again.
His mouth was hot and demanding on hers and Kate parted her lips with a moan as his fingers found the pins holding up her long hair and began removing them one by one. When he’d gotten all of them out and the tresses tumbled down her back, he slid his hand in her hair and tilted her head back, plunging his tongue into her mouth to take sweet possession of hers.
Still kissing her, Dawson ran his hands down her back to find the clasp of her bra. Opening it deftly, he slid the straps off her shoulders and down her arms, releasing her breasts from their confines. Kate waited breathlessly for him to cup them in his hands, but instead he hooked his fingers inside her panties and slowly pushed them down, then slipped off her high-heeled sandals. As he straightened, he ran his hands up her bare legs and over her hips to bury his hands in her hair and close his mouth over hers once again.
Kate grabbed onto the lapels of his tux, pulling him closer. Her nipples tingled where they brushed against his jacket, and she slid her hands inside to push it off his shoulders. She reached for his bowtie next, giving it a little tug before undoing the buttons on his shirt. She eagerly yanked it out of his waistband and would have reached for the zipper on his pants when he swung her up in his arms and gently set her down on the bed.
He stood gazing down at her, his gaze caressing her naked body with an intensity that made Kate catch her breath. No matter how many other men she took her clothes off for, she would never forget the way Dawson McKenna looked at her.
That thought brought a pang with it and tears suddenly clogged her throat. She swallowed hard, wondering how she was going to keep from losing it. Dammit. She didn’t want to spend their remaining night together crying. But Dawson didn’t seem to notice and she was relieved when he finally stripped off his shirt and pants so she could focus on his magnificent body instead of how much she was hurting inside.
Tossing the last of his clothes on the floor, Dawson climbed onto the bed and settled himself between her legs. He braced himself on his forearms and teasingly rubbed the head of his cock up and down the lips of her pussy for one long delicious moment before slowly sliding inside.
Kate gasped, her arms and legs going around him to pull him in even deeper. Dawson mumbled something she couldn’t make out and before she could ask what it was, he bent his head to claim her lips in a searing kiss. She moaned against his mouth and tightened her arms around him, instinctively lifting her hips to meet his when he gently began to thrust.
Unlike the other times they’d made love, she didn’t beg him to go faster or take her harder. This time, she wanted to make it last all night if she could.
Dawson seemed to want the same thing, because he kept his thrusts slow and steady, sliding out until just the tip of his cock was inside her before sliding back in to completely bury his length in her pussy again. Then he would hold himself there, pressing so firmly she swore she was going to come just from the fullness of it.
But as much as she wanted it to, there was no way they could last all night. It just felt too good. When neither of them could hold off coming any longer and Dawson buried his face in the curve of her neck and exploded inside her, the orgasm that coursed through Kate was so powerful and so beautiful that it brought tears to her eyes. This time she didn’t try to stop them, but let them roll silently down her cheeks, hoping Dawson wouldn’t see them in the semi-darkness of the room.
Kate lost count of how many times she and Dawson made love after that first time. All she knew was that whenever they came down from their passionate high, they would reach for each other and do it all over again until they finally both fell into an exhausted sleep.
Chapter Six
Leaving Dawson the next morning was the hardest thing Kate ever did in her life. Which was why she took the coward’s way out and decided to leave before he woke up. No matter how much she hated herself for doing it, she simply couldn’t trust herself to say goodbye to him without bursting into tears. She was on the verge even now. And that would completely ruin everything.
Swallowing hard, she tore her gaze away from the handsome man sleeping soundly beside her and carefully slipped out of bed. Tiptoeing across the room, she picked up her bra and panties from where they lay on top of her dress and put them on, then stepped into the satin gown and zipped it up as quietly as she could. She bent down to pick up her shoes next, but then hesitated as a twinge of guilt assailed her. While this thing she had with Dawson might just be a weekend fling, it wasn’t right to just leave without a word. She should at least leave him a note.
Forgetting about her shoes for the moment, she padded over to the desk. Behind her, Dawson stirred in bed and she threw a nervous glance over her shoulder. Getting caught sneaking out of his room would require more explanation than she could give without crying. But to her relief, he was still asleep.
Breathing a soft sigh, Kate took out a piece of hotel stationery and picked up a pen, but then hesitated again. What did a girl say to a guy like Dawson? Words didn’t seem enough, so in the end, she kept it simple.
She stared at the paper for a moment, then let out a sigh. Putting it in an envelope, she wrote Dawson ’s name on the front, then walked over to the bed and placed it on the pillow beside his, careful not to disturb him. Fighting the urge to bend over and give him one last kiss, she picked up her shoes and the bridal bouquet she’d caught from Rachel the night before and quietly slipped out of the room.
Kate hurried down the hall to her room, tears blurring her vision. Her chest hurt so much she could barely breathe and once inside, she had to lean against the door to steady herself. Dear God, it felt like her heart was actually breaking.
Choking back a sob, she took off her gown and carelessly stuffed it into her suitcase along with the rest of her clothes, then changed into fresh underwear before putting on jeans and a T-shirt. After that, she grabbed her stuff from the bathroom and shoved everything haphazardly into her toiletry bag. Later, she would probably regret packing so hastily, but right now, all she wanted to do was get out of there. She didn’t even take the time to redo her makeup or brush her hair, but just ran her fingers through its long length on her way to the door.
Hand on the knob, Kate turned back and gave the room a quick look to see if she’d forgotten anything when her gaze settled on the bridal bouquet she’d tossed on the bed. Her first instinct was to leave the damn thing, but for some reason, she found herself snatching it off the bed to take it home.
Fortunately, the rest of the hotel was still asleep at that time of morning, so Kate didn’t encounter anyone on her way down to the lobby. The desk clerk seemed a little surprised she was checking out so early, but made no comment other than to tell her to have a nice day. As she pulled out of the parking lot a little while later, she berated herself for not checking the ferry schedule before she left, but to her relief, it was still at the dock when she got to the marina. Parking her car on board, she got out and went up to take a seat in the enclosed deck.
Since the ferry wasn’t due to leave for Anacortes for almost half an hour, Kate had a lot of time to wonder if she’d done the right thing by leaving. What if she’d been wrong about Dawson? What if he was the kind of guy who was open to a long-term relationship? She was thinking maybe she should go back when the ferry pulled away from the dock.
Her heart sank. Well, it was too late now. It was probably for the best anyway.
Letting out a sigh, Kate walked outside to stand at the railing. No one else was out there, so she could be alone with her thoughts and as she watched San Juan Island retreat in the distance, she blinked back fresh tears. She wondered if Dawson had read her note yet. Did he regret their parting as much as she did? The idea that he might just shrug and toss her letter in the trash hurt almost as much as leaving him and she swallowed hard.
Kate was so lost in her own misery she didn’t even know someone had come out on deck until they were standing right beside her. Confused and a little annoyed that another passenger had to invade her space when there was a whole deck to make use of, she turned her head to see who it was, only to gasp in surprise when she realized it was Dawson.
