Lukas sat back on his haunches and looked at her for endless seconds. She should have felt self conscious under his intense scrutiny but she felt empowered when she noticed the dull colour of desire highlighting his cheekbones.
She arched her body and reached behind to release her bra clasp. As the straps slipped down her arm, Lukas finished the job and relieved her of her lacy lingerie. She then lifted her hips in silent invitation for him to remove her panties.
Expectation coursed through her. Waiting for the moment when his hands would travel down her body. Her breasts ached and desire pooled low between her legs.
“Please Lukas,” she pleaded.
“Please what, cara?”
“Make love to me. Make me yours.”
“There is no going back.”
“I don’t want to go back. I want to go forward. With you.”
She realised she meant every word. She didn’t care if her memory didn’t return. She didn’t need to know what happened in their past. All she wanted was a future with Lukas.
Whatever that future might be.
His hair roughened thigh brushed hers before sliding between her legs, his lips mere millimetres from hers. “Then forward it is.”
He closed the gap and commenced the onslaught.
While his lips caressed and seduced hers his hand travelled leisurely along her stomach, causing the muscles beneath to contract.
Finally after interminable moments, he cupped one of her breasts. Her nipple peaked as his thumb gently circled her areola.
His lips left her mouth and skimmed her jaw before taking the swollen peak in his mouth.
She moaned as her body came alive. She clasped his head to hold him close. He moved to her other breast and duplicated the seduction.
She rubbed her legs together, the friction of the action escalating her arousal.
Wanting to explore Lukas herself, she found the hard muscles of his chest. Following the contours and ridges she worked her way down until she found what she was looking for.
His hard cock throbbed under her touch and when he groaned she increased the intensity of her touch.
She stroked her hand up and down and circled his tip, finding the small droplet of moisture. Before she had a chance to stroke him again her hands were grabbed and he held them above her head, the full naked length of him over her body.
He captured her lips once again and lowered himself fully against her, the tip of his erection finding her dewy centre.
He lifted his head, “I’ve waited a long time to feel you again.”
He entered her with one swift thrust and she felt herself stretch to take him all in. He paused momentarily. She took the opportunity to work her hands free and grasp his tight buttocks. She rocked her hips encouraging him to start moving again. He accepted her invitation and moved slowly, oh so slowly. Her gasps filled the room and she felt her excitement building.
He increased the pace and before long she was crying out in fulfilment. Her inner muscles squeezed and released around him and with one final thrust he cried out her name as he reached his own climax.
She rained small kisses over his face, his shoulders and chest while their heart beats slowed and returned to normal.
“Don’t move,” she whispered as Lukas made to roll off her.
In one quick motion he rolled them over so that she was lying on top of him, her hair enclosing them in a frangipani smelling cocoon.
“Better?”
She laid her head on his chest, the thump, thump, thump of his heartbeat a reassuring sound. “Much.”
All at once she was overcome with feelings of insecurity. Making love with Lukas forced her to acknowledge what she’d been trying hard to deny ever since Lukas had stormed back into her life.
She loved him.
But what did he feel for her?
Oh, he desired her. There was no question about that. She could already feel him hardening again.
The hand that was twirling her hair stopped.
“What’s wrong, tesoro mio?”
She couldn’t tell him the truth. Couldn’t bare her soul to him and declare her love when she had no idea what he really felt for her.
“I was, ahh, just thinking about my dream.”
She didn’t know whether she’d fooled him or he was just humouring her when he asked, “Do you feel like talking about it now?”
She rolled off him and immediately regretted her decision as a feeling of loneliness overpowered the feeling of completeness being in his embrace had created.
She was ready to talk about it; she needed to share it with him.
She sat up and pulled the sheet, tucking it under her breasts.
“What do you remember?” he asked.
She hesitated but the hand on her back encouraged her to start speaking.
“I remembered that we’re married.”
The hand stilled at her revelation. “You remembered the ceremony?”
“No, not the ceremony, just that we are married. My dream started when I was walking out of the airport. I felt so happy.”
Needing to feel anchored she took possession of his hand and gripped it between both of hers.
“The next thing I recall, I was crying and driving and it was raining. My mind was so muddled, so many thoughts going through it, that I didn’t really take notice of what was happening around me.”
She shivered as the memories took a stranglehold on her mind.
“You don’t need to go on if you can’t.” Lukas’s voice was tortured as if it was he who was reliving the nightmare.
“No, I have to do this Lukas. Don’t you see, saying it out loud validates that it happened.”
She continued. “I was coming up to a set of traffic lights they’d turned green. I made my way through and I guess a car tried to stop but because of the rain couldn’t. I wrenched the wheel, the impossibly wrong thing to do. I spun and the last thing I remember is hitting a lamppost.”
“Don’t cry, you’re okay now,” Lukas kissed the tears that she had no idea were seeping down her face.
She wrapped her arms around him. He was her anchor in a turbulent sea. She could draw from his strength and become stronger herself.
But she had to ask the question that was burning on the tip of her tongue. Lukas’s answer wouldn’t change her feelings for him. She loved him and would spend the rest of her days loving him.
“Where were you at the time of my accident? Why didn’t you come see me in the hospital?”
How to answer the question, pondered Luciano. Would his answer trigger the instant recall of all her memories? Would he be going against medical advice of no prompting? Would she regret what they’d just shared?
“I was in Sydney. You had insisted on catching separate flights. I didn’t agree, we were married, I didn’t want to be separated from you.”
“Did we argue?”
He let his mind drift back to their last conversation, the heated words they’d shared. Not to mention the heated lovemaking that had followed the argument.
“Yes, but we parted on good terms.” He pulled her down into his embrace again. He needed to have her close.
“But not good enough for you to visit me.”
“I did visit.”
They were starting to get into dangerous territory. Territory he didn’t want to enter. Because after they entered there was no turning back. After what they’d just shared he didn’t want to let reality intrude. It was his turn to avoid reliving that unpleasant time. He could tell she was about to delve deeper, ask more questions. He didn’t want to answer them. Distraction was called for.
He placed his finger over her lips. “No more questions, cara mia.”
“Why not? You can’t stop there.”
“I have to. Amnesia sufferers can’t ask leading questions.”
He could see she was about to argue further, he twisted her until she lay beneath him again.
“No more, Jasmine. I don’t want to spend the
rest of the night arguing with you. I’d much rather be doing other things.”
Her body quivered beneath his, igniting his passion once again. “I’d much rather be doing this.”
He kissed her and entered her slick, welcoming warmth again. He laughed softly as she curled her head away.
“You don’t play fair. I have to know.”
“You will remember. It’s only a matter of time. But no more questions, not tonight.
To show her the subject was closed he moved within her again. Taking them on a journey where questions were forgotten and only feelings and emotions mattered.
Chapter 8
Jasmine awoke to a stream of feathered kisses down her spine. Her skin tingled and her blood came to life. She didn̵t need to worry about ‘morning after regrets’. She had none and clearly neither did Lukas.
Jasmine rolled over so that his next kiss landed in the middle of her stomach. She shivered at the exquisite pleasure coursing through her.
“Morning, cara.”
She stretched luxuriously, deliberately forcing her body in direct contact with Lukas’s. Reaching up she pulled his head close until her lips met his. “Morning.”
The kiss escalated from chaste to evocative in seconds. She gave him a gentle push until he was lying on his back and she on top.
His erection butted her belly. She scraped her fingers down his chest, eliciting a growl of pleasure from the depths of his throat.
“You want to be in control?”
Jasmine lifted her hips and moved a fraction so that his tip rested lightly at her entrance. She was so ready for him that she slid down his length until he was inside of her. “Yes. You had plenty of control last night.” She rocked forward. “It’s my turn now.”
Jasmine increased her strokes, squeezing her inner muscles around him. The fingers digging into her waist told her the effect she was having on him. She took her time, wanting to give Lukas the same amount of pleasure he had given her time and time again throughout the night.
His hands shifted position dictating the speed of her strokes.
In an instant she found herself flipped over and on her back, Lukas poised over her, his arms taking his full weight.
“I’ve decided I’m not good at giving over control.”
He reached down in between their legs and caressed her already pulsating nerve centre. Two caresses and he had her careening over the edge into her first orgasm. He kept up the pace with both his finger and cock and brought her to the peak over and over until finally he joined her and they shattered in each other’s arms.
He rolled to his side so they were facing each other, but still joined. She ran her fingers through his hair, slightly damp from their lovemaking. “That’s an even better wakeup call than coffee.”
His chuckle rumbled through her soul, deepening her feelings for him.
They lay quietly together for a few minutes, savouring the aftermath of their intense lovemaking.
“So what’s the plan for today?” she asked drowsily.
“Is there something in particular you’d like to do?” he countered.
A knock at the door prevented her from replying. “Room service,” came the muffled reply.
Lukas groaned and rose from the bed, gathering up a complimentary hotel robe. “Lousy timing.”
She sat up, pulling the sheet under her arms. She bent her knees and wrapped her arms around them. “Sure is.”
“I won’t be long,” he flung over his shoulder as he made his way out of the bedroom and into the main room.
Jasmine couldn’t see what was happening. All she could hear was hushed tones as Lukas spoke to the person who’d knocked on their door. Curiosity got the better of her and she gathered up a matching robe and padded out of the bedroom.
As she reached the main room, Lukas was just shutting the door. She noticed the breakfast trolley. A single red rose and brightly wrapped package sat in the middle.
Lukas smiled at her and she felt desire building up inside of her again. Would she ever get enough of this man? Was this how it had always been between them?
Remembering about their past made her remember last night’s conversation and how he’d avoided answering her questions. Especially after he’d mentioned he’d visited her. A visit she couldn’t remember.
“I told you last night I wasn’t answering anymore questions.”
She was momentarily stunned at his words. “How did you know I was going to ask anything?”
He pushed the trolley until she was on one side and he was on the other.
“It’s written all over your face, cara.” He gestured to the food on the trolley. “Let’s eat before it gets cold.”
The urge to be mulish and push the subject pulsed through her. Her breath hitched as Lukas came around the table and laid a soft hand on her forehead.
“Jasmine, I know the questions you want to ask but I can’t…no I won’t answer them. Your memory must return by itself.”
“But I want to know, if you visited me, why no one told me?”
For the first time, since he’d come back into her life, indecision was evident on his face. She wouldn’t let him avoid the subject now. She needed to know.
“Fine, I was advised by certain medical staff that it wouldn’t be wise for me to see you.”
“And you went along with that?” She was shocked that he would have given in so easily. He certainly hadn’t been lenient with her.
She watched, captivated by this new Lukas, as he rubbed his hand down his face. “At the time I thought it best to trust them.”
He picked up the heavily laden tray and placed it on the small dinette table, the gaily wrapped present mocking her with its joyfulness. She opened her mouth to question further.
He held up his hand. “No that’s it Jasmine, that’s all the questions I’m going to answer. Now, please, let’s enjoy breakfast.”
She could’ve kicked herself for destroying the light heartedness they’d created. Did it really matter? Yes, in some respects it did, but they were rebuilding their relationship and, at this very moment, that was more important. A trust between them had to be rebuilt and it could only happen if she was willing to let go of the past. For the time being, when she felt their relationship was more secure, she’d ask again.
“You’re right. Nothing is going to be achieved by hashing over old ground.”
She sat down and lifted the lid off her plate. Lukas had opened the glass sliding doors and a soft morning breeze wafted through. A quick glance out showed her it was going to be another beautiful day.
She cut up some of the crisp bacon and forked it into her mouth as an idea formed in her mind. “Why don’t we go swimming at the beach where we first had dinner? We could also pack a picnic lunch.”
At his hesitation she quickly added, “Unless there is some business you need to attend to or would prefer to do something else.”
“No, a picnic sounds great, but I do want to contact my lawyers about drawing up some papers with regards to a prospective partnership with Fierro’s. It should only take half hour at most.”
An initial spark of disappointment sliced into her as she continued with her breakfast. She squashed it down; remembering it was supposed to be a business trip, not a holiday.
A warm hand engulfed hers and she felt it being raised, her knife clattering to the plate. Lukas placed a moist kiss on the centre of her palm, dissolving the disappointment and quickly replacing it with need.
“I promise, tesoro mio, it will only be a half hour.”
She instinctively knew he would keep his word. “Okay, I’ll organise a basket of food again from room service and contact the concierge to arrange a blanket.”
They ate quietly, each lost in their own thoughts. She placed her fork on her empty plate, her hunger replete but her yearning for Lukas’s touch building with every second.
“Aren’t you the least bit inquisitive?”
Confusion hit her for a moment, wondering w
hat Lukas was talking about, until she saw where he was pointing. She’d forgotten all about the present. How she could’ve possibly done so when it was sitting in the middle of the table was beyond her.
“Why yes I am, now that you mention it,” she said with a smile.
Lukas laughed as he pushed the present towards her. “Here, open it.”
She picked up the gift and pulled at the sparkling purple ribbon surrounding the slim, square box. Running a fingernail underneath the tape, she broke the seal and pushed the paper apart.
“You can rip it you know,” his dry tone telling her he was impatient for her to reveal his surprise.
“I like to savour the moment, draw it out for as long as possible.”
“To torment the gift giver?”
She smiled cheekily over at him. “When the gift giver is you, yes.”
She parted the paper and let it drop to the table. The box was grey and covered with brushed velvet fabric. It was lightweight and she recognised the insignia on the box.
Her heart leapt to her throat. Surely it couldn’t be. No, there was no way it could be.
Her hands shook as she lifted the lid a fraction. She glimpsed the sparkling treasure inside and let the lid fall.
Perhaps it was a dream.
Tears welled in her eyes and she opened the box again. There, lying nestled against the red satin interior, was the beautiful diamond and pearl necklace she’d admired at Fierro’s. Words were impossible, the enormity of the gesture not lost on her.
“Thank you,” she whispered gazing down at the jewellery. “Although thank you seems so inadequate.”
The sound of his chair scraping back had her looking up. His eyes so dark, unreadable, and mesmerising. She wished she could know what he was thinking. He was able to read her easily but he, he was a closed book.
“Let me put it on for you.”
He took the box from her hand and lifted the necklace out. She grabbed her hair up in one hand and held it atop her head. He slipped the gold chain around her neck and did the clasp up. She let her hair fall around her like a golden curtain, touching the pendant. The pearl was cool initially but warmed under her touch.
She felt her chair being pulled out; she stood and turned to face Lukas. Untying her robe she gave her shoulders a little shrug and the fabric pooled at her feet like a glass of spilled milk.
Bound By Her Ring Page 11
