‘I know how my aunt feels about my father and his money—because I feel the same way,’ he said. ‘All my life he interfered with my choices, tried to control me in every way. By the time I was grown up I had to get out—be my own man. I built my business up myself from scratch. I never took a single cent of his money.’
‘That’s amazing,’ Kerry said simply. ‘Lucas will be so proud that you are his father.’
Theo turned and looked down at her, feeling an unexpected ripple of emotion spread through him at her words. She had touched on a sensitive and deeply felt desire within him—that he would share the kind of relationship with his son that he had never experienced with his own father.
He wanted Lucas to grow up to love him and be proud of him. And Kerry’s vote of confidence meant more to him that he would have guessed.
Her face was tilted up towards his, and she was gazing into his eyes with an open expression that took him back to a time when things had been simple between them. When they’d always seemed to be in perfect accord.
The last rays of the setting sun bathed her skin with golden light and her hair shone like satin.
‘You look beautiful,’ he murmured, lifting his hands to cup her face tenderly. Then he bent forward and touched his lips to hers in the lightest of kisses.
He felt a sigh of delight escape her and deepened his kiss, easing his body closer to hers and letting his hands slide into her soft silken hair. He saw her eyelids glide down and he closed his own eyes, giving himself over to the pure sensual pleasure of kissing Kerry.
Her lips were soft and yielding beneath his, and he felt her tongue lift tentatively to caress his. A rush of red-hot desire stormed through him, setting his heart thumping and the blood surging through his veins.
He needed to make love to her—right now. And this time he knew that nothing was going to stop him.
In one fluid movement he swept her up into his arms and carried her back into the house.
CHAPTER NINE
THEO strode across the hallway, carrying Kerry towards the staircase. She was as light as a feather in his arms, and felt as sexy as hell curled against his body, with one arm wrapped sensuously around his shoulder and her other hand stroking his chest.
His heart was pounding powerfully beneath her fingers and his ardour was making him feel unstoppable. He wanted to bound up the stairs to the bedroom—but at the same time he wanted the moment to last.
It felt so good to be taking Kerry to his bed, and somehow it reminded him of the first night they’d ever made love. It had been her very first time, but she’d given herself to him freely. The pure and gentle way she’d offered him her body had touched him deeply, and had made their lovemaking a thing of beauty. It felt the same way now—as if all the mistrust and anger they had been feeling towards each other was forgotten for the moment. Their desire was uncomplicated and entirely mutual.
He paused at the foot of the stairs and looked into her wide blue eyes. Her long fringe had fallen back, away from her face, and he saw that her brow was clear and smooth. She was giving herself completely to the moment—she wanted this as much as he did.
Another surge of desire crashed through him and he bent his head to kiss her again. She reacted instantly, parting her lips to welcome his tongue into her mouth, and pulling herself up to meet him with her arms linked behind his neck.
He kissed her fiercely, revelling in the fervency of her response. She was clinging to him passionately, arching her back and thrusting her breasts against his chest. He heard her moan and felt her trembling—and he knew it was time to get to the privacy of the bedroom. Or he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from making love to her right there in the hall.
He took the stairs two at a time and strode into the bedroom, kicking the door shut with his foot. For a moment his eyes settled on the king-sized bed across the room. Ever since Kerry had left the bedroom had seemed empty and cold. But now he had brought her back, to make this room into a place of vibrancy and life. A place of hot, hard passion.
He felt her flex impatiently in his arms, asking with her body to be put down. Then she was standing face to face with him—only inches away, but far enough so that he could look down into her lovely face.
He could see that her colour was high, her breathing was rapid and her blue eyes were almost black with the power of her desire for him. His own body was throbbing with his need, and he pulled her roughly towards him once more, plundering her mouth with his and letting his hands run wild over her supple body. What had started with a gentle kiss in the glow of the sunset had rapidly accelerated into a vortex of unbridled passion. He couldn’t stop now even if he wanted to.
Kerry gasped for breath and pulled back from Theo’s kiss, staring up into his flushed face through a haze of feverish excitement. Her entire body was trembling, yearning for him to make love to her. She could tell how much he wanted her, and that knowledge had unleashed an answering torrent of desire within her.
When he’d swept her up the stairs and into the bedroom she’d felt like a new bride being carried over the threshold. At the back of her mind she knew that things weren’t like that. But she pushed those thoughts aside and gave in to the sheer happiness of being back in Theo’s arms.
It was so long since they’d made love that she almost felt like a virgin again. All her memories of how wonderful it had been seemed too good to be true, as if they were simply wild fantasies. But now she was going to experience Theo’s physical love once more.
‘You look so good,’ Theo said, letting his eyes roam over her as she stood in front of him, wearing a backless dress that skimmed over her curves.
His words sent a wave of confidence running through her, and she reached up to unfasten the halterneck. The fine midnight-blue fabric slipped through her fingers, and a moment later the garment was pooled in a circle around her feet.
‘Now you look even better.’
From the way his deep voice caught in his throat, Kerry knew that he liked what he saw. Feeling even bolder, she walked towards him in her high-heeled sandals, just wearing a lacy bra and matching French knickers.
‘You are wearing too many clothes,’ she said huskily, pulling his T-shirt up and over his head. As his bronzed torso came into view she sucked in a shuddering breath of pure appreciation. He was mouth-wateringly well formed, with perfect satiny skin that made her want to lean forward and run her tongue across his muscled chest, to put her face as close as possible to his beating heart.
She stared at him, feeling her breathing growing faster again. Rampant desire was rushing through her, and suddenly she needed to feel his hands on her again.