Love Beyond Reason(54)

"You should have called me, Jace, and explained the situation. I would have understood."

"I realize that now." He chided himself with a short laugh. "There was so much going on that it honestly never occurred to me. I've lived by and for myself for so long, that I'm not in the habit of reporting my whereabouts. I apologize. Besides," he added, "I hated the thought of dragging you into the quagmire of my former life."

Katherine hung her head shyly, "You haven't ... haven't..."

"I haven't slept with her since long before our divorce four years ago."

"And the question of children?" she asked.

He laughed harshly. "Never came up. She heard about the details of our marriage from Willoughby and couldn't wait to get her barbs in you."

"Why didn't you explain all of this before? When I first met her?"

"What?" he cried incredulously. "And deny you all that lovely sulking and drawer slamming! Sometimes I think that you actually enjoy all your insecurities. Besides," he added, "I'm too proud to have pleaded innocence when there wasn't even a crime."

"Jace." The word was mumbled as she leaned over him and claimed his lips with her own. Breathless from the kiss, she snuggled over his chest and rested her head under his chin. He stroked her back leisurely.

"What would you say to our buying some property and building a house," he surprised her by asking. She raised her head and looked at him. He went on. "I've spotted a beautiful three-acre lot for sale. It's only a mile from town, but a veritable forest of trees gives it privacy. And I don't think we'll fit into this apartment much longer. The walls are closing in."

"Jace, that sounds wonderful," she said excitedly. "But what about Sunglow? Will you be here that long?"

"We'll be drilling in the area for at least three years. After that" – he shrugged – "we'll just wait and see, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed, smiling. "A house," she sighed. "That'll be such fun to plan."

"Oh, Lord, spare me," Jace implored the ceiling.

Katherine laughed and lay her head back on his chest. "What were your plans when you first started looking for me?" she asked sleepily.

He chuckled and the hairs on his chest tickled her nose. "Well, I set out to find Miss Katherine Adams and spank her little fanny for doing such a dangerous, dumb thing. Of course, that was before I saw what a lovely little fanny it was." He couldn't resist smoothing his hand over the object of his admiration.

"Then I was going to use persuasion, reason, money, or force to get you to release Allison into my care. It wasn't that I was against you, Katherine," he explained. "I was afraid that you'd lose a legal battle with my parents and they'd get guardianship of her. I'm glad they didn't, of course." He paused significantly. "But I'm not sure we shouldn't let them see her." He spoke softly and hesitantly. "I know how you might feel about that, but maybe we should give it some thought. Perhaps I'm feeling magnanimous because of my brush with death yesterday, but they're probably suffering over everything that's happened too. And Allison might resent us years from now if we didn't provide her with an opportunity to form her own opinion of her grandparents ... and even Peter."

Katherine was still and silent for a long time. Finally she asked quietly. "Can I think about what you've said and discuss it with you later?"

"Certainly. I realize it hurts for you to remember Mary and everything that happened." He kissed her shoulder lightly. "I have a vile temper, I know. But I'm working on it. I swear I'll make you and Allison happy."

When next she spoke the lightheartedness had returned to her voice. "When you did catch up to me, what changed your mind about forcing my hand?"

"I saw something," he answered. The quality of his voice was altered too. It was husky and deep.

Katherine rose up onto her elbows and looked down at him. "What?" she asked curiously.

"Your face," he replied softly.

"Jace," she breathed.

"To say nothing of the rest of you," he continued with the same stirring inflection. His eyes went to her breasts that were pressing against his chest. He let his eyes feast on their loveliness before bending his head to plant hot kisses into the soft curves.

"I loved you from the first, Katherine. I knew after that first kiss beside Allison's crib that I didn't want her without having you too." His lips became more ardent. "Love me. Please."

Katherine hesitated only a moment before raising herself onto his body and allowed him perfect access to relieve her aching nipples with his obliging tongue.

She positioned herself on his body with an accuracy that astonished him even through this pleasure. "Have you been going to X-rated foreign movies?" he rasped.

"No, of course not." She teased the inside of his ear with her tongue.

"Then how did you learn how to make love so expertly?"

"You taught me, Jason Manning," she whispered before blending her mouth with his.