by Lindsey Hart
Lucas is gorgeous. All of him. Every inch.
I want to show him just how much.
Except when I hit my knees, he tries to drag me back up. “I thought you were kidding about that,” he mutters, his hands going for my shoulders.
I look up at him and meet his gaze. “Nope. I wasn’t. Is that…alright?” Lucas throws his head back. The spray hits us both from the side. It’s nice, warm, comforting, and luxurious. I’ve told Rin and Cassie that I’ve had all kinds of crazy, wild sex over the years. It’s not true. I’ve never had sex in the shower before. Never. I’m glad this is a first for me. That it’s with Lucas. “By my calculation, we still have fifteen minutes of hot water left, if what you said is true about the twenty-minute thing, and I don’t think we’ll need all fifteen to–”
“Christ, Aria. You’re going to kill me.”
I reach out shyly and take Lucas in my hand. He’s thick. Long. Warm and velvety soft. Hard too. And very, very impressive. “If I do, I promise not to mention how you died at your funeral.”
“That’s very kind of you.”
My hand closes around his shaft, and his hands tangle in my hair. After that, there aren’t any more words. I can’t believe I’m touching him. That when I guide him to my mouth, I’m really doing this. I’m really tasting him. I’m really stroking him and pleasuring him. It’s him. It’s him, and this is real.
The salty tang blooms over my tongue when I flit it around. I love how he tastes. Deep and earthy. I love how his muscles—muscles so hard and sleek beneath the hand I’m bracing there—tremble and vibrate. I love the husky sounds he makes above me. I love that I can do this to him. Draw out those sounds. Make him tremble. Make him feel good.
I swipe my tongue over him, rolling and stroking, echoing the action with my hand. Lucas likes it. A lot. His hips flex, pushing into my mouth involuntarily. Water beads and sluices off his skin, running down my hand, running into my mouth, my face, and mingling with the taste of him.
Lucas’s hips flex again, and his hands tangle in my hair. He tugs a little, and I love the burn in my scalp. My jaw is burning too, but I’ve never experienced anything hotter. I guide him a little further in, even though it’s a struggle. He hisses and makes garbled noises above me. I work him with my hand and my mouth, and those noises continue. His hips keep flexing until he finally pulls away.
I’m a little stunned by how quickly he moved. I’m still stunned when he gently pulls me to my feet. He puts his lips on mine, kissing me furiously as he lifts me up. He pins me against the glass again, angling me, so the spray still hits me. Just enough to keep me warm. Not that I need it. Lucas is on fire. I’m on fire. My nerve endings are on fire. The pulsing, aching spot between my trembling legs, is on fire.
Lucas’s hand brushes over my breast, his thumb circling the sensitive bud until I’m arching into his hand. He’s still attacking my mouth, and I’m doing some bruising back when he guides himself to me. He stops with his erection right at my entrance. We both freeze.
He throbs there, so hot that I know, in a few seconds, I’m going to die, and I haven’t made him promise that he won’t write this shit on my tombstone.
“Lucas… please, before you kill me. Please…”
I attack his mouth. Greedy for him. For all of him. I need all of him. I’ve always needed all of him. He doesn’t tease me. Doesn’t come up with something witty. There aren’t any more comebacks. Just a slow flex of his hips as he pushes in. Filling me. One. Impressive. Inch. At. A. Time.
I throw back my head, so I don’t die of asphyxiation by his lips. Even though my eyes are closed—and he’s pressed up against me—I memorize every single detail of his body. His skin, so smooth and soft over the hardness below. Every movement he makes is going to be engrained in my memory. Every flex and bulge and shift.
My hands do a pretty good job of memorizing his shoulders and back and neck as I cling to him. I have really long nails, fake nails, and I lift them up, keeping them away from him. I let my fingertips lead the way instead. Memorizing. So that I can feel every single nuance and detail.
Lucas flexes his hips again, and I start memorizing other details. Like how good he feels inside of me. He’s big, and I’m…not so big. He stretches me, and it burns and hurts a little, but he takes his time. He goes slow, even though I can hear him grinding his teeth. When the grinding reaches crazy levels, I’m a little worried that maybe I shouldn’t have warmed him up.
But I shouldn’t worry.
Because Lucas will always be a gentleman.
He seats himself all the way inside me, and before I can even let out the whimper trapped in my throat, he reaches between us and runs his wet, warm fingers over my clit. A lightning bolt of pleasure rips through me. He does it again. And again. All while he flexes his hips in slow, even strokes. He works me gently, swirling away, coming back, and thrusting gently.
I’m spiraling out of control, and that’s okay because this is the one place I don’t mind letting go. Lucas keeps working me, thrusting a little harder at the same time. I can feel all the pressure building up. Climbing up my feet, my ankles, my calves, knees, and thighs.
My fingers dig a little harder into Lucas’s shoulder. His finger brushes a little more rapidly over my clit. He thrusts a little faster.
“Oh god,” I moan. “Oh god, Lucas…”
I need this. I need all of this. Him. Inside of me. Pushing me to the brink.
His hips aren’t the only ones flexing anymore. Mine are pumping too. Into his touch. Into his amazing fingers and his amazing body, taking his amazing cock a little deeper with every movement. He makes sounds. Guy noises, masculine sounds, grunts. More teeth grinding and harder grunts. It’s all so hot. So. Freaking. Hot.
Just when I’m worried this is going to be the limbo stage where the pleasure is just going to linger and fade out, and I’m not really going to get there, Lucas pinches my clit. He’s not gentle, and before I have time to work up an ounce of indignation, he thrusts hard, and I’m gone.
Gone. Soaring, falling, climbing. God, I think I’m screaming. I ride out the waves, coming hard. So hard that I think it might have blinded me, short-circuited my brain, and scrambled other wires. I think it did something that might actually be biologically dangerous. I can’t breathe. All I can do is writhe and cling to Lucas and make crazy, wild sounds of pleasure.
I’m pretty sure it can’t get any better than that.
That was definitely the new best orgasm of my life.
And then.
And then, Lucas comes too.
He thrusts hard, so hard that I think the freaking glass of the shower behind me is actually rattling, or maybe that’s just my teeth, my ovaries, or my heart against my ribs, and then he jerks to a stop. He buries himself deep inside of me, and I feel his warmth. The warmth of his breath as he groans against my lips. The warmth of him deep inside of me. The warmth that’s surging through my chest.
After we both come down from our orgasmic high and can actually make coherent words, Lucas pulls away a little.
“Fuck.” He sounds regretful, and my heart sinks. “I’m sorry. Thought I could hold out past, you know, ten seconds.”
“Oh,” I breathe. “Oh.” I get it. This isn’t about disappointment. It’s not about regret. It’s not him pulling away. I grin and hold out a hand. Yeah, the water is still warm. “Well… by that calculation, we still have ten more minutes. I think I know what we could do for ten minutes.”
Lucas stares at me for a few seconds, then he grins. Good freaking goodness, I don’t think there’s anything in the world quite like Lucas Dawson’s grins. I melt all over him and the shower glass.
“If I end up not making it because ten minutes is a very, very long time, you have to promise me that you’ll write something nicer than that. For real. And give a good eulogy.”
“Right. How about…Lucas Dawson. Mind-blowing O giver. Also, a great oral sex giver. Has a great penis. Great balls too. Great abs, great pecs, great
biceps, and incredibly sexy forearms. Died in the shower in the noble pursuit of giving great orgasms. Will be missed by all, especially one Aria Watson, to whom he gave the most epic, sensational shower experience of her life.”
“You’re ridiculous,” he snorts.
“I know, but you enjoy it.”
“I do.”
“I enjoy you too.”
“I think we still have nine minutes left. You should be in the clear. Ten might have killed you, but nine is doable.”
“You’re doable.”
It’s such a childish comeback, but I snort-giggle anyway. “So are you.”
Lucas brings his mouth close to mine. I think he’s going to tease me, but then he surprises me. “You’re pretty incredible; you know that? I think I could see myself enjoying this. For a while. A very long while.”
“Let’s just enjoy it now. I don’t want to worry about tomorrow. We can figure out tomorrow when we get there. And I really hope it involves showers.” I might not act like it, but my heart is bursting. It’s so freaking full. I could make some dirty jokes about other things that are deliciously full too, but I’m not going to go there. For once, I’ll bite it back. Right now, it’s all about what I feel. It’s all about the heart I tried to deny for a very long time. I even tried to deny that I had one, but not anymore.
And with the way Lucas kisses me, I know that he knows it. And I can kind of tell that his heart is pretty freaking full too.
EPILOGUE
Aria
There are entire minutes of the day when I have to stop. To think. To wonder and marvel over how it took us so long to realize that we’re perfect for each other. Okay, maybe it took Lucas a long time. I’m kidding. It takes two to tango, and we’re definitely tangoing now. And it’s freaking amazing.
Eighteen months after I showed up at his house, we’re still dancing to the beat of our collective drum. I feel like everything we’ve done so far has been the warmup for the real deal.
“Are you sure? Check it again. Slowly. Item by item. You’re positive we have everything on that list packed?”
“Yes.” I grip the crumpled up print out in my hand. “I’m sure.”
It’s a darn good thing we decided to actually type it in a spreadsheet. Well, it was Lucas’s smart idea, because I’m pretty sure this is our thirtieth print out. I have no idea what happened to the others. At least one bit a hard death by falling into a sudsy, soapy sink, but the other twenty-eight just seemed to vanish.
“How sure? Because if we missed even one thing, it could be a disaster.”
I roll my eyes dramatically. “I’m sure we’ll survive. We’ve managed to put up with each other for this long. That’s far more of a feat than doing without an extra pair of socks would be.”
“I’m just saying.”
“I know.” I set the list down on top of Lucas’s bulging suitcase. “I know. You’re worried about this. I’m scared too. It’s a big step.”
One which we’re finally taking together. We’re going to live out Lucas’s dream. After eighteen months, we finally have the hotels under control. We’ve set up enough good people in all the right places that we should somehow avert a disaster. I’m still running the place; well, Lucas and I do it together—surprisingly, quite seamlessly—but the company will be in good hands while we’re away for this year.
It’s exciting. We’ve been planning for this almost from the night I showed up at Lucas’s house, and we finally decided to take a chance on us. On each other. On ourselves. We stumbled awkwardly and blindly into it that night, but ever since then, it’s been much smoother sailing. I think that surprises both of us. We argue. A lot. We still spar with each other all the time. Do we love each other despite our crazy wit? You bet. I appreciate Lucas’s unique humor, and he appreciates mine too.
Cassie and Rin were pretty shocked, but after a few weeks, when Cassie could finally see that I was serious and wasn’t into breaking her brother’s heart, she got on board. Rin, I think, was relieved, since she didn’t have to be a sort of mediator between us. They could see I was happy in a brand new way. And Cassie saw firsthand that Lucas was pretty happy too. That was that. We were back to being besties, and it was like my terrible, untimely confession that night at Rin’s cabin never happened.
“You think they’re going to be okay without me? They haven’t even hired anyone, and I started talking about this over a year ago.”
Lucas sits down beside me. I pick up his hand and thread his solid, beautiful fingers through mine. I love his hands, and not just because he can do some neat tricks with them—to me.
“They’re going to be okay. I know you’re worried, but don’t be. You’re right. They’ve had a year to prepare. They’re doing interviews this week. They’ll find someone.”
He’s worried about his parents and the grocery stores. About how they’ll fall apart without him. I keep assuring him, and I’ll continue assuring him for as many times as he needs the assurance. I’m not letting him give up on his dream because he’s worried the accounts won’t get done without him. Okay, it’s more than that, but you get the idea.
“Why haven’t they hired anyone yet? I would have liked to see my replacement. Do some training.”
“It’s going to be fine. Stop thinking about it. Your parents probably thought it was in bad taste to hire someone while you were still there.”
“I told them to.”
“Maybe they haven’t found the right fit.”
“What if they don’t?”
“Cassie is there. She’s helping out. You’ve done an excellent job of training her. You’ve done such a good job showing her the ins and outs that she’s opening her own stores. Organic and sustainable. I’d say that’s pretty commendable. If she can take that on, I’m sure she can help your parents figure out who to hire. And it’s not like their empire is going to fall apart because they don’t take on another store. They have more than enough on their plates already. Relax.”
Lucas sighs. “Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe I’m worried that I’m too replaceable.”
I don’t laugh at him because I can see how worried he truly is. I don’t like when he looks this exhausted. Tired beyond the I-need-a-good-night’s-sleep kind of tired. I give his hand another reassuring squeeze.
“You’re not replaceable. Ever. We’re going to do this. We’re going to spend a year running all over Latin America looking for the best new businesses to support. Great ideas. Independent artists. People who need the chance to succeed. That’s your idea, and it’s a great one. You think that’s replaceable?”
Lucas slowly shakes his head. “I know what you’re saying. I’m just…worried.”
“I know. It probably won’t go away until we’re down there actually working. And even then, you’ll probably still be worried. They’re your family. We’re going to miss them. Both of us.” It’s true. We both will.
Lucas’s family has become the family I never had. They kind of were already. I’m sure they were worried at first when Lucas and I first started going out, but now I’m a firm transplant in the family.
It’s pretty great. For the first time in my life, I know what it’s like to have a real mom and a real dad. Truthfully, I have tried to reach out to my own parents. Lots of times over the years. So far, they’re happy to live their own lives. I can’t say it doesn’t hurt, but I’m not going to give up. Maybe one day, they’ll surprise me and actually accept an invitation for dinner or something. I guess I’m more optimistic now. It’s a perk of being with someone ultra-amazing. I think their better qualities kind of rub off on you overtime to make you a better person too.
“We’re doing the right thing, aren’t we? I know a lot of people think we’re crazy. Leaving everything here in other people’s hands.”
“If my grandpa can do it, then so can I!”
Lucas doesn’t mean to laugh. He tries to keep a straight face, but he can’t. His face breaks into that beautiful grin I adore. “That’s horrible.
And still gross. And you’re not running off with a twenty-year-old when you’re knocking on death’s door. This is still work. It’s not a vacation.”
“Yeah, but we’ll get to see the world. I’m good with working my butt off if it lets us experience all these new things together. It’s a great idea. You’re going to be shaping the future, and I’m not going to let you let go of that just because you’re worried about this list.” I take the list, and right in front of Lucas, I rip it in half. Then again. And again. I jump off the bed and throw the papers into the air, so they rain down all around me.
“You’re ridiculous,” Lucas snorts. “Absolutely insane, but I love you. I love your crazy. I love every single bit of you.”
“Oh, really? It just so happens I might love you a little bit too. You know, when you’re not totally insufferable.”
“Thanks,” Lucas responds dryly. He rolls his eyes. I roll mine back. “Just for the record, this might have been my idea, but it’s not just me. You’ve made this happen. All of it. I couldn’t and wouldn’t do this without you. Before, it was just an idea, but you brought it to life. I can’t wait to do this together.”
“Me too.” When I go down on one knee, Lucas probably thinks I’m just gathering up papers. I have another surprise in store for him, though. “What do you think about getting married down there? In secret? How about we don’t tell anyone for a couple of years? Do you think that would be romantic?”
Lucas scrambles off the bed and pulls me off the floor. “Please don’t do that! You just about gave me a heart attack. Here I thought you were proposing to me.”
“I’m not. I was just wondering.”
“That’s not very romantic. I mean, having a conversation about it.”
“Why not? Shouldn’t it be both our decisions? I think it would be fun. Getting married. Keeping it a secret.”
“Break my parent’s hearts.”
“We wouldn’t. We’d announce it a few years from now and have this massive party that could pass as a wedding. I think it would be fun.”