by Morgan Fox
“No,” he said simply.
She found it impossible to treat him rudely. He was just too damn nice and looked too damn good. What they hell was wrong with being cordial? Nothing. “Would you like an apple?” She pulled the apple from the bag and handed it to him. She waved the surrender flag in front of Luken, one he accepted with a smile.
“Thank you, Ms. Burns,” he said as he sank his teeth into the bright red shell.
“I’m sorry about the bonds earlier, but we had to make sure you wouldn’t try to leave us before you had a chance to understand we had no intentions of hurting you.” He held her gaze. “Ms. Burns, I honestly would have liked to have met you under different circumstances, one that didn’t involve barging into your office and stealing you away like some thief in the night.”
She would have liked that. To have had that chance to know Luken without the stress of being kidnapped. Clearing her suddenly dry throat, she admitted, “Me, too, and please, call me Tabitha.”
He nodded his head in agreement and repeated her name with the sweetness of honey, dripping from his tongue. “Tabitha.”
Her name fell from his lips like a decadent shower of chocolate over ripe red strawberries. She shivered, watching his every movement. Captivated by the grace in which his lips pressed and released—a dance that had her wondering just how warm and insatiable those lips would be caressing her own.
Strangely, the man in front of her didn’t frighten her in the least. Instead, he aroused her, something no other man had done. Well, except for his brother, Ryken, but that was because he fought with her and she’d always found heated emotions combined with quick wit to be sexually energizing.
Feeling the pulsing arousal of a man, one as appetizing as Luken, had not happened to her in quite some time. She had managed to control the hunger and cravings for sex, several days ago, at least. The impulse to fuck anything that was willing conquered—the night that had changed her life forever. So she thought.
Five years. That was the length of time that had passed since the last time she had been with a man, and that had been an emotional disaster. The jackass had ripped her heart out of her chest and stomped on it as if she had no feelings at all to consider. He used her. Got what he needed and then left just as quickly as he had stormed into her life.
Bastard.
She had been a fool then, unable to separate her heart from the needs of her body. She had come a long way since then.
But now, things were different. Ryken and Luken both made things different. Why, she hadn’t a clue.
Luken was making it impossible for her to control the desires flaming inside her body. She couldn’t resist the need to reach out to him, to close the last bit of distance separating them, and taste the lips that teased and enticed her. A thirst awakened inside her, one that was eager to be quenched.
Her shoulder ached, and she absently rubbed it. Her skin flamed, her clothing too tight for her body. She was going insane with lust. What the hell was wrong with her? She was like a dog in heat, tail raised and ready for mounting.
Dazed by an allure that radiated out of him, she stared deep into his radiant blue eyes as if noticing their unique color for the first time. She inhaled his scent, and the arousal she discovered left her breathless. He wanted her, she was sure of it. The sound of his rapid heartbeat, the pumping of his blood rang out like a beacon in her ears. Yes, he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him. The heat from his body called to her, warned of passions only he could sate.
As if hearing her thoughts, her summoning of desires, he set the apple on the table at his side and moved from the bench to kneel between her legs. Using his large, uncompromising hands, he parted her legs further.
Her eyes wide with wonder, she gasped, “What are you doing?”
She should be asking herself that question. What the hell was she doing letting some stranger ease between her legs like a two-dollar whore?
Grinning, he muttered in a tone as smooth as silk, “I think you already know the answer to that question, sweet Tabitha.”
Nerves gathered like butterflies in her stomach. She shook her head. Was this really happening? “No, I’m afraid I don’t.”
He gripped the half-eaten sandwich from her hand and placed it on the table beside her next to his apple then returned to gently clasp her hands in his, and kissed her knuckles.
Her breath caught as she stared down at him. His loosely flowing hair tumbled over his shoulders, framing high, chiseled cheek bones and a square jaw. His eyes radiated heat and desire. A mirror image of the emotions she was feeling.
She couldn’t speak, couldn’t think. Was this really happening to her? Was she going to let this happen to her?
“Luken?”
“Stop, Tabitha,” he growled low. His soothing voice tingled up and down her spine. “Don’t do it, don’t overthink yourself into a panic.” He nuzzled her neck, lips gliding along her flesh, goose bumps flaming her body.
“I’m not. I just—”
His voice was filled with hunger as he nipped at the lobe of her ear. “What, darling? You want me to kiss you? Want me to feel your warm, silky skin beneath my lips? Feel me wedged between your creamy thighs, shoving my cock into the tight grip of your pussy. Oh, I want that, too.” He purred, nipping at her chin, kissing along her cheek towards the corner of her mouth.
“That’s not exactly what I was going to say.” She sighed, heart pounding like a drum in her chest. She knew she was going to say something, knew it was important. “I can’t think when you’re doing that.”
“No?” The smile in his voice sent a jolt of electricity to her core, dampening her panties. She knew she was only lying to herself, knew she didn’t want him to stop, and damn it, she didn’t even care if being with him was wrong.
Oh, God, this man made her wet, hungry, ravenous for affection.
His large hand cupped the side of her face. His thumb slowly caressed her skin, sending shivers of delight soaring throughout her body. She closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of the warmth penetrating into her flesh. The sensation was divine and positively irresistible.
“I don’t want you to think, Tabitha. I want you to feel. Your body is trembling with need, your heady scent begging me for more, so much more.” He growled low in his throat. “And I want to give that to you, sweetheart. I want to show you all the pleasures your body can stand.” He leaned closer to her, his breath mingled with hers. “Will you let me love you tonight, Tabitha? Will you let me show you the pleasures your body craves, desires…needs?”
She fought to make sense of the sexual awareness ravaging her body. Her body didn’t belong to her anymore. She had no control and she couldn’t think straight. Everything she tried to think about was fuzzy. Nothing but pleasure and passion mattered. Her sanity stripped away, leaving nothing but need behind.
A whimpering moan escaped her lips as she brought her mouth to meet his. The allure of his mouth captured her lips, tasting of exquisite male spice. Tongues mingled in a hungry feast, hot and ready for fevered exploration.
Her hands shot to the button of his jeans, flipping it open with ease, then the zipper. Diving in, she greeted his firm cock with the soft grip of her hand, stroking gently.
“Oh,” she breathed. His generous size only made her want him more. Never had she ached so much to be satisfied. Her body burned. An inferno of emotions and sensations she couldn’t identify. The need for him was alive like tingling electricity in her belly—a yearning that felt primal and raw.
“Luken?” she gasped, fingers weaving into the golden strands of his loosely flowing hair. “What’s happening to me? I can’t believe how much I want you. Oh, God, I’ve never felt this way before.”
Gripping her face in his hands, he took her mouth again, blocking her words. His eager lips caressed and suckled her, while his tongue tasted and dined on the wetness of her mouth. “I know, sweetheart. I feel it, too. I’ve waited so long for this.” He arched his hips forward as she stro
ked him harder. “Awww, that feels so good. I’ve been without a woman for so long. I fear I might not be as impressive as I would like.”
She withdrew her hand from his pants, and he froze, meeting her gaze. “Oh, I seriously doubt that. We can do this all night long for all I care. That way you can prove to me just how impressive you really are.”
He grinned, coaxing her lips with his. “I think I can handle that. You’ll find I have extraordinary stamina.”
The buttons of her blouse popped open, one after the other. His large, unyielding hands worked the shirt free of her shoulders and arms. Magic fingers toyed with the clasp of her bra. The fabric slowly scraped over her sensitive nipples.
His fingers gliding up and down her arms, he whispered, “God, you’re so beautiful, Tabitha. A vision I only dreamed of witnessing. You make me feel things…things I’ve never felt with another woman.” He nuzzled her neck as if inhaling her scent. “You are amazing.” A sigh of relief escaped her at the sound of his praise, glad he found her body appealing. Her breasts were not large, but not small either. She was blessed with full, round breasts that Luken seemed to appreciate.
A chill shot to her toes the moment his hot mouth clamped down on her hard, responsive nipple. Head kicking back, he gripped her hips, tugging her forward. His mouth worked over her breasts, kissing, nipping, and suckling each one.
He returned to her mouth, while his hands massaged and caressed her heavy breasts. Tender to the touch, she couldn’t stand it any longer, needed to feel him buried deep inside her body.
Easing away from his lips, she whispered, “I’ve always wanted to make love on a train.” Fingers clawed into his back with fevered urgency, tearing at the fabric of his shirt.
Obliging her, he tugged his shirt up over his head. “And why is that?” He moaned, capturing her lips again, greedy and possessive.
Her breath caught in her throat as she felt the hard ridge of muscle under her fingers. His smooth chest and erect nipples teased and delighted her. Sexy was not a word, but a man. Arousing and masculine, his primal, intoxicating aroma sent fire burning between her legs. Moisture pooled, and her body hummed with need, ready to feel the hard length of him sliding into the wet depths of her pussy.
His warm breath on her face, she murmured between kisses, “I don’t know, just have. Maybe it’s the roar of the engine, the speed of travel, the likelihood of being discovered, someone overhearing.” Holding his alluring steel-blue gaze, she bit her lip. “I guess it could be a little of everything. Not to mention, being with a man I just met.”
He chuckled, holding her face in his hands. The heat of his expression, the desire firing in his eyes sent quivers of passion blazing from every nerve ending in her body. “Is this one of your fantasies, sweet Tabitha? Being with a man you just met? You’ve never had a one-night stand before, have you?”
“No,” she admitted. “Never.”
“Would you honor me by allowing me to be the man in your fantasy, to pleasure you in ways no other man has ever been able to do?”
How could she refuse his offer? That was easy. She couldn’t.
She nodded, chewing the inside of her mouth, heat flooding her cheeks. She had never shared one of her fantasies with another man before, never trusted enough to do it. Why was she so comfortable with Luken? Why did she not even hesitate to tell him her desires? She was unnaturally eager to share herself with this man.
He licked the seam of her lips and said, “Well, in that case, let’s give those who pass by a nice earful of your moans and groans.”
Her teeth dug into her bottom lip. She enjoyed his playful suggestions—maybe a little too much. She loved that he didn’t tease her about her fantasy, but rather joined her in her need.
She smiled. “Oh. So you think I’ll be moaning and groaning, do you?”
Grinning wickedly, he pressed his hard cock between her spread legs. He told her, “Oh, I hope you’ll be doing a hell of a lot more than that.”
Chapter Four
She was going to stop breathing at any moment. Her heart was going to erupt right out of her chest, and her body was on the verge of self-combusting. She’d never been more aroused in her life.
Luken’s hands cradled her face as he nipped at her chin and jaw, sending little shivers up and down each vertebra of her spine. She could feel his desire and hunger for her, mingling with her own in such a way it nearly blinded her. The sensations igniting in her body churned wildly along her veins. A blazing fire burned from within her soul.
Unimaginable lust filled her body to the brim, overwhelming every fiber of her being, simmering in each nerve ending, melting any reserve she had of sleeping with this godlike stranger. He wanted her. She could feel it straight to her toes. His body craved hers. He wanted to soothe the untamed beast she had not even known lived inside her.
“Oh, God, Luken?” she gasped. “Are you sure we should be doing this?”
“Doing what? Enjoying ourselves? Enjoying the pleasure we can give each other?”
Voice trembling, she muttered, “Yes, but even so, it doesn’t make it right. I don’t even know you.”
He held her gaze, his face an inch away from hers. In a low, primal, deep voice, he shared, “My name is Luken McCree. I have a twin brother named Ryken and no other siblings. I’m six three and over two hundred pounds. I was born in Texas, and I’ll be thirty-three in March. I work and live at McCarthy Ranch, a property that’s been in my family for generations. I’ve never been married, never even been close to asking a woman to marry me, and I have no children. But the most important thing you should know about me is that I’m incredibly attracted to you, Tabitha Burns.” He brought her fingers to his lips, kissing each one in turn. “I haven’t had sex in a very long time, and I fear that if you deny me the chance to make love to you I’ll never survive the night.” He pressed his lips over hers and nibbled at her mouth before pulling away. His eyes were so full of heat and passion she nearly melted into the seat.
“Beautiful Tabitha, you must be aware that my hand would never satisfy the cravings and fire you set inside me. Surely, you can feel the desire I have for you. I’ve never wanted anything more than to be with you.”
She smiled. He was so damn charming she couldn’t see straight. Her fingers traced over his broad shoulders, the fabric of his undershirt annoying and coarse.
What did she have to lose? She was a grown woman in the arms of a gorgeous man who clearly wanted her as much as she wanted him. What was so wrong with allowing her body one night to have her most primal needs satisfied? What better way to have that itch scratched then by a man who looked as exquisite as Luken? A man who was by far one of the sexiest men she had ever laid eyes on.
A deep sigh later and she was saying to herself, Oh, what the hell.
“Take this off,” she told him, pinching the white undershirt, lifting to reveal bronzed, delectable skin. Skin she couldn’t wait to feast upon.
Her mouth watered. She had been alone for so long it was all she could do to not seem desperate, easy. She had already envisioned him naked, his hard cock pounding into her pussy with more vigor than she could stand. Licking her lips, she could practically taste the pre-cum that seeped from the head of his cock.
He leaned back and tugged his shirt up over his head. Within seconds he returned, positioned between her legs, cradled against the inferno blazing at the core of her body. Moisture pooled as he brushed his pelvis against hers.
Oh, God in Heaven…
Her head kicked back against the high back cushion of her chair, stretching her neck as she enjoyed the firmness of his cock pressed against her covered pussy. His lips sampled her neck, kissing and licking the warm flesh. She shivered, fingers digging into the taut muscles of his chest, shoulders, and back. The heat pouring out of his flesh was like standing in front of a roaring fire, he was so warm, inviting her to close the distance between them.
The taste of his lips was pure male and heated spice. His mint-flavored tongue
molded with hers, sliding against hers with determined strokes. He eased back to tug her bottom lip into his mouth, over and over again, licking and tasting her.
She had never been kissed like this before, as if the man couldn’t get enough of her. He tasted her mouth like a man starved for her touch, needing her more than he needed his next gulp of air. She loved it, not realizing just how much she had missed the feel of a man in her arms. The sensual caress Luken offered her made her eyes close as a soft moan escaped her lips.
With Luken the intimacy between them would be different. Just sex—good old, hot and sweaty, I can’t believe how many orgasms I just had sex—nothing more. She wouldn’t confuse the situation as she had with her last relationship. She’d make sure of that. Once this matter with Brie had been resolved, she would return to her life in Seattle. Her boring, nothing ever happens to me life.
Tabitha was lost in the touch and taste of the man captivating her body. Powerful hands crept up her thighs, hips, and waist. His fingers pulled at the material of her shirt and then freed her body of the confines of her skirt. The warm press of his hands against the flesh of her ribs and belly singed her, nerve endings charged and tingled. Her heart fluttering wildly, tantalizing sensations that reminded her of the connection she longed for since the attack. The animal attack that could’ve killed her and an event in her life she was desperate to forget.
Cupping the heavy weight of her breasts, he pushed the fabric of her bra up over the mounds, revealing her bare breasts completely for his exploration. His calloused palm rubbed over her hard, tingling nipples, holding her breasts, robbing her lungs of air. His wicked hands massaged and stroked her flesh with remarkable skill. She closed her eyes as he teased her body.
“Remove the rest of my clothing, Luken. Do it. Do it now,” she begged, needing to feel her skin pressed against his. The connection she was sure to feel once they had finally touched, flesh against flesh.
“Damn, woman. What you do to me.” His rumbled growl was filled with satisfaction.
