Heart-Shaped Hack(24)
She tried her best to look as serious as he did. “I suppose since I haven’t sneezed at all today and my cough is intermittent at best, it would be okay for you to kiss me now.”
“Good. I need to get you out of my system so I can get some work done. For some reason, I’m having trouble concentrating.”
Ian backed her up against the door and tangled his hands in her hair. He kissed her lightly at first and then let his teeth graze Kate’s lower lip. He kissed her again and then tugged down lightly on her lip before pulling it into his mouth. He switched back and forth, nibbling gently and then kissing her more aggressively. It made Kate feel as though she’d fallen into some kind of kissing-induced trance. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and pulled him closer, delighting in his groan as he kissed her harder. If she and Ian were alone and had access to a bed, she’d gladly spend the rest of the day lying on it with him with their mouths attached.
“There. Is that better?” Kate asked when they stopped to take a breath.
He shook his head in frustration. “No. Not at all.”
“So this romantic interlude has not had the effect you desired?”
“Quite the opposite actually.”
“That’s too bad. Is there anything I can do?”
“I don’t suppose you can take the rest of the day off?” he asked.
“I wish I could, but Helena and I have a lot of work to get done before I leave tomorrow, so I’ll need to stay here.”
“Damn.”
“What about later?”
“Unfortunately, I’m dealing with a cyberattack that will require monitoring throughout the evening and possibly overnight.”
Kate took a step back. “An attack? Are you serious? What does that even mean?”
He pulled her in again. “Nothing you need to worry about. Mostly it’s annoying. They’re very persistent.”
“Who?”
“The hackers.”
“So they’re like you?”
“I’m one of a kind, sweetness,” he said, deftly sidestepping her question.
Kate knew that getting information out of Ian wouldn’t be easy, but it wasn’t in her nature to remain in the dark forever. If their relationship were to progress to a certain stage—and Kate thought she should probably have her head examined for even contemplating such a thing—Ian would have to start opening up to her. But she didn’t need to worry about that right now because she didn’t have strong feelings for him yet.
At least that’s what she told herself.
“Sometimes I just want to crawl inside your head and poke around,” Kate said. “I imagine it would be fascinating.”
“How… unsettling. Although to be fair, I too think about being inside you and poking around.” He rocked his hips forward, thrusting gently. “Poking, poking, poking, poking a little faster. There’s a rhythm I’ve got going, Katie, can you feel it?”
Kate felt something all right, and that something was pressing against her hip. “You’re incorrigible.”
“I believe you started it.”
Kate was the one who rocked her hips forward this time, and Ian groaned.
“Stop sexually harassing me, or I’ll contact your board of directors and tell them about the pervy way this food pantry treats its clients.”
“Then it’s a good thing you’re not a client,” Kate said, giving his perfect ass a little squeeze.
“I feel violated. I’m going now.”
“You will never get me out of your system, you know.”
“I do believe that’s true, Katie Long Legs. Because now I only want you more.”
CHAPTER TEN
Ian had offered to drive Kate to the airport, and she’d accepted. When they got down to the bottom of the steps in front of her apartment, she looked around, confused. “Where’s your car?”
“It’s right in front of you,” he said as he walked toward a shiny black Escalade, opened the back, and put her suitcase inside.
It shouldn’t have surprised her, and the luxury vehicle seemed like a perfect match for him, but sometimes she forgot about his money. Kate could only hope he’d been telling her the truth when he said he earned it via legitimate means. He opened Kate’s door and turned on the seat warmer for her.
“The Shelby’s in storage until spring, which probably won’t arrive until June, and that’s only if we’re lucky. I’m not sure why I ever thought moving to such a cold place would be a good idea.”
All she heard was that he’d be staying until June.
“Thanks again for the package,” Kate said. Another shipment from Victoria’s Secret had arrived on her doorstep yesterday. This time, in addition to a pair of two-piece jersey pajamas in a rich, deep red, which were the softest pajamas Kate had ever slept in, Ian had sent a short black cashmere sweaterdress that crisscrossed in the back, and a pair of black lace-top thigh-high stockings that made her blush when she thought about wearing them. She’d already thanked him by text but felt it was the kind of gift that required another mention, and possibly a striptease.
“You’re welcome. The dress and stockings are mostly for me.”
Kate laughed. “Yes, I got that.”