by Marie Force
Unable to resist the opportunity to touch her, he ran his hand lightly over her back as he breathed in her sweet scent. When he reached the waistband of her yoga pants, he hesitated for a second before letting his fingers venture the slightest bit inside. He stopped abruptly when he reached the top of one cheek, knowing if he went any farther he wouldn’t be able to resist taking more.
He withdrew his hand, and was startled by a mewl of protest from her. Even though her eyes were still closed, she tilted her hips to press her core against him, and he went hard as stone. A hiss of desire and frustration escaped from his clenched teeth.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered, rubbing herself against him with increasing urgency.
“Laura,” he gasped.
She took his hand and returned it to her lower back. “Don’t stop,” she said again.
Did she think he was made of stone? That he could be tempted this way and not act? He’d tried to do the honorable thing by putting their relationship on hold until Justin knew about the baby, but she wasn’t making it easy to remember his resolve.
Her hand moved over his chest as she continued to push against him in an increasingly provocative rhythm that was making him crazier by the second. Because she’d asked so nicely—and so insistently—he pushed his hand into the back of her pants again, this time cupping a sweet cheek that fit perfectly into his large hand.
“Yes,” she whispered, her breath hot against his neck. She tugged on the button to his jeans, unzipped him and had her hand wrapped around his straining member so quickly he didn’t have time to protest—not that he would have.
As if it had a mind of its own, his hand delved into the cleft between her cheeks until he encountered slick heat.
She moaned as he made contact with her clit and stroked him harder when he slid two fingers into her tight channel. When she raised her face, seeking his mouth, he kissed her with an urgency he’d never experienced so acutely before, as if he would drown or suffocate or die some other miserable way if she didn’t save him. Tongues clashed and battled as the movement of their hands became more desperate.
“Owen,” she panted, moving her leg to give him better access. “Owen…” She came hard around his fingers, triggering his own almost violent release as weeks of longing poured forth in the most intense orgasm he’d ever experienced. It left him panting and sweating and spinning as he came back down to find her watching him with bottomless blue eyes.
“Wow,” she said, looking rather satisfied with herself.
“Yeah. Wow.” As much as it had been, it wasn’t nearly enough. He wanted to be inside her so badly he closed his eyes and shuddered when the need grabbed him by the throat, refusing to let go until he’d had all of her. The next few days were going to be hell on earth.
She caressed his face with her soft hand. “Are you okay?”
He nodded because he didn’t trust himself to speak and having her touch him wasn’t doing a thing to lessen the need. It only made it greater, if that was possible.
“You don’t look okay.”
He couldn’t help but offer a small smile at the concern he heard in her voice. Opening his eyes, he met her worried gaze. “You demolished me.”
Her eyes widened into an adorably innocent expression. “I did?”
“Totally.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“It was a very good thing. But it’s left me wanting so much more.”
The hand that had been gently soothing his face stopped all of a sudden. “I want more, too. I’ve never experienced anything like this. I didn’t even know…”
“Neither did I.”
They were sticky and sweaty and the air smelled of sex, but he couldn’t bring himself to let her go. Suddenly, he was afraid. What if he had waited his entire life to find this woman and he somehow managed to mess it up? What if Justin refused to give her a divorce and it turned into a big, protracted battle that took years to resolve? What if he never again got to hold her and touch her this way?
That couldn’t happen. He wouldn’t let it. One way or the other, he would make this work. He would make sure they both got everything they wanted—and then some. “We need a shower.”
“Mmm.” Her fingers had moved to his unruly hair, smoothing and combing. That was all it took to fire him up all over again. “In a minute.”
Because he was afraid he might forget all about his honorable intentions and give in to overwhelming temptation, he attempted to zip his jeans over his still-hard cock, but the zipper wouldn’t cooperate.
Laura laughed at his dilemma. “I thought we took care of that problem.”
“I thought so, too,” Owen said, grimacing as her laughter made the ache worse. “It’s your influence. He can’t get enough of you.”
She trailed a finger down his neck to his chest, dragging her nail over his nipple.
“Is that supposed to be helping?” he asked, sounding strangled.
“We don’t have to wait, Owen.”
He stopped her hand before it could travel any lower. In the state he was in, if she so much as brushed against him, he’d detonate.
“I’ve filed for divorce. I’m single in every way that matters.”
“You have to resolve the situation with the baby first. I don’t know why that matters so much to me. It just does.” He bent his head to kiss her, making sure to keep a tight rein on the desire to plunder her sweet mouth. It wouldn’t take much to give in to the tremendous temptation. “We’ll have all the time in the world once you get that worked out. We’ll spend entire days in bed.”
Laura laughed at that. “And what will your grandmother say when her hotel isn’t ready for opening in the spring?”
Owen hovered above her, so close their lips were nearly touching. “She will say it was time very well spent. She’s always wanted me to find someone special and settle down.”
“Is that what you’re doing with me? Settling down?”
He snorted out a laugh. “I’m hardly ‘settled’ around you. Agitated, horny, desperate, frustrated, needy, happy…”
She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth as she looked up at him. “Are you happy?”
“Very much so. Are you?”
Nodding, she said, “So happy. Who would’ve thought I’d be in the boat I’m in—pregnant and divorcing my cheating husband—but happier than I’ve ever been in my life? It’s all because of you.”
“I’ll be happier when he knows about the baby and you guys have a plan for how you’re going to handle custody.” Owen rested his forehead against hers. “You do realize it’ll be almost impossible to share joint custody when you’re living out here and he’s in Providence, don’t you?”
“I’m almost certain he won’t want joint custody. He’s too selfish and career-oriented. He won’t want to be responsible for the baby on his own.”
“I don’t even know him, but I already know that if he can find a way to make life difficult for you, he’s probably going to do it.” And that, Owen realized, was his greatest fear.
“My father can make life difficult for him, too. I plan to remind him of that on Friday, if I need to.”
Owen hoped threats against his precious career would be enough to convince Justin to let her go.
Sydney stood in front of the mirror and gave her face a careful inspection. The sleepless night was obvious in the smudges below her green eyes. Thoughts of Jenny’s story had kept Syd awake, thinking about how she should approach the other woman. What had seemed like such a good idea yesterday now had her wondering if Luke had been right to be concerned.
But she was determined to at least see Jenny and make her aware of the other women on the island who were anxious to meet her and make her feel welcome.
She glanced down at the ring Luke had given her the night before, struck again by its unique beauty. That he’d gotten her a ring she would’ve chosen for herself was further proof he was the one for her—as if she needed further proof. When she’d arrive
d on the island earlier in the summer after leaving the teaching job she’d once loved, she’d reconnected with Luke, and he’d helped her to put the pieces back together. His patience and tenderness had been a balm on the open wound on her soul. She thought of her late husband and children every day, but the memories were becoming easier to bear with the passage of time.
Being with Luke filled her with a sense of peace and tranquility she hadn’t expected to find again after she lost her family. Her skin heated when memories of the passionate night with Luke played through her mind like an R-rated movie. Well, most of it was probably X-rated, she thought with a smile.
“What are you all smiles about?” Luke asked as he stepped into the bathroom and handed her a steaming mug of coffee.
“Oh, thank you.” She rewarded him with a lingering kiss. “I have so much to smile about this morning.”
He hugged her from behind and propped his chin on her shoulder. “It’s nice to see you happy.”
Sydney put the mug on the counter and turned to him, resting her hands on his shoulders. “I don’t think I could’ve gotten to happy again without you.”
“Yes, you would have. You were well on your way before we got back together.”
“I was doing okay. I never would’ve gotten past ‘just okay’ without you. Without this.” She went up on tiptoes to kiss him more intently. “Without us.”
“You saved me, too, you know.”
Syd raised a skeptical eyebrow. “How so?”
“I was destined for a life as a cranky loner who coasted along without experiencing the finer points.”
“And do you feel like you’re experiencing the finer points now?”
He moved his hands from her hips to her breasts, sliding his thumbs back and forth over nipples that responded to him instantly. “The finest of fine points.”
She tossed her head back and laughed, which gave him permission to leave a trail of kisses on her neck. “Didn’t you get enough last night?”
“Never enough,” he said as he used his hand on her bottom to better align them so she could feel how much he wanted her.
“You have to go to work, and I’ve got a lighthouse keeper I need to see.”
“You’re really going to let me walk around all day in this condition?” He took her hand and held it against his rigid length. “Is that the kind of wife you plan to be?”
Sydney knew she should have some sort of witty comeback to an outrageous statement like that, but as usual, her brain turned to mush when he touched her. The combination of his fingers playing with her nipple and the pressure of his erection against her hand had her wavering. “What about work?”
“The McCarthys are always reminding me that I own the place.” Sensing her capitulation, he tugged open her robe and his eyes heated with satisfaction when he found her naked underneath. “I get there when I get there.”
“It can’t be healthy to have as much sex as we do.”
Luke laughed at that as he dropped to his knees before her. “It’s extremely healthy. Keeps the stress level nice and low and does wonders for the blood pressure.”
She fisted his hair and tried to stay upright when he squeezed her ass and nuzzled her belly. “My blood pressure is through the roof at the moment, and it’s all gathering in one place.”
“Mine, too, baby.” He hooked her leg over his shoulder and lapped at her core, focusing on all the places that made her come apart, keeping it up until she shattered into a million pieces that only he could put back together. As she floated down from the incredible high, he scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom. Freeing himself from the jeans he’d put on for work, he came down on top of her.
Sydney wrapped her legs around his hips, urging him to take what she wanted as much as he did.
“Oh God, Syd,” he whispered as he entered her. “I love you.”
Raising her hips to meet his thrusts, she looked up to find him gazing down at her. “I love you, too.”
“Always,” he said, touching his lips to hers.
“Yes, Luke. Yes.”
They finished together in a burst of light and heat and energy that left her clinging to him, her anchor, her life, her love.
“What’ll you tell Mac and Mr. McCarthy about why you’re late?” she asked after a period of contented silence.
“I’ll tell them something came up,” he said with a dirty grin that made her laugh. “It was well worth the time.” He kissed her once more, running his tongue over her bottom lip. “You’re really going to marry me?”
“I really am.”
“When?”
“As soon as we can.”
“What do you think about a Christmas wedding?”
“Oh,” she said, “I like that. I could use some new memories of Christmas. That’s a tough time of year since the accident.”
“We don’t have to do it then if you’d rather not.”
“No, I think it would be perfect.”
“So it’s a date?” he asked.
She kissed him. “It’s a date.”
Chapter 9
More than an hour after she’d intended to leave the house, Sydney was on her way to the Southeast lighthouse. As she navigated the winding island roads, she was glad she’d decided to bring her golden retriever, Buddy, with her. He was always good for breaking the ice, as few people could resist his overwhelming friendliness. She hoped Jenny liked dogs.
“How could anyone not love you?” she asked Buddy.
He took advantage of the invitation to nuzzle her outstretched hand. His coat was silky soft from the bath she’d given him the day before. Buddy was the only dog she’d ever known who actually enjoyed a bath. Any excuse to play with water.
Speaking of playing with water, her face burned when she remembered the shower she’d taken with Luke. He’d pressed her against the wall and made love to her again. His appetite for her was boundless, which was thrilling and exciting and overwhelming. She kept thinking that surely they would settle into a more typical relationship when the first blush of passion dimmed, but there was no sign of anything dimming between them. If anything, it got hotter and more intense all the time.
Syd drove around a curve and slowed when she saw a woman walking in the road. She wore a backpack, and her shoulders were hunched, which was why Syd didn’t immediately spot the telltale spiky red hair. She pulled up next to Stephanie. “What’re you doing out here?”
Stephanie turned to her, and Syd was shocked to see that her friend’s face was puffy and her eyes were red from crying. She gave Buddy a nudge to move him to the backseat. “Get in,” she said to Stephanie. “I’ll give you a lift.”
“That’s okay. I don’t mind walking.”
“Come on, Steph. You’re clearly upset. Let me give you a ride.”
Stephanie yanked the door open and got in, shutting the door with a slam.
“What’s wrong?”
“What isn’t wrong?”
“Did you and Grant have a fight?”
Stephanie released a harsh laugh. “We had another fight. All we do is fight. I can’t take it anymore.”
“Is it because of the screenplay?”
“For one thing. Everything is a battle. I grew up in chaos. I can’t live like that anymore.”
A car pulled up behind them and beeped for them to move along.
Sydney glanced in the rearview mirror before she accelerated. “Where’re you headed?”
“To Charlie’s.”
“I’ll take you,” Syd said.
“You really don’t have to. I don’t mind walking.”
“It’s fine. I was heading out that way anyhow. Going to see Jenny.”
“Oh.” Stephanie stared out the window for a long time. “Here I am running away from my guy when she’d give anything for one more day with hers. Makes me feel kinda stupid.”
“You’re not stupid to take a breather if things aren’t going the way you want them to.”
“It’s starting
to register with me,” Stephanie said slowly, “that there’s a good possibility this thing with Grant isn’t going to work out after all.” As she said the words, she swiped at the tears that spilled down her cheeks.
“I don’t think that’s true,” Sydney said. “I’ve seen you two together. He’s wild about you. That’s obvious to everyone.”
“Maybe so, but what good is it if we drive each other crazy—and not in a good way?”
“There’re bound to be bumps in any relationship. That’s to be expected.”
“Have you had bumps with Luke?”
“Sure we have. He was a terrible patient after he hurt his ankle—cranky as hell until I finally told him to knock it off or find a new nurse.”
“Was he better after that?”
“Much. I’m lucky that he usually gets it the first time.”
“You are lucky. Grant loves to beat the dead horse until it’s a bloody pulp. The problem is, we both dig in and neither of us is willing to give an inch.”
“Maybe writing the screenplay together wasn’t the best idea.”
“I’m beginning to think you’re right about that.”
“Talk to him. Work it out. You guys have a really great thing, Stephanie. Don’t let this come between you.”
“That’s the turn.”
Sydney drove onto the dirt road that led to Charlie’s place.
Charlie was in the yard, splitting wood. He looked up with surprise when Stephanie waved to him from the car.
“Thanks for the lift, Syd.”
Sydney leaned over to give Stephanie a hug. “Hang in there. I know you guys can work this out if you remember first and foremost that you love him.”
Stephanie bit her lip as if trying to hold back more tears. “Don’t say anything about it to anyone, okay?”
“My lips are sealed.”
Stephanie nodded and got out of the car.
Syd watched her walk over to her stepfather and exchange a few words before she went into the house. He followed her. Satisfied that Stephanie was in good hands, Sydney continued on her way, reaching the lighthouse a few minutes later.
