Home to Me

by LaVerne Clark

  “For God’s sake, keep your pants on, buddy. Leave the show-and-tell for the lady when you get home.” Roars of laughter filled the room, interspersed by wolf-whistles, and if Lucy thought her cheeks were hot before, they were off-the-scale scorching now. Thankfully, the operators chose that moment to come in, and the short ceremony started.

  Once the winning team had been presented with miniature trophies and the losers participation certificates, people were quick to disperse. Reminders were called out for those keen to commiserate or celebrate at the pub as a group, which she and Sam once again declined.

  Glad to be finally crunching back down the path to the car, Lucy sneaked a glance under her lashes at Sam. Her ardor hadn’t cooled with the enforced break, and now they were alone again, it kicked back into high gear.

  The lights flashed on the vehicle, and Sam held the passenger door open, closing it with a soft click once she was safely inside. From the moment he got behind the wheel, a strange tension filled the interior, and Lucy made every effort to relax, but it was impossible. Awareness of him consumed her. Every move he made, from twisting in his seat to reverse the vehicle out of the parking space, to turning his head to check for a clear space to merge with traffic, sent fresh waves of his scent to her nostrils. It filled every pore, and she spent most of the ride home digging her nails into the sides of the leather seat.

  “Where do you want to stop for dinner, Lucy?”

  She blinked. Was he freaking kidding her? His words were so far from where her mind was that it took a while to process them. She stared hard at him, but his jaw was relaxed, his mouth lifted slightly at the corners, and his eyes fixed on the road ahead. Suddenly, she’d had enough. She was starting to get motion sickness from all the emotional back and forth. It was time for plain talk. “I’m not hungry.”

  A frown crinkled his brow, and he shot her a concerned look before returning his attention to the road. His grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Are you not feeling well?”

  “Oh, no. I’m feeling fine.” She took a deep breath and trailed her fingertips over his thigh. The muscle tightened under her touch. “It’s just not food I’m hungry for.”

  The car jerked a little, and he cursed under his breath before guiding the car to a stop at the side of the road. Her heart thumped when he stabbed the ignition button with an index finger and the engine died. Apart from the occasional tick of the cooling engine and their breathing, there was silence. She watched his hands clench and unclench on the steering wheel before he faced her. His jaw was rock hard. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? You need to be crystal with me, Lucy, because I don’t want to make any mistakes here.”

  She swallowed at the strange light glinting in his eyes but raised her chin. “You need me to be clearer?” Her cheeks burned, but this time she didn’t try to hide them. Now was the time to be brave, to show him she meant business. “Fine.” She took a steadying breath. “I don’t want to stop anywhere for food because that’ll delay us getting home.”

  Her bald statement was met by a beat of silence, and she did her best not to squirm under his intense stare. God. He was going to make her spell it out, wasn’t he?

  “And why do you need to get home so badly?”

  His gravelly voice scraped over already raw nerve endings. She pressed her lips together—hard—trying to suppress the fear she could feel building. But this fear felt different from all the other times she’d contemplated getting intimate with a male. Instead of the all-pervading feeling of dread clogging every pore, this one skittered along the surface of her skin, prickling it to such sensitivity she could feel the heat of his breath gliding over it with each exhale.

  Her heart raced because she couldn’t wait to get naked with Sam, to feel his skin against hers, to see the desire for her in his eyes. The fear had nothing to do with the thought of Sam making love to her, but the fear that he wouldn’t.

  Her throat felt so tight she knew she’d be unable to articulate what she wanted. But the answer to that was easy. She’d just show him.

  Nerves made her fingers shake as she depressed her seatbelt buckle, then reached over and unclipped his. With a light hand, she ran her palm up his chest to rest over his heart. It beat hard and fast, and some of her anxiety eased. Darkened eyes followed every movement of her hands, yet he remained still. Watchful. The atmosphere in the car was so thick she could taste it.

  Angling toward him, she leaned close, then halted just before their lips met. His parted and his breathing became more audible, but still, he remained motionless. Her lashes lifted to meet his gaze, and she closed the remaining distance between them. Finally, she touched her mouth to his, and it felt just as delicious and right as she’d known it would. Firm lips softened under hers as a sigh ghosted into her mouth, and her hands rose to fist into his shirt. Impatient to taste him, she sucked his full bottom lip into her mouth and bit down gently. His body went rigid under her hands. Thick black lashes slammed down, and a groan rumbled up from deep in his chest.

  Releasing his lip, she soothed it with her tongue, then angled her head to kiss his throat. He swallowed convulsively, and she smiled, nuzzling his Adam’s apple as it moved against her mouth. “I want you, Sam. Please don’t make me wait any longer.”

  His eyes snapped open, and the hands that had been so fiercely clenched on his thighs buried themselves in her hair. With a gentle tug at odds with the look in his eyes, he guided her face to his, and her body liquefied with need. He stared down at her lips, and she parted them, ready for his kiss, her body swaying instinctively toward him, and then inexplicably he eased back.

  Untangling his hands from her hair, he reached over and clicked her seatbelt into place. At her squawk of outrage, he shot her an unsteady grin. “Only one way to get home, brat. No matter how much you tempt me, I refuse to take you in the backseat of a car.”

  Lucy slumped back in her seat and fired a death-ray glare at him. “God, Sam. As soon as we get inside your house, you are going to be in so much trouble.”

  He lifted his head from clicking in his own seatbelt and stared down at her, his expression as serious as she’d ever seen it. “Don’t I know it.”

  Before she could respond, he turned his attention back to the road ahead, pulled out, and put his foot down.

  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 st
ill 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.”