Lucien glanced down at his watch for the umpteenth time. Never had he been so anxious to see someone. Jaclyn’s car was not parked in her usual spot when he’d left the hospital to come directly here, so he hoped she was on her way.
He adjusted his car seat to further accommodate his long legs and leaned back to enjoy the view of the Potomac from his vehicle. His day had started off badly and it didn’t help matters when he’d walked into his office and found Dr. Dudley sitting there.
The man’s accusations had definitely struck a nerve, not because they were true but because they reminded him of his wrongdoing. By right he should be meeting with Jaclyn to advise her they shouldn’t see each other again because the stakes were too high. But that was the last thing he wanted. However, she deserved to know this new development. It would be her decision if she wanted them to end things.
He turned his head and saw Jaclyn arriving, pulling into the parking lot and claiming the spot directly in front of him. She killed the engine and then got out of the car, one leg at a time.
Immediately his body went into arousal mode as his gaze roamed over her when she closed her car door. She had taken the time to go home to change. She was wearing a printed skirt and matching blouse with a cute pair of sandals on her feet. He couldn’t help his appreciative perusal of her entire outfit. There was something outright charming about it. His gaze then returned to her face. Against skin the color of rich creamy cocoa, her hazel eyes seemed to sparkle when she saw him. Her hair was down and flowing around her shoulders and she was wearing a touch of makeup. He especially liked the clear gloss she’d added to her lips.
He thought she looked absolutely radiant. And seeing her someplace other than Hopewell made an abundance of sensations roll along his nerve endings. When she reached his car, he unlocked the door on the passenger side and he watched her slide in. He drew in a deep breath when she unintentionally flashed a creamy brown thigh.
Then she flashed him a smile. “Hi.”
Instead of responding to her greeting, he leaned over and captured her lips. Something he’d wanted to do each and every time he’d seen her earlier today. His pulse accelerated when she began playing hide and seek with his tongue, and then quickly tired of the game and began sucking on his.
They shouldn’t be kissing like this. They were in a parked car in a public place, for heaven’s sakes. Thanks to him, they were yet again taking chances. Pulling his mouth away, he drew in a deep breath and leaned back in his seat and momentarily closed his eyes. How could a woman be so tempting?
“That was some greeting, Lucien.”
He chuckled. “Did you like it?”
“Most definitely.”
“I’m glad.” He kept smiling as he started the engine and looked over his shoulder and backed out of the parking spot.
“Where are we going?”
He glanced over at her. “Someplace where we can talk.”
Earlier he had dismissed the idea of taking her to his place, especially with Dudley’s suspicions and Ms. Tsang being the nosy person that she was. He wouldn’t put it past the woman to find out where he lived and do a drive-by. But suddenly a part of him was willing to risk it. He wanted her in his home. Besides, even if Tsang did a drive-by, Jaclyn’s car wouldn’t be there. “Sounds serious.”
He glanced over at her when he brought the car to a stop at a traffic light. He hesitated a moment and then said, “Thanks to Ms. Tsang, Dr. Dudley suspects something.”
She frowned. “Did she tell him she saw us leave together that morning?”
He nodded slowly. “Yes, and he was in my office first thing this morning to ask me about it.”
He turned his attention back to the road. However, he didn’t miss the nervous gnawing of her bottom lip. “We need to make decisions.” He was sure he didn’t need to tell her what about.
Because they were already in Georgetown, it didn’t take them long to reach his home. When he parked out front, he couldn’t miss the smile that touched Jaclyn’s face. “You live here?”
“Yes.”
“Your house is beautiful. But then I shouldn’t be surprised. This is one of oldest sections of D.C. and my favorite.”
Lucien was pleased because this was his favorite section of town as well. He loved the tree-lined streets and the row homes that had been renovated in such a way as to retain their historical significance. “Thanks. Hold tight. I’ll get the door for you.”
He got out and jogged to the other side to open her door. He glanced around. Because of his hours at the hospital he didn’t know a lot of his neighbors and vice versa. In a way he liked the privacy. However, every once in a while he would get an invitation to join the neighborhood potluck night at someone’s home. He had yet to show up for one of those.
Lucien opened the door for her and she brushed against him when she adjusted the straps of her purse on her shoulder. The fragrance that drifted from her was arousing, reminding him of the scent of her that he’d carried with him since the time they’d spent together.
They walked side by side up his walkway and inside his house. Luckily for him, today had been one of his neat days. The last thing he’d want was for her to think he was a slob.
“Your home is beautiful, Lucien.”
A lazy smile touched his lips. “Thanks, but you’ve told me that already.”
She smiled as she turned around to face him. “Yes, but at the time I was talking about the outside. I like the inside as well. Nice furniture.”
“Thanks, but I won’t take credit for it. When my sister sold me the place, she left everything behind. She had a new job and wanted a new beginning.” There was no need to tell her that Lori’s heart had gotten broken here and that she needed to leave and start fresh elsewhere, or that even after three years she hadn’t returned once.
“Would you like something to drink?” he asked her.
“No, I’m fine. But you’re right. We need to talk, although I’m pretty sure you’ve made up your mind about things.”
He lifted a brow. “You think so?”
“Yes.”
He absently picked up a large seashell off an end table. He could remember the very day he’d found it on the beach in Jamaica. He’d been fishing when he’d stumbled across it. Later that day he’d received word he’d been accepted to attend college in America on a full scholarship. After that he’d considered the seashell his lucky charm and it had been with him ever since.
He placed the seashell back down to glance over at her. “And what do you think is my decision?”
“To end things between us. You’ve decided the last thing you really want is to risk your career at Hopewell to become involved with me.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment, thinking that ending things between them would spare both of them any unnecessary risks. But no matter what she thought, there was no way he could do that. There was no way he could turn his back on what he saw as a developing relationship between them. No matter the risks.
He still wasn’t sure what this thing between them was, why was there such intensity and why was he willing to risk everything for an unknown. He just knew he had to. “So you think those are my thoughts,” he said quietly. “What are yours?”
He watched her, studied her features. And then he skimmed a glance down her body and felt heat simmer through him. Keep focus, De Winter, he admonished, returning his gaze back to her face. He saw her nervously gnawing on her bottom lip and was tempted to cross the room to her, pull her into his arms and gnaw on that lip for her. Then he would lick it a few times before capturing it with his. That would be when the real deal would begin.
He’d discovered on those two days they were together that his desire for her was nonstop and all-consuming. At times, like now, it could take his breath away. Since when, he’d been asking himself lately, could a woman leave him breathless? He knew the answer without much thought. Ever since Jaclyn Campbell had come on the scene and been introduced as one of his interns.
And there lay the crux of his problem.
Jaclyn stood there, not only trying to figure out what to say but also how to say it. Bottom line was that she loved him and had from the first. But that wasn’t anything she could share with him. This wasn’t about love…at least it wasn’t with him. It was about desire, need, attraction and yes, of course, sex.
She had accepted that. More than anything she wished they could end up like her parents. But she was realistic enough to know that wouldn’t be the case. However, she would risk all to be with him because of the love she had for him even though she didn’t expect him to feel the same way. She didn’t like seeing him each day and pretending there was no real emotion between them, but it was what it was.
She saw he was waiting for her response. “My thoughts might be a little more complicated,” she said honestly.
“And why is that?”
She drew in a deep breath, not surprised he would ask. “You’ve made me feel things I’ve never felt before. This attraction between us is almost bigger than life and in a way it’s bigger than my common sense. I’m willing to take my chances and any risks right along with it to be with you.”
She had deliberately made it seem that what was between them was merely physical, when for her it was a whole lot more. But he didn’t have to know that. A girl had her pride.
“Are you sure, Jaclyn?”
“Yes. However, I’d understand if you want to end things,” she said, trying not to be distracted by the way he was looking at her from across the room. Her breathing accelerated when he began walking toward her in that sexy stroll that often had all the young single nurses and interns talking.
When he came to a stop in front of her, he reached out and settled his hands at her waist. “This,” he said, leaning so close to her that she could feel his breath on her lips, “is what I want. A chance to hold you, kiss you, get to know you, make love to you and claim you as mine. Even if it’s behind closed doors. Ending things between us is certainly not what I want. Maybe it’s something I should want for both our sakes, but it’s not. I’m willing to risk all for this.”
And then his mouth captured hers. His tongue mingled with hers and she couldn’t help but release all the desire she’d been holding. He’d said he didn’t want to end things and this kiss he was giving her let her know he was dead serious. Passion had erupted, sending them both in a tailspin, and she wasn’t sure who began taking off whose clothes first.
All she knew was that when he drew back from the kiss, her skirt was in a heap by her feet. Her blouse was unbuttoned and the front clasp of her bra was undone. His belt was out of the loop and his jeans were unzipped. She licked her lips. Had she done that?
Before she could even think about what she had or had not done, she found herself swept off her feet and into his strong arms.
Lucien walked down the hall to his bedroom while telling himself he needed to slow down. He was thinking with the wrong head, the one below his gut and not the one connected to his neck. But at that moment nothing mattered because what he wanted more than anything was to make love to Jaclyn. He needed to feel his manhood ease into her wet warmth. He needed to feel her muscles clamping down on him hard before milking everything out of him. He needed to revel in the thrusts he would make into her body and appreciate the feel of her moving against him, stroke for stroke.
He reached his bedroom in record time. Before placing her in the center of his bed, he glanced down at her and the look he saw in her eyes sent a flash of blazing heat and desire through him. And when she tightened her arms around his neck and drew his mouth down to hers, he knew how it felt to become obsessed with someone.
When she finally broke off the kiss, he sat down on the edge of the bed with her in his arms. “Don’t think when you saw me today that I hadn’t remembered what we’d shared over the past two days. But I couldn’t be certain no one was watching us or listening to our conversation. Dudley’s accusations caught me off guard and of course I denied everything. Tsang is all eyes and all ears and we can’t give her anything to work with. As much as I wanted to find you today and pull you inside one of those closets with me and get the kiss I’ve been craving all day, I couldn’t. Right now they’re just speculating about us. We have to be careful that we don’t give them a reason to do more.”
Jaclyn nodded slowly. “All right.”
Lucien rubbed a hand down his face in frustration. “Even asking you to meet me at the park and bringing you here was taking a big chance. But I needed to see you outside the hospital. Alone. I needed to kiss you, taste you, let you know I remembered our time together because being with you those two days is something I can’t and won’t forget.”
And then he stood and proceeded to finish undressing her. She then watched as he undressed himself as well as put on a condom to keep her protected. He thought it was something totally arousing to see her watch him do it.
He sauntered back over to the bed and reached out to touch her, tracing a path along the sides of her body before letting his fingertips glide over her firm and uplifted breasts. He remembered them well. Could distinctively recall how they tasted on his tongue.
His pulse pounded at the same time his manhood hardened even more. And at that moment, something inside of him that had dimmed when he’d returned her home yesterday flared to life again.
His breath caught at the thought she could do this to him, that she had that much influence. That much power. But then he’d known after their time in Maryland not to underestimate the power of a woman in control. And as far as he was concerned Jaclyn was in control because she constantly dominated his mind as well as his body.
When it came to stroking him into a tizzy of desire, she could do it instantly. Not knowing when they would have another chance to slip away from prying eyes again, he wanted to make this time between them last a while, give them both memories to savor when they were alone, miles apart in their individual beds.
He began tracing a path downward to the center of her and he could tell she was wet for him. A sharp moan escaped her lips the moment he touched her. “You like for me to touch you there, don’t you?” he asked huskily, stirring up her sensual scent as he continued to stroke her.
“Yes, I like it,” she responded in a voice that sounded strained to his ears.
He smiled. “Do you want me to stop?”
“No, please don’t stop,” she implored quietly in a sensual plea.
His fingers moved beyond the springy curls to slide a lone finger between her womanly folds. And then he began caressing her there, stroking her while hearing the sharp intake of her breath. He stroked her into deep, heavy passion. He glanced up at her, studied the intensity of her features, heard the moans from deep in her throat.
“Mmm, you okay?” he asked, thinking her arousing scent was getting the best of him. His mouth watered and his manhood throbbed.
When she stared at him through glazed eyes, her pupils were drenched in yearning. “I want you, Lucien.”
He decided this time he would let her be in control, do the leading and call the shots. “Then take me, Jaclyn. Any way you want. “