Tears filled her expressive eyes, and she nodded, blinking them away. “Just promise me that whatever happens, you’ll still be my friend at the end of it.”
God. That hit him square in the solar plexus. “Always.” He growled the word, then took a deep breath through his nostrils to dissipate the nerves he could feel as little pinpricks transferring from her to him. “You’re too precious to me not to be.”
The quavering smile she sent him threatened to break his heart. They needed to ease off the heaviness, to get back to just feeling before it swamped them both. Luckily, the perfect distraction lay under his palms, and he was determined nerves wouldn’t steal another second from them.
With a gentle touch, he continued stroking the satin skin over her stomach and ribs. He clenched his jaw as her skin heated under his touch, her delicious scent rising to tease his nostrils. Delicate but curved in all the right places, her body was made for a man to feast on, and he lowered his head, powerless to resist the need to taste her any longer.
****
Oh, God. Lucy’s gaze fixated on Sam as he levered himself down the bed. Her brain almost short-circuiting at the twin senses of his delicious mouth nibbling delicately at her skin and the sight of his dark head traveling over her belly. Heat coiled in her core with each lick, each biting suck, flooding her veins until she felt like warm putty under his ministrations. Air cooled the damp path he left behind as he traveled his way to her ribs, and her breath hitched. He lifted his head fractionally, and his eyes glittered into hers.
“Let me see you.”
Lucy swallowed. Her pulse pounded so loud in her ears she thought he had to be able to hear it too. He kept his palms on her, his thumbs rubbing rhythmically over her ribs, idling as if waiting for the green light. His gaze locked on hers, intent and watchful, his body unnaturally still apart from the stroke of his thumbs, and she felt as if she were standing at an abyss. With shaking hands, she pulled the shirt up and over her head, then reached back to unclip her bra. Her breasts sprang free, and he gave a sharp inhale. She turned her face, her clothes bunched in her fist as if the harder she gripped them, the easier it would be to escape his disappointment.
“You are more beautiful than I’d imagined.”
She turned her head, blinking at his husky tone, and met his gaze. Eyes dark and intense glittered down at her. A flush dusted the high planes of his cheekbones, and his throat worked in a swallow. With an almost reverential air, he reached out, a fingertip tracing the outer curve of her breast, then he bent his dark head over her again, kissing where his touch had been.
“Your heart is racing.”
The hoarse whisper vibrated over her sensitized skin, making her squirm, the catch in his voice more of a turn-on than any dirty words he could have uttered. When his lips brushed over the hollow at her throat, a soft moan escaped her. She needed more of him, more from him. His mouth on her throat only made her throb in other places. Restless, she lifted her hips and pressed into him.
The effect on him was instantaneous.
All traces of playfulness left. The light touch disappeared, replaced by sure strokes, and her body roared to life. Shyness withered and dissolved in the face of her need to touch him. She knew with absolute certainty she would die if she didn’t have skin-on-skin contact. Now.
She pulled at the hem of his shirt, sliding it up his torso, and growled in frustration when she struggled to lift it over his head. Grinning at her impatience, he reached behind his neck, bunched it in one hand, and tore it off. Lucy propped herself up on her elbows, her brain almost short-circuiting with sensory overload as she drank in the sheer beauty revealed to her.
From afar and from the brief glimpses she’d stolen when they were younger, she’d always thought he was perfection. But now, with his bare chest inches away from her face and muscles flexed as he held himself above her, perfection seemed too small a word to properly describe him.
Feeling as if she were living out a long-dreamed-of fantasy, Lucy sat up. Sam eased back, giving her room, but she didn’t want room. She wanted to touch. Everywhere.
Faced with rock-hard abs and a wide expanse of chest with its light dusting of hair, she was treated to a visual symphony. Unable to resist anymore, she touched him, her fingertips delighting in the contrasts of warm, satin skin and the coarseness of hair that textured it, circling his nipple before raking a nail lightly over the hardened nub. She closed her eyes briefly to better immerse herself in the sensation. With her sight momentarily gone, everything else sharpened.
Under her hands, his body temperature spiked, releasing his scent in waves. She inhaled deeply, trying to store it so she could bring it out and remember this moment when she was alone, remember every detail when this was all over. Sounds of harsh breathing met her ears, and she opened her eyes to see his dark with intent. Gaze fixed on her mouth, he dipped his head. Even as a thrill tap danced down her spine and her lips tingled in anticipation, she flattened her palms on his chest, bringing him to a halt. He froze immediately, brows lowered in concern.
“I haven’t finished.”
His nostrils flared as he inhaled sharply, but he merely nodded and allowed her to push him onto his back. In one fluid motion, she rose to her knees and straddled him. Studying his face, she lowered herself until she sat astride him, his erection snug against her cleft. The heat generated was at once so excruciating and unbearably pleasurable that she didn’t want to move from this spot, ever.
He pulsed, hardening under her, and she glanced at the tight jaw, the lines of tension bracketing his mouth. His eyes closed briefly as if he were gathering strength, and her body responded with a delicious rush of heat. She felt wicked and wanton, knowing the feel of her body was doing this to him. The knowledge was liberating, the rush of power exhilarating.
She rocked her hips a fraction, and his eyes snapped open, the look wild. “Don’t move,” she ordered, as he went to reach for her.
Every muscle in his body tensed before he gave her a slow nod. Holding her gaze, he slowly curled first one hand and then the other around the slats of his headboard, the position highlighting yet more yummy muscles she’d been unaware of. “I won’t—yet.”
Delivered in a low growl, his promise sent shivers of anticipation skating over her skin as she wondered what it would take to make him break. Drawn down, her eyes feasted. Dipping forward slightly, her hips rolled, and she gasped as the movement rubbed her against his hard length in the most delicious of ways. His exhale was a hiss.
“Do that again,” he rasped.
Her eyes widened on his. His expression was fierce, his gaze compelling. He hadn’t moved position, but his knuckles were white, the cords of muscle in his forearms strained, veins standing out in relief. Beads of sweat prickled on the cupid bow of his top lip, and she rolled her hips forward again, licking the intriguing dip above his mouth clean. He groaned, the sound sending another arrow of pleasure through her core.
Lucy sat back up and ran her hands over his chest, delighting in the contrast of smooth skin and rough hair. She stroked a flat nipple with her fingertip, letting her nail graze it, and was rewarded with a deep, masculine growl. His nipple puckered, calling to her, and she leaned forward, taking it deep into her mouth.
Then everything changed.
His hands whipped down from the bed head, one snaking securely around her waist, the other clamped on her ass, rolling her underneath him in one quick movement. A dangerous gleam sparked in his eyes, and she rejoiced even as her stomach fluttered with nerves.
His mouth devoured her, taking breath and thought until the only thing left was pure sensation. Alternating between seducing and demanding, his tactics kept her on the edge until she didn’t know which way was up. His teeth clamped down lightly on her top lip as he sucked it into his mouth, and her mind fizzled into mush.
“God, Lucy, you’re so sweet.” His silky tongue stroked her lip, then delved farther inside to mate with hers.
A palm slid down her
body, over her ribs and the flare of her hip, setting her skin and nerves to jangling. Encountering the waistband of her sweats, he pushed at them, and she lifted her hips, desperate to be rid of the last barriers between them. Her hands tangled in his hair, holding him to her, mindless to anything but his touch, his kiss. He raised a knee and used his foot to slide the material down the last few inches, and she dimly realized her panties had joined the sweats, leaving her bare.
And then suddenly, she wasn’t. Sam’s large palm cupped her.
Her eyes popped wide open, and she swore in that moment her heart stopped. Slivers of silver under heavy lids gauged her reaction to his possessive and intimate touch. As she stared back, her heart pounded back to life at a million miles an hour, and he gave her a lazy grin. Dipping his head, he licked her lower lip, his movements slow and deliberate. His fingers merely rested against her, yet she felt herself grow warmer and wilder with each thrum of blood through her veins. The heat of his digits burned like a brand, and in that moment, she melted willingly into the inferno that was Sam.
Suddenly, his touch wasn’t enough, and she widened her thighs. As if this were the signal he’d been waiting for, his fingers curled, stroking through her slick folds in a rhythm designed to drive her mad, and she groaned out a loud exhale, her hips lifting with each pass of his fingertips.
She let go the grip she had of his hair and ran a flat palm down his body. Even through his sweatpants, the size and strength of him was impressive, and suddenly, she wanted the safety barriers gone. “I need to touch you.”
Acting on that need, she slipped her hands under the waistband of his pants. Her fingers slid over the warm skin of his navel and followed the happy trail of silky hair downward. Her fingertips brushed the velvety tip of him, and he let out a throaty growl which turned into a groan when she wrapped her fingers snugly around him.
His hips jerked as she gave an experimental squeeze, and he gritted his teeth. “God help me, Luce, but if you keep that up, this won’t last as long as I’d hoped.”
“What’s the hurry? We’ve got all night.” She tightened her grip, and his strong frame shuddered, tiny beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. Varying her rhythm until his hips rocked helplessly, she lifted her head off the mattress and pulled a nipple into her mouth. The tang of pine clung to his skin, and he tasted vaguely of salt, making her want to take a bite out of him. She needed him naked—now.
“Help me get your pants off, Sam. I need to see you.” Her breath came in short pants, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t the only one.
“You’ll have to let go of me, then.”
She glanced up at his strangled tone, her mouth curving into a satisfied smile. His eyes were mere slits, a vein standing out in relief above his temple, and those beautiful lips parted and plumped from their passionate kisses. Reluctantly, she released him, and he shoved his pants down his legs, shaking them off with an impatient kick.
She let a wicked smile curl her mouth and sat up, trailing a single fingertip from collarbone to hip, then rested her palm on the hollow between his hip and belly. She gave an experimental push, but he remained immovable, continuing to stare down at her, his eyes dark and unreadable.
She pushed harder, and his mouth quirked up in the corner when she grunted with frustration. “For God’s sake, Sam. Let me back at you.”
He shook his head slowly, his mouth stretching into a pirate’s grin. “All in good time, brat.” The mattress dipped under his weight, and he used her momentary loss of balance to his advantage, pushing her flat to the mattress. “I believe I said I was going to taste you.” His gaze swept over her, his eyes glittering as he lowered himself over her. “Now no more distractions.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he placed his fingers over it and bent his head to her breast. Her back arched as he sucked a nipple deep inside his mouth, and she fought the sensation to close her eyes. She wanted to remember every detail, savor every moment with every sense she possessed.
Glancing down, her breath hitched. Sam’s dark head against her fair skin, the scent of his skin rising with the heat of his body and mingling with hers. It was the stuff of her wildest imaginings, what she’d dreamed about for years, but it was actually happening. As if sensing her gaze, his eyes caught hers, silver darkening to smoke. With his eyes still focused on her, he opened his mouth and laved her with his tongue, one hand stroking her hip. Her head fell back against the pillows, and she felt him glide back up her body, hyper-aware some part of him was always touching her.
“That’s it, love, turn that brain off and feel. I’ve got you.”
Her breath hitched as his low rumble feathered over the shell of her ear. The endearment left her shaken, even though she knew it had no substance, but it didn’t stop the warm glow from spreading. In his arms, she felt at once safe and desired. She knew he’d never hurt her, would, in fact, protect her with his dying breath. Was it any wonder no other man had ever measured up? No one could compete with that.
He leaned back on his elbow and lightly tapped her nose with a finger, eyes crinkled at the corners. “I can feel you thinking. I’ll have to try harder.”
His hand swept up from her hip to lightly cup her breast, his thumb grazing over her nipple, shocking a gasp out of her, and heat flooded her core.
“So damn responsive.” The crinkles of humor disappeared.
Eyes riveted on her nipple, he caught it once more between his teeth, gentle nips and suction sending bolts of lust in a direct hit to her womb. Her hips rose of their own volition, and she whimpered, restless under his attention. Everything within her ached. A bone-deep ache and only he had the power to take it away, but he seemed intent on driving her mad first.
In the last moment, before she thought she’d explode with frustration, he lifted his head from her breast and nudged her legs apart. With a sigh of relief, she parted them, welcoming the weight of him into the cradle of her thighs. His hips rocked against hers for a wild second, easing the heavy feeling in her belly, and then he was sliding down her body, his mouth nibbling and kissing as he went.
A dawning suspicion of his destination had her grab for his hair as he dipped his tongue into her belly button, but he only untangled her fingers, forced her wrists to her sides, and carried on with his slow descent, nudging her thighs even farther apart with his shoulders. Tension ratcheted throughout her body.
Oh, God. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head to the side. Embarrassment suffused her, and she swallowed hard. It took her a moment to realize Sam hadn’t moved. Just the heat of his breath blowing over her most intimate flesh told her he was still there. She opened one eye cautiously, startled to see his gaze on her.
“Why have you frozen on me?”
If she thought she was embarrassed before, it was nothing to how his stark question made her feel now. He didn’t say anything more. He didn’t need to. His eyes said it all as he waited for her answer.
Honesty, remember.
She fought through the instinct to glance away, even as her face flamed. The blush felt like it reached all the way down to her toes. “I’m worried about, uh…well…” She grimaced at her bungling and took a deep breath before continuing. “I haven’t showered yet. I don’t want to turn you off.”
He gaped at her, then burst out laughing, the puff of air on her sensitive flesh making her squirm. She grimaced and fought the dizzying effect as her head threatened to explode into a million pieces. He nuzzled the nest of fair hair with his chin, and his laugh dried up, his gaze dark and serious on hers.
“God, Lucy.” His voice dropped an octave, and his nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply. “I’ve never been so turned on.” Then he dipped his chin and laved her with the flat of his tongue, eyes remaining on hers, intent and watchful. Every nerve in her body screamed, and her hips bucked, but the only sound she could produce was a strangled whimper. “You smell incredible, but your taste.” His eyes closed briefly on a tiny groan as if savoring the memory. “J
esus, your taste. It is unbelievable.” He bent his head and licked her again, the tip of his tongue burrowing between her folds and finding the hard nub begging for attention.
This time, when her hands clutched at his hair, it wasn’t to pull him away, but to anchor herself. Her head fell back, and her eyes closed as her mind shut down to all but the incredible sensations his wicked tongue and mouth brought. He shifted slightly, and she widened her legs a little more, his hum of appreciation vibrating in the most delicious of ways against her. He settled in, as if he were in this for the long haul.
And it seemed as if he were.
Sighs and low moans filled the room, dimly distinguishable as hers, the sound of his murmurs of approval and praise aiding her pleasure. The steady waves of pleasure slowly became more intense, like the building of a King tide. Each inhalation and panting release brought her closer to the final destructive wave. She knew it was coming, and there was every chance she’d be torn apart at the seams when it did, but she was powerless to do anything but go along for the ride.
Sam must have been paying close attention to her body language, because he suddenly changed tack and stroked her harder toward the pinnacle, his hands curving under her bottom, drawing her deeper into his mouth. Without warning, her world exploded, and her body bowed under the power of the orgasm, her throat rasping as she screamed his name.
Dimly aware the bed dipped, she opened her eyes to find him sliding back up her body. The smug grin couldn’t hide the predatory gleam in his gaze. His eyes smoldered, and her heart stuttered, her blood heating instantly in response.
“That was just the entrée. I’m not done with you yet.”
She shivered in anticipation and met his gaze with a heated one of her own. “God, I hope not. I want more of that.”
“Believe me—I’ve got way more in store for you than you’d ever believe. Years of fantasy to act on.” He smacked his lips, his eyes dark and shiny with promise.
Home to Me Page 13
