“I was just trying to look out for you.”
Kay’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “Look out for me?” She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands clenching into fists. “You embarrassed me! Not only were you completely rude to Mara’s friend, but you humiliated me. Did you really need to tell the entire restaurant that I saw you naked? If I wasn’t sure I’d hurt my hand again, I would punch you for that. Maybe you don’t care what anyone thinks, but I do.”
Eli felt the first stirrings of true remorse. Hurting Kay had never been his intention. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have said that, but I was just trying to protect you. That guy… he was just trying to get in your panties.”
Kay looked like she was fighting for control. “Did it not occur to you that maybe I wanted him to get in my panties? Hmm? That’s usually why people go on dates, isn’t it?”
Eli stood and wandered over to the kitchen. He couldn’t look at her just then. Not when she was talking about making it with some other guy. He shoved his hands in his pockets to prevent him from breaking something. “So that’s what you want? Some guy who just wants to get his rocks off?”
Kay stood and walked over to him. He backed up until he was leaning against the coun
ter. She was so close she almost stepped on his foot. He realized then that her feet were bare. It was such an odd thing to notice in the midst of an argument, but somehow it bothered Eli that she looked so vulnerable when he really wanted to pick her up and shake some sense into her.
“I want someone who wants to get off with me. Someone who likes me.” She took a deep breath and he could see her fighting for control. “I don’t need you to protect me all the time, Eli. I know what I’m doing.”
“What about when you kissed me at Christmas? Did you know what you were doing then?” Eli tensed as her gaze slid downward, her eyes eating up the view of him, lingering on his lips, then his neck, then lower.
She let out a soft sigh and then glanced up at him from beneath her lashes. “I did. Just like I know what I’m doing right now,” she whispered.
“Do you really, angel? Because I sure as hell don’t.” Eli grabbed her, his hand sliding up into the soft curls at the base of her neck. She made a soft murmur of protest at the contact, but then she melted against him. It set off every dominant instinct he had when she collapsed against him. Nothing could have stopped him from scooping her up and setting her gently on the counter. He pushed forward, parting her knees, making room for himself between her thighs.
She went rigid as a board when he pressed forward. Her eyelids fluttered shut and her head tilted back. Eli tugged her closer so his lips could explore the soft skin of her throat. She was so soft, he thought, and absolutely perfect. He rained kisses along the skin leading to her collarbone, lost in the scent of her skin.
There was a roar in his blood, to take her, lay her out on the counter, and spend the rest of the night exploring her from the inside out. But she wasn’t ready for the things he’d require, would in fact be shocked or even frightened by the things he wanted to do to her.
“Kay… We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Yes,” she breathed, too far gone to hear him, the perfect weights of her breasts rising and falling with her frantic breaths. Her hands came up, settling gently on his shoulders before skimming over his head.
Eli’s fingers clenched against her thighs at her touch. The sensation of her fingertips dragging over his bare scalp was almost orgasmic. His control snapped and he tugged her up, supporting her with a strong hand in the center of her back.
He took her mouth gently at first, just a soft press of their lips before he took her deeper, sealing his mouth over hers. She cried out, but the sound was swallowed up between them. Then her fingers tightened against his skin as she finally, finally, opened her mouth.
She accepted the first stroke of his tongue with a breathy little sigh. The sound wrought something in him, an emotion he couldn’t define. It was like something awakening, something that wanted to own that sound so she’d only make it for him. Tentative and unsure, she seemed to have no idea what to do with her tongue. It was obvious to Eli that Kay hadn’t had many lovers. A rush of satisfaction went through him at the thought.
She gripped his biceps and held on as he coaxed her tongue into his mouth. Before long, her legs were crossed behind his back, and he was snugged up right next to her core, rubbing tight circles in rhythm with the sensual thrusts of their tongues.
“Oh, I can’t breathe,” Kay panted. She arched her back, the move pushing her breasts right up in his face. With any other woman, he would have thought the move was deliberate, but Kay had no idea how desirable she was. He growled and buried his face in all her lush softness. A shot of arousal zinged through him, making him still his movements. If he didn’t slow things down, he’d end up taking her on the kitchen counter. She deserved soft sheets, not a quick tumble on a tabletop.
There was a loud crash behind them and they jumped apart. Kay’s eyes were dazed but cleared quickly.
“Hope,” she whispered. She hopped down from the counter and Eli followed on her heels as she dashed down the hallway. She opened the door to the baby’s room. Eli slipped inside behind her, blinking quickly so his eyes would adjust to the dim interior of the room.
Hope stood on tiptoe, peering over the railing of her crib. “Mess, Mama! Make a mess!” She pointed across the room. Her purple teething ring was lying in front of the dresser along with several picture frames.
Relief swept through him when he saw that she was unharmed. Despite the bad timing, Eli couldn’t help but be amused. “She’s got a good arm.”
Kay picked up the teething ring with an indulgent smile. She left the room and came back a few minutes later, wiping it down with a paper towel.
“I had to wash it off just in case there was any glass on it.” She gave it back to Hope, who promptly stuck the end back in her mouth. The broken pieces of the picture frames were deposited in the waste bin.
“That’ll do it for now. I’ll vacuum tomorrow.”
Eli left the room so she could soothe the baby back to sleep. He walked back to the kitchen and planted his hands on the counter. The salt and pepper shakers were overturned, and there was a dish towel on the floor. He picked it up and cleaned up the counter. Now that his blood pressure had normalized, he was glad they’d been interrupted. His behavior that evening had been borne of jealousy, but it hadn’t been in Kay’s best interest.
She wanted to find Mr. Right and settle down. Kay deserved that life. She was an amazing mother and she deserved someone who could give her the life she was meant for. Eventually she would find that guy. A nice, normal guy with a sense of humor and a nine-to-five. Not an antisocial workaholic with a shady past. He wanted that for her, even if the thought of it was like swallowing knives.
If he wanted to do what was best for Kay, he’d leave her alone.