“Diaphanous blouses are your thing.”
“Fine. Don’t lose those earrings in the sheets though. They’re my favorite.”
Kait hung up and went into the bathroom to take her shower. Pulling her t-shirt over her head and wiggling out of her jeans, she examined her body in the mirror. She’d never been particularly self-conscious, but then again, she’d never tried to see herself through someone else’s eyes. The girl in the mirror looked pale but otherwise acceptable. She would never have Simone’s sinewy, golden grace, but her body was nice. Pale, slim limbs, small breasts, golden-red hair, unusual eyes. Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Edition wasn’t going to come calling, but Kait smiled at herself. She bothered Landon. He was alone, waiting for her.
She nearly chickened out on her way to Atlantia. What if Landon had been messing with her head? But no, there hadn’t been a hint of humor in his dark eyes.
She got lucky at the door. The front desk attendant had gone off duty at 8, but the night guard let her in when she told him she was Gray LeClark’s sister.
“I’m not supposed to do this,” he said. “But you’re the spitting image.”
He walked her across the lobby to the elevators and helpfully pressed button 6 for her.
Kaitlyn’s friendly smile collapsed as soon as the elevator doors closed, and she jabbed the 8. God help her if Gray happened to be in his hallway. It wasn’t likely, but he had that uncanny intuition.
Fortunately, she got to floor 8 without seeing any family relations. Apartment 801 was at the end of the hall—one of the corner units with the wraparound balcony. Probably valued at closer to 1.5 million dollars.
Kaitlyn knocked before she lost her nerve, and Landon opened the door so quickly she wondered if he’d been standing on the other side of it.
For a moment, they just stared at each other.
“You came,” he said quietly.
Kaitlyn nodded.
“And this isn’t about LeClarks or—”
Kaitlyn shook her head. “Don’t. Don’t mention LeClarks, and I won’t talk about Rathskeller or the James empire.”
Landon’s lips quirked. “Then what will we talk about, Kait?”
“I was thinking”—she took a deep breath—“we wouldn’t talk at all.”
His eyes heated, and he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her into the apartment.
Kaitlyn closed her eyes when his mouth covered hers, eager to lose herself in the kiss. Her heart was pounding, and she wanted events to crash together without having a moment to think about what she was doing.
He pulled her into his bedroom and lowered her onto the bed without breaking the kiss, but when Kaitlyn tried to deepen it, to hasten it, he pulled back. With ruthless patience, he took his time removing her clothes. When she was naked beneath him, he stroked every part of her until she was panting, desperate for him.
“Turn off the lamp,” she whispered, feeling vulnerable in its warm glow.
“No.” Landon shook his head. “In the dark, you can pretend that you’re not a LeClark and I’m not a James.”
“Exactly.” She tried to smile, but he stayed serious. She ran her hand up his arm and traced his jawline. “What’s wrong?”
Landon reached up and caught her wrist in a firm grip. “We can’t change who we are, Kait. Dark or light. And when the sun comes up, I don’t want you to pretend you didn’t know who you were with.”
Instead of answering, she reached for the hem of his shirt and slipped her free hand beneath it. She heard his breath catch as her hand explored his chest and then dipped lower.
With a bit off moan, he said, “Fuck it,” and pulled his shirt off, then stood to kick off his pants. He stood before her, naked and hard as a rock, and waited. Kait took her time looking at him, then reached for him. “Come here.”
Any minute, she knew she would beg.
“Who are you with, Kait?”
“I’m with you, Landon.”
It was as if she’d given him permission. He lowered himself onto her, and she braced herself. Instead of plunging into her though, he reached down and slid one finger in, and then another.
“What are you doing?” She gasped, holding onto his shoulders while the waves of sensation swept over her.
“Getting you ready for me.” He bit her earlobe and she arched up against him.
“I am ready,” Kait pleaded. “Please, Landon.”
He withdrew his fingers and positioned himself at her apex. “Are you sure?” he gasped. If she’d said no, it might have killed him.
When she nodded, he began easing into her. He tried to go slow, but as her fingernails bit into his shoulders and her breath came in moans in his ear, he couldn’t help pushing harder. There was a brief moment of resistance, a gasp, and then he was inside her.
She was soft, and hot, and tight as a glove, and Landon could have exploded in that instant. He looked down at her face, holding himself very steady. “Are you okay?”
Kaitlyn nodded breathlessly. He was filling her so tightly that it should have hurt, but instead, wave after wave of pleasure swept over her. “Keep going,” she all but begged.
Landon pushed the rest of the way into her, taking his time and keeping a gentle rhythm. But when she began pushing up against him, he lost control. Bracketing her wrists so that they framed her head, he pistoned in and out of her, spurred on by the glaze of lust in her eyes as she stared up at him.
When she tossed back her head and cried out in mindless ecstasy, he let himself go over the edge with her.
Kait opened her eyes to the blinding sunlight streaming in through the bedroom window. For a moment, she was confused. The small window in her apartment faced another building. The sunlight that came in was filtered and dim.
Then she felt Landon’s heavy arm around her waist and remembered. Her breath hitched. She’d walked herself through every possible outcome of the
