Family Man

under her head, the other around her waist.
    “That's better,” he muttered. “Much better.”
    He took her mouth again, this time with every intention of gaining admittance to the inner sanctum.
    Her lips trembled uncertainly and then parted beneath his deliberately gentle assault. Euphoria raced through Luke. When Katy's hands tightened around his shoulders and she whimpered softly, he felt as if he had been handed the keys to the citadel.
    He realized his hands were shaking. The strangeness of the experience nearly unnerved him.
    Luke plunged inside her mouth, tasting, teasing, drinking in the essence of her. He felt her shiver in his arms, but she did not pull away. He edged his knee more deeply upward, lodging it between her thighs. He sensed the sultry heat that emanated from between her legs.
    She wanted him. Thank God. He had not been wrong on that score after all. She was wary of him, that was the problem. He could overcome her fears easily enough. If she needed time, he would give her time. Hell, when it came to this kind of thing he had the patience of a saint.
    Luke stroked her slowly, letting his hand glide over her breast. He could feel the hard tip of her nipple and gloried in the knowledge that she was at last beginning to respond.
    He found the zipper of her turquoise dress and lowered it slowly. His fingers traced the curve of her spine all the way down to the small of her back. She felt so good, he thought. So sleek and smooth and soft. He touched her lightly in the small hollow at the top of her buttocks. He felt deeply rewarded when another tremor of desire rippled through her.
    A hungry need was clawing at his insides now, but Luke clamped a steel chain around his own sense of urgency. It had been a long time since he had wanted anything or anyone as much as he wanted this woman, but he could wait a while longer. He wanted to be certain Katy was as caught up in the whirlwind as he was. He needed to know she was experiencing the same shattering excitement.
    There was no rush. They had all night.
    Katy made a small, exquisitely alluring little sound as her fingers tightened on him. Luke felt the tentative upward surge of her hips. She was melting at last. All hot honey and liquid fire. In another few minutes she would be his.
    Luke cradled Katy's buttocks in the palm of his hand, remembering what Justine had said about her cloistered life-style. He promised himself he would move slowly and carefully from here on in, even if it drove him crazy. Seducing angels was new to him.
    “Luke?”
    He did not hear her at first. Luke was so involved in trying to decide if it was too soon to strip off the turquoise dress that he did not realize Katy had spoken.
    “I think that's enough,” Katy said tremulously.
    “Huh?” He curved his hand around her thigh, squeezing gently. He loved the soft, resilient feel of her.
    “I said that's enough. I have to go home, Luke.”
    He finally realized she had her hands splayed against his chest. She was pushing at him. Dazed with the white-hot need that was threatening to char his insides, Luke raised his head. He looked down at her through narrowed eyes. Her mouth was swollen from his kisses, and her cheeks were flushed.
    “You want to go home?” he asked in disbelief.
    “It's very late. My brother will be wondering where I am.”
    “You can't leave now.”
    She bit her lip. “You promised me you would stop when I asked you to stop.”
    “I know, but—”
    “But you didn't think I'd ask, did you?” Katy's mouth twisted ruefully. “Typical Gilchrist attitude.”
    “Katy, I'm warning you, if you don't stop telling me I'm like every other Gilchrist you've ever met, I'm going to lose my temper.”
    “What will you do? Fire me?”
    He scowled at her. “You'd like that, wouldn't you?”
    “It would certainly simplify things from my point of view.”
    “Don't get your hopes up.”
    She sighed. “I won't. Please, Luke, I really must be going.”
    He stifled an oath and released her. He took a deep breath as his body protested violently. “Go ahead, angel. Run while you can.”
    “There's no call to get surly. You started this.” She sat up quickly, struggling with her zipper. “I told you it wasn't a good idea.”
    “There's nothing wrong with the idea.” He took charge of the zipper, yanking it up. Hell, he thought. She wasn't playing a game, she really was going to walk out. “You're just scared, that's the problem.”
    “Can you blame me for