Kate Hoffmann - Kellan

THE ONLY LIGHT in the cottage came from the peat fire flickering on the hearth and an oil lamp Gelsey had set on the floor. Outside, a roaring wind from the sea scoured the windows. Though they had a perfectly adequate table at which to dine, Gelsey had chosen to spread their gourmet dinner out on the floor in front of the fire, creating a much more romantic atmosphere.

As Kellan poured her another glass of wine, he studied her features, still rendered breathless by her beauty. What bit of luck had brought her into his life? He could have walked in the other direction that morning. She could have climbed up the cliff on her own and disappeared again, without the two of them getting a second chance. But something had brought them together and he couldn’t help but wonder if there were magical forces behind it all.

Kellan groaned inwardly. This was exactly how it began for his brothers. He’d listened to Riley and Danny tell their tales and he’d heard them both blather on and on about the incredible power of love. And now he was doing the same thing. Turning himself inside out over a woman he barely knew.

Clenching his fist, Kellan fought the urge to reach out and touch her. Was it even possible to resist anymore or was he completely lost? Yes, the sex was incredible. And he did enjoy spending time with Gelsey, talking to her and kissing her. But that didn’t mean he was falling in love.

Still, he couldn’t help but admit that everything that passed between them was different, as if it had been touched with something extraordinary, some little bit of magic.

She drew a deep breath and sighed, stretching her bare legs out in front of her. Gelsey was dressed in nothing but one of his oxford shirts. “I feel like a stuffed hen. I knew I could cook, but I didn’t expect it would turn out so well.”

“It was pretty amazing. That sauce on the salmon was incredible.”

“Capers and lemon,” she said, scooping up a bit on her finger and holding it out to him. “It’s one of the first sauces I learned. I told you I was good with fish.”

He took her finger into his mouth and enjoyed another taste of the sauce. “And potatoes. And turnips. Even the salad was perfect.”

She grinned seductively, then crawled over the remnants of the meal on her hands and knees to drop a kiss on his mouth. “Are you ready for dessert?”

He glanced down, taking in the view. His shirt gaped at the neck and he could see her bare breasts. The long tails covered her backside. “Would that involve taking your clothes off?”

“I don’t know. It would most definitely involve taking all your clothes off.” She reached out for the hem of his T-shirt, then pulled it over his head. Her attention focused on his chest as she smoothed her hands over his shoulders. “I’ve had a good day. The best day in a very long time.”

Kellan nuzzled her neck. “I’m glad.” He pressed his lips to a spot just below her ear. “And what made it so good?”

“Everything. And nothing at all,” she said.

Kellan stared at her. “Where did you really come from, Gelsey? And why are you still here with me?”

“I think I might belong here,” she said. “I don’t want to go back.”

“There’s no one waiting for you? Wondering where you are?”

“No.” She sat back on her heels and looked into his eyes. “I promise. There’s no one. The only person I want to be with right now is you.” She ran her hands through his hair, smoothing it away from his face. “I don’t care about your past, Kellan. Nothing that happened to you before you met me makes any difference at all. We started the moment you rescued me from that beach.”

“And how will we end?” he asked.

“I don’t know. We don’t need to worry about that right now. I’m happy and you’re happy and we should leave it at that.” She drew in a long breath. “You are happy, aren’t you?”

Of course he was happy. What man wouldn’t be? He had a beautiful, sexy woman in his bed every night, a woman who fascinated him, a woman who drove him wild with desire. And yet, he knew nothing about her. But then, maybe she was right. What difference did it make? There was very little he could learn that would change his feelings for her.

Gelsey leaned in closer. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Only if I can ask one in return,” Kellan said.

“When you found me on the beach, why didn’t you just take me to the hospital?”

Kellan thought about his response for a long moment. “I don’t know. I guess I was curious. I wanted to know what happened, how you got on that beach and why. And I knew if I took you to the hospital, I might never see you again.” He kissed her, his lips brushing against hers. “I lost you once, I didn’t want to lose you again.”

“You lost me?”

“My turn,” Kellan said, quickly shifting the subject.

“Make it good,” she warned. “You only get one.”

“What really sent you out to that beach?” he asked. “It must have been something pretty upsetting.”

She shook her head. “Funny, it was then, but now, I barely think about it.”

“It or he? Answer the question,” Kellan demanded. “Honestly. Was it a man who did that to you?”

“I did it to myself. Up until that moment, I really didn’t like the person I was. I think there’s a bit of magic in you finding me on the beach. I’d like to believe there still is.”

Kellan slid his fingers through her hair and drew her lips to his. She went soft in his arms and on a sigh, she parted her lips to offer him a taste. Everything about her was perfect, Kellan mused. When he touched her, sex suddenly made sense. It meant something, something deep and reassuring.

Kellan knew the risk he was taking. She’d dropped into his life so unexpectedly and he suspected she’d leave in the same way. For all he knew, he’d wake up one morning and she’d be gone. And without knowing anything about her, he’d have no way to find her again.

Grabbing her waist, he pulled her close, then threw his thigh over hers, trapping her in his embrace. He reached for the buttons of the shirt she wore and slowly undid them, kissing a path from the first bit of exposed flesh to the last.

“Who are you?” he murmured, his lips pressed against the soft flesh of her belly.

Gelsey groaned, her fingers smoothing through his hair as he moved lower. “I don’t know,” she whispered.

She was the woman he wanted more than any other. She was the woman whose touch could send his need over the edge. And she was the woman who was becoming a part of his life he didn’t want to lose.

Kellan found the spot between her legs and gently caressed her with his tongue. Gelsey arched toward him, her fingers clenching his hair. He knew exactly how to control her release and Kellan took every advantage, knowing that it might be the only thing in their relationship that he did control. But was mind-blowing sex enough to keep her with him forever?

Her breath began to come in desperate gasps and Kellan knew she was close. He drew back and traced his way up to her neck. Her body was made for his touch, her skin so pale and smooth and her limbs long and lithe. He drew a deep breath and pulled her closer.

“Maybe we should go into the bedroom,” he murmured. Kellan got to his feet and reached down to help her up. But instead of taking a step toward the bedroom, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, her tongue teasing at his.

“Take your clothes off,” she whispered.

Kellan reached for the button of his jeans, but she was there quicker. She unzipped them, then pushed them down over his hips along with his boxers. Kellan stepped out of them, then pulled her body up against his, her shirt falling down around her elbows.