She was home to him.
“How long have you two been together?” Billy asked.
“Not long.” Although Lucky honestly couldn’t remember what life without her was like.
A slow song started playing, and Lucky didn’t want to spend another minute at this wedding without Deanna in his arms.
“How long are you in town?” Lucky asked Billy as he set his beer down.
“Flying out tonight.”
“All right. Well, it was good seeing you. Hey, how’s Maxi doing?”
Maxine Rizzo, who worked with Jessie and was part of his PR team, was Billy’s trainer’s daughter, and Lucky thought he remembered that the two of them had something going on.
A flash crossed Billy’s eyes, and his expression hardened. “She’s fine last I heard.”
Lucky smoothly changed the subject and then wished his friend a safe flight before heading over to Deanna. He didn’t know what happened between Maxi and Billy, but whatever it was wasn’t good. He felt bad—he would be just as miserable if something messed things up with him and Deanna.
Which wasn’t how he would’ve reacted B.D. Nope. Just like his feelings and perspective had changed on weddings and bachelor parties, it had also changed on love’s most common by-product—total misery. Before Deanna, he believed that, if you allowed yourself to be upset over a relationship, you were just being dramatic. There were too many fish in the sea to cry over one swimming away. Just cast your rod and wait for the next bite. But, A.D., he knew that once you’d caught “The One,” no other fish mattered, no matter how many there were.
As Lucky got closer to the table, he heard the sweet sound of Deanna’s laughter. He was drawn to her like a snake being charmed by the melodic pungi. It was like a beacon calling him home.
Stepping beside her, he brushed his thumb across her shoulder. Partly to get her attention, but more than that, it was just an excuse to touch her.
At his touch, she looked up.
He smiled at the way her breath caught when their eyes met. The connection between them was so strong, so powerful.
“Wanna dance?”
Nodding, she stood, and Lucky placed his hand on the base of her back. Weaving his way through the tables, he led her onto the dance floor and then pulled her into his arms. When her arms wrapped around his neck, her body relaxed and she rested her head on his shoulder.
He kissed the top of her head, and the sweet smell he would forever associate with her, drifted into his nostrils.
“I love you, Pop-Tart,” he whispered.
That got her attention. She lifted her head, and her eyes met his. “Okay, what’s up with the Pop-Tart thing?”
“The first time I met you, you smelled sweet and fresh, like a strawberry Pop-Tart.” He knew he hadn’t explained it well even before he had seen her face scrunch.
“You think I smell like Pop-Tarts?” She did not seem happy about the comparison.
“Yes. Growing up, it was my favorite thing to eat. I always felt like I was getting dessert for breakfast.” His voice grew raspy, and he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Whenever I would smell them, my mouth would water knowing how good they were going to taste. How deliciously sweet. The same thing happens when I smell you. My mouth waters because I know how good you’re going to taste.”
“Oh…okay,” she said between shallow breaths.
“Do you know how bad I want to taste you right now?” he asked as he glided them around the dance floor.
“I think I have an idea.” She rolled her hips against him, likely feeling the evidence of how hard she’d made him. “Do you know how much I want you to taste me right now?”
A groan vibrated through his chest. He was so close to dragging her off this dance floor, finding a closet or, hell, even a dark corner, pulling up her dress, and finding out exactly how much she wanted him.
His arms tightened around her, and his lips brushed her neck as he spoke. “You’re killing me.”
“You started it,” she sassed.
“And I’m going to finish it,” he promised.
She bit down on her bottom lip, and her eyelids grew heavy. “How long do we have to stay?”
“Just until they cut the cake.”
Deanna let out a small sound of disappointment mixed with frustration, and Lucky couldn’t help but smile. He loved the fact that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He loved the fact that she wasn’t wearing panties because he had them in his pocket. He loved the fact that she blushed when he talked dirty to her.
He loved…her.
Chapter 23
‡
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Lucky asked again as they drove down the mountain towards Hope Falls.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Deanna repeated. It was the same answer she’d given him every time he’d asked.
She wasn’t lying; she really was fine.
Confused and off-balance, but fine.
In the last hour, she’d danced with Lucky’s dad, Charlie, and his older brother, Levi, and had a short conversation with his twin, Logan. They’d all basically said the same thing, just in different ways.
Charlie had talked about what a big heart Lucky had. That, out of his three sons, Lucky had been the first one to forgive him and welcome him with open arms when he’d resurfaced after being an absentee father. He’d told her that Lucky had been a bridge between his brothers and his dad and anyone he loved was a “lucky” girl. He had also told her not to break his heart.
Then Levi had cut in. She’d known something was up because Shelby had asked Lucky to dance at the same time as if it had been a choreographed distraction. Levi hadn’t talked about Lucky’s heart; he’d talked about his loyalty. Telling her that Lucky might seem like a party guy with a ton of friends, but that wasn’t the real Lucky. That, in reality, his brother only let a handful of people into his life, but once you made that list, he’d do anything for you. The dance had ended with him telling her that his brother was a lot more than the hype that surrounded him.
And his twin had topped off the evening of Lucky endorsements. Before they’d left, a few people had asked to take pictures with Lucky. While she had been waiting, Logan approached her. He hadn’t talked about Lucky’s loyalty or his heart. No, he had told her that Lucky was a lot more sensitive than he let people believe. He’d talked about when they were kids and Lucky used to get up early and go to the market every Saturday for an elderly neighbor whose kids “forgot” to visit her more often than they remembered. That Lucky would also make sure another neighbor, who’d had two hip replacement surgeries, always had his morning paper on the porch, even though the paper boy never made it up there, just so Mr. Canter wouldn’t try to make it down the steps so early in the morning. Logan’s parting message to her had been to be careful and not lead Lucky on.
The thing that had left her absolutely speechless after each encounter was that they had been acting like he was the one who needed protection. Lucas “Lucky” Dorsey, voted Sports Today’s Sexiest Male Athlete three years out of the last five. Lucky Dorsey, who dated playmates and Sports Illustrated models. Lucky, who had been rumored to be seeing Gigi Savage. That was who they thought needed protection from her.
A girl with less experience in her entire life than Lucky had before he’d turned thirteen. It was mind boggling. Between the Don’t Hurt Lucky campaign and her cousin Eli’s warning, she was honestly at a loss.
Tonight, she’d planned on telling Lucky how she felt about him. She’d planned to roll the dice, show her cards, ante up, and any other gambling analogy that meant she was all in. She had planned on telling him that she loved him. But now, after having talked to Lucky’s family, she was waffling on whether or not she should.
They parked in front of her house, and as much as she’d been looking forward to this moment all night, after speaking with his relatives, she wasn’t quite as enthusiastic about it anymore.
Lucky cut the engine but made no move to get out of the SUV. “
Tell me what’s wrong.”
He’d changed his tactic and hadn’t asked her if she was okay.
Biting the inside of her lip, she tried to think of the best way to express what she was feeling. The problem was she didn’t know what she was feeling, so how could she possibly articulate it?
“What did my dad and brother say to you?”
“Brothers,” Deanna corrected and immediately regretted her decision to have done so.
“Okay. What did my dad and brothers say to you?” His words were calm and deliberate.
“Nothing. It doesn’t matter. I’m tired, so…” She reached for the handle and heard the locks click into place.
“No one’s going anywhere until you tell me what’s wrong.” His deep voice filled up the small space.
Her head spun towards Lucky, who looked sexier than any human being had the right to look. His five-o’clock shadow was the perfect amount of scruff. The two top buttons of his white dress shirt were undone, and his sleeves were rolled up, showcasing his sculpted forearms. His large hands were still resting on the steering wheel.
It was the first time she’d looked in his direction since climbing into the SUV at The Cove. His overwhelming sex appeal momentarily derailed her train of thought. Every fiber of her being vibrated with awareness. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and her mouth watered like a popped fire hydrant. It took her a moment to shake the unwanted distraction off and get her lust-fogged mind back on track.
Upon clearing her throat, she tried not to sound breathless as she said, “You can’t lock me in here.”
Her attempt was a colossal failure. Instead of her words coming out with authority, they’d sounded more like she had been auditioning to be a phone sex operator.
A disarmingly, seductive grin pulled at his lips. “Yes. I can.”
She should not have been so turned on by his ridiculous and cocky claim. She should’ve told him to unlock the door and then proceeded to get out. But, instead of being offended—she would’ve even settled for annoyed—she felt a glow of excitement radiate from her core, and she squeezed her thighs together.
“Fine. But I don’t have to talk.” It was her version of rebellion and a ridiculous gauntlet to throw down. As soon as she had done it, she realized her mistake.
“Okay. You don’t have to talk.” His disarmingly seductive grin turned into a full-blown Big Bad Wolf smile, and a tremor raced down her spine.
Shifting in his seat, he leaned closer to her, and his hand slid over the console and onto her bare knee.
It stayed there, and Deanna tried her best to ignore it and the sexy threat in his tone as he said, “Do you know how hard I’ve been all night? How bad I wanted you? I loved having your panties in my pocket, but it was killing me knowing that all I had to do was slip my hand up this dress and I could touch you with no barriers.”
As he spoke, his hand started slowly traveling up her thigh. Her chest was rising and falling heavily as the fabric of her dress bunched up at Lucky’s thick wrist. The erotic sight caused all of her nerve endings to tingle and her heart to beat erratically.
His voice grew even deeper, and the heat of his breath stroked her neck as he continued. “I kept wondering what I would feel if I did that. Would my fingers brush along your petal-soft skin, silky and smooth? Or, when I touched you, would I feel that you were already wet for me? Would my fingers easily slide along your slick arousal?”
Deanna’s thighs—which were still pressed against each other—began trembling. She didn’t know if the reaction was because of his touch, his words, or the images his words put in her mind. But, whatever the reason, her legs were quivering and an ache—one that only he could relieve—built low in her belly.
He leaned in closer to her, and his lips grazed her ear as he commanded in husky voice, “Spread your legs. I want to touch you.”
Her inner walls contracted at his provocative statement. She was already well on her way to an orgasm, and his hand was just resting right above her knee. When she didn’t follow his instructions, he took a different approach.
His fingertips began rubbing lazy circles on her skin, sending shocks of pleasure shooting up to land at the apex of her legs. His tongue licked the sensitive spot just below her ear before his teeth nipped it. The scruff on his chin brushed her bare shoulder, and she let out a small moan as his lips grazed her earlobe.
The tantalizing combination of his fingers’ gentle caress and his mouth’s masterful seduction worked like Lucky’s intimate version of Open Sesame on her body. Her knees parted, and Lucky wasted no time. His fingers trailed up along her inner thigh until they reached her throbbing center.
A guttural sound vibrated through him when he touched her sacred core. “So wet. I love how wet you are for me.”
His thick fingers began stroking up and down her feminine folds, sliding easily as her juices coated him. The threat of release rolled through her as his finger circled the hood of her sex. She bit down on her lip as her eyes lowered to her lap. His thick, tan wrist was snug between her creamy thighs, and the red material of her dress bunched up against it.
Each stroke of his finger pushed her closer to the edge. Just when she felt herself about to go over, he stopped moving. Her body pulsed rapidly against his touch as he held his hand perfectly still.
Her eyes shot to his, and the intensity she saw caused a shudder to run through her.
“Do you want me to make you come like this? With my hand?” his gravelly voice asked.
“Yes,” she responded, her own voice tinged with desperation.
“Tell me,” he demanded.
Her body was so flooded with lust and desire that she wasn’t sure she could. But when he lessened the pressure of his touch, she tried.
Wrapping her fingers around his wrist to hold it in place, she managed to say, through choppy breaths, “I want…you…to make…me come. With…your hand.”
His gaze was half-lidded, and the grin that had always made women swoon appeared on his face as his fingers began to enticingly rub her again.
Waves of sensation washed over her as he touched her with masterful technique. The pressure and friction built with each pass of his finger. Her pulse quickened on the verge of orgasm. She whimpered as her head fell back against the headrest. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the decadent pleasure whipping through her like a tornado picking up speed.
“Open your eyes,” Lucky commanded. “I want you looking at me when I make you come so hard you see stars.”
Not one to argue when an incredible orgasm was being offered, Deanna lifted her heavy lids. She found him staring at her with a look that caused her to explode into a million pieces.
Her hips jerked as ripples of ecstasy flowed through her. Staring into Lucky’s eyes as she came apart, heightened the already earth-shattering experience. As her body shuddered uncontrollably, she gripped his wrist tighter. Her nails dug into his skin as she rode out her cataclysmic release.
After crying out at the strength of the final jolt of sensation, she grew lightheaded as she floated back from the edge of infinity Lucky’s hand had taken her to. Her eyes drifted shut again as dizziness assaulted her, and she leaned back in her seat. The second her lids shut, tiny flashes of light burst behind them.
“Stars,” she whispered to herself, but she would bet money Lucky hadn’t missed it.
When he lifted his hand from between her legs, she kept her fingers wrapped around his wrist, not wanting to lose the contact.
“Mmm,” he moaned.
Opening her eyes, she saw his finger in his mouth as he licked her arousal off it. His eyes had a primal glint, and the roguish smile on his lips made her insides begin to quiver again.
“Mmm,” he repeated. “Better than Pop-Tarts.”
A small laugh bubbled out of Deanna. Even in her post-orgasm lust fog, Lucky could still make her laugh. He was hot, strong, smart, funny, and devastatingly charming. It was a lethal combination.
After removing her fingers from his wrist, he lifted her knuckles to his lips and tenderly kissed each one. “I love you,” he whispered against the back of her hand. His voice, his eyes, and his actions were all infused with so much sincerity that her heart broke wide open.
In that moment, she knew. It didn’t matter that he was Lucas “Lucky” Dorsey. Or that girls would always throw themselves at him. Or what his family thought. Her cousin was right; he loved her, and if she wasn’t careful, she was going to mess it up.
“Wait right there,” he barked as he placed her hand in her own lap and opened his door.
No problem.
Her head was spinning. She was seeing stars. And she loved him.
She wasn’t sure she could move even if she’d wanted to.
*
Lucky made his way around to the passenger side as fast as he could. He’d seen the look in her eyes change when he’d said that he loved her. All week, he’d been telling her, but this time, it had been different. He wasn’t sure if it was good different or bad different, but he did need to get her inside and show her how much he loved her.
She might not have trusted his words yet, but actions spoke louder than words. And he was determined to erase any doubt she might have of exactly how much he loved her.
After opening the door, he scooped her out of the seat, grabbing her purse from the floor as he did. Her arms wrapped around him, and she nuzzled her face against his neck. The feeling of her cradled in his arms as he stalked towards the front door had his heart hammering in his chest.
When he reached the front door, he was able to pull her keys out of her bag and open the door with ease. Once they were inside, he briefly considered laying her down on the couch, but he discarded that notion. He was able to think past the urgency raging inside him because he wanted to take his time, and for them both to be comfortable, he needed to take her to bed.
Lucky Kiss Page 24
