She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers raking through his hair until she tightened her grip and gave a slight tug, lifting his head. “I promise, Lucky. No regrets.”
And then she pressed her lips to his.
Their kisses were soft, unrushed at the start, until her hands snuck beneath the fabric of his shirt and skimmed upward over his stomach and chest and back again, dipping lower than where they originally started. He lost what little grip he had on his self-control, and before she could protest, he lifted her from the ground and tossed her over his shoulder, hauling her to his bedroom like a fucking caveman. She was still laughing when he grabbed a box of condoms from the top drawer of his dresser along the way and dropped her in the middle of his bed.
“That’s a pretty big box,” she said, eyeing the box he tossed on the comforter next to her. “Whatever do you have planned for me?”
He fought to hide his smile as he unzipped the first of her boots. “Plenty.” Only after dropping it to the floor did he lift his eyes to look at her lounging on his bed.
Rachel raised an eyebrow. “And do you plan on utilizing the entire box this evening?”
He took hold of her other boot, heard himself laugh as he removed it. “If I told you my plans, you might take off running.”
The second boot joined the first on the floor with a dull thud.
“That won’t happen.” She slid off the bed and stood directly in front of him. “You know better than anyone how much I hate running.”
“For someone who hates it so much, you sure do an awful lot of it.”
Her hands went to the bottom of his shirt and he raised his arms so she could tug it off over his head. “I only do it because the view is amazing.” She placed her hands on his shoulders, then watched as they slid over his skin. “But this view is even better.”
His view wasn’t so bad either. He liked watching her chew on her full bottom lip as her hands explored the shape of his body. He liked how her eyes widened in surprise as his muscles twitched involuntarily beneath her touch, how she smiled in amusement as her thumb brushed across his nipple, inciting a hiss from his lips. How her eyebrows quirked and immediately he knew where she was headed next. The woman was so damned predictable.
“That’s enough.” He took hold of her hands, stopping her exploration just as she reached the waistband of his shorts. “I’ve let you have your fun.”
“Is something wrong?”
He smiled at her now, hoping to erase the worried look on her face.
“Nothing’s wrong.” He brushed his lips against hers. “I just don’t think there’s a need to rush. And you have a distinct plan of attack.”
He began with her shirt, slipping each button from its restraint, and continued from there, running both hands over her body, even kneeling at her feet as he unbuttoned, unfastened, and removed every piece of cotton, satin, and lace. Once she was completely bare, he took a step back to admire her porcelain skin, her pale pink nipples, the triangles of skin that were even paler than the rest of her.
“Just one last thing.”
He stepped close enough the tips of her breasts brushed against his chest as he reached around to tug free the elastic band that secured her ponytail. With her hair loose, he combed his fingers through the long, fiery strands, the ends curling just above her breasts.
“God. You are beautiful.”
Her eyes drifted shut beneath his touch as he traced the length of her neck, dipped into the hollow of her throat with the very tip of his finger. Her breath quickened as he trailed his finger down one breast and circled her nipple, the flesh darkening to a deep rose color as it tightened into a bud. Needing to taste her, he replaced finger with tongue, tracing lazy circles on her skin, before finally taking her nipple fully into his mouth. Her first gasp came when he tested the bud between his teeth, and then a second time when his fingers found the tender flesh between her legs.
He backed her against the edge of the mattress and lifted one leg over his shoulder, making his intentions clear as she lay back on the bed.
“You don’t have to do that.”
Lucky laughed at that. “Oh, yes, I do. I’ve been dreaming about this forever.”
As Lucky slid two fingers inside her, he wondered about the guys from her past, if any had ever taken the time to please her, to worship her.
Her hands immediately went to his hair as he suckled her clit, her fingers tugging hard enough he felt little pinpricks of pain across his scalp. As the tension built within her, she was alternately pushing him away and pulling him closer until she cried out his name. Unwilling to ease off, he kept at her with hands and lips and tongue until her skin flushed a deeper pink and her muscles tensed, coming even harder the second time.
“Oh, my God,” she said, dramatically draping her arm across her face, hiding her eyes from view.
“Hey now.” Lucky playfully smacked her thigh. “We aren’t done here yet.”
Unable to deny himself any longer, he tore open the new box of condoms with such force, foil packets scattered to the four winds. Rachel laughed as she grabbed the one that landed between her breasts and tore it open for him.
As he rolled the condom on, his hands shook in anticipation. “I hate to say it, Rach, but this might be quick.”
“Oh, no. That’s completely unacceptable.” She poked him in the thigh with her big toe and laughed. “I want nothing but your absolute best.”
Which made him laugh. “Whatever you say, ma’am.” He grabbed her legs and tugged her to the edge of the bed, entering her in one hard thrust. Her body arched as she gasped in surprise, and was quickly followed by a contented sigh and a smile on her face as he set a smooth, steady rhythm.
What a sight she was with her red hair splayed across his bed, her lower lip trapped between her teeth, her delicate fingers clutching his comforter. Beauty personified.
And so he did just as she ordered and gave her his absolute best. He leaned over her, changing the angle as he grasped her hands in his. She stared up at him with those bright blue eyes and raised her head enough to capture his lower lip in her teeth. Rachel gave it a playful tug before he covered her mouth with his own, his tongue delving deep, stroking against hers until they were breathless.
She clutched his hands tighter, to the point her dull nails scored the backs of his hands. “Harder,” she chanted over and over.
He pushed their hands higher over her head, using his arms to press her knees higher, wider, allowing him to drive deeper, harder. He would spend a lifetime of giving her what she wanted just to prove how much she meant to him. A fine sheen of sweat pooled at the hollow of her throat. Her eyes drifted shut as her body arched and her head tipped back in a silent cry. As her body tightened around his, he chased his own release and within seconds followed her over the edge.
Completely spent, he fell to his knees and rested his head against her thigh. Not until his heart rate slowed did he go throw away the condom. When he returned from the bathroom, she was smothering a giggle with her hand. Lucky climbed onto the bed and caged her head between his hands. “What’s so funny?”
Rachel smiled as she ran a hand down his throat, past his collarbones, and stopping in the center of his chest. “Nothing’s funny.”
“Then why were you laughing?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Because I’m happy.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
Lucky collapsed on the bed beside her and pulled her close to his body, deciding right then and there he never wanted to let her go.
THE EARLY MORNING sun had found the narrowest of gaps in his blackout curtains, lighting the room just enough she could make out his face. She couldn’t help but stare at this sleepy, rumpled Lucky, with hair sticking up in every direction, pillow creases on his face, and those thick, dark lashes that women would kill f
or. She watched the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, heard the sound of his breath as it escaped him in little huffs. She loved seeing him this way, completely at rest since he always seemed to be in perpetual motion.
The fact she was wide awake before him was a surprise even to her since she wasn’t much of a morning person. Even with the lack of sleep, she felt more rested than she had in months. And she couldn’t help but think it was because of him. The nights she slept in his guest room couldn’t compare to the security of his arms.
But it wouldn’t be the first time she’d told herself that.
Almost every relationship she’d been in started out with her feeling the same way. After spending that first magical night together just sitting up for hours and talking, they’d spend the next few weeks unable to get enough of each other. And each time she was convinced this guy was “the one.”
Then she’d spend the next days, weeks, months—however long the relationship lasted—telling herself just that. Doing her best to convince herself that this guy was different from all the rest even long after he’d proved to be just like all the others.
While she didn’t think Lucky was like all the guys from her past, and that this thing between them was different from all the rest, she knew she couldn’t trust herself to make that call.
So it was best to not romanticize things with Lucky or to get ahead of herself. Because in a couple of years, when he finished his undergraduate degree, he’d be moving on to medical school. And the last time she checked, Durant didn’t have one of those. Odds were when he finished medical school and residency and all of that, he’d be like Chad Ferguson, a doctor who wanted more of a challenge, more excitement in his ER than this small town could provide. That would mean Lucky wouldn’t be returning. Sure, they might agree to the long-distance thing at first, but sooner or later he’d be too busy to come back here. And she’d still be too scared to leave.
They had barely started and were doomed already.
“Don’t you know it’s not nice to stare at people when they’re trying to sleep?” his voice rumbled.
“How did—”
His eyes eased opened. “Spatial awareness.”
Since waking him was no longer a worry, Rachel cupped his cheek with her hand, her fingers raking through the heavy scruff on his face. His eyes drifted shut and he jutted out his chin in the same way a cat does when it welcomes a good scratch.
“To be honest, I’m surprised to find you lying here next to me. I would’ve thought you had already been up for three hours and ran twenty miles.”
“Any other day I probably would have,” he said without opening his eyes. “But I’m going to count last night as my workout instead.”
She felt her skin heat in a blush as she thought back to the night before. How after the first round of sex they had laughed and talked and teased each other. Which led to the second round of sex. Afterward, as they laid there in each other’s arms, his stomach rumbled. So he pulled on his shorts and tugged the T-shirt he’d worn over her head and led her into the kitchen. They stood in his darkened kitchen, the only light coming from within the refrigerator as they shared the last bit of a casserole Brenda had made, followed by eating ice cream from the container. Then someone found a nearly empty Hershey’s syrup bottle and things got a bit silly and a lot messy, which led to them showering together. But since the tub space was small and a little too slippery, they resorted to lots of kissing and inappropriate touching. Or should that be appropriate touching, since they both were smiling and satisfied by the time the water ran cold.
She knew without a doubt the next few days would be more of the same. They’d spend today and tomorrow and the next day in each other’s pockets. They’d smile at each other’s reflections in the mirror as they stood side by side in front of his small sink and brushed their teeth. And each night they’d climb into his bed and he’d pull her close as they burrowed beneath the covers. They wouldn’t be able to get enough of each other.
But what would happen when they left their little bubble and ventured out into the real world? What would happen when they returned to work on Friday?
Rachel didn’t realize she was frowning until Lucky stroked the crease between her brows with his finger. “Penny for your thoughts,” he whispered.
She stacked her fists on his chest and rested her chin atop both so she could meet his eyes. “I’m just wondering about work.”
His fingers tangled in her hair as he pushed the strands back from her face and tucked them behind her ear. “What about work?”
Surely he wasn’t this dense. Just twelve hours earlier she went on a date with one of their coworkers. Just another item on a long list of stupid decisions she’d made in her life.
“I think we should keep things quiet at work. I don’t want everyone to start talking about us.”
The words were barely out of her mouth when Lucky dropped his hand so that he wasn’t touching her. “You mean you don’t want Hamilton to find out.”
“I just want to avoid confrontation.”
And she really wanted him to continue touching her.
Without any warning he pushed himself up to a sitting position. He leaned back against the headboard and crossed his arms over his chest. “What about when he asks you out again? Because you and I both know he’ll do just that.”
With her resting place disrupted, Rachel had no choice but to follow his lead, sitting up in the bed and folding her legs beneath her. “I’ll handle him. But I need you to let me do it, okay?”
He shook his head, unhappy with the decision but willing to let her have her way. “Sure thing. What else?”
“Why would you think there’s anything else?”
“Because I know you. What other rules are you wanting to set?”
“No spending the night.”
He took a deep breath and vehemently shook his head. “Nope. Nope. Nope. I won’t agree to it. We’re both grown adults who aren’t committed to other people. Why shouldn’t we spend the night together? I want to spend the night with you. I like having you in my bed. And I want to be with you in your bed. Give me one good reason for that rule.”
The way things were going she might set a record this time and ruin this relationship inside the twenty-four-hour marker. She needed to diffuse the situation. Quickly.
“Okay, then, how about no talk of moving in together,” she said, hoping he’d understand her reasons behind this rule. “We each keep our own place and there’s a standing invitation to stay the night. But neither of us are obligated.”
“Fine.”
“And no talking about the long term. I want to just enjoy this. Here and now. Us. No getting ahead of ourselves.”
“Fine.”
He was doing his best to portray that calm, cool, and collected demeanor of his, but she could see that his jaw was clenched tight. So much so that she wondered how it was possible he hadn’t cracked any teeth yet.
“You’re mad at me.”
“No.”
“You’re pouting.”
Lucky shook his head. “I’m definitely not pouting. I’m just irritated.”
Rachel leaned forward and placed her hand on his forearms. “What can I do to make things better?”
“Not a thing.”
“Sure about that?” In one fluid motion, she threw back the covers and straddled his hips. “What about this? Better?” she asked while slowly rocking her body over his.
“Hmm. Maybe.”
The tension in his jaw disappeared but was replaced with a different type of tension in his face.
“Okay, then. How about—” Rachel grasped the hem of her shirt and pulled it off over her head. “Better now?”
She loved watching his gaze lower to her breasts, how his eyes widened like those of a starving man who’d just had a fat, juicy Porterhouse steak placed in fr
ont of him. She also loved that he was still acting disinterested, still playing hard to get despite the fact she could feel him hardening beneath her.
Rachel wanted to see him crack. But if there was one thing she knew about Lucky James, it was that the man had an iron will. He called it determination. She called it good old-fashioned stubbornness.
Taking one of his hands in each of hers, she lifted them to her breasts, using her fingers to manipulate his, making his hands cup and caress her breasts. Rolling her hips, she ground down on his erection a little harder.
“I could probably come like this.”
“Is that right?” He closed his eyes and faked a yawn, pretending to be bored by what was happening. She nearly laughed out loud because the man was a damn liar. His breathing was faster than before. His hands were burning hot against her skin and his pulse was pounding in the hollow of his throat. And yet, he still pretended to be completely unaffected.
Screw it. Whether he gave in first or not no longer mattered. As far as she was concerned this was a win-win for her either way. Her eyes drifted close as she concentrated on the tension building within her body. Earlier, she’d been halfway joking when she said she could come this way, but now it was more truth than lie. She used his hands to roughly grip her breasts, the pleasure bordering on pain as she rocked her body against his, chasing her release with a single-focus intensity.
“There you go, Shortcake.” His words were low and rough. “Take it. It’s yours.”
And with his words her body strained tight as she went over the edge and rode out the last of her orgasm, finally collapsing on top of him. She was still trying to catch her breath when he rolled her over onto her back and grabbed one of several foil packets from the nightstand.
“I thought you were mad at me,” she said, half laughing at the same time.
Lucky chuckled as he quickly rolled the condom on. “I could never be mad at you.”
And as he slid into her in one smooth thrust, she knew this was exactly what she wanted. The two of them just living in the moment. Not getting ahead of themselves. Because here and now, things between them were very, very good.
Here And Now (American Valor 2) Page 15
