The Taming (The Black Thunder Series) (17 page)

“You sure about this?” asked Felicia feeling a bit guilty passing off her son when he was injured.

“Its fine,” she smiled, as the boy laid his head against the softness of her chest. Kate carried the sobbing child into the house with Jack following on her heels.

“Is he okay?” he asked trying to catch up to her.

“He’ll be fine once we get the boo-boo fixed,” said Kate as she walked down the hall into the bathroom.

“I didn’t mean to trip him
.” Jack felt awful.

“It wasn’t your fault
. Henry was told to stop running. Are you okay, Jack?”

“I’m fine
.” Jack leaned against the bathroom door.

Kate set the boy on top of the bathroom counter and opened the medicine cabinet, retrieving a box of Scooby-Doo Band-Aids and antiseptic cream
. She wet a wash cloth and gently stroked the brush burn clean.

“It’s not that bad,
Henry,” said Kate as she dabbed the wet cloth against his knee.

“
It’s bweeding,” he said with ragged breaths.

“The bleeding has stopped, see
?” The boy looked down and smiled. Kate rubbed her nose against the child’s and gave him an Eskimo kiss. She then applied the cream to the scrape on his knee. “Now all it needs is a Band-Aid,” she said. “Which one do you want?” She handed the box to the boy and they searched its contents.

“You want Shaggy?” she asked
. “Or Scrappy-Doo?”

“No,” the boy said looking through the box
. “Where’s Scooby?”

“Right here,” said Kate, pulling out the pictured canine
. She placed it over his scrape. “There, all fixed!”  She tickled Henry on his belly.

The boy laughed and flung his arms around
her neck. “My Katie,” he squealed, hugging her tight.

“And you’re my
Henry.” She scrunched up her nose and laid little kisses all over his neck. “Now, sit up.” Henry did what he was instructed. Kate washed the dirt from the boy’s face, then she reached for a tissue and held it over his nose. “Ok, blow,” she instructed as the boy blew one good blow into the tissue. “That a boy!”  Kate smiled and lifted him off the counter and set him on his feet. She leaned against the counter and watched Henry squirm between Jack and the doorpost before disappearing down the hall.

“Crisis solved,” said Kate as she looked at Jack
.

Jack hung on the wall and watched the exchange between woman and child
. He couldn’t take his eyes from her, mesmerized by her sweet voice and gentle touch. He felt a warm sensation in his heart drawing him to her like a lost lamb finding its way home. He was almost wishing it was him who had been injured so Kate would spread her sunshine smile and tender care to him.

“God, you are the sexiest woman I have ever met,” he breathed, gazing into her Santa Cruz blues
.

“You’re crazy,” she laughed brushing off his compliment
.

“Crazy about you,” said Jack, as he moved through the door.

He needed to touch her, feel her all wrapped up in his arms, and kiss those sweet adorable lips. He was inches away from losing control when he heard an unfamiliar voice break the spell.

“Are you done using the bathroom?” A
bedraggled man asked as he clung to the door for support.

Jack shot h
im an irritated look. “Can’t you take a leak outside like a normal man?” He growled at the half sloshed sort.

“We’re done,”
she giggled, as she returned the box of Band-Aids to the medicine chest and went to leave. “It’s all yours.”

“Not so fast.” Jack barked his command as he scooped up Kate’s hand possessively in his
. “Come with me.”

Before
she had a chance to respond he escorted her from the bathroom, down the hall and into Clara’s bedroom. His strides were swift, as if he was tugging the toddler behind him instead of Kate. Jack pulled her into the bedroom then kicked the door closed.

“What is it about you that makes me want you so much?” he whispered as he cupped her face in his hands
.

Kate got lost in his deep green eyes as they penetrated hers
. His lips moved closer, lingering a soft touch to her own lips. So gentle his touch, as if he couldn’t be anything less than prayer-like as he worshipped the fullness of her pinked mouth. Kate’s eyes closed at the perfect time to join in synchronized harmony to Jack’s intimate act. It was the sweetest kiss she ever received.

She
felt his lips move away and her eyes fluttered opened the same time as his. Jack couldn’t breathe as he melted away in the richness of her baby blues. His heart grew warm again and all he could think about was holding her, covering her with his body so he could feel her against his heart and penetrate his core.

“Lay down,” he said motioning with his eyes for her to fall into the bed.

But Kate couldn’t move as she steadied herself against his arm. Jack lifted her off her feet and placed her into the middle of the plush mattress. He slid on top of her, covering her body with his flesh, trapping her with his strong muscular frame. He entwined his legs around hers and grabbed her hands lifting them over her head burying her beneath him. Jack lowered his head and lost himself in the softness and fragrance of her hair, its scent permeating his senses.

“What are you doing?” whispered Kate, feeling like a caterpillar wrapped in this man’s cocoon.

“Be quiet and just let me feel you beneath me,” he whispered hoarsely in her ear.

She
didn’t utter another word as she closed her eyes and got lost in his intense display of affection. Nothing Jack McBride did was done in a small way, he even cuddled largely as she felt him consume her energy, taking it and wrapping it with his own. She felt satiated lying beneath this man that was stripping her of her identity and binding her to him. Never in all her life did she feel so utterly claimed as a woman. It was trance-like, and she could not help but fall under his spell.

“What are you doing to me, Kate?” He whispered in her ear until it tingled
. “I have half a mind to take you and fill you with so many babies it isn’t funny.”

“Jack, no.”
Her eyes darted open.

“It was an expression of speech baby.” He lifted his head and smiled as his dark
greens penetrated her blues. “I don’t want our first time here on Clara’s bed. For now all I want to do is kiss you.”

Jack saw the sweetness of her pink lips and lowered his mouth to hers
. There was no roughness in his kiss again, only longing of touching and feeling of a soul’s tender kiss. Kate felt herself melting away as he brushed her fleshy skin with his, his tongue probing in her mouth like a lover’s dream.

It was a strange and unusual feeling for Jack to be content to lie with a woman beneath him
. This thing he was feeling was more powerful than his need to be inside her. It was as if taking it beyond what it was now would somehow cheapen the experience.

They were so consumed by each other that neither Jack nor Kate heard the bedroom door open.

“Oh, sorry,” said the familiar male voice. “I didn’t know anyone was in here.”

Jack looked over his shoulder at the same time Kate lifted her head
. She cringed when she saw Ethan staring at them. He mumbled something under his breath and stepped backward out of the room. The enchantment broke apart when the door banged closed.

“Great,” exclaimed Kate as she flopped her head back down on the bed.

“Well, that was awkward,” laughed Jack.

“It’s all your fault,” she pouted
. “Now Ethan thinks I’m like one your girls.”

“You are my girl, baby,” he teased her as he nipped at her neck.

“Come on Jack, we need to get out of here before he tells Felicia and Felicia tells Clara.” She tried to push him away, but Jack held firm to her.

“I’m not done with you yet, my naughty thong-wearing girl,” he said with a mischievous grin
. “Did you wear them for me?”

“No,” said Kate, but her eyes told him otherwise.

“You’re lying to me again, baby,” he said as he pressed her back into the mattress.

Once more he slid his hand along her smooth thigh and up under her dress, tugging at the thin strap at her hip
. Kate felt her breath catch as he glided his hand along the thin line, lifting her bottom and caressing her ripe cheek with his palm.

“You know what I want, Kate,” he said in a hypnotic, seductive tone
. “I want another kiss before I let you go.”

“So what’s stopping you?” She barely got the words out as her heart started to race just thinking about his lips again.

“No, this time I want you to kiss me,” he stated. “And make it good baby ‘cause it has to last me for a while since I can’t grope you at the party. Wouldn’t want anyone thinking I’ve soiled your reputation.”

“Oh, you are sly,” Kate shook her head and laughed
. “Pucker up baby, because I’m only going to do this once.”

Jack saw a flicker of heat dance in her baby blues
. He hadn’t really expected her to accept the challenge. She rolled a surprised Jack onto his back and sat on top of him. Kate placed her hands in his and lifted them over his head; sunshine locks fell on his cheeks.

She licked her bottom lip like she was warming up for the event then she leaned down and brushed her lips like a feather tickling his fleshy mouth
. With long and slow movements she parted his mouth and slid her tongue inside, lingering seduction for him to join her. Jack lifted his head wanting to feel her harder on his mouth, but she pulled back.

“Oh, no baby,” she whistled against his teeth
. “This is my kiss, don’t be greedy.”

Jack went to speak, but Kate had other ideas
. She slammed her mouth hard on his and took from him what he always took from her. She ignited his passions as she probed him with her tongue, tasting every part of his mouth and causing his stomach to have deep ripples of pure excruciating pleasure.

In one swift act she rendered him powerless as she continued her luscious attack on his lips
. She felt him actually swoon as his hands went limp in hers and he groaned a virile masculine moan in her mouth. Now satisfied, Kate ended the kiss. She sat up and rubbed her lips with her finger.

“That should hold you for a while,”
she said in a triumphant smile as she slid from him and stood. “I’ll meet you outside for the fireworks.”

Jack couldn’t move as he laid there speechless
. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect this—to be so thoroughly kissed he couldn’t think straight. He said nothing when Kate opened the door and left the room.

Jack sat up on his elbows with an intoxicating grin planted on his face
. She had turned the tables on him and he was totally hooked. He stood from the bed and left the room relishing in the sexual buzz lingering in his belly. He entered the kitchen and almost ran right into Adam.

“Hey, what’s up with you?” he asked, seeing Jack look a little dazed
. “You want a beer?”

“No,” said Jack as he followed the invisible line of her scent, like a lost puppy and left Adam alone in the kitchen.

Adam watched Jack float across the patio like a shadow looking for its owner as he honed in on Kate and stood behind her. He grabbed two beers from the fridge and walked out onto the patio striding up alongside his friend.

“Here,” said Adam as he placed the beer in Jack’s hand in order to occupy it away from the back of Kate’s sundress
. “Don’t let Clara see you do that or she will be all over you.”

“Huh
?” Jack looked at his friend and felt the buzz begin to fade. “Oh, yeah, right.”

“Oh man, Jack,” said Adam as he placed his hand on his friend’s back and led him away from Kate
. “You are way too tripped out on her, my friend.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Jack reigning in his manhood though he glanced back one last time to look at her sweet bottom
. “There’s nothing between me and Kate.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” laughed Adam as they walked to the edge of the patio and sat along the paved wall
. “’Cause if my wife gets wind of you and Kate hooking up for a night, she’ll have your hide, and then mine.”

Jack took a sip of his beer and ran his fingers along its edge
. He wasn’t the kind of man to kiss and tell. As a matter of fact he wasn’t the kind of man who liked to talk at all, but his mind was racing with all kinds of thoughts about Kate and he didn’t know what to do with them.

“What if I was thinking about hooking up with her for more than one night
?” Jack looked at the bottle of beer and picked at its label.

“I’d have to ask if you were drunk or on something,” laughed Adam.

“No, I’m serious. I mean, what if it went longer than that?”

“How much longer are we talking about?” asked Adam a bit surprised by his friend’s confession
. “Two nights, a week, a month?”