Love Beyond Reason(16)

"I think I'll have a root beer," he stated, and they both laughed. She pulled the opener on the can and then shrieked as the drink spewed out and showered them both with the sweet effervescent liquid.

Hilarity overcame them, and it was several minutes before their laughter was spent. Jace was still chuckling as he studied her face and said, "You're a mess."

Wiping tears of mirth from her eyes, Katherine didn't resist when he pulled her up to her knees so that they were kneeling facing each other.

"Let's get some of this off," he said as he started stroking his fingers across her face and flicking drops of root beer to the ground.

In only moments Katherine was sensitive to a subtle change in his touch. Where before it had been quick and economical, it was now slow and caressing. She raised her eyes, not knowing that they were still wet with her recent happy tears and were most appealing.

Jace searched their green depths as his thumbs swept across her trembling lips. Moving slowly, he cupped her head in his palms, his fingers entwined in her tousled hair, and drew her face to his.

The lips that touched hers were warm and sweet and gentle, and, at first, tentative. But they became more demanding as his arms went around her and pressed her into his body.

She stiffened in resistance, and he sensed her withdrawal immediately. Without releasing her, his hold became more gentle. He stroked her back tenderly. His lips changed from demanding to persuasive. His tongue circled her closed lips, and he nibbled at a corner of her mouth. Against her will, Katherine felt her mouth relaxing under his until she moaned and accepted his ardent probing.

When they were both breathless, he pulled his mouth from hers, but gave fervent attention to her ears. He kissed her eyelids.

"Your eyes are the color of a new spring leaf." His whisper was deep and husky. "Where did you get these black lashes? Blondes don't usually have eyelashes this dark."

His hands and lips intently caressed each feature of her face. He ran his fingers through her hair. "Your hair is like cool silk. I want to feel it blowing across my face." He took her mouth with more precision than before, drawing responses from her that she had never given to anyone else.

One strong hand went to the small of her back and drew her even closer to him. His knees moved apart, making his stance wider, and she positioned her legs between his. She felt the strength of his long thighs as they pressed against hers.

The sensations coursing through her were frightening, and she would have pulled away, but the lips nuzzling her neck were gentle, and the hands stroking the satin skin of her back under her tank top were tender. There was no threat of danger, was there? Shyly she raised her arms and placed them around his neck, touching the muscles of his shoulders.

"Oh, God, Katherine." His voice was as urgent as his hands as they lifted the hem of her shirt. The hairs on his chest tickled her breasts and stomach as they were bared and pressed against him.

"Katherine, I want you." She couldn't ignore the evidence of his desire when they were this close to each other. "You're beautiful ... sweet..."

His hand covered her breasts and somewhere in her head alarm bells sounded. She didn't behave this way! She should resist him. He was a Manning, and even if he weren't— Oh! What was happening to her? Her nipples ached with desire as he caressed them. Katherine clenched her hands on his shoulders in awakening passion.

Please, no. Jace, Jace. No, Jace. Then Katherine realized she was actually saying his name aloud and it was in the form of a sob. It mingled with his soft mutterings against her flesh.

"Katherine, you feel... Your breasts. Katherine, please–"

"No!" she screamed and pushed away from him, unbalancing him and making him fall backward. "No! Don't touch me." She hastily pulled down her shirt and covered her flaming cheeks with shaking hands.

"Katherine, I—"

"Don't ... don't make any excuses. Just leave me alone." She was sobbing uncon- trollably and didn't know why. Was it out of shame or a sense of loss? She couldn't afford to trace the source of her tears.

She unleashed the anger she felt toward herself on him. "Did you really expect me to let you...? God, what was I doing?" As if cautiously retreating from something dangerous, she took several steps backward. "You expect everyone to cater to your whims. Was I supposed to be honored that a mighty Manning paid me some attention? And if I submitted, that would be more ammunition you could use against me. I remember what your lawyer said about my indeterminate morals. You're conceited and selfish and arrogant and deceitful. Just like your brother," she sneered and turned away from him.

Within a heartbeat he had gripped her upper arm painfully and spun her around to face him. The eyes that had been glazed with passion only moments before now blazed with fury. Gone were the deep dimples and the sensuous smile. In their place was a thin, grim slash of a mouth set in a granite-hard chin.

Katherine shrank from the latent violence that surfaced even as she watched. "Goddamn you! Don't ever say that to me again. Do you hear me?" He gave her a little shake and her head wobbled on her shoulders. "Never compare me to my brother. Never!" He said the last word through clenched teeth, and the cords in his neck stood out.

Katherine winced with pain from his death grip on her arm. That he was hurting her finally penetrated his anger, and he released her abruptly and stepped back. Pent-up breath was released in a great expulsion of air as the heels of his hands dug into his eyes.