He looked at the foot of space between them then up to her eyes. “We’re pretty professional right now. Want to get a little unprofessional later?”
She snorted. “That has to be one of the worst lines ever.”
He wiggled his brows, relieved to see her smiling at him. “I try. What do you say? I know it’s a Monday, but I could come over and have dinner or something. Or if that’s too soon with the kids, it’s no big deal.” He was acting like an awkward fool, but he’d find his footing once again.
“Actually today and tomorrow are teacher work days. The kids are with Maya overnight.”
He coughed at that. “Really?”
She smiled brightly. “Really. They wanted a sleepover with Aunt Maya, and Maya had the time off so I have the house free.” She froze, her cheeks going pink. “Uh...”
“How about I come over for dinner?” he said softly. He didn’t touch her, didn’t come closer. They were at work after all. Grinding her against the truck probably wasn’t the best way to show they could be professional and together at the same time.
“Dinner.”
“Just dinner, Meghan.”
“Dinner,” she repeated. “I can do that.”
He smiled. “Good.” Before he did something stupid like kiss her, he went back to his area of the project site, smiling like an idiot.
Dinner sounded pretty fan-fucking-tastic.
When he pulled his truck into her driveway, he took a deep breath before shutting off the engine and getting out. He didn’t know what it was about this woman, but she set him on that sweet edge and made him overthink even the littlest things. He swore she brought him back to being that young kid without any experience, without the ability to speak to a woman without stumbling over his words.
He took another deep breath and rolled his shoulders.
Tonight he’d just be Luc.
She’d just be Meghan.
And together, well, together they might just be something more.
Meghan opened the door before he had a chance to knock, and he held back a smile. It seemed he wasn’t the only one just a tad nervous since she’d apparently been watching for him. She wore a different set of leggings and a long flowy top that hugged her curves when she moved. He wanted to strip her out of it and lick every inch of her.
His damn cock perked up, and he tried not to think of Meghan naked. Starting the night off with a hard-on would hurt like a bitch if it lasted for too long.
“I heard your truck,” she said before stepping back. Boomer came up to him, sniffed at him, and then headed back to his doggie bed. “You didn’t say what you wanted for dinner so I made chicken and rice.” She wrung her hands, and he frowned. “But if you don’t want that, I can make something else. Or order in. Just let me know what you want.”
Fuck. This wasn’t his Meghan. It was going to take more than a few sweet words for her to know he wasn’t Richard. He knew that, but the bastard sure had done a number on her.
If he ever saw Richard again, he’d probably kick his fucking ass.
He reached out and cupped Meghan’s jaw. “Stop worrying, Meghan. Anything you make is nice.” She didn’t relax, and he had to hold back a curse. “I should have been clear about what we should do. Not just you. I invited myself over for dinner, but I should have brought something or made it myself, sugar. I really just wanted to be with you. I couldn’t care less what you make because I’ll like it because you were the one who made it. Get me, sugar?”
She let out a breath then pulled away. “Damn it. I don’t know why I keep doing that. I swear I have a spine.”
She started to pace, and he rooted himself to the spot. Crowding her wouldn’t help. “I know that. I’ve seen your spine. You’ve stood up to me plenty of times.”
“It’s not enough.”
He moved toward her then, running his hand down her arm to tangle his fingers with hers. “If it’s not enough, then you’ll change it. You’re stronger than you know.”
“You say that, but I don’t feel it. And the fact that I’m complaining about it just annoys me.”
He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. “You work your ass off and keep trying to prove you’re worth something, Meghan. You’re proving it each time I see those kids of yours smile. They are happy, healthy, and loved. You work yourself to the bone because you not only want to show your brothers that you’re perfect for the job but because you actually like your job. I’ve seen it, hon. I’ve seen the way you work, the way you move. When you stop thinking about how you should act to make someone else happy, you’re the Meghan you used to be, or at least the Meghan I think you want to be. So stop thinking so hard and just…be.”
She tilted her head at him then ran her hand up his back, her fingers tentative over his Henley. “You’ve seen all that?”
He nodded. And more, but he didn’t want to scare her away. He might have lied to himself for the past year that he was fine without her in his life, but he couldn’t do that any longer.
“Luc…what are we doing? I’m not sure if I’m ready for something serious.”
He shook his head. “Meghan, you’re only meant for serious. If this was just a fling, a one-night thing where we’d walk away afterward, you wouldn’t be so tense, so nervous. I won’t disrespect you with anything less.”
She licked her lips. “If we do this, if I take you to bed and have you in my life for longer than a night, then things change.” She winced. “And that was beyond obvious. You know what I mean.” She studied his face and frowned. “What did Storm mean earlier in the office when he said you’ve always had a thing for me? What exactly?”
He was the one to wince this time. He would be nothing less than honest with her. “I did. I liked you then, Meghan. You know that.”
“I do,” she said slowly, drawing out each word. “But the way he said it…it sounded like it was something more than that. Something more than what we’d talked about before.”
It was all or nothing. “I loved you, Meghan. I never said anything because I was a coward. It was more than like. I wanted you for more than just my friend, more than what we had, but I never did anything about it. That’s on me. And when you married Richard, I knew I had to leave. That was then, Meghan. I know we’re different people.” He cupped her face. “I’m falling for the Meghan in front of me. I know you’re not the same Meghan as before, but I like this one, too. Is that okay? Too much?”
She swallowed hard. “It would have been if you hadn’t added that last part. It scares me. I’m not going to lie about that. I’m not ready to…well, I’m just not ready to fall.”
His heart ached, but he took it in stride. It wasn’t a surprise after all. “Just because I’m somewhere doesn’t mean you have to be too.”
“But I didn’t know before. I should have. Should have seen who you were before, but I didn’t, and that’s on me.”
“It’s not before. We’re in the here and now. So let’s push aside falling and think about the path we’re on.” He kissed her slowly, a tentative brush of lips, of tongue. “Are you ready for me, Meghan? If you want me, then say so. If not, if you need more time, then we’ll eat your chicken and rice and just talk. I won’t push you. But know this: As soon as I’m in your bed, as soon as you let me hold you, I’m not going to be easy. Not going to be sweet. I’m demanding. I’ll want every inch of you. Want to taste you, feel you, fuck you, make love to you. I’ll want it all. You ready for that? Because if you’re not, then you’re going to have to tell me now.”
Her eyes darkened, and her lips parted. He put his hand on the back of her neck, his thumb brushing over her rapid pulse. He could tell she liked his words. He saw heat in her gaze rather than fear. But he needed to hear her say it. He could see it, but it wasn’t enough.
She smiled slowly. “I think I like this side of you.”
He grinned, knowing his smile was a little feral. “Is that a yes?”
A heartbeat.
“Yes.”
<
br /> He crushed his mouth to hers, pulling her closer so their bodies were aligned. With one hand still on the back of her neck, he slid the other down her back, cupping her ass. She moaned into him, and he rocked.
His lips trailed up her jaw, and he bit her earlobe. The shocked gasp escaping from her mouth pushed him further.
“Is the oven off?” he asked, his voice a growl. “I want to eat up every inch of you, and I don’t want the house burning down around us.”
She nodded, though it was a jerky movement. “Everything’s off.” She shuddered a breath as he licked her pulse point. “I…I’m not good at this.”
He froze then pulled away. “Excuse me?”
“I’m not good at…this.”
“What’s this, Meghan?” he asked, anger burning in his gut at the bastard who’d put that look in her eyes.
She raised her chin, reminding him of the Meghan she truly was. “I’m not good at sex.”
He shook his head then pulled her hand so it rested on his denim-clad cock. He let out a groan when her pupils dilated. “You feel that? You make me hard by just standing here, Meghan. You arch into me when I kiss you. You moan when I touch you, and you don’t hold back. So you’re wrong. You’re going to be fucking amazing at sex. And if we need to try over and over again for you to get that, then we’ll keep at it.”
She snorted, and he let out a relieved breath. “It’s not that I don’t get turned on, Luc.” She licked his lips then squeezed his dick, shocking the hell out of them both. “I have a vibrator. Three actually. I know how to get myself off.” She swallowed hard. “It’s the only way I’ve been able to in a few years, actually.”
His jaw tightened, but he pushed Richard out of his mind. “That man doesn’t belong between us, Meghan. That man doesn’t belong in our bed. Whatever that fucker told you, ignore it. You’re better than that.”
“I keep telling myself that I’m not what he made me, but no matter what I do, it comes back.” She sounded as annoyed as he felt at the idea she’d been beaten down. “I don’t like acting this way.”
“The fact you recognize you’re doing it means you’re on the right track, sugar.” He kissed her again. “Now show me your bedroom so I can get you out of these clothes. I want my face between your thighs so I can see if you’re as sweet as I’ve imagined.” He paused. “And Meghan? I’ve imagined plenty.”
She blushed, even as she pulled him upstairs. His heart raced, his need building as he followed her. She was so goddamn sexy. He’d do all in his power for her to see what he saw.
A strong, capable, sexy-as-fuck woman.
As soon as they entered the bedroom, he pulled her close then caught her knees under his arm.
“Luc! Put me down.”
He grinned and carried her to the bed before setting her down on her feet right at the edge. “I’ve always wanted to do that. Now shut up and let me love you.”
Her eyes widened, and he kissed her again, this time framing her face in both hands. They rocked into each other, deepening the kiss with each passing moment. His hands roamed her body, and he cupped her breast, the heavy weight pushing him closer to the edge.
“More than a handful,” he whispered against her mouth.
“They aren’t as high as they used to be,” she said softly.
He growled and pinched her nipple through her shirt and bra. “You think I care about that? You think I care that neither of us is twenty anymore? You’re with me now, Meghan. The woman in front of me is the one I want. So don’t tell me that you don’t have the body you once had because, woman, you’re fucking gorgeous. So let me love on it.”
He kissed her again then lifted her shirt over her head. Her breasts were covered by pink lace and so fucking sexy. He lowered his head and licked her nipple through the lace, causing her to moan. He sucked the tight bud and fabric between his teeth before releasing her and paying the same care to her other breast. Her hands roamed over his face and shoulders, as if she couldn’t help touching him.
Good.
He lowered the lace. Her dark nipples were hard peaks. “Fuck. I dreamed about the color of your nipples.”
She let out a rough giggle. “Oh, really?”
“Hell, yeah. I wanted to know if they were pink or red or maybe a little dark. I wanted to know if they were large or small, if they were sensitive and could make you come.” He met her eyes. “Can they make you come, Meg? If I lick and nibble, can I make your pussy clench without even touching your clit? Tell me.”
She swallowed hard, the long line of her throat working. “I…I don’t know. They’re pretty sensitive.”
“How do you know that, Meg?” he asked, his fingers tracing the tight buds. “Do you play with yourself? Tell me.”
She licked her lips, and he imagined that pink tongue on his cock. Soon. “Yes. I pull and squeeze them when I’m fingering myself. Or when I have my vibrator inside me or buzzing on my clit.”
“Holy fuck, Meg. I like it when you talk dirty to me. You keep doing that. You hear me?” When she did, she broke through the barrier that she’d put between them, the barrier that time had put between them.
“As long as you keep talking like that to me.”
“Deal.” He sucked on her nipples, taking turns on each until she moaned and rocked against him, her body squirming.
“Luc…Luc.”
“That’s it, say my name.” He bit down, and she froze before her knees went out. He pulled back and caught her before she fell, her body limp and warm. “You okay, sugar?”
She blinked up at him, bright blue eyes framed in black lashes. “I…I came. And my pants are still on.”
“Hell, yeah. Want to come again?”
“Only if you do.”
He smiled and kissed her. “I think that can be arranged.” He wanted her to come again, wanted her to squeeze his cock until they both passed out.
He had Meghan his arms, and he’d never let her out of them if he had a choice.
Bliss, he thought.
Fucking bliss.
Chapter Nine
“Let me touch you,” Meghan moaned. “Please.” Her mind whirled. She couldn’t believe she’d come from his mouth and hands on her breasts alone. She’d never had that happen before. Sure, her nipples had become more sensitive when she hit thirty, but she didn’t think they’d become that sensitive.
“I want inside you so fucking bad, Meghan. I should wait. Go slow. Taste you, but I need to be inside you.” The low growl of his voice rolled over her body, and she sucked in a breath.
“Your clothes are still on,” she said with a laugh. She looked between them, their bodies tangled but still standing. “Kind of hard to do that with my pants on, too.” God, she loved what he did to her, what he let her become. If she let herself go, maybe she’d stay this way for longer than the moment.
Or maybe she’d break again.
No. Damn it. Luc was here. She was here. She’d be damned if she lost whatever it was that she held in front of her.
“Maybe I need to put my mouth between your thighs anyway,” he said softly, his hand in her hair, the other cupping her ass.
“What are you talking about?” She blinked, the heat that had been rushing through her slowly cooling at her thought. His words, though, stalled the cooling for the moment.
“Sugar, your mind is so far from where we are right now. I can see it on your face.” He tugged on her hair, forcing her gaze to his.
She let out a little gasp at the movement but didn’t try to pull away. This was Luc. Her Luc. At least for the night. If, after this, he decided he didn’t want her anymore, then she’d have the memories to get her through. He’d promised her that their friendship wouldn’t end, but there could be no such promises as to what might happen.
He tugged on her hair again, and she forced those depressing thoughts out of her mind.
“Eyes on me, Meg. I want you here with me while I fuck you. I want your thoughts on my dick sliding out of that sweet pussy o
f yours. I want you to ride me and show me what you can give me. You think you can do that? You think you can be here with me instead of where you just were?”
She stood there topless in front of him, in his arms, and she’d never felt so vulnerable. He wasn’t asking for merely her body. He was asking for…her… body and soul.
She could do that. Tonight, she could do that.
“Okay.”
“Okay, Master.”
She froze, her eyes going wide.
Luc grinned at her then leaned down and kissed her fully. “Kidding. I might want to tie you up at some point and have you at my mercy, but I’m not your Master. I also might spank that pretty little bottom of yours”—he squeezed one cheek and she moaned—“but I’ll only do it if you want it. Do you want it, Meghan?”
She swallowed hard. “I…” She moaned again when he rocked his denim-clad cock against her belly.
“I’m going to take that as a yes since you’ve lost the ability to speak.” He pulled away, putting a foot of space between them. “Now let me strip off these pants of yours because I need to taste you.”
He stripped her leggings down her legs, taking her panties down with them. She lifted one leg at a time to help him, her body shaking at the sight of him kneeling before her. She ran a hand over his head, the coarse hair tickling her palm.
Luc looked up and smiled. “I might have to shave it again if you’re going to pet me like that.”
“I like you either way,” she said honestly. “Although I think I like you more with a bit of scruff on your face.”
He leaned forward and kissed her thigh. Her body shook once more, wanting him, craving him. “You just want my beard scraping the inside of your thighs when I eat you up.”
Her clit throbbed at his words. Luc sure knew how to dirty talk—something Richard never did. She froze once more at that errant thought. No. She would not think of that man right now.
“Looks like I’m not doing my job properly,” Luc growled.
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