He was waiting for her at the bottom of the escalator. Kate spotted him standing off to the side, and when she walked up to him, his face lit up.
That smile, the one that was just for her, made her heart skip a beat.
He pulled her into his arms and lifted her clear off the floor.
Kate grinned. “You’re unbelievable.”
The look of longing that had been on his face the last time she saw him was back. “I couldn’t wait another day, Kate. I just couldn’t.”
She put her arms around his waist and kissed him. His mouth was soft and warm, and it was all she could do to keep from devouring him right there in the airport.
“I’m glad you’re back,” he whispered, their foreheads touching.
“Me too.”
“Unfortunately your suitcase did not make it home. I’ve already spoken to someone, and they’ll deliver it tomorrow.”
“You think of everything, don’t you?”
“Always.”
As they started to walk, he reached for her hand and interlocked their fingers. The hand-holding seemed more significant than any of the kisses they’d shared. It was intimate, possessive. Like he’d claimed her in some way. He didn’t let go of her hand until they reached the car and he opened the passenger door. Kate was fairly certain Ian would be staying the night, and her hunch was confirmed when he parked the Escalade in the lot behind her building and reached into the back seat for his laptop and a small overnight bag. Kate was already filled with anticipation and couldn’t wait to feel Ian’s arms around her.
“I’m going to take a quick shower,” Kate said after she unlocked the door and set her purse on the coffee table. “There’s beer in the fridge if you’d like one.”
“Do you want anything?”
“No thanks. I had two glasses of wine on the plane. They took excellent care of me in first class.”
“As they should,” Ian said.
He went into the kitchen to get the beer, and Kate headed for the bathroom. After piling her hair on top of her head, she ducked under the spray and soaped herself quickly. Then she dried off, brushed her teeth, dressed, and wrapped herself in her robe.
She couldn’t wait to kiss Ian.
She couldn’t wait to touch Ian.
She couldn’t wait to do everything with Ian.
When she came out of the bathroom, he was lying on her bed with his shoes off, drinking the beer. The only light in the room came from the small lamp on Kate’s nightstand.
“I made myself comfortable.”
Kate smiled. “You always do.”
She walked over to the bed, and Ian sat up and swung his legs over the side so that Kate was standing between them. He grabbed the sash of her robe and pulled her closer. Kate thought he might ease her down onto the bed or kiss her, but what he did instead was untie her robe and remove it. His expression was one of raw desire as he stared at Kate in the black babydoll nightie. It had a flyaway front that exposed most of her torso, and Ian leaned forward and kissed her right below the center tie that held it together, pressing his palms flat against the expanse of bare skin.
“You look stunning in it,” he said, his voice low. “I knew you would.” He slowly untied the nightie as if Kate were a present he was unwrapping. Then he slipped the straps off her shoulders so that she was standing in front of him in only the thong.
He seemed in no hurry to pull her down onto the bed, maybe because he was at eye level with her breasts. Her suspicions were confirmed when he stroked her nipples with his thumbs. When he put his hands on her waist to bring her closer so that he could circle her nipples with his tongue, Kate’s legs got wobbly. She rested her hands on his shoulders and watched him, sighing when he began to suck.