Makeup?

No. Not when it was past midnight. She turned away from her reflection and stomped out of the bathroom. Food. Food was good. Chances are, he hadn’t eaten, and come to think of it, she was kind of hungry.

There was stuff for lasagna, but that took so long. Spaghetti? No, not in the middle of the night.

Sandwiches. That would work. She grabbed the bread and tossed it on the counter. Roast beef, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, mayo, spicy mustard. Did he like spicy mustard?

She stared at the ingredients spread out in front of her for a long moment and then buried her face in her hands.

“I’m in love with a guy and I don’t even know what he likes on his sandwiches.”

Blowing out a breath, she washed her hands and then grabbed a couple of plates and a butter knife. If he liked spicy mustard, then he could add it to the sandwich himself. Right?

Right.

Her stomach screamed noisily at her as she finished the sandwiches and stood at the counter, eating hers. Maybe her belly would stop jumping if it wasn’t so empty.

She hoped.

But then the knock came on the door and she pressed a hand to her belly, the butterflies still raging. Nope. Didn’t work. But at least she wouldn’t pass out from hunger, right?

Nerves, embarrassment, panic…but not hunger.

Dropping her half-eaten sandwich on the plate, she left the kitchen, muttering to herself, “Why am I so nervous?”

Because she hadn’t once thought about what would happen beyond today. Hell, with all the insane things happening right now, and the nocturnal visits from nameless people, she had thought a time or two that maybe she wouldn’t have a tomorrow.

And this was much more nerve-racking than the memory of that pale face in her window. After all, she knew what that person had basically wanted. To scare her to death.

But Kellan…what did he want?

She opened the door slowly, staring at his face with wide eyes, catching her lip between her teeth. He looked exhausted. Stepping aside, she asked quietly, “Have you eaten anything?”

He grimaced. “No. Haven’t had time to think about it,” he said, shrugging.

Catching his hand, she led him into the kitchen and took the second sandwich, pushing the plate into his hand. A surprised look entered his eyes, a smile slowly edging up the corners of his mouth. “Thanks,” he murmured. He dropped into the chair and for a moment, just rested his elbows on the table, weariness in every line of his body.

Her heart clenched when he lifted his head, meeting her eyes as she stared at him from across the room. Something dark and hungry entered his gaze and then he looked away, reaching down to pick up the sandwich.

She spun away, that look striking her to the core, heating her belly, tightening her nipples. Flipping open the fridge, she grabbed a bottle of wine. “I’m going to have some wine. You want a glass? Or a soft drink?”

Kellan studied her bent head, his eyes running over her and settling on the fine tremor of her hands. “You seem a little nervous,” he murmured, lowering his half-eaten sandwich to the table and leaning back in the chair, watching as she pressed her hands to the counter, her shoulders rising and falling as she took a deep breath.

“Ummm…maybe a little.” She tugged the cork out of the half-empty bottle of wine and he was silent as she poured herself a glass and upended it, drinking half of it and then topping her glass off before she poured a second glass and turned around.

Kellan rose from the table and met her halfway across the room, taking it from her, lifting it to his lips, holding her stare all the while. He could see the pulse in her neck fluttering wildly. The wine slid down his throat, warm and smooth as liquid gold, and he took one more sip before setting it down and taking hers away, putting it on the table as well.

“Why?”

She blinked, staring at him owlishly, licking her lips. “Why what?” she whispered huskily.

“Why are you nervous?” he murmured, lowering his head to brush his lips against the pulse in her throat.

“I-” her voice squeaked and then a shaky sigh slipped out of her.

“Because of what I said on the phone?”

“A little.”

He trailed a gentle line of kisses up her neck, nuzzling the sweet-smelling hair just behind her ear before he asked, “Good nervous? Or bad nervous?”

“I haven’t decided yet… I’ve never done this before.”

“Done what?” he asked before he brushed his lips over her mouth. The scent of her skin flooded his head, making it hard to think beyond the scent and the feel of her.

“Been in love with anybody.”

His heart beat a rapid tattoo in his chest but he kept his voice level. “Are you in love now?”

“I think so…and I’m scared to death,” she said shakily.

Lifting his head, he smiled slightly, cupping her face in his hands as he stared into her emerald green eyes. “Me, too. I tried pretty damn hard to stay away from you, Darci. You are more than I’m prepared to handle,” he said quietly. “I knew this would happen.”

She scowled at him, a frown drawing her brows low over her eyes. “Well, I didn’t exactly force you into anything,” she muttered.

Kellan laughed. “No…and I was losing anyway. You sneak into my dreams, haunt my thoughts,” he whispered. “This was inevitable.”

Her body melted against his as he added, “I feel you with me even when you’re not around. And I ache…I want you with me all the time.” Slanting his mouth across her, he pushed his tongue into her mouth gently, sipping at her lips until she opened for him, wrapping her arms around his neck and arching against him with a soft moan.

Trailing his fingers down her spine, he caught the hem of her shirt, raising it slowly, flattening his palms against her sides, stroking them upward, letting the movement of his hands draw the shirt up.

He stepped back just a little, pulling his mouth from hers just long enough to slide the shirt off completely. He felt the soft mounds of her breasts flatten against his chest, her nipples tight little beads, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her mouth pressing eagerly, hungrily to his.

“Shhh…this is going to be slow. I want to take my time with you right now,” he said. Taking her mouth again, he slowly danced her over to the table. He slid his hands inside the waistband of her boxers and slowly stroked down her hips, letting the silk fall to her ankles in a puddle of blue. Then he boosted her hips onto the table, stepping back to stare down at her body.

Skimming his hands up her sides, he cupped the pert little mounds of her breasts, bending low to catch one between his teeth, smiling against her flesh as she arched up against him with a rough moan. Her hands moved restlessly over his shoulders, dipping into his hair to pull him against her, roaming down his arms. Her nails dug into his biceps and he grunted at the sharp little pain.

Lifting his head, Kellan stared down into her dazed eyes, smiling as she stared blindly back at him, licking her lips. Her breasts rose and fell unsteadily as she gasped for air. He trailed one finger down the center of her torso, circling around her navel, skimming lower to trail between the dew-slicked folds of her pussy.

He watched her face as he circled the tender opening, pushing just a little inside that tight passage. Her lids drooped low and her upper body went boneless as she collapsed back against the table, hands curled into loose fists at her sides. The satiny tissues resisted his slow caress and he gritted his teeth, remembering how hot and tight she had closed around his cock.

The organ in question jerked demandingly, trapped in the tight confines of his jeans and underwear. Throttling down the urge to tear his clothes away and drive his dick deep inside her, Kellan leaned over her, bracing his hand by her head, staring into her eyes as he slowly pushed his finger inside her pussy, withdrawing as she arched against his hand. He added a second finger, watching as her eyes flew wide open, harsh pants falling from her lips.