“So soft,” I marveled. “Your skin is always so soft, Katy.” I sucked a hard nipple into my mouth, teasing it as she groaned. “You taste so good. So sweet here,” I praised as I kissed my way across her breasts. “So warm and good here,” I murmured, teasing the juncture of her neck. I slid down her body, tasting her as I went. I settled between her legs, meeting her eyes, hooded and dark with desire. I nipped her inner thigh. “And here—” I pressed a kiss to her warm, wet center “—here is where you taste the sweetest. The richest honey in the world. And it’s mine. All mine.”
She cried out as I covered her with my mouth, teasing and lapping. Caressing her. Loving her. It didn’t matter how often we made love over the years, how many times I had her. Fucked her, made her mine. Loved her gently. Took her roughly. It was always new. Each time was perfect. Unique. Special. It was us. The very basis of us.
Despite my age, despite the years, my desire for her never lessened. It had tempered and grown into something deeper, but at the core, it was still passionate and volatile.
And as I crawled up her body after she climaxed and I hovered over her, nothing mattered but the raging inferno inside me that could only be quenched by her.
As I slid inside her once again, I was home.
2
RICHARD
“Thanks, Richard. I owe you.” Jenna’s voice was warm and affectionate.
I chuckled. “You owe me more than I can count,” I responded, catching Katy’s eye across the table and winking. “You are going to be lost without me around every day.”
I hung up, still grinning. Katy set aside her Kindle. “Jenna is going to miss you. She was quite vocal about it last week when we had lunch.”
Katy and Jenna were good friends, and Jenna was the co-CEO of The Gavin Group. Her brother Adam was the other half of the duo that ran the organization. Until my retirement, I had been president, a role that would be filled by Jenna’s husband, Adrian.
“She’ll be fine. I stayed longer than I planned. She and Adam have this under control. With Brad and the team we have assembled, The Gavin Group will be solvent for years in this industry, even without me.”
“Graham must be so pleased,” she said quietly.
I nodded, thinking about my mentor, the man I considered a father figure, and my friend. He had retired years ago, but like me, had been around for consulting. After having a stroke, he had slowed down considerably, he and Laura now in a smaller house by the water that was maintained for them. He used a walker since his stroke and his speech was slower, but he was as sharp as ever.
“His family has done him proud.”
“He includes you in that family.”
“I know. You as well.”
“But his business family,” she stressed. “There are still very few outsiders there.”
“And it will remain that way. His grandkids are all into the business. It’s good. His legacy of excellence will live on.”
“How many meetings are you handling while we’re in Ontario?”
“Only two. One before and one after the wedding. Then you have me all to yourself.” I glanced at my watch. “If the plane ever leaves.”
Katy shrugged. “Unless you can fly the plane yourself, we’re stuck until a new pilot shows up.”
“I could try.”
Her shoulders shook with silent mirth. “Knowing you, Richard, you would succeed. But let’s not try today, okay?” She opened her Kindle again, settling back into her chair.
I drained the last of my coffee, glancing around the first-class lounge. It was comfortable enough, but I was impatient to get going. “I should have had Bentley send the plane.”
Katy snorted delicately, not lifting her eyes from her Kindle. “So spoiled.”
“I like his plane. Maddox could have come, and we could have planned stuff on the way back.”
She lifted her gaze, the blue brilliant and mesmerizing under the bright lights. “I think the two of you will have plenty of time to ‘plan stuff’ when we arrive.”
I tugged down my sleeves, straightening my cuffs. Katy leaned forward, running her finger over my sleeve. “I love you in a suit, Richard. I’ll miss seeing you in one daily. What will you do with all your monogrammed shirts?” She grinned. “You must have two dozen in the closet.”
“I ordered more last month. My tailor is retiring, and no one does the monograms the way he does.” I grinned at her. “I got some colored shirts for fun.”
“Ah,” was her reply. She never remarked on my over-the-top purchases unless I was spoiling her. Then she objected.
“Did you remember Heather’s gift?”
I tapped my briefcase. “Of course.”
“And Reed’s?”
“Yep.”
We had given Gracie a pair of earrings when she got married and Jaxson a set of matching cuff links to welcome him to the family. We did the same for Penny and Gavin. It had become our tradition.
“Good.”
An announcement came over the loudspeaker, and I huffed out an exhale. “Finally,” I muttered as we stood and gathered our things to head to the gate. “We can get going and let the party start.”
Katy smiled, and I bent to kiss her. She looked too pretty not to. She wore a blue blouse that matched her eyes and a long skirt with flat shoes. Her hair was up, strands escaping the clip and falling to her shoulders, framing her face. I clasped her hand, and we walked to the gate. I noticed admiring stares being directed her way, and I glared at a few of the overly frank ones, pulling her closer as we walked. I might have muttered under my breath, making her chuckle.
As we waited in the line, she cupped my face. “You get them too, my darling husband.”
“Not as many as you do. I’m right here,” I huffed. “They must know you’re taken.”
She lifted up on her toes and kissed me. A long, hard kiss that made me want more.
“They do now.” She winked.
Suddenly, I wished Bentley had sent his plane for an entirely different reason.
But her caress had worked, and the stares stopped. At least for now.
KATY
I glanced over at Richard. He had been working for the first part of the flight, but he was now dozing in his seat. I was looking forward to him being done with the two meetings he’d promised Jenna he would handle and then having him all to myself for a change. We were going to stay in our house in Port Albany for a while and make it our home base. The late spring would blossom into a long, hot summer. We could spend our days with our extended family, lying around the pool and the beach. Take out the boat for a few days. Visit with our girls.
I wondered how Richard would react when he realized the reason I wanted to get there early wasn’t only for Heather’s wedding and because I had so many details to help her with as I had told him, but because we were having a party for him to celebrate his retirement. Penny was upset that she couldn’t attend either event, but her pregnancy had proven difficult and she wasn’t allowed to travel. We planned on being in England after the baby was born in August but were prepared to go earlier if needed. I had offered to fly over and stay, but my daughter, being the independent woman she was, maintained she was fine and the travel thing was simply a precaution from the doctor, and her overprotective husband had insisted she listen. She was going to Zoom for both events.