"I thought it would be nice if I was taking a soak in the tub to see the ocean,” I said.
Kate nodded. "With a glass of wine, it would be perfect." She glanced at Kate again before looking back out the window. "It could be quite romantic if you had a guest."
Kate gave Harper the evil eye. I felt confident that Kate wasn't going to budge on her opinion of me, but it was nice that her friend seemed to be on my side.
I led them back out to the terrace where Max was sitting, soaking up the sun. “I thought I’d get out of your way.”
"Would you like to stay for a drink?" I hoped that Harper's support of me meant that she would stay so that Kate would stay as well.
Harper pulled out her phone, looking at the screen. "The baby monitor says everyone is resting. I'd love to have something to drink. Water or juice, though. No alcohol while I'm nursing."
I turned to Kate. "I have some wine. Maybe you can come help me so I don't have to make two trips."
She rolled her eyes but followed me back into the house. As I made my way to the kitchen, my mind was swirling trying to find something to say that could penetrate the wall of armor she had around her heart.
When we reached the kitchen, I took out a water glass and then three wine glasses. I got the bottle wine from the fridge and pulled out the corkscrew from the drawer. I slid the water glass toward Kate. "There's a water dispenser on the fridge."
She took the glass, putting in ice and then filling it with water. She set it on the counter next to the wine glasses as I popped the cork.
She was close to me now, so I set the bottle and corkscrew aside, turning to her.
"I can't stop thinking about you, Kate."
She smirked. "All pissed off thoughts?"
I inched closer to her. "Not pissed. Frustrated. I made a mistake five years ago." I reached my hand out, pushing a tendril of hair away from her face and over her ear. The last time I tried to do that, she jerked away. Was it progress that she didn't shy away this time?
I looked down into her soulful brown eyes. I searched them, trying to decipher what was going through her mind. I could still see reluctance, but also something more. Was it yearning?
With hope rising again, I continued to plead my case. "Max was right. The last five years have been misery without you."
Her eyes narrowed. "No marital bliss for you and Sandra?"
As much as I wanted to explain everything that happened, right now wasn't the time to have Sandra and Chelsea in the conversation. "Right here, right now, it's just you and me, Kate."
"And what is it when we’re not here, when it's not now?"
I stepped closer, feeling like I was on the edge of breaking through to her. "It's still just you and me. It's always been you and me. Always." I leaned forward, pressing my lips over hers, half expecting her to slap me. Instead, her mouth softened under mine, and a small moan escaped from her. Feeling like I'd won the fucking lottery, I slipped my arm around her and pulled her close, slanting my head to take the kiss deeper.
I didn't want the kiss to end, so I continued on and on, wishing Harper and Max weren't here so I could take Kate to my bed and show her everything I felt for her. Make her mine again. Not like on her desk in some frenzied sexual exploit. I wanted to make love to her.
My hand slid up her waist to the outside of her tit. I rubbed my thumb over the nipple, which was hard and distended, making my mouth water to suck it. At any time, she was going to knee me in the groin or at the very least push me away, but she didn't. She leaned into me, pressing against me until my hand was filled with her tit. She purposely rubbed against my hard cock, making my eyes cross with the shot of electricity her touch sent through me.
I slid my hand down between her thighs, rubbing her pussy through her shorts. It was risky to touch her like this with Harper and Max right out on the terrace, but I couldn't help myself. I undid the button and zipper of her shorts, slipping my hand inside and under her panties until my fingers found her clit.
She gasped against my mouth as I rubbed her wet, hard, swollen nub. She gyrated against me, and her breath quickened. I wanted to watch her face as she made the ascent to pleasure, but I couldn’t stop kissing her for fear that she might pull away from me.
She moaned and her fingers gripped my shoulders hard. She was nearing the edge.
I trailed my lips along her jaw to her ear. "You and me, Kate. It's always only been you and me." I crushed my mouth over hers again as her orgasm hit. She cried against my mouth, and her body shuddered in my arms.
As she came down, she leaned away from the kiss, her hands gripping my forearms as if she might collapse.
"Hey, you guys. We’re thirsty out here," Max’s voice echoed from the terrace into the kitchen.
Kate jerked away, turning and zipping up her pants.
"Take a minute if you need. I'll take these out." I washed my hands and picked up the water and a glass of wine.