He was excusing her error, trying to lighten her sense of guilt, being kind. Her mind writhed over his kindness, knowing she should appreciate it but hating it. Hating it because brutal honesty would have been infinitely preferable. It would have told her he was feeling more for her than kindness.
'I glossed over things,' she muttered. It was what Mitch was doing now.
For her sake. Wanting her to feel better.
'Don't we all gloss over things to keep relationships going?' He shook his head. 'Don't be so hard on yourself. Be glad that you're out of it. I think you're well rid of him.'
'No doubt about that,' she said with a mountain of feeling. 'Good! Then don't give him any more space in your thoughts.'
A derisive little laugh gurgled from her throat. 'That's not so easy.' He hitched himself forward on the armchair, a pained look on his face, his eyes blazing with some strong emotion—anger, annoyance, frustration? 'Kathryn…don't fret over this. He's not worth any more of your time.'
His voice was forceful, vibrant with the power of all the dynamic energy that emanated from him. 'And your value is not diminished because his golden image is in tatters,' he went on. 'You're a very desirable woman.'
'Am I?' Her own frustration welled up. She hurled the quilt aside, not wanting to feel she was Jeremy's victim. Not wanting to be treated like it, either, her hurt soothed by the one man she did want. Her feet swung to the floor and she stood up, bristling with the need to sweep aside all this soothing and face up to the real truth. She flung out her hands in sheer exasperation, appealing for straight honesty. 'Am I desirable to you?'
The words spilled from her agonised uncertainty. They weren't meant to be a challenge. But they put him so blatantly on the spot, acute embarrassment flooded through her with painful heat. She saw the shock on his face. Then he surged off the armchair so fast her vision blurred, and the next thing she knew, his arms were around her, drawing her hard against him—a distance-shattering impact that left her no room to back-pedal.
'You want to know how intensely desirable I find you?' he challenged, his chest heaving against her breasts, his eyes searing hers with a desire so raw it took her breath away. 'I'm barely holding onto restraint, Kathryn.
Barely holding on. I realize you're not ready for…'
'Not…ready?' she repeated incredulously. Everything within her was responding chaotically to this physical contact with him. It felt as though she'd been waiting her whole life to be held by Mitch Tyler, and to suddenly learn he'd been wanting her all along completely blew Kathryn's mind. Her inner angst tumbled out. 'I thought because of your connection to Ric and the business with Lara…both of us being at a loose end… I thought you were being kind to me.'
'Kind?' The word exploded from him as though he violently hated it. He sucked in a quick breath. His black brows beetled down. 'Is that what you want from me? No more than kindness? A friend in need?'
'No…no…' A wild recklessness whirled through the dizzy realization that there was far more than friendly caring coming from him. Her hands moved from his broad shoulders, linking behind his neck. 'I want to experience all of you, Mitch Tyler.'
There! It was said.
And she didn't care that it had been said. It was true.
Mitch's heart was pounding in his ears. Had he imagined what he needed to hear? Her mouth was still slightly parted, tempting him, inviting him. She'd put her arms around his neck. She had to be willing…ready…wanting…
He couldn't hold back. Couldn't. Desire was roaring through him. His mouth crashed down on hers and any seductive persuasion was completely beyond him. He kissed her with all the pent-up passion she'd stirred from the first moment they'd met, and amazingly, she gave it back, as though she, too, was consumed with an urgent, overwhelming need for him.
Her body was soft, pliant under his touch and his hands could not resist finding and learning every lovely curve of it, moving her closer, wanting the warm imprint of her stamped on him…his woman. Arousal came fast and hard but there was no withdrawal from her, no attempt to pull away.
She was actually pressing herself against him, exciting him further, wanting
him excited. Whether consciously or instinctively he didn't know.
Didn't want to know. Didn't want to think.
Just wanted to absorb the feeling of her giving herself to him.
Kathryn could scarcely believe the tumult of feeling that was powering through her. Her mouth was tingling with excitement, revelling in the intense passion of his kisses, craving every erotic sensation he stirred. It was wild, wild and incredibly wonderful, intoxicatingly addictive.
And she loved the tensile strength of his body, the hard muscularity of his broad shoulders, his chest, his thighs, all of them encasing a dynamic energy that seemed to be pouring into her, electrifying her own vitality, pumping her heart faster, making it gallop with sheer elation. No doubting his desire for her any more. She felt his erection pressing against her stomach and exulted in the undeniable evidence of what he was feeling.
Wanting her. Needing her.
Drawing on her desire for him with dizzying intensity. She'd never felt anything like this in her life.
His mouth moved from hers, his lips trailing across her cheek. Panic clutched her mind as she thought he was going to speak, to stop. But he didn't. He blew into her ear, sending exquisite tingles right down to the apex of her thighs. His tongue tantalised the sensitive whirls and he blew again, exciting a rush of melting that made her body clench.
He felt the urgent tightening, drew back. 'Have I gone too far?' His voice was furred, more self-questioning than asking her but she answered him with a fierce rejection of any withdrawal. 'No!' But if they were going to make love, and that was what she desperately wanted… 'Let's move to the bedroom, Mitch. Please?'
He sucked in a quick breath, tilted his head back, eyes blazing into hers, a turmoil of questions. Her stomach churned. It would be unbearable if he pulled away now. Had she reminded him of Jeremy mauling her in this room? She wanted to scream that it didn't count. Only what he made her feel mattered and anything less than the full experience of it would leave her in a dreadful limbo, wretchedly empty, deprived.
Driven to stop him from questioning further, she lifted herself on tiptoe, moved her hands to press his head down to hers and kissed him with all the fervour of her desire to hold him with her. His response was instant and gloriously satisfying, swamping her with the heat needed to expel the cold fear of being rejected. Her mind danced with feverish joy.
It was going to happen.
He wanted her every bit as much as she wanted him.
'Come with me, Mitch. Come with me,' she murmured against his lips, her heart beating like a drum roll of wild anticipation.
She grabbed his hand. He came with her.
Into the bedroom.
She tore off the blouse Jeremy had ripped open, tossing it onto the floor with a shudder of distaste. She reached around to unclip her bra but other hands closed around her arms and drew them down, preventing her intention from being carried through. Her heart kicked in chaotic alarm.
Had Mitch changed his mind?
Then he was kissing her shoulder, the warmth of his mouth chasing away the rash of goose bumps. 'This isn't a race, Kathryn,' he murmured. 'I won't just tumble you onto that bed and get it over with.'
She tensed. Was he having second thoughts?
Yet he was trailing kisses up the curve of her neck, mesmerizing her into stillness with that same gentle blow of breath into her ear. 'I want you to know what you're doing.' Even the soft expulsion of his words was thrilling. 'Know it very consciously,' he went on. 'Not an impulse of the moment. And no regrets in the morning.'
'I won't regret it,' she promised huskily, barely able to catch her breath. 'Then you won't mind if I put the light on.'
The light!
Kathryn was instantly attacked by nerve-wracking doubts. What if Mitch didn't find her so desirable when he saw her undressed? In the naked light! She wasn't strikingly beautiful like Harriet. Her figure was more petite, her skin paler, freckled where she'd caught the sun. In the dark there'd just be feeling, everything centred on physical contact…man and woman wanting each other.
But if she protested, he'd think…he'd think she wasn't truly ready for him and she was. Her entire being was yearning for him. There was no choice…no choice at all as he lifted his mouth away from her ear, slid his hands caressingly from their hold on her arms, stepped back…
…and switched on the bedroom light!