Tension radiated from him. “Not your fault.”
No, but his pain hurt her.
Thick gray clouds shifted across the sky, covering the sun. A handful of raindrops splattered on the windshield. The wipers created perfect arches on the glass.
They found a nearby motel to rent a room. A little run-down, but clean.
Once they got situated inside, Jorlan picked up the TV control and pushed buttons. “What does this do?”
Images flooded the small black screen. Old reruns of Baywatch.
“Not going to destroy the TV the way you destroyed my phone? Okay.”
If he heard her, he offered zero reaction. He was too busy getting comfortable on the bed, lying on his stomach, crossing his arms and resting his chin on his wrist.
Before Katie could relax as well, a little girl screamed, “That’s my hamburger.” Her high-pitched voice blasted through the walls.
Then, another girl shouted, “Mom, Carrie isn’t sharing.”
Soon, a sharp ache pounded in Katie’s temples.
“Want to go to the bar down the street?” she asked Jorlan.
He didn’t spare her a glance, just muttered, “Bar. Street.”
“Or we could stay in and have sex.” Half joke, half plea.
“Stay. Sex,” he echoed. Then he hissed air between his teeth and jerked his attention her way. “Yes. That. Let’s do that. After we wed.”
Her heart raced at warp speed as he stood and closed the distance. His sandalwood scent engulfed her, his body throwing off grenades of sexual heat. “Let’s have sex then discuss getting married.”
He thought for a moment. “That is…” He leaned down, letting his mouth hover over hers. “Acceptable.”
Her heart beat faster, harder as she rose to her tiptoes. Their lips met. Moaning, he swept his tongue against hers, the kiss hot and demanding right from the start.
As she wound her arms around him, he cupped her breasts and ground his erection between her legs. Pure ecstasy shot through her body.
“I want to see you,” he whispered. He tugged on the straps of her tank top.
“I want to see you, too.” She pulled his gray T-shirt from his jeans, and then…
“Mom. Momma. Mommy. Mom, mom, mom. Carrie took my shoes.” Once again, the little girl’s voice penetrated the walls. “Give those back, butthead. Mom! Make Carrie give me back my shoes.”
Breath ragged, Katie ended the kiss and pressed her brow against Jorlan’s. Her first time wasn’t going to be in a rented room, with the devil’s spawn complaining nearby. “About that bar…”
Weary sigh. “What is a bar?”
“A place where people drink and dance as foreplay.”
Electric blues lit up. “Aye. Let’s go.”
A ten-minute drive and they reached their destination. As they rushed through the parking lot, headed for the door, a crack of thunder boomed and the skies opened up, pouring rain. In seconds every inch of her was soaked.
Rather than running faster to escape the storm, she slowed and stopped. With a laugh, she spread her arms and spun. Jorlan paused to glance over his shoulder. As soon as he spotted her, he stilled and grinned. That grin shaved ten years off his appearance, not to mention ten thousand pounds of stress. For a moment, he looked so young and boyish, a man without cares, only pleasures. Her chest constricted, and for a moment, she saw stars.
The rain soaked him, too, and oh, wow. He didn’t just look young and carefree. He looked like a water god, and she shivered.
Mistakenly assuming she was cold, he backtracked, took her hand and lead her inside the building.
He shook out his hair, water droplets flinging in every direction, and she laughed again.
A growl rumbled from his chest. “No more laughing, woman, or I will have a hard-on all night.”
All innocence, she batted her lashes. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“It is. Earth drocs—pants—already strangle him.”
“Your penis is a him?” Now she howled.
Jorlan donned a stern expression for all of ten seconds, before chuckling.
In that moment, Katie realized a startling truth. At some point between freeing Jorlan from stone and agreeing to think about marrying him, he’d become her best friend. She liked him, trusted him and enjoyed him. He had her back, and she had his.
It had happened so fast, it must have been…fated. Like soul mates.
Fated. Soul mates. Meant to be. The words echoed inside her head, butterflies taking flight inside her stomach. Were they fated?
“Hey! Watch it,” a man said when her shoulder brushed his.
“Sorry,” she rushed out. She’d gotten so lost in her head, she hadn’t realized Jorlan had taken her hand and ushered her through the bar. Stay out of your head. Focus.
Jorlan released her and stood in front of the man, menace pouring off him. “You do not speak to ladies in such a manner. You do not speak to my lady in such a manner. Ever. Do it again, and I’ll hack you into little pieces to feed to your family and friends.”
The man paled, muttered, “Sorry, ma’am,” and hurried off.
“Ma’am? Why don’t you cut the heart you’ve broken out of my chest,” she called.
“You would like his heart?” Jorlan asked, vibrating with eagerness.
Her mother used to say, It’s the thought that counts, honey, anytime Katie had given her a piece-of-crap gift she’d made at school. If she believed the claim, Jorlan had just proven to be the sweetest man ever. But, uh, she’d have to be more careful about what she said. “Thank you, but no.” Though no one was smoking, the air contained a pungent trace of nicotine. Tumultuous rock music assaulted her ears as she and Jorlan meandered across a concrete floor in search of a table.
All around, bodies gyrated in time to the fast-paced beat. Jorlan did a double take, clearly shocked by the public displays of affection.
Finally, a booth opened up and they hurried to snag it.
“So. What do you think of an Earth bar?” Katie had to shout to be heard over the music.
He wrinkled his nose. “’Tis…interesting.”
Somehow, she subdued a grin. What a kind way of saying he hated it. “Stay here, and I’ll grab us a couple drinks.” Nonalcoholic for Jorlan.
He clasped her hand as she stood, then tugged, bringing her face down to his, the tips of their noses brushing together. “If any male asks you to dance, he forfeits his life.”
“You are so cute when you’re jealous.” She kissed his brow, and for some reason he flinched, then worked her way to the bar.
She purchased rum and Coke for herself and a 7Up for Jorlan. By the time she returned to the table, Jorlan had attracted a small crowd of admirers. Her fingers tightened on the glasses. They stood around him, blocking her way.
“—can’t believe I’m speaking with Mike Calman, the best lineman ever to play for the NFL. Will you sign this for me?”
Katie pushed her way closer just as a man slid a napkin Jorlan’s way.
At the name Mike Calman the rest of the audience twittered excitedly. An avid sports fan, Katie had watched Mike Calman lead his team to victory countless times, and she didn’t think Jorlan looked anything like the famed football star.
“Where’s your Super Bowl ring?”