Page 36 of Be My Valentine

“Just as well.”

She nodded uncomfortably. Mark continued to watch her, filling his eyes. He was one step away and didn’t know how to make the move.

“For tomorrow night at my parents’ house, we’re on, right?”

He saw her nod again.

Mark took that step, determined to end his personal torture. To hell with it all!

He reached over and pulled her coat from her arms, tossing it onto the chair in front of the desk. He lifted her chin with one finger, their foreheads a millimeter apart. Her eyes sparkled, awe and expectation mixed in that hazel iris he loved to lose himself in. Yes, loved, was the exact word.

“Kate…” All he could manage to say was. He kissed her unhurriedly, stopping at her lips, waiting to hear a reaction. He pulled away to look at her: she looked lost. Mark stood still to give her a chance to step back. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel compelled to stay because he was her boss. Then he saw her. Kate timidly raised a hand and stroked the hair on the back of his neck, lingering, unsure. Kate was like that. Mark closed his eyes and felt her other hand intertwine on the back of his neck as well. And then he lost control. He kissed her impetuously, he felt Kate give in and light up in his arms and he crept into her, searching every corner of her mouth, thirsting for an essence he craved to know. He held her close with a desire for possession that he would never have believed possible. He passed a hand on her neck: it was hot. Mark went down there with his mouth, filling himself with her taste: it was intoxicating. He took her in his arms as he felt her legs wrap around his waist. He landed on the couch, pressing her to his chest. Her breasts pressed against his chest, their breaths mixed, labored. He didn’t want to let her go, would never let her go. He opened the first button of her blouse, then looked at her face; Kate gasped, her cheeks burning with desire and embarrassment, but she didn’t stop him. Mark went to the second button and glimpsed her breasts rising and falling and his mouth went down again, he tried to free her from the bra… and the cell phone rang. Mark cursed that damn thing, glanced at the screen next to them on the couch and froze. He felt Kate stiffen, she had probably also seen the words “Dad” appear on the display.

“I… I have to take this… he never calls.”

Kate pulled herself up sharply, re-buttoning her blouse. Mark answered, holding her by the arm.

“Hi, Dad, what’s up?”

Without realizing it, the grip on Kate had become almost fierce. He said only:

“Which hospital?”

Kate raised her head. Mark hung up.

“Emma. They took Emma to the hospital.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know.” He ran a hand through his hair “I have to go to Bellevue.”

“I’ll go with you; I know the hospital well and I want to see your sister.”

“Thank you.”

There was no time for anything else. Their first moment of intimacy swept away, who knows if they would be able to talk about it. The only priority was Emma.

Kate guided him through the corridors of the hospital with remarkable dexterity. His sister was no longer in the emergency room, but in gynecology. He felt Kate’s hand wrap around his: the baby. They read the identical thought in each other’s eyes.

“Where are your parents?”

Mark read a text.

“They just arrived.”

Kate led him with surprising swiftness to the front of his sister’s room.

“I’ll go down and get them, you go in.”

Mark squeezed her hand.

“No, please, come in with me.” He dragged her inside thinking the worst. He was stunned.

Emma and Phil were kissing in between smiles.

“What the heck!” Mark raised his voice, “I almost died of fright!”

Emma looked at him fondly.