe him,” her friend ranted. “Please tell me you threw the flowers in the dumpster and ripped up the card.”

“I should have—it was just so surreal. Took me by surprise. I happened to see him at lunch last week, just as I was leaving with a client. He was extremely rude to the man, kept trying to—I don’t know—cut me from the herd, I guess you’d say. Wanted to call me, get together. He even apologized and said he’d made a mistake.”

“Mistake, my ass. One day he’s Mr. Wonderful, the next he’s out the door? Then to find out he cheated while you were fighting for your life? Sick. Sick. Sick. The man’s a narcissistic liar. I don’t like this, Kate. Does Clark not get that what he did was wrong?” Gigi ranted.

“Evidently not.”

“Do I even have to ask if you’re giving his request consideration?” her friend asked, livid.

“That’s a definite no. Especially after last night.” Oops. Shouldn’t have let that slip.

“Last night?” Of course, Gigi picked up on it right away. She was as loyal a friend as she’d ever find, but discreet wasn’t in her vocabulary. If Gigi knew; the entire world knew. “What happened last night? OMG. You had a date. With who? The guy from the bar? Mr. Sunglasses? Was it wonderful? Do you like him? Of course you do. He was hot.”

Kate pulled the phone away from her ear. Was she even necessary to this conversation?

“Too many questions to answer right now. The short answer is yes, yes, and yes. Just wanted you to know about Clark. I need your take—on everything. We’ll talk later, okay? Right now, I need to go. I have tons to do today.” And she wanted to process every second of last night before she shared with her best friends. Before she decided what to share with her best friends.

“Oh, no. You don’t get to throw out a remark like that and leave me hanging. I’m calling Ellie. Tonight after work. The Tavern. Dinner and drinks on me. That is, unless you have plans with Mr. Last Night. Please, Kate, please…just tell me if it’s Mr. Sunglasses.”

She smiled into the phone. “Yeah. Mr. Last Night is one and the same as Mr. Sunglasses.”

“Ooh, I can hear that tone. The tone that says you really like him. Haven’t heard that in way too long. If I know you, you’re going to rehash everything, second guess every word, so I’ll leave you to it. Tonight, Kate. Don’t be late. We’ll want details…this is so great—our girl is finally getting some.”

Kate laughed as she tossed aside her cell.

Ten minutes later, Ellie called. “I’m so excited for you. How was it? Is he as nice as he looks?”

“Tonight. Give me until tonight, okay?” She laughed and leaned back in her chair. “But I’ll give you this much. The answer to your question is yes, he’s every bit as nice as he looks. No. More.”

Ellie groaned over the phone. “Oh, my. Every detail, do you hear? Every word, every action… You did get some action, didn’t you? Gigi said you did.”

Big silence.

Ellie chortled. “Oh, oh, my. My girl got kissed?”

Again, big silence.

Ellie whooped. “My girl got her some hot man last night.”

“Shush, Ellie. Everybody in your office and mine will hear. We’ll talk tonight. See you then.” Kate punched the red end-call button on her phone and grinned.

Her cell rang again. She’d never get any work done at this rate.

Clark’s number came up on the screen.

Ugh. Probably wanting to know if she got the flowers. As if she could have missed them. He always was one for grand gestures. Even when he abandoned her—quite the drama.

She ignored the call, and five minutes later he called again. Then again and again. Finally, she hit the green button. “Clark, you do not get to call and interrupt my day.”

“Baby, it’s good to hear your voice.” He ignored her bad humor. “Did you get the roses? I know how you love the white ones.”

Really? She hated white roses, and he very well knew that. Not wanting to draw out the conversation, she ignored a possible argument. “Yes, Clark, I got the roses. Don’t send me flowers. Don’t call me. Don’t come to my home, and please, do leave me the hell alone.”

“You don’t mean that. You’re just hurt, and I don’t blame you, baby. I acted like a shit. But I’ve missed you so much. I didn’t realize how important you were to me until it was too late. I’ve been meaning to call you, and then when we bumped into each other… Come on, can’t we get together and talk this through? I’m prepared to grovel. I’ll do anything you want—just give me another chance.”

“No, Clark. I’ve moved on.”

“That guy isn’t you. He’s all muscle and brawn. He couldn’t mean what I meant to you. What we meant together.”

“Past tense, Clark. Meant. As in over, done, finished.”

“I don’t want a life without you, Kate. I screwed up, and I regret it more than you will ever know. I learned my lesson, and I want you back. I’m not giving up on us. You’re still angry, and I don’t blame you. Sorry my call and the flowers upset you. Wasn’t my intention. Just give it some thought. We meant a lot to each other once, and it could be like that again.”

“Clark…” she began.

“Think about it, promise me, and I’ll call you in a few days. I still love you, Kate—I never stopped.”

Clueless man. Totally ignored her feelings or anything she had to say. She’d been blinded by her dependence on him when they were together, and her belief in their mutual love. But her eyes were open now. His definition of love and hers were totally different.

Turning to the papers on her desk, she tried to block Clark Burgess from her mind. She wanted to give all her attention to a dinner party the foundation planned for next month. A small, elite group of movers and shakers in the community who would be invaluable in convincing the business moguls and entrepreneurs to put their name and money behind the scholarship trust Stars of Hope had established. What she needed was something small and intimate, yet impressive. Perhaps a celebrity appearance, sports figure, something unique as a draw. Good food, wine, an elegant venue that would appeal to their egos and, hopefully, their civic-mindedness.

Taking a notepad, she scribbled a few names and a reminder to ask Cash for his list of potential recipients.

She smiled just thinking about him. Would he have any idea what last night meant to her? As a breast cancer survivor? As a woman? As just plain Kate?

Of all the men on earth, he was probably the one who would. And thank God for that…for him. She’d prayed that somewhere out there was a man who would come into her life and love her, flaws and all.

Enter the Montgomery family. Making her think. Making her feel. Bringing her out of her shell.

Making life matter again.