Chapter Seven

The drive home proved torturous. The whole time, he expected her to cool off, to call a halt to things, to retreat back under the protective shell of aloofness she’d tried to embody, but she didn’t. Instead, she spent the time idly stroking him, her fingers playing with the hair on his forearm, tracing lines from one part of his body to another. The fact she skirted away from his throbbing erection, which was doing its best to make itself known, only added to the anticipation, making everywhere she touched feel like one whole erogenous zone. He burned so hot he thought he’d explode.

Shit. He was in trouble all right.

Sam clenched his jaw, determinedly keeping his gaze from Lucy and his mind on the road ahead. As the miles were eaten up, he couldn’t help wondering if Jordan were still alive, would he and Lucy be in this position right now? His mouth twisted. Probably not. If Jordan had known half of what went on in his head when he thought of his little sister, he’d have kicked his ass and then made sure he didn’t get within a hundred meters of her.

That promise he’d made all those years ago hovered in the back of his mind, haunting him. In the absence of her big brother, step into his shoes and act as her protector.

Back then, it had been a fairly easy promise to make, an easy role to fill. They’d all been kids, and the future stretched ahead of them, golden and full of endless possibilities. Everyone knew their role in each other’s lives—and then with Jordan’s death, it had all turned on its head.

To start with, it had been easy. They’d all been grieving. And apart from the aberration at the funeral, which he put down to the strong emotion they’d all been feeling, he’d managed to give Lucy a wide berth while still keeping an eye on her. But the older she got, the harder it was to ignore she was growing up before his very eyes. And it certainly didn’t help matters that she kept looking at him with those big blue eyes full of yearning.

In the end, he’d failed his best friend miserably. Brotherly concern was the last thought on his mind when it came to Lucy.

I don’t need a babysitter. Or another brother. I already had one of those.

Her words from the night of their reunion played back in his mind, and he grinned at the memory of her shoulders back and spitting tacks. That image obliterated any last lingering ones he’d had of her as a little girl. Hands jammed on her hips had accentuated the slim waist and flare of womanly curves. Her generous mouth thinned with annoyance had drawn his attention and made him wonder idly how long it would take to soften under his. The fact she’d swayed slightly and slurred every second word only enforced his protective instincts, wanting to shield her from the eyes of every other man at the pub. At the time, his mind had shied away from delving too deep into why that might be.

Now he shook his head, a wry smile on his lips as he demanded honesty from himself. If Jordan were still alive, he knew he’d still have taken this route regardless of his best mate’s feelings on it. It was the only way to keep her safe.

A small sigh came from the passenger seat, breaking into his thoughts, and he glanced over. Lucy gazed out the window, eyes narrowed slightly against the setting sun, the hint of a smile curving her mouth. The thumb of her free hand rubbed at the soft material of her sweatpants. The unconscious nervous gesture was a timely reminder of her vulnerability, her state of mind, and Sam reminded himself to take things slowly, let her take the lead. Even if it cost him his sanity.

The closer they got to home, the thicker the tension got. Sweat beaded on his brow, and he lowered his window, relaxing slightly as a fine breeze drifted over him. It had the added benefit of dispersing her scent, which had curled around his senses and gotten a stranglehold. As they rounded the last corner that led to his street, he pushed the button to activate his garage door and drove in.

“Thank God.”

For a moment, he was afraid he’d said that out loud, then realized she’d voiced his exact thoughts. He jumped out of the car to open her door, but once again she beat him to it and waited for him by the entrance to the house, eyes a blue flame and her lush mouth curved with mischief. The brat was back but had merged with the most sensual creature he’d ever seen. All the blood drained from the rest of his body to shoot straight to his groin. Yeah, he was in trouble all right.

She watched his approach with focused intent, and the primitive part of him responded with a roar of approval. He wanted to beat his chest and drag her off to his bedroom, her gaze telling him he wasn’t the only impatient one.

His theory proved correct when he slid the key into the door, swung it open, and stepped back to allow her to go through ahead. When she didn’t, he turned his head to find she’d stepped right into his space. Rising on tiptoe, she ran her hands up his chest, linked them behind his neck, and—oh, Lord, have mercy—pressed the length of her body against him. He gritted his teeth as his erection strained against the confines of his pants.

“Finally.” She licked her lips as her eyes ate him up. “Privacy.”

Fighting the instinct to walk her backward through the house and trap her against the wall, Sam took deep, measured breaths through his nostrils and kept his hands loose at his sides, allowing her to take charge. His jaw was locked so tight, his molars creaked, and his temples throbbed with the beginning of a monster tension-headache.

Bending back at the waist, she kept their hips aligned and studied him briefly before a smile of devilish delight crept over her face. Bowing her head, she bent her knees and caught one of his nipples between her teeth, pressing herself into his hips at the same time.

Shockwaves blasted through his body, sending pulses of red-hot fire through his extremities, and he slumped against the wall as his knees buckled. “Jesus, Lucy,” he groaned. “What are you doing to me?”

She straightened up and flicked a thumb over his hardened nipple, her grin wicked. “Getting your attention.”

The growl rumbled up from deep in his chest. The animal in him howled, demanding to be set free. Good intentions be damned. It seemed she had no intentions of playing nice. Besides, it was much more fun when both parties played the game she’d started.

Pushing off from the wall, he walked her backward into the house and kicked the door shut behind them, impatience making his steps jerky. Pressing her against the wall with his body, his lips grazed the shell of her ear. “You have my attention all right. All of it. Want to know what I’m thinking right now?”

She swallowed, her pulse jumping under her skin as she nodded.

“I’m thinking of you stripped naked and laid out on my bed like a feast before my eyes. Then I’m thinking about all the things I’d like to do to you, each part of your body I’d like to taste. I’m wondering what’ll make you beg and what’ll make you scream, and I can’t wait to find out, to explore every inch. But most of all, I’m thinking of how you’ll taste on my tongue.”

He licked the tender skin just below her ear, and her breathing hitched, then exhaled on a low moan. He lifted his head and noted her flushed features with satisfaction. “Mmm. As I thought. Delicious. I wonder—do you taste the same everywhere?”

She stilled, and for a moment he thought he’d gone a step too far too soon, but then the points of her nipples hardened through the layers of cloth between them. With the smallest of movements, she rubbed her breasts against his chest and gasped, pressing her mouth hard against his shoulder in an open-mouthed kiss.

She lifted her head, her breathing choppy. “Bedroom or right here in the entrance, Sam?”

He stepped back to put a bit of distance between them, noting her flushed cheeks and the desire darkening her eyes to midnight, and opened his mouth to answer, but she got in first.

“Just so you know, I really don’t care, as long as I have you naked and on top of me in the shortest time possible.”

Blood roared through his veins, and his vision narrowed until she was all he could see. She squealed as he scooped her up into his arms and strode through the house to his bedroom, dropping her onto the middle of his king-size bed. Her breasts bounced enticingly under the soft cotton of her shirt, and he followed her down, impatient to touch, to taste. Hunger sharpened his senses. Her scent captivated him, reeling him in. Nudging her knees apart, he settled between them, his eyes closing briefly at the feel of her heat against his aching erection. She felt like heaven and home all at once.

God, he hurt. If he didn’t get inside her soon, he swore he’d explode, and it wouldn’t be pretty. She tilted her face up, and her gaze locked with his. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, humbling him with the trust and love that shone out of them.

He frowned as the notion struck him. Surely he’d been imagining that last emotion. She cared for him deeply, sure; he knew that. But love? His heart gave a strange leap, and he blinked, pushing the thought to the back of his mind. He’d been waiting years for this moment to arrive, and now it had, he didn’t want to spend any of it internalizing. He wanted to feel, to taste, to experience the joy of loving her body while giving her one mind-blowing orgasm after another.

“Are you sure about this, Lucy? This is what you want?”

She bit her lip, and he touched it with a fingertip until she released it. “Yes.” Nerves made her smile hesitant, her lips plumping as the color rushed back into them. He sensed the shadow of fear clinging to her and vowed to banish that emotion forever, starting tonight.

He lifted off her and rolled to one side. Watching for her reaction, he placed a hand on the center of her belly. Her skin quivered, and he watched as her nipples peaked under her shirt. He ached to touch her, but he was determined do this right. To give as much pleasure as he could. To have her begging him to make love to her. And that meant taking things slow.

“Any time you want me to stop, just say the word and I will. I want you to be completely honest with me from here on out, okay?” He watched her intently, making sure his words were sinking in. “There’ll be no lies, no half-truths, nothing hidden between us. It’s too important.”

She nodded. Her stomach muscles tensed under his palm as it traveled to the hem of her shirt, lifting it to reveal her perfect skin inch by inch.

His eyes cut to hers when she stilled. “Honesty, remember? You okay?”

“Yeah.” Her voice was husky, and she cleared her throat. “It’s just that it’s you, you know?”

He froze. The material bunched uncomfortably in his hand, and he swallowed the hard lump that threatened to choke him. He strove for a light tone. “No, brat. I don’t know. Why don’t you enlighten me?”

She glanced away, but he forced her chin back around to face him. If she was going to voice anything negative about being with him, she could damn well look at him while she said it. He needed to know.

“You matter.”

His heart stopped briefly at the soft words before thudding hard against the cage of his ribs. That wasn’t what he’d expected at all. She took a deep breath that lifted her chest, and he valiantly kept his gaze locked on hers and away from the lush mounds he ached to palm.

“It’s no secret I’ve crushed on you for years, Sam. You know it. I’ve fantasized what it would be like to kiss you, make love to you, but—” She broke off and bit her lip again. This time, he waited her out, and his patience was rewarded with a sigh that shuddered throughout her body. “But I’m scared of all the ‘what ifs.’ There are so many. Once we do this, we can’t go back.”

His hand drifted back under her shirt and rubbed over the silky skin of her stomach. “Who wants to?” Her eyes widened on his, and he smiled. “I don’t know about you, but I want to know what could be waiting for us if we’re brave enough to take the risk. There’s only going forward from here.”

Tears filled her expressive eyes, and she nodded, blinking them away. “Just promise me that whatever happens, you’ll still be my friend at the end of it.”

God. That hit him square in the solar plexus. “Always.” He growled the word, then took a deep breath through his nostrils to dissipate the nerves he could feel as little pinpricks transferring from her to him. “You’re too precious to me not to be.”

The quavering smile she sent him threatened to break his heart. They needed to ease off the heaviness, to get back to just feeling before it swamped them both. Luckily, the perfect distraction lay under his palms, and he was determined nerves wouldn’t steal another second from them.

With a gentle touch, he continued stroking the satin skin over her stomach and ribs. He clenched his jaw as her skin heated under his touch, her delicious scent rising to tease his nostrils. Delicate but curved in all the right places, her body was made for a man to feast on, and he lowered his head, powerless to resist the need to taste her any longer.

****

Oh, God. Lucy’s gaze fixated on Sam as he levered himself down the bed. Her brain almost short-circuiting at the twin senses of his delicious mouth nibbling delicately at her skin and the sight of his dark head traveling over her belly. Heat coiled in her core with each lick, each biting suck, flooding her veins until she felt like warm putty under his ministrations. Air cooled the damp path he left behind as he traveled his way to her ribs, and her breath hitched. He lifted his head fractionally, and his eyes glittered into hers.

“Let me see you.”

Lucy swallowed. Her pulse pounded so loud in her ears she thought he had to be able to hear it too. He kept his palms on her, his thumbs rubbing rhythmically over her ribs, idling as if waiting for the green light. His gaze locked on hers, intent and watchful, his body unnaturally still apart from the stroke of his thumbs, and she felt as if she were standing at an abyss. With shaking hands, she pulled the shirt up and over her head, then reached back to unclip her bra. Her breasts sprang free, and he gave a sharp inhale. She turned her face, her clothes bunched in her fist as if the harder she gripped them, the easier it would be to escape his disappointment.

“You are more beautiful than I’d imagined.”

She turned her head, blinking at his husky tone, and met his gaze. Eyes dark and intense glittered down at her. A flush dusted the high planes of his cheekbones, and his throat worked in a swallow. With an almost reverential air, he reached out, a fingertip tracing the outer curve of her breast, then he bent his dark head over her again, kissing where his touch had been.

“Your heart is racing.”

The hoarse whisper vibrated over her sensitized skin, making her squirm, the catch in his voice more of a turn-on than any dirty words he could have uttered. When his lips brushed over the hollow at her throat, a soft moan escaped her. She needed more of him, more from him. His mouth on her throat only made her throb in other places. Restless, she lifted her hips and pressed into him.

The effect on him was instantaneous.

All traces of playfulness left. The light touch disappeared, replaced by sure strokes, and her body roared to life. Shyness withered and dissolved in the face of her need to touch him. She knew with absolute certainty she would die if she didn’t have skin-on-skin contact. Now.

She pulled at the hem of his shirt, sliding it up his torso, and growled in frustration when she struggled to lift it over his head. Grinning at her impatience, he reached behind his neck, bunched it in one hand, and tore it off. Lucy propped herself up on her elbows, her brain almost short-circuiting with sensory overload as she drank in the sheer beauty revealed to her.

From afar and from the brief glimpses she’d stolen when they were younger, she’d always thought he was perfection. But now, with his bare chest inches away from her face and muscles flexed as he held himself above her, perfection seemed too small a word to properly describe him.

Feeling as if she were living out a long-dreamed-of fantasy, Lucy sat up. Sam eased back, giving her room, but she didn’t want room. She wanted to touch. Everywhere.

Faced with rock-hard abs and a wide expanse of chest with its light dusting of hair, she was treated to a visual symphony. Unable to resist anymore, she touched him, her fingertips delighting in the contrasts of warm, satin skin and the coarseness of hair that textured it, circling his nipple before raking a nail lightly over the hardened nub. She closed her eyes briefly to better immerse herself in the sensation. With her sight momentarily gone, everything else sharpened.

Under her hands, his body temperature spiked, releasing his scent in waves. She inhaled deeply, trying to store it so she could bring it out and remember this moment when she was alone, remember every detail when this was all over. Sounds of harsh breathing met her ears, and she opened her eyes to see his dark with intent. Gaze fixed on her mouth, he dipped his head. Even as a thrill tap danced down her spine and her lips tingled in anticipation, she flattened her palms on his chest, bringing him to a halt. He froze immediately, brows lowered in concern.

“I haven’t finished.”

His nostrils flared as he inhaled sharply, but he merely nodded and allowed her to push him onto his back. In one fluid motion, she rose to her knees and straddled him. Studying his face, she lowered herself until she sat astride him, his erection snug against her cleft. The heat generated was at once so excruciating and unbearably pleasurable that she didn’t want to move from this spot, ever.

He pulsed, hardening under her, and she glanced at the tight jaw, the lines of tension bracketing his mouth. His eyes closed briefly as if he were gathering strength, and her body responded with a delicious rush of heat. She felt wicked and wanton, knowing the feel of her body was doing this to him. The knowledge was liberating, the rush of power exhilarating.

She rocked her hips a fraction, and his eyes snapped open, the look wild. “Don’t move,” she ordered, as he went to reach for her.

Every muscle in his body tensed before he gave her a slow nod. Holding her gaze, he slowly curled first one hand and then the other around the slats of his headboard, the position highlighting yet more yummy muscles she’d been unaware of. “I won’t—yet.”

Delivered in a low growl, his promise sent shivers of anticipation skating over her skin as she wondered what it would take to make him break. Drawn down, her eyes feasted. Dipping forward slightly, her hips rolled, and she gasped as the movement rubbed her against his hard length in the most delicious of ways. His exhale was a hiss.

“Do that again,” he rasped.

Her eyes widened on his. His expression was fierce, his gaze compelling. He hadn’t moved position, but his knuckles were white, the cords of muscle in his forearms strained, veins standing out in relief. Beads of sweat prickled on the cupid bow of his top lip, and she rolled her hips forward again, licking the intriguing dip above his mouth clean. He groaned, the sound sending another arrow of pleasure through her core.

Lucy sat back up and ran her hands over his chest, delighting in the contrast of smooth skin and rough hair. She stroked a flat nipple with her fingertip, letting her nail graze it, and was rewarded with a deep, masculine growl. His nipple puckered, calling to her, and she leaned forward, taking it deep into her mouth.

Then everything changed.

His hands whipped down from the bed head, one snaking securely around her waist, the other clamped on her ass, rolling her underneath him in one quick movement. A dangerous gleam sparked in his eyes, and she rejoiced even as her stomach fluttered with nerves.

His mouth devoured her, taking breath and thought until the only thing left was pure sensation. Alternating between seducing and demanding, his tactics kept her on the edge until she didn’t know which way was up. His teeth clamped down lightly on her top lip as he sucked it into his mouth, and her mind fizzled into mush.

“God, Lucy, you’re so sweet.” His silky tongue stroked her lip, then delved farther inside to mate with hers.

A palm slid down her body, over her ribs and the flare of her hip, setting her skin and nerves to jangling. Encountering the waistband of her sweats, he pushed at them, and she lifted her hips, desperate to be rid of the last barriers between them. Her hands tangled in his hair, holding him to her, mindless to anything but his touch, his kiss. He raised a knee and used his foot to slide the material down the last few inches, and she dimly realized her panties had joined the sweats, leaving her bare.

And then suddenly, she wasn’t. Sam’s large palm cupped her.

Her eyes popped wide open, and she swore in that moment her heart stopped. Slivers of silver under heavy lids gauged her reaction to his possessive and intimate touch. As she stared back, her heart pounded back to life at a million miles an hour, and he gave her a lazy grin. Dipping his head, he licked her lower lip, his movements slow and deliberate. His fingers merely rested against her, yet she felt herself grow warmer and wilder with each thrum of blood through her veins. The heat of his digits burned like a brand, and in that moment, she melted willingly into the inferno that was Sam.

Suddenly, his touch wasn’t enough, and she widened her thighs. As if this were the signal he’d been waiting for, his fingers curled, stroking through her slick folds in a rhythm designed to drive her mad, and she groaned out a loud exhale, her hips lifting with each pass of his fingertips.

She let go the grip she had of his hair and ran a flat palm down his body. Even through his sweatpants, the size and strength of him was impressive, and suddenly, she wanted the safety barriers gone. “I need to touch you.”

Acting on that need, she slipped her hands under the waistband of his pants. Her fingers slid over the warm skin of his navel and followed the happy trail of silky hair downward. Her fingertips brushed the velvety tip of him, and he let out a throaty growl which turned into a groan when she wrapped her fingers snugly around him.

His hips jerked as she gave an experimental squeeze, and he gritted his teeth. “God help me, Luce, but if you keep that up, this won’t last as long as I’d hoped.”

“What’s the hurry? We’ve got all night.” She tightened her grip, and his strong frame shuddered, tiny beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. Varying her rhythm until his hips rocked helplessly, she lifted her head off the mattress and pulled a nipple into her mouth. The tang of pine clung to his skin, and he tasted vaguely of salt, making her want to take a bite out of him. She needed him naked—now.

“Help me get your pants off, Sam. I need to see you.” Her breath came in short pants, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t the only one.

“You’ll have to let go of me, then.”

She glanced up at his strangled tone, her mouth curving into a satisfied smile. His eyes were mere slits, a vein standing out in relief above his temple, and those beautiful lips parted and plumped from their passionate kisses. Reluctantly, she released him, and he shoved his pants down his legs, shaking them off with an impatient kick.

She let a wicked smile curl her mouth and sat up, trailing a single fingertip from collarbone to hip, then rested her palm on the hollow between his hip and belly. She gave an experimental push, but he remained immovable, continuing to stare down at her, his eyes dark and unreadable.

She pushed harder, and his mouth quirked up in the corner when she grunted with frustration. “For God’s sake, Sam. Let me back at you.”

He shook his head slowly, his mouth stretching into a pirate’s grin. “All in good time, brat.” The mattress dipped under his weight, and he used her momentary loss of balance to his advantage, pushing her flat to the mattress. “I believe I said I was going to taste you.” His gaze swept over her, his eyes glittering as he lowered himself over her. “Now no more distractions.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but he placed his fingers over it and bent his head to her breast. Her back arched as he sucked a nipple deep inside his mouth, and she fought the sensation to close her eyes. She wanted to remember every detail, savor every moment with every sense she possessed.

Glancing down, her breath hitched. Sam’s dark head against her fair skin, the scent of his skin rising with the heat of his body and mingling with hers. It was the stuff of her wildest imaginings, what she’d dreamed about for years, but it was actually happening. As if sensing her gaze, his eyes caught hers, silver darkening to smoke. With his eyes still focused on her, he opened his mouth and laved her with his tongue, one hand stroking her hip. Her head fell back against the pillows, and she felt him glide back up her body, hyper-aware some part of him was always touching her.

“That’s it, love, turn that brain off and feel. I’ve got you.”

Her breath hitched as his low rumble feathered over the shell of her ear. The endearment left her shaken, even though she knew it had no substance, but it didn’t stop the warm glow from spreading. In his arms, she felt at once safe and desired. She knew he’d never hurt her, would, in fact, protect her with his dying breath. Was it any wonder no other man had ever measured up? No one could compete with that.

He leaned back on his elbow and lightly tapped her nose with a finger, eyes crinkled at the corners. “I can feel you thinking. I’ll have to try harder.”

His hand swept up from her hip to lightly cup her breast, his thumb grazing over her nipple, shocking a gasp out of her, and heat flooded her core.

“So damn responsive.” The crinkles of humor disappeared.

Eyes riveted on her nipple, he caught it once more between his teeth, gentle nips and suction sending bolts of lust in a direct hit to her womb. Her hips rose of their own volition, and she whimpered, restless under his attention. Everything within her ached. A bone-deep ache and only he had the power to take it away, but he seemed intent on driving her mad first.

In the last moment, before she thought she’d explode with frustration, he lifted his head from her breast and nudged her legs apart. With a sigh of relief, she parted them, welcoming the weight of him into the cradle of her thighs. His hips rocked against hers for a wild second, easing the heavy feeling in her belly, and then he was sliding down her body, his mouth nibbling and kissing as he went.

A dawning suspicion of his destination had her grab for his hair as he dipped his tongue into her belly button, but he only untangled her fingers, forced her wrists to her sides, and carried on with his slow descent, nudging her thighs even farther apart with his shoulders. Tension ratcheted throughout her body.

Oh, God. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head to the side. Embarrassment suffused her, and she swallowed hard. It took her a moment to realize Sam hadn’t moved. Just the heat of his breath blowing over her most intimate flesh told her he was still there. She opened one eye cautiously, startled to see his gaze on her.

“Why have you frozen on me?”

If she thought she was embarrassed before, it was nothing to how his stark question made her feel now. He didn’t say anything more. He didn’t need to. His eyes said it all as he waited for her answer.

Honesty, remember.

She fought through the instinct to glance away, even as her face flamed. The blush felt like it reached all the way down to her toes. “I’m worried about, uh…well…” She grimaced at her bungling and took a deep breath before continuing. “I haven’t showered yet. I don’t want to turn you off.”

He gaped at her, then burst out laughing, the puff of air on her sensitive flesh making her squirm. She grimaced and fought the dizzying effect as her head threatened to explode into a million pieces. He nuzzled the nest of fair hair with his chin, and his laugh dried up, his gaze dark and serious on hers.

“God, Lucy.” His voice dropped an octave, and his nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply. “I’ve never been so turned on.” Then he dipped his chin and laved her with the flat of his tongue, eyes remaining on hers, intent and watchful. Every nerve in her body screamed, and her hips bucked, but the only sound she could produce was a strangled whimper. “You smell incredible, but your taste.” His eyes closed briefly on a tiny groan as if savoring the memory. “Jesus, your taste. It is unbelievable.” He bent his head and licked her again, the tip of his tongue burrowing between her folds and finding the hard nub begging for attention.

This time, when her hands clutched at his hair, it wasn’t to pull him away, but to anchor herself. Her head fell back, and her eyes closed as her mind shut down to all but the incredible sensations his wicked tongue and mouth brought. He shifted slightly, and she widened her legs a little more, his hum of appreciation vibrating in the most delicious of ways against her. He settled in, as if he were in this for the long haul.

And it seemed as if he were.

Sighs and low moans filled the room, dimly distinguishable as hers, the sound of his murmurs of approval and praise aiding her pleasure. The steady waves of pleasure slowly became more intense, like the building of a King tide. Each inhalation and panting release brought her closer to the final destructive wave. She knew it was coming, and there was every chance she’d be torn apart at the seams when it did, but she was powerless to do anything but go along for the ride.

Sam must have been paying close attention to her body language, because he suddenly changed tack and stroked her harder toward the pinnacle, his hands curving under her bottom, drawing her deeper into his mouth. Without warning, her world exploded, and her body bowed under the power of the orgasm, her throat rasping as she screamed his name.

Dimly aware the bed dipped, she opened her eyes to find him sliding back up her body. The smug grin couldn’t hide the predatory gleam in his gaze. His eyes smoldered, and her heart stuttered, her blood heating instantly in response.

“That was just the entrée. I’m not done with you yet.”

She shivered in anticipation and met his gaze with a heated one of her own. “God, I hope not. I want more of that.”

“Believe me—I’ve got way more in store for you than you’d ever believe. Years of fantasy to act on.” He smacked his lips, his eyes dark and shiny with promise.

She reached for him, intent on paying him back in kind, but as if he’d read her mind, he shook his head firmly, reached under a pillow, and pulled out a foil packet. At the sight, she stopped breathing, her insides clenched in anticipation.

“One more time, Lucy. Are you sure about this?”

Her gaze locked with his, and the breath she’d been holding burst out of her. “Are you kidding? God, Sam. I’m about to self-combust here.” A sudden thought froze her in horror. “You’re not sure, are you?”

He frowned, staring at her. “God help me, Luce, from the first moment I touched you, I’d never been more sure of anything in my life. Believe me, the thought of sinking myself so deep inside you that I don’t know where you begin and I end is the only thought in my head right now.” As if to highlight his point, his cock jerked. “Ignore that.” He grinned, and her mouth curved in response. “It has no manners and is purely selfish.” He dropped the condom beside the pillow and lay back, making a show of holding his hands above his head. “We don’t go any further unless you choose to.”

Without hesitation, she picked up the packet and sent him a grin. “It’s kind of hard to ignore.”

He groaned and rolled his eyes at the bad pun.

A laugh burst out of her. “Luckily for you—” She ripped the packet open with her teeth. “—I don’t want to ignore it.”

With trembling fingers, she positioned the condom over the tip of his straining erection and rolled it on. Sam hissed through his teeth, and she straddled his lap, every instinct screaming at her to lower herself, to impale herself on him, but the ache of holding out held its own appeal too. Her blood pumped hot and thick through her veins as she bent her head and kissed him.

His palms cupped her jaw, his hands so large his fingers brushed the nape of her neck. One hand moved to brush the hair from her forehead, the touch so gentle and light, as if she were made of the finest crystal, she nearly swooned with the sheer exquisiteness of it. She broke the kiss and lowered herself, holding his gaze. His eyes had gone almost black, and her nipples hardened to the point of pain. At the touch of his rock-hard erection to her most sensitive flesh, they gasped in unison, their gazes locking. His hands rested on her hips, and she lowered her body, closing her eyes as he stretched, then started to fill her.

“Look at me.”

Her eyes flew open at the harsh command, and she halted her descent. He stared at her, his mouth a grim line and the line between his brows deeply etched.

“I want to look into your eyes as I slide all the way into you.” The grip on her hips tightened as his fingers flexed. “I want you to see me.”

Having known Sam for years, Lucy thought she’d seen every expression, but she’d never seen this one. His eyes were fierce, muscles bunched like coiled springs, and his body hummed with barely contained energy. And it thrilled the hell out of her. What would it take to push him over the edge?

“Oh, I see you, Sam.” She sank a little deeper, her smile feline at the low sound he made in his throat. She squeezed him with her inner muscles, once, twice, loving the strangled sound he made as she did. Bracing her hands flat on his chest, she eased up slowly until just the tip of him was still inside, teasing him with little swivels of her hips. Then all hell broke loose.

His hands clamped onto her, stilling her movements, and he drove up, forcing her to take him all the way. Her head fell back on a cry. Beneath her, his thighs flexed and his mouth latched onto her exposed throat, nibbling and sucking on areas she’d no idea before were erogenous zones. All her senses were filled by him. He was all she could see, smell, hear, taste, and feel. It was overwhelmingly good, and shivers coursed through her body as she gave herself up to it.

“Sam.”

He lifted his head, his eyes dark and molten as they focused on hers, and he stilled. “What’s wrong, brat?”

She grimaced at his use of the nickname, but he chose that moment to pulse inside her, and her grimace turned into a gasp. Her hips rocked, desperate for more, and his mouth curved into a sinful smile as he started to move inside her. From this moment on, she’d always associate the nickname with making love to Sam and recall this exact expression on his face, the way he smelt and felt under her, the taste of him in her mouth.

“Nothing’s wrong,” she answered after she managed to catch her breath, her eyes pricking with tears. “Everything is finally so right.”

His palms cupped her buttocks, gently guiding her into a rhythm that had them both breathing in short pants. “I couldn’t agree with you more. Damn, you feel so good.” His roving hand slipped between their bodies, one finger dipping into where they joined before finding and rubbing at just the right spot, sending her already primed body into what felt like the countdown to the biggest out-of-this-world orgasm.

With him stretching her to capacity and his fingers working their magic over the bundle of nerves at her center, the twin sensations sent her into orbit, and seconds later she shattered into a thousand stars, the sound of her name in a hoarse shout filling her universe as Sam followed straight after.

Collapsing onto his chest, she lay there, barely able to move, more than content to listen to the sound of his racing heart slowly return to normal. His fingers trailed lightly up and down her spine in a tingling caress, and she arched her back lazily.

“That was incredible.” She gave an experimental squeeze of her internal muscles and grinned when he groaned. “When can we do it again?”

“As soon as humanly possible if I have any say.” Sam rolled them onto their sides, eased out of her, and removed the condom. “Let me take care of this first.” He raised a finger in warning, a mock growl to his voice. “Don’t move a muscle.”

A silly grin stretched her mouth as she watched him stride to the bathroom, her gaze drifting down to his perfect ass. As if she had any intentions of moving from the only place she wanted to be. She buried her face into the pillow, inhaling deeply of Sam’s scent, her body aching pleasantly from the unaccustomed exercise.

The sound of the toilet flushed, and she lifted her head to see him standing in the doorway. Her heart thumped hard. God, he was beautiful. From his dark, tousled hair standing up in all directions, to the tips of his long toes. As if he were sculpted from bronze, he stood motionless, allowing her scrutiny. Golden skin stretched over the wide expanse of his chest and ridged abs. A faint tan line delineated where shorts sat low on his hips, and she imagined him in his workday, those delicious muscles making light work of wielding heavy equipment, his skin glistening under the hot summer sun as he worked up a sweat.

Imagining his body running with sweat got her all hot and bothered, and she squirmed then sat up in the bed, the sheet falling to her waist as she pushed herself against the bedhead.

Beyond all reason, she wanted him again.

“What are you thinking about?”

His voice was a low rumble, and she met his gaze briefly before tracking leisurely back down over his body in a slow perusal. “Just a fantasy.”

“Yeah?” He pushed off from the doorway and stalked toward the bed, eyes so hot they almost incinerated her. “How does it start?”

Her body threatened to melt under the heat, making her center throb in anticipation. “It starts with you—all hot and sweaty.”

Stopping at the end of the bed, he stared down at her, feigning composure, but the glint in his eyes gave him away. “And where does it end?”

She gave him a mock frown and tsked. “I’m disappointed in you, Sam. The end isn’t the only fun part. In fact, the journey throughout the middle is the best bit.” She shrugged and turned her shoulder. “But if you’re not interested in hearing the full story, perhaps I’ll leave it for another day.”

“Oh, no, you won’t,” he growled, those delicious muscles of his bunching, drawing her gaze, moments before he leaped on her, caging her in with his body. “I hope you can multi-task because I’m dying to hear every detail but don’t want to waste time when I could be touching you.”

Her head fell back on a throaty laugh as she tried and failed many times to keep her story on track. Finally, she admitted defeat and gave herself up to the pleasure of his skillful hands.