Fallen

by Natasha Grace

Mortification assailed her when she realized that he wasn’t kissing her back.

  And why would he? She’d just shown up on his doorstep, dumped all her problems on him, and then asked to spend the night here. And how did she repay his kindness? By jumping him.

  Cursing herself, she was about to step away and apologize when he groaned and shoved his hand into her hair, deepening the kiss. Her mind blanked of everything except the feel of his lips on hers and the way his tongue danced with hers. Yes. This was what she was looking for.

  Loving the way her body molded into his, she pushed herself even closer to him, running her hands greedily over his back, admiring the hard muscles underneath. His hands ventured lower, pressing her body into his. His hardness brushed against her and heat pooled between her legs.

  Wanting nothing between the two of them, she began unbuttoning his shirt. Electricity buzzed through her as he made a line of kisses down her throat, his stubble scratching deliciously against her skin. He found the sweet spot below her ear and then, as if he were intent on driving her insane, he sucked it, then bit it, laving his tongue all over it. She moaned. So good. He felt so good.

  She had to touch him. As soon as she had uncovered enough of his chest, she stopped unbuttoning to run her hands all over it, taking delight in its hard contours. She peppered kisses over his chest and he pulled her in for another mind–bending kiss.

  His hands dipped below the hem of her shirt, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her as he splayed his palms across her stomach. More… She wanted more of his touch. With a sudden deft move, he took off her shirt. Her first instinct was to cover herself, but she resisted. She wasn’t going to allow doubt to cloud any part of this night. This night was for her alone and hopefully, for Luke as well.

  Luke’s eyes darkened as he looked at her, making her breath catch. No one had ever looked at her like that—as if she were a dessert he wanted to gobble up—and she found the idea intoxicating.

  “Beautiful,” he rasped. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”

  Oh my.

  Before she could respond, he lifted her to sit on the table and stepped between her legs. He wrapped one arm around her, pulling her chest towards him.

  “Oh.” Pleasure wracked through her body as he laved her nipple with his greedy tongue. She ran her hand through his hair, encouraging him, keeping him close, and he gently bit her in response. “Oh. Luke.”

  * * *

  Sam’s voice grounded Luke into reality. He released her breast and looked up. Male satisfaction coursed through him at the sight of her swollen lips and the lust in her eyes. He’d done that to her. He wanted to do even more things to her, but something stopped him.

  “Is this your way of getting back at Jason?”

  He was a fool for asking, but he needed to know that she felt at least a fraction of what he felt—that this wasn’t about revenge. Sparks of electricity coursed through him as she ran her hands down his chest. Hell. He might already be past the point of no return. He felt as if he would die if he didn’t get another taste of those sweet lips soon.

  But he wouldn’t play a part in any twisted revenge scheme. However complicated his feelings about Jason were right now, Luke couldn’t be with Sam for the wrong reasons. He deserved more. She deserved more. And her silence was telling. Although he should have expected revenge to be her motivation, it still felt as if he’d been kicked in the gut.

  All those times he’d imagined being with her, he’d always imagined that she wanted him, too. It was a foolish thing to want—especially when all he’d ever wanted was right here in front of him—but she had to want him for himself. Calling himself ten times stupid, he released her and was about to take a step back when she stopped him.

  “Please,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him, her bare breasts pushing against his chest. “I feel like less of a woman, and I hate that he’s taken that away from me. I want this. I need this.”

  His chest tightened. She’d never needed him before, and he found himself wanting to be the one who erased all the pain Jason had caused her. Luke gingerly cupped her face and kissed her. And as her taste exploded in his mouth, he realized that he would never get enough of her.

  She broke the kiss and moved lower, dropping tantalizing kisses and licks over his chest. Dreaming. He had to be dreaming. That was the only explanation he had for Sam touching him, kissing him. Not wanting to wake up from this delicious dream, he picked her up and headed towards his bedroom. As if she couldn’t get enough of him either, she continued kissing him as she ran her hands over his chest and back. It was too much and yet, not enough.

  Sensor lights turned on as he walked in and for that, he was grateful. He didn’t want to miss a single thing. Setting her on the bed, he licked her nipple before scraping it with his teeth. Her eyes fluttered as he took the nipple into his mouth. Moaning, she arched off the bed, her nails digging into his back. His cock hardened even more. She was so sensitive.

  He made his way down her flat stomach with kisses, loving the sound of her labored breathing. He eased her panties off and opened her long legs. His head lightened when he found her wet—wet for him.

  He had to taste her. She gasped when he licked her. She was so sweet. He greedily drank his fill, loving the way her soft moans filled the air. And when she was close, he wrapped his lips around her and groaned when she came.

  Knowing that he might never get the chance again, he continued, licking and sucking, letting himself get drunk on the taste of her. The sound of his name on her lips drove him wilder and he quickened his pace. Her legs began to tremble. She soon came again, crying out his name.

  He needed her now.

  He straightened and removed the rest of his clothes, then got a condom. His hands shook as he put it on. Some part of him still couldn’t believe that this was actually happening—that this wasn’t a dream. After years of wanting her, Sam was finally in his bed. What had he ever done to deserve this? In disbelief, he looked up to make sure she was still there and caught her watching him. It wasn’t just someone with her hair or her eyes—it was actually her.

  His head lightened when he saw the desire in her eyes. She liked what she saw. The thought that Sam would want him in any way was a heady one. He couldn’t get back to her quickly enough. Soon, his hands were on her and he was kissing her as if he were a man starved. She let out a soft gasp as he entered her, and it was the sexiest thing he’d ever heard. So good. So fucking good.

  Delicious sensations coursed through him as they found their rhythm. Her eyes closed as she wrapped her legs around him and moved against him. Pure satisfaction coursed through him as he watched her lose herself to the sensation. Damn. There was nothing sexier than seeing a woman pleasured, and the fact that it was Sam? It was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen and ever would.

  Too soon, he found himself nearing the edge. Not wanting to come without her, he was about to reach for her clit when she screamed. The feel of her tightening around him was too much. He came, pouring himself into her.

  Groaning, he laid his forehead on hers, making sure not to crush her as he caught his breath. Her breasts rose and fell as she caught her breath, and he was captivated by the sight. He would never get enough of this woman.

  He reversed their positions, letting her sprawl over him then began running his hand over her arm. He knew that he should take care of the condom, but he didn’t want to move just yet. She just felt so good in his arms. And perhaps, a part of him worried that she would disappear the moment he let go of her. So, he remained where he was, enjoying everything for as long as he could.

  Chapter Seven

  Feeling unbelievably amazing, Sam stretched as she woke up. She froze when she realized that there was a body underneath her. A very hard one.

  Luke.

  Her breath caught as she opened her eyes and saw his handsome face. He had one arm wrapped around her and the other above his head as he slept. Taking the opportunity to look at him without him
knowing, she took in his soft dark hair, that strong nose, and those lips that had kissed her so thoroughly last night. Her gaze ventured lower to his five o’clock shadow, and a shiver coursed through her as she remembered how his stubble had felt against her skin as he’d kissed her.

  Mortification assailed her when she suddenly remembered how clingy she’d been. He’d tried to get away from her and she’d grasped onto him as if he’d been her last hope. Ashamed, she made a move to get out of bed when his arms tightened around her and before she knew it, he was pulling her up for a kiss. Her toes curled as pleasure coursed through her before she remembered herself. She ended the kiss and was surprised by the fierceness in his eyes.

  “Don’t say it,” he warned. “Don’t tell me that last night was a mistake.”

  “I wasn’t,” she said. “Last night was…” She struggled to find the right words. It had been amazing and surprisingly intimate. Maybe it was because of everything that they’d talked about, but she’d never felt so close to anyone. “Last night was just what I needed,” she finally said, though that fell short of what the night meant to her.

  She couldn’t help but worry about where sex put the two of them now. She’d been hoping that they would be friends, but after last night, she doubted she’d get that wish. They’d probably just end up avoiding each other again, which made her feel just awful. Not only had she used him last night, she’d probably thrown away her last chance to be friends with him.

  And for reasons she didn’t understand, having him as a friend seemed desperately important right now.

  He seemed to relax and nodded at her. “I want to see where this will go.”

  “You want to see where this will go?” she parroted dumbly before realization sunk in and horror coursed through her. Did he think he needed to make a relationship work between them to prevent any awkwardness at the office? Because that was the only explanation she could think of for why he was trying to make this something that it wasn’t. The company meant everything to Luke and she could easily see him doing damage control on anything that might hurt it.

  “Luke, we don’t need to do this. I think we’re both mature enough to not make this something that it clearly isn’t.” She didn’t need him to pretend to feel things he didn’t. She’d had enough of that with Jason, thank you very much. “Last night was just sex,” she told him then tried to lighten the mood. “Amazingly great sex—”

  He crushed his lips over hers before she could say more. The kiss was hot and demanding, and she knew she was hooked. She would never get enough of his kisses. His hardness dug into her.

  “Does that feel like just sex to you?” he asked, his eyes fierce.

  Her breath caught, and he cursed as he pulled away. At a loss, she watched as he sat at the edge of the bed and ran a hand through his hair. Her throat dried as she watched the muscles in his back stretch from the movement. Why did he have to be so sexy? Though she knew she should get out of there as soon as possible, all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and tease him back into bed. She couldn’t think of anything better than spending the day in Luke’s bed.

  “Don’t tell me last night meant nothing to you,” he finally said as he turned to face her.

  Her throat tightened at the realization that he’d truly felt something last night. He wouldn’t be so insistent if he hadn’t. Something warm slowly unfolded within her, soothing the wounds of Jason’s carelessness that were still so fresh and raw.

  But no matter how tempting it was to throw caution to the wind and embrace what Luke was offering, she knew that she was nowhere near her right mind to start a relationship. And he deserved better than that.

  She shook her head softly at her own inadequacy. “I’m sorry, Luke. I’m just not ready for another relationship.” With the way she felt right now, she wasn’t sure if she ever would be. Though she knew that all men weren’t like Jason, she doubted she’d be willing to take the risk again. This pain, this sense of not being enough, hurt too much.

  Luke’s jaw tightened as he looked away.

  “I am, too,” he said after a moment before he stood and left.

  She felt the strong urge to follow him, to throw caution to the wind and give in to what they both desperately wanted, before she reminded herself that none of his relationships ever lasted more than a single night. Hell. After all these years that she’d known him, she doubted that she’d ever seen him with the same woman twice. He’d tire of her sooner or later and she knew instinctively that that would break her.

  Sighing at the futility of this situation, she went to the bathroom to freshen up before she got dressed.

  * * *

  Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

  Luke slammed the coffee maker shut. What had he been thinking? That after one night, Sam would suddenly realize that he was the man for her? That she’d suddenly return his feelings after hating him for so long? Insane. He had to be certifiably insane. That was the only explanation for the way he’d suggested she give them a chance.

  Fuming, he tightened his hand around the handle of the carafe as he poured water into the machine. It didn’t matter that she’d kissed him as if she’d been dying for the taste of him last night or that she’d felt so right in his arms. Not only had she just lost her husband, but she’d also just found out that that lying bastard had been cheating on her. Of course she wasn’t ready for a relationship.

  Oh, but that didn’t stop Luke from wanting one with her with his every being or wishing that he could change her mind. Guilt dug at him at the knowledge that he was using Jason’s affairs as an excuse to not feel guilty about last night. Just because Jason had cheated on Sam didn’t mean that she was up for grabs. What made it worse was the knowledge that he wouldn’t even have had last night if it hadn’t been for his selfishness when he’d told Sam about Jason’s affair. But he figured he was more than paying for it.

  To have had her for one night and to never be able to again… He groaned. He’d always thought watching Sam make eyes at Jason had been hell, but this was a million times worse. To know how sweet her lips tasted but to never be able to kiss her again? It was downright unbearable.

  “Hey.” He looked up and felt his heart skip a beat when he saw Sam walk into the kitchen wearing one of his button–down shirts. She had it loosely fastened with the hem ending just a little past her hips, giving him an eyeful of those long legs of hers.

  “I hope you don’t mind. I borrowed another one of your shirts.”

  Since she hadn’t brought any clothes, he’d given her a shirt before she’d gone to bed. He’d wanted her to be comfortable and perhaps, he’d also liked the idea that something of his was touching her skin. He’d never thought he’d have the pleasure of taking it off her as well. Hell, she could borrow any of his shirts as long as he got to see her in them.

  “Yeah. Of course,” he murmured as he tried not to think about how easy it would be to rip that shirt off. She only had a few buttons fastened. All he had to do was pull and it would be gone. But she didn’t want him, and he had to learn to live with that. Again.

  His fist tightened as he tilted his head towards the coffee maker and asked as casually as he could, “Coffee?”

  If he had anyone to blame, it was himself. He should’ve had better control over himself last night. But how could he? After all these years, the woman of his dreams had finally been in his arms and he’d wanted. So damn much.

  “Yeah. Thank you.”

  He poured two cups of coffee and added milk into one. She frowned as she accepted the mug with the milk.

  “You know how I take my coffee?”

  He knew everything about her, but since that would sound weird, he shrugged. “How long have we been working together?”

  “Jason didn’t even know,” she said quietly as she looked into her cup.

  He wanted to say that it was a sign to give him a shot, to show that he wasn’t like Jason, but he didn’t want to smother her. So instead, he said jokingly, “Perhaps
you should make it a requirement for the next guy.”

  “Probably.” She laughed as she brought the cup up to her nose and sighed. “It smells divine. Thank you.”

  He smiled. “It tastes even better.”

  She grinned and blew into her cup, cooling the coffee. The sight of her pursed lips had his cock stirring, and he forced himself to look away. Would he ever stop wanting her? Was it even possible? He’d wanted her for so long that it just felt like second nature to him. It was probably why he’d never let himself get serious about another woman. There’d only been room in his heart for one and it had been Sam.

  “Do you want to stay for breakfast? Maria—”

  “Actually, I should get changed and get going,” Sam interrupted. “But thanks for the offer.”

  “Of course,” he said, trying to not let the hurt dig into him. It looked like they were back where they started. With her avoiding him.

  That was great. Just fucking great.

  * * *

  Sam stared at the TV, barely taking in the movie she’d rented in the hotel room. After she’d left Luke’s place, she’d gone shopping for clothes before checking in. She’d thought watching the action flick would keep her mind off of things, but she just couldn’t concentrate enough to enjoy it.

  All she could think about was Jason and how foolish she’d been. All this time, he’d been cheating on her and she hadn’t even realized anything was wrong! How could she have been so blind, so trusting?

  She’d never made a fuss when he wanted to hang with the boys and had even supported him when he’d wanted to become more active in the community. Oh, how he must have laughed at her! It was almost as if she’d given him a free pass to cheat with all her attempts to be a good wife.

  When she started dating again, she vowed that she would never let another man make a fool of her. She wouldn’t let herself become the pushover she’d been with Jason.

  When she dated!

  Knowing that the only reason she was thinking about dating again was Luke, she groaned. Though she’d refused his offer to see “where things would go,” she hadn’t been able to get it off her mind. She’d been sorely tempted to say yes, but she’d known that there was no way she’d ever be able to keep his interest. How could she? She hadn’t even been able to keep her own husband’s! Besides, her head was in such a mess right now. She couldn’t drag Luke down along with her.