Wherever She Goes (Psychic Seasons, ReGina Welling [novels to improve english TXT] 📗

He only realized he was wrong, that she was asking for more when she pulled his head back down. Then all rational thought fled as he plundered her lips, tasted the unbearable sweetness that was hers alone, slid his hands down her back to pull her ever closer.

Breath mingling with breath, the sweet tension mounted until Kat pulled back, opened her eyes, and rested her forehead against his to let her racing heart slow back to normal. When she felt in control again, she trapped his face between her hands and let her eyes rove over his features, drinking them in.

“There you are,” she breathed. “Just look at you.” If she never saw another thing, to take that face with her into the darkness would have been enough.

Finally satisfied that she had committed every line and plane, every texture of his skin to memory, with a last caress, Kat let her hands slide away and down to take his hand in hers. She led him the short distance back to her house.

Willingly, Zack followed. There was no other choice; he was too drunk with her presence to do otherwise. She unlocked the door and pulled him inside.

As soon as the door closed, his control slipped. Brushing her coat away with an impatient motion, Zack bent his head and fitted his lips to hers. Kiss after drugging kiss, she returned them all.

Hearts pounding, breath coming faster, he whispered, “your bedroom, where is it?”

“Upstairs,” she murmured against his lips, “But you should know…I’ve never…”

Her words hit him like a blast of cold water.

“What?”

Confused by the sudden change, Kat repeated, “I’ve never…you know.”

“Never?” He released her abruptly and dragged a hand through his hair. He was mortified at the way he had been kissing her, at his lack of control. This was not the way her first time should play out. If he had known, he would have acted differently, held the reins tighter.

She took his self-censure for a lack of interest and instead of being hurt by it she got mad. “Sorrrrry,” she drawled, “I had no idea my lack of experience would be such a turn off.”

He just stared at her, dumbfounded then shook his head. What was happening here? Parts of his body were still on high alert and those parts also had not completely relinquished control of his brain. Turn off? Not hardly.

“I never said that. I didn’t mean—you misunderstood.”

“Misunderstood what? That you draw the line at deflowering virgins? Get out.” She swung past him to wrench open the door and when he didn’t move fast enough, repeated, “Get out. Now.”

_,.-'~'-.,_

The next thing he knew, the door practically slammed on his heels. Zack stood on her front step for a moment to gather his thoughts. In just a few minutes, he’d gone from being on top of the world to so low he would have to look up to see an ant’s belly button.

The whole situation was ridiculous. The smart thing to do would be to walk away.

Instead, he knocked on the door.

She must have been standing right on the other side because she pulled it open immediately. Just look at her, he thought as she stood, blocking the door with scorn in her eyes, she’s beautiful.

“What?” Kat prompted when he stood staring.

Rational thought gone, he opened his mouth, and instead of an eloquent apology, blurted out, “I just wanted to tell you it doesn’t matter. I don’t mind if you’re inexperienced.”

Her eyes widened then narrowed into twin lasers that pinned him in place. “Well, that’s mighty big of you, Zack. I appreciate that you are willing to lower your standards.”

The door slammed again and this time he had the sense to walk away before he made things any worse. If he wasn’t careful, he might call her fat or something.

Chapter 17

If there was anything to make a woman feel like a teenager again, it was the driver’s exam. Kat’s knees felt like jelly, which was probably what had attracted the butterflies currently practicing flight patterns just below her sternum.

“Tell me why I want to do this again.” She ordered Gustavia who had volunteered to drive her to the county courthouse where the test was being held.

“It’s a rite of passage and you have to do it. You know you want to. It’s an hour, max. You’ll do fine. If you get nervous, you can imagine the instructor in his underwear.

“What? Why would I do that?” And now she wouldn’t be able to do anything else. “Is that really a thing?”

“It’s the accepted method for calming stage fright. Evens the playing field.”

“This. Is. Not. Helping.”

“But the butterflies are gone, right?” Gustavia smirked.

“Yes. Satisfied?” Kat grinned and relaxed. She had this.

That optimism stayed with her right up until the instructor opened the door and settled into the passenger seat. Then the butterflies returned and judging by the buzzing in her ears, they had been joined by bees. Thousands of bees.

“So this is what you do in your spare time? Administer driving exams?” Kat asked dryly as Zack buckled his seatbelt.

“Joe has the flu, I offered to stand in.” Trying to keep the conversation to the business at hand, he directed her to pull away from the curb. Mid-day during the time of year when tourists found warmer places to be meant the only other car on the street was a minivan. Kat pulled out behind it and followed along until Zack asked her to make a right turn while he scribbled something on the clipboard he carried.

The desire to say something personal came off him in waves that washed over her but whatever was on his mind, it was nothing she wanted to hear.

After all the buildup, the driving test was fairly simple, a pass through town, then loop back and run through a series of cones in the municipal parking lot. In spite of everything, Kat performed flawlessly. Even the dreaded parallel parking was a cinch thanks to Gustavia’s generosity