Chapter Fifteen

Lilly stared at the timepiece on her clipboard. Forty-five minutes had passed since Lincoln silently mouthed those four words that had no business being erotic but had revved her engine quicker than anything ever had before.

My room. One hour.

They’d agreed to see where this thing was headed after the wedding, and now the time had come. But even though the bride and groom were en route to their tropical honeymoon, the guests headed off to their respective homes, and the caterer had packed up the last of their supplies, she still had work to do. The rental had to be as pristine as when they’d first arrived, and while they had a great company coming in tomorrow for a deep cleaning, she liked to do a final walkthrough. Just to make sure nothing had been left behind or seriously damaged.

Normally, it was her favorite part of the night. The high of surveying the end of a job well done. All the planning and stress behind her. The happy clients off to their new lives as spouses. But not this time, not tonight. Tonight she was edgy, anxious…okay, she was horny. But could anyone blame her? She had the sweet and sexy Lincoln Reid waiting just a floor below to take care of her every carnal desire.

And boy, would he. She knew from experience just how attentive he could be. Memories assailed her mind, along with some new ideas she hoped he’d be game for. She had no idea what would happen after tonight. He mentioned something about a date. Did that mean he saw them as a longer-term thing? And if so, what did that mean for her and her list?

Honestly, the more she got to know Lincoln, the sillier her list seemed. Her mother might jump into relationships headfirst with her eyes clouded by emotions, but Lilly could see clearly.

80 percent clear.

Maybe seventy-five.

Twenty when he was naked.

The point was, she wasn’t all emotion in this situation. Her brain had some say. Hopefully enough to protect her heart if everything went sideways.

“Hey, Lil.” Mo slid up beside her. “I can handle the last walkthrough if you want to get out of here.”

She glanced over at her roommate’s knowing grin. No matter how eager she was to get down and dirty with Lincoln again, she had a job to do, and she wouldn’t eschew that for him. Or any man.

“You don’t need to do that. I’m almost done, anyway.”

Mo lost her pleasant smile, exasperation coloring her face. “Oh my God, just go do him already!”

Her head snapped up, glasses slipping down her nose. She pushed them back up with a single finger, staring at her friend. “Excuse me?”

“Lincoln.” Mo’s lips curved again. “I know he’s downstairs waiting for you to rock his world.”

“That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, Moira. How on earth could you possibly know a thing like that?”

Mo tossed her purple-streaked hair back and laughed. “Oh please, everyone within five miles of you two can feel the fire.”

“That doesn’t mean—”

“One.” The woman held up a hand, counting off on her fingers. “You slept with him before, and I know it was good because you blush every time his name is mentioned.”

She did not!

“Two, he totally has a thing for you.”

Though she hated to give her roommate any fodder, she couldn’t help but ask, “He does?”

Mo laughed. “Yup. The man’s got serious puppy dog eyes where you’re concerned.”

And that was a good thing? She wouldn’t know, having never had a dog herself.

“Three,” Mo continued. “His car is still out front, so I know he hasn’t left yet.”

“Maybe he’s still packing up,” she countered.

Mo shook her head. “And four, I saw him say ‘my room one hour’ fifty minutes ago.”

Damn Mo and her twenty-twenty vision.

“Look.” Mo tucked an arm around Lilly’s waist, gently pulling the clipboard from her hands. “The place is rented out until tomorrow. The cleaning company isn’t coming until noon. I’m heading out soon, and I assume you have a ride home with Lincoln after you ride his—”

Lilly smashed her hand over her friend’s mouth, embarrassment heating her cheeks. “Mo!”

Mo waggled her eyebrows, and Lilly couldn’t stop the small chuckle from escaping her lips.

“Yes, Lincoln can drive me home. I’ll stay to make sure everything is set for the cleaning crew. You can head home tonight.”

Mo nodded. “Then by my count, you have ten minutes to freshen up or do whatever you need to do before heading to his room and letting that man worship you like the goddess you are.”

She grinned. “Maybe I should take fifteen minutes. Make him sweat a little.”

Mo shrugged. “Goddesses are rarely on time.”

“Thanks, Mo.” She gave her friend a quick squeeze.

“Anytime, hun. Now go get some!”

The command was amplified by a sharp smack to her backside. She cursed, rubbing her smarting bottom and glaring at Mo over her shoulder. Her friend’s laughter followed her as she made her way down the stairs. She didn’t need to change clothes or make the man wait any longer. She couldn’t wait any longer. The anticipation over the past twenty-four hours was likely to kill her.

Death by lust. Terrible way to go.

As she reached Lincoln’s door, she hesitated. If she knocked, there would be no going back. She had no idea why she was so nervous. It wasn’t like they hadn’t done this before.

Yeah, but we were strangers.

Two people simply seeking solace in the physical connection. It wouldn’t be like that tonight. It’d be hot and amazing, she was certain, but they knew each other now. More than she’d like to admit. It wasn’t just physical tonight. Emotions would be involved. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

Now or never.

She raised her hand to knock, but the door swung open. Lincoln stood there with a devilish grin, hands braced on the doorframe above his head. He wore nothing but his tux pants, unbuttoned and hanging low on his hips. His lean frame caught her eye, captivating her with all the sharp planes and dips she wanted to explore. With her tongue.

“Hey, beautiful.”

“Hi.” She adjusted her glasses even though they sat perfectly on her nose. “Can I come in?”

He stepped back, motioning for her to enter. She stepped inside his room, noticing how different it was from hers. She and Mo had stayed on the third floor in a small but nice bedroom with two twin beds. This room, however, was quite large and would feel larger if not for the massive king-size bed taking up most of the floor space. She was eternally grateful he’d suggested his room tonight. With their combined tall statures, she doubted their, um, activities would be comfortable in a twin.

“So.” She wandered about the room, wiping her sweaty palms on her skirt. “The ceremony was nice.”

“It was fantastic. You did an amazing job, Lilly.”

A flush rose on her face. “Mo and Pru helped.” They were a team, and she could always count on her friends and business partners to have her back.

“True.” Lincoln nodded. “Still, you are amazing, and I know Marie and Kenneth loved their day. Everything went off without a hitch, from the emergency snow transportation to the bouquet toss to the farewell birdseed. You’re like a wedding planning superhero. With two left feet.”

She laughed softly. “I warned you I couldn’t dance.”

He lifted a finger, crooking it at her in a “come here” motion. Since that’s exactly where she wanted to be, she obliged. The moment she got close enough, he snagged her around the waist, pulling her into him. He buried his face in her neck as his other hand came up to pull the functional but classy jeweled clip from her hair.

The strands came tumbling down from the updo she had them in, kinking around her shoulders because of all the product she’d used to keep her hair in place. Why couldn’t it fall gracefully around her shoulders like it did in the movies? Lincoln didn’t seem to care. He gently tossed the clip onto one of the large chairs facing the curtain-drawn window. His large hand came up to cradle the back of her head.

“I have to tell you, sweetheart, it was damn hard getting through tonight without sporting wood.”

She snorted. “Charming.”

“I never claimed to be a gentleman.” His gaze roamed over her. “Every time I saw you, every time I even thought of you, of this moment right here, my body tightened with anticipation.”

Since she felt exactly the same way, she didn’t chide him for it.

“Lincoln,” she whispered, finding it hard to drag enough air into her lungs to form words. “Did you bring condoms?”

She had but left them upstairs. The last thing she wanted to do right now was climb two flights of stairs for protection.

His head swiveled to the bedside table, where a box of condoms lay open, a strip out and waiting.

“I love a man who comes prepared.”

“Sweetheart, with you, I plan to come all night.” The hand cupping her waist slid down her hip to curve around her thigh, under the skirt of her dress. “But you first.”

She moaned, loud and long as his fingers gently caressed her inner thigh, going higher until he found the silk of her panties, already damp for him. He made a low growling sound in his throat, rubbing her just where she needed. Well, almost.

“Lincoln, I need more.”

“What, sweetheart? Tell me what you need.”

“You,” she panted. “Inside me.”

His lips pressed a hungry kiss to hers as his fingers delved under the scrap of silk. She opened her mouth on a gasp, and he thrust his tongue inside. She eagerly met him, tasting the sweetness of his lips as he pressed one long finger inside her. It astounded her how well this man knew her body. She was fully clothed, he was partially clothed, and she was minutes away from orgasm. He added a second finger, pressing the heel of his palm to her center.

Make that seconds away.

She ripped her mouth from his, arms coming up to clutch his shoulders as her knees locked, the pressure building up inside her.

“Lincoln, I’m…”

“Let go,” he whispered in her ear. “I’m right here.”

He quickened his pace, mouth latching onto her neck, sucking and biting gently. The pressure was too much, and she soon found herself cresting a wave of pleasure so intense her legs gave out. Thankfully, Lincoln tightened the arm he had around her waist, catching her as she melted into a puddle of sated goo.

“Hot damn, Lilly. You are the sexiest woman I have ever known.”

She graced him with a small smile, the only muscle she could control at the moment. “Take me to bed, Lincoln.” Because she was in no way done with him. Not by a long shot.

“Yes, ma’am.”

He moved his hand, pulling her panties off as he left her and scooping under her knees to carry her to the bed. She sat there as he carefully unzipped her dress, peeling the garment from her slowly, with a gentleness that made moisture gather in her eyes. She blinked it away. Now was not the time for blubbery emotions. She knew for a fact a night with Lincoln included multiple orgasms, and she intended to enjoy each and every one.

“You seem to be overdressed,” she stated when he finally removed her dress, laying her back and sitting on his heels above her, staring.

“What? Oh, I, um, you’re not wearing a bra.”

His befuddlement amused her. No, she hadn’t been wearing anything but silk panties under her dress. “The dress has a built-in bra. Easier for formal occasions.”

“And bedroom occasions.” He waggled his eyebrows.

She laughed, her hands going to the button on his pants. “Now you.”

He placed a hand over hers, stopping her exploration. “Wait.”

For what? They were just getting to the good part. The gooder part, anyway.

“Why?”

He grinned, his gaze roaming over her body, tightening her nipples, making her ache as fire lit their hazel depths.

He shook his head, moving down the bed until he was at the very end. “I’m not done worshipping you yet.”

Far be it from her to deny a man his adoration.

He lifted one ankle, kissing the arch of her foot, continuing to caress her skin with his lips as he moved from her ankle to her calf, up to her thigh, to graze along her hip, and then, finally, placing her leg over his shoulder, his mouth descended on the very part of her that craved him the most.

“Lincoln!” she cried out as he thrust his tongue against her, sucking and working her into such a frenzy she bucked her hips against his face.

Normally, she’d be embarrassed, but she was too far gone to care. Too lost in the rapture of his worship. Much sooner than she would have guessed, she felt her body tighten again. A whimper sounded in the air, and she realized it came from her.

“I’ve got you.”

Lincoln’s deep voice seemed to come out of a fog of lust and need. She felt his hand join his mouth, fingers pressing into her once again at just the right moment, causing her to cry out with a release that rocked her entire being.

“Oh my God, I don’t think anything could be better than that.”

His lips curled in a smug smile as he crawled up her body. “Wanna bet?”

She grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Lose the pants and let’s find out.”

He stared at her a moment, finger coming out to trace the frames of her glasses. “These are sexy as hell.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll admit to a few teacher and secretary fantasies about them.”

She snorted. “Such a guy.”

“Guilty.” He pinched the frames between his thumb and pointer finger. “Do you need them, or can I take them off?”

Since the last time they’d been together she’d been wearing her contacts and seen every glorious inch of him, she nodded. “You can take them off.”

He removed her glasses, setting them carefully on the bedside table. She blinked, his blurry face coming into slight focus. She had really bad eyesight. Lucky for her, she didn’t need to see much for what came next.

“The pants. Lose them.”

He laughed. “Anything you say.”

Ooooh, she liked the sound of that.

Lincoln rose from the bed, shucking his pants and boxers off in one rapid move. She stared in awe as his cock bobbed up and down, finally free of the confines of the material. Reaching out, she grasped the hard, velvety appendage, stroking her hand up and down, reveling in the feel of him.

“Careful, Lilly. Much more of that and I’ll embarrass myself.”

“Really?” She found that lack of control hard to believe.

His eyes stared down at her, serious and full of emotion. “I haven’t been with anyone since you. I haven’t wanted anyone else since you.”

She paused in her stroking, swallowing past the lump of emotion in her throat. His confession caught her off guard. The raw vulnerability of what he’d just revealed humbled her, and she couldn’t lie to him. Not now. Not after that.

“Me either.” She cleared her throat as the words stuck. “I haven’t been with anyone since you either.”

A happy smile lit his face. He reached over to grab one of the foil packets on the bedside table. “Well then, should we—”

“Yes!”

She grabbed the condom packet from his hand, eager to put this back in the physical realm. He laughed as she tore open the foil, but his laughter died when she rolled the latex down his length, ending in a groan as she squeezed the base of him.

“Lilly.”

She reached up, grabbing his biceps and pulling him down to her. “I want you, Lincoln, now.”

“Yes,” he growled. “Now.”

Settling himself between her thighs, he positioned himself at her entrance and thrust. They both cried out in unison as he entered her. She clutched his back, nails digging in. She wasn’t even sorry for the marks she might be leaving, because he was sure as hell leaving marks on her heart. Only fair she should mark his body.

“Damn, Lilly. You feel even more amazing than I remember.”

“You, too,” she panted. “Move, Lincoln.”

He complied with her demand, thrusting his hips in a slow, torturous rhythm.

“Faster.” She wasn’t going to last long. Unbelievable, since she’d come to completion twice already, but with this man, all bets were off. “Harder!”

He quickened his pace, slamming into her with a force that made her eyes cross and her body tighten. No matter what she demanded, this man followed through. He listened, he fulfilled, he astounded.

She thrust her hands into his hair, pulling at the short strands, tugging him down so she could capture his lips with her own. The connection of their bodies on every level was too much. Before long, she found herself cresting a wave of pleasure so intense it brought tears to her eyes. She tore her mouth away from his to cry out his name as she felt her body explode with euphoria unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.

“Lilly!”

Her own name pierced through the fog of bliss, shouted from the lips of a man who surprised her at every turn.

They collapsed, breaths heaving out of their chests, sweat drenching their bodies. Lincoln moved to his side, pulling her on top of him. As he slipped from her body, she felt the loss in more than one way.

“Well,” she sucked in a deep breath, trying to lighten the heavy mood she felt welling up inside her chest. “I’d say that was a success.”

He laughed softly. “Don’t you mean sexcess?”

She snorted.

Smart, sexy, kind, and funny. That tiny voice in the back of her head that had been whispering she couldn’t separate sex from her feelings had gone from a dim hum to a shrill warning bell.

Oh crap, she was in trouble. Big time.