by Cindy Stark
"It's on my list."
"But—"
He put two fingers on her lips. "Shh." He set his beer on the table next to his hat and leaned forward, sliding his fingers behind her ears, holding her head. "I hope you can forgive me." He crushed his lips against hers.
One taste of him and all thoughts of why she shouldn't be doing this evaporated. She leaned closer, angling her head, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Flutters of excitement built beneath her breast, leaving an ache that wouldn't be ignored. His tongue tangled with hers in a desperate dance, as though each of them was trying to take what they could before it was too late.
He pulled away, studied her eyes before giving her two more small lingering kisses. He sat back, leaving her breathless.
"I know I shouldn't have done that." He licked his bottom lip as though searching for a taste of her. Desire darkened his eyes and boiled inside her. He stood and helped her to her feet. When she was next to him, he cradled her face again, giving her another heated kiss. If he didn't stop, she was sure he'd have to hold her up.
But he did stop. "I'm sorry. Shouldn't have done that, either, but after everything that's happened today, I'm having a hard time remembering why I should consider Hannah's feelings." He stroked a thumb down her cheek. "But I will consider yours." He kissed her again. "I'm sorry. I keep doing that. I just don't know if I'll ever get another chance."
He stepped away. "I'm going to go shower and clean off the rest of this blood and grime. You can stay if you like, but I can't promise to behave tonight if you do." He came back for one more intense kiss and then headed for the stairs near the front of the house.
Lily watched as he appeared on the second level. He sent her a long, searching look before he disappeared into one of the bedrooms.
She stayed where she was, staring at the closed bedroom door for several long minutes. She desperately wanted who lay behind it. Luke could be hers if she'd reach out and take him. But could she betray Hannah like that?
Lily could rationalize her actions by saying Hannah had lied about Luke. At this point, that fact was pretty obvious, even though she didn't yet know all the details. Question was, did Hannah deserve her loyalty despite the fact?
Yes.
Lily headed toward the front door. Hannah had been nothing but good to her, despite what she might have done to others.
But did she and Luke have to suffer for that loyalty?
That didn't seem right, either.
She stopped near the stairs. Suddenly, the world was no longer black and white like she'd always believed it to be. Shades of gray crowded in, dulling the sharp edges of her memories and judgments.
Up until now, she'd judged everything in terms of right and wrong. But perhaps life wasn't always so clear cut. Maybe people did bad things for good reasons. Maybe the judgment of something being bad was really in the eye of the beholder.
Could she even go so far as to forgive Ethan and her sister for what they'd done? Obviously, there had been issues between her and her fiancé, or he would have never slept with her sister. Had she been blind to those issues? Could she be partially to blame? Not for the cheating, but for the breakdown in their relationship?
Possibly.
She stepped onto the first stair and looked upward. She could be making one of the biggest mistakes of her life, trusting a man with a flawed reputation who very well might break her heart. She'd certainly be risking her friendship with Hannah. Then again, she could also be making one of the best decisions ever, putting her faith in a man who treated her like a treasure and was willing to risk his life for others.
She had to go with her instincts.
She hurried up the rest of the stairs, not bothering to look back. She'd made up her mind, and she would see this through, repercussions be damned.
With a certain hand, she opened the bedroom door and heard the shower running in the attached bathroom. Her clothes seemed to fight her as she hurried to strip. Now that she'd made up her mind, she didn't want to wait another second to touch him, to show him that she cared and trusted him. Steamy air filled the bathroom, fogging the mirrors, making her lungs heavy.
The shower did not have a door, but instead sported two tiled walls placed to allow entrance, but also to keep the water inside. She stepped past one wall and peeked around the corner of the other. Luke stood with his eyes shut, his head back under the water, running his fingers through his hair.
She allowed herself a moment to appreciate every muscled, naked inch of his glorious body from his well-defined chest, down his abs, to his corded thighs. His poor knees were red and roughed up. He'd really taken a beating from the explosions. Of course, there were others out there who'd suffered far worse damage, but she couldn't think about them now.
His shaft, still thick with need, stole her attention. He wanted her, too.
That thought was enough to propel her forward onto the wet tiles.
* * *
Luke startled when someone touched his chest, and he jerked open his eyes.
"Lily," he whispered, not quite sure he wasn't hallucinating. He swallowed the hard lump in his throat as he soaked up the sight of her body. Breathe, he reminded himself.
He'd known she was beautiful, but…dear God.
He cleared his throat. "I thought you'd left." He wiped water from his eyes to make sure she wasn't an illusion.
She shook her head. "Do you want me to go?"
"Hell, no." He pulled her to him, his wet skin slippery against hers.
She seriously could be the woman of his dreams. A few hours ago, he was certain he'd never get the opportunity to show her how good he could be to her, and now here she was, naked in his arms. He couldn't quite believe it. "Are you sure about this?"
She splayed her fingers and slowly ran them up the contours of his pecs and across his shoulders, sensation after sensation exploding across his skin. Then she smiled up at him, and he was positive he had to be dreaming. Maybe he'd died in the explosion, and this was heaven.
"This is where I want to be." She slipped her fingers into his wet hair and tugged his head forward.
He was a goner. The second her lips touched his, he knew he couldn't turn back. He kissed her hard, demanding that something that had been missing in his life for so long.
He turned, moving them under the spray of warm water, cupping her bottom and hauling her against him. She fit him perfectly. Streams of hot water rushed over her shoulders and breasts and pelted his hands where he held her to him.
She tilted her head back into the stream and lifted her hands, pushing her wet hair out of her face. Luke ran his hands down her sides to her waist and then up her stomach. He hadn't thought he could get harder than he was, but the feel of her soft, slippery skin beneath his fingers left him with an aching, burning need to bury himself inside her.
He cupped her breasts, holding the weight of them in his palms, running his thumbs across her nipples. She arched her back, inviting him closer.
He dipped his head, sucking a sweet nipple into his mouth, and reveled in the shiver that enveloped her. She dug her fingers into his wet hair and held him there. He'd be happy if she never let him go.
He'd wanted this girl from the moment he'd first met her. He'd wanted to touch her and hold her. Now, he was, and it was more exquisite than anything he'd pictured.
He lifted his head, finding her staring at him with eyes the color of midnight. She parted her lips, her breasts heaving. "Luke," she whispered.
Damn. He'd never hear his name again without thinking of her.
He traced a water drop down her cheek. She turned her face, catching his finger with her teeth, drawing him inside her mouth and sucking. Shit. If he got any harder, he'd blow here and now.
He removed his finger and kissed her, unable to stop her slow teasing from taking the sharp turn into hot and explosive.
She closed her fingers around his shaft, smiling at his sharp intake of breath. Her eyes, drunk with seduction, darkened as she car
essed him. Hot, pulsating need consumed him. He groaned, pressing himself into her hand, taking a moment to enjoy the sweet ache her touch created.
He reached between them, removing her hand. Turning her, cradling her back against his chest, he held the backs of her hands, leaving her palms free.
With their fingers entwined, he placed hers on her abdomen and slowly slid them upward over her slippery skin as steamy water pelted them. He helped her cup her own breasts, testing them and massaging them. She leaned her head back against his shoulder, her eyes closed, her mouth parted on a sigh.
"See how good you feel?" He took her pointer fingers and circled her nipples, and then flicked the crested buds with his thumbs. "You're so beautiful, Lily. So beautiful."
She shivered and tried to turn in his arms.
"Uh-uh. Not done yet." He trailed their linked hands down her sides and over her hips. With deliberate slowness, he dragged her closer to the place he wanted to touch the most.
She tried to hurry their descent. "Touch me, Luke," she whispered. "I'm going to die if you don't."
"Trust me honey, I’m going down in flames with you." He moved their hands to the sensitive place between her thighs, running her finger between her folds.
She bucked against him. "Oh, Luke."
He held her trembling finger as he retraced their path, this time delving deeper into her hot core. Even from his place on the outskirts, her slick juices covered him. "Lily. You're so hot." He sucked her earlobe into his mouth as he made her touch herself again.
Then he released her, searching for and finding her sensitive bud, totally turned on by the fact her hand remained as she continued to arouse herself. She jerked again, went rigid, before she melted against him.
Damn.
He turned her, her lust-glazed expression drawing him deeper into her sensual world. "I need you, Lily."
She slipped a hand around his neck, bringing her face to his and giving him a kiss that scorched his lips. "So take me."
"Do we need a condom?"
"No," she whispered against his mouth.
He dug rough fingers into the soft flesh of her bottom as he lifted her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he anchored her back against the wall. He met her gaze and held it. Slowly he tested her resistance and then drove himself deep inside her.
She gasped as he relentlessly plundered the addictive pleasure she offered. He couldn't think beyond the space she occupied in his world. He needed her…desperately.
In the back of his mind, he registered the feel of her nails raking his back, but the sensation only added to the feral quality of the moment.
He thrust into her again and again as water rained down on them. Steam filled the air. Lily gasped and clung to him as he pushed them both toward ecstasy.
He couldn't stop. Not until he thoroughly satisfied her. Not until he appeased the deep ache inside him.
"Luke." Lily pulled his head toward hers, stealing his soul with a passionate kiss. She cried out as she tightened around his shaft.
He increased his momentum, giving in this time to the hunger that consumed him.
Pent-up pleasure crested, and his body vibrated with sweet release.
He took a moment to catch his breath, studying her eyes, amazed that he could feel so much for one person. "That was…wow." He kissed her until he couldn't breathe.
She gave a small chuckle. "Liked that, huh?"
"More than liked." Loved? It wasn't just lust or the afterglow of sex. Somehow, during the few short weeks she'd been in Aspen, she'd managed to ensnare his heart. The best part was, he didn't care that she'd imprisoned him. He wanted to tell her exactly how much he felt for her, but it was too soon. If he spouted the "L" word, she'd run, and he didn't intend on losing her. Ever.
He scooped her up before he said something he'd regret and carried her to the bed, depositing her wet, sleek body on the downy comforter.
She welcomed him with open arms, and then snuggled against his chest.
"Don't get too comfortable." He grinned. "You and I aren't finished yet."
CHAPTER TEN
A frantic pounding woke Luke from a deep slumber. He sat up, nearly toppling Lily as she apparently tried to do the same. "What the hell was that?" His heart thumped wildly from the abrupt awakening.
"Someone's at the door," Lily whispered, sounding breathless and scared.
Several more rounds of banging echoed through the house, confirming Lily's answer. Luke cursed. "Stay here."
Who the hell even knew he was there? He dragged on his boxers as he stumbled through the darkness and out of the room.
He flicked on a light switch and headed down. Whoever it was pounded again causing him to almost miss a stair. He grabbed wildly for the handrail to catch himself. "Hang on a damn minute," he hollered as he descended the rest of the steps.
He swung the door open wide, ready to kick someone's ass.
"Bastard," Hannah hissed as she shoved past him. Black mascara hung in half-moons beneath her eyes, giving her the appearance of a zombie. "Where is she?"
Luke made the mistake of glancing up the stairs, and Hannah didn't miss it. He tried to grab her before she hit the first step, but she was primed for battle and escaped his grasp.
He chased her, but couldn't catch her before she entered the bedroom. Hannah flipped on the light switch just as he reached her.
Lily stood at the side of the bed tucking the woven throw from the chair around her, her eyes wide pools of shock. "Hannah, what are you doing here?"
"I can't believe I was worried about you."
Anger emanated off Hannah in violent waves, and Luke stepped forward to put a protective hand on Lily's back. He wouldn't tolerate Hannah's emotionally abusive ways any longer. When he touched Lily, she shrugged him off. He took a step back, stunned and a little hurt.
"Slow down, Hannah. Why were you worried?"
"My mom heard about the accident and went to the house to check on you. When you didn't show up for a couple of hours, she got worried and called me. I hurried back from Roosevelt, and we've been looking for you for hours. I didn't know if you'd been hurt, too, or what."
Lily took a step toward her friend. "You can't get mad at me for that. I didn't know you'd come look for me. You weren't even supposed to be home tonight."
Hannah let loose a semi-hysterical laugh, and Luke wondered if she'd gone completely off the deep end this time. "That's right. You waited until I left town and then jumped at the first opportunity to trick Luke into bed."
Luke couldn't let this continue. "That's not what happened, Hannah."
"Stay out of it, jackass. It's pretty damn obvious you fucked her. The only question is, did you rape her like you did me, or did she use you for a good fuck like she said she was going to before she dumped you on your ass?"
"Whoa." Luke took the emotional blow, but didn't back down.
Lily slapped Hannah's face, the sound echoing through the room. "How dare you?"
"Bitch." Hannah raised her hand, but Luke caught it before she made contact with Lily and threw it back at her.
Adrenaline screamed through his veins, but he retained control. "I did not rape you. I did not sleep with you. I did not touch you. Take back what you said, Hannah. This has gone on far too long."
Hannah seemed momentarily stunned by the anger in his voice, but it didn't take her long to recover. "You're just lucky I never called the cops."
"Get out." His voice shook with every bit of anger and resentment he'd held toward her. Hannah opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "Now."
Tears flooded Hannah's eyes. "This isn't over. It isn't over by a long shot." She turned and stormed out of the room.
He met Lily's gaze and held it. She cringed when Hannah slammed the door.
He inhaled what he hoped was a sustaining breath. "I didn't rape her. I never even had sex with her."
"I know," she whispered.
"When is this fucking nightmare going to end?" He kicked a stool
near him, sending it toppling over. Lily flinched again, but remained silent. He'd had all he could take. The years of lies, of people whispering behind his back, the way they looked at him like he was less than. Now she'd label him a rapist. He was done with it.
There was just one thing.
He pinned Lily with a look, needing to see her face when he questioned her, needing to know if there was one person in this God-forsaken town that he could love and trust. He swallowed the burning bile in his throat, knowing deep down how this would end, but praying it wouldn't. "Was Hannah lying about what you said, too?"
Lily's eyes watered over before she dropped her gaze. "Not exactly," she whispered.
"What the hell does that mean?" His heart might as well have been ripped from his chest. It couldn't have hurt any worse.
"I didn't mean it when I said it. It was before I knew you."
"So you routinely make suggestive comments that you don't mean?" He knew his bottled emotions had taken control of his words, but he didn't care. He had to get the hell out while he still had a shred of his soul. "Never mind." He grabbed his jeans, his keys jingling in the pocket. "Don't answer. I've stayed in this fucking town too damn long as it is."
She grabbed his hand, the gesture tugging at his shattered heart. "Luke, you have to understand. That was before I got to know you. I'd only heard Hannah's side of the story."
He shook her off. He wanted to believe her. He really did. But he was so damn tired of games and lies and trying to figure out who wouldn't ultimately break his heart. "Doesn't matter. I'm done. I don't need this shit. I don't need to wonder if you're really the type of girl who would do that. I don't need to wonder if you can get past something I never did." He looked her in the eye, wanting her to know how damn serious he was. "I'm done."
He ignored the heart-wrenching look on her face and left the room. Who the hell knew if he could even trust her expression?
