by Lisa Plumley
She caught Luke’s big palm in hers and pressed a kiss to its center. Boldly, she brought his hand to her breast and curved his fingers around her.
“Mmmm,” she moaned. “I’ve been waiting for you to touch me, Luke. Wanting you to touch me. Go ahead. Please.”
He gazed at his hand, seeming surprised to find himself cupping her. His attention wandered to her face for a minute, but whatever he saw there must have encouraged him. Slowly, with ever-increasing absorption, he gave a gentle squeeze.
Josie squirmed, hardly able to believe how good his touch felt. She wanted more. She told him so.
Goaded by her whispered words, he brought his other hand up to join the first. Now he cupped her fully, and Josie could hardly stand it. She stilled in his lap, waiting breathlessly. Touch me, she begged silently. Give in.
“I’ve been thinking of you all night,” he said, his voice deep and shiveringly sexy. “Ever since you left.”
“You…have?” Geez, it was hard to talk in this situation.
He nodded. Gave her another caress. “Thinking of you in this dress. Out of this dress. In my bed.”
He glanced up, his features filled with concentration and a seductive sort of cockiness. Leisurely, Luke rubbed his thumbs over her nipples.
At that incredible sensation, Josie’s knees weakened. She toppled lopsidedly on his lap, forced to clutch at him for balance. She was surprised to learn she couldn’t find it. For the first time that night, balance eluded her…and not because she was tipsy. Because things had changed.
As though her reaction dissolved the last of his barriers, Luke took control. He looked into her face and stroked her once more, and it was all Josie could do to withstand the simple, sexy smile that spread across his face.
That smile didn’t bode well for her. Not if she wanted to keep things on the path she’d intended. The path of pure rebellion.
“You’re right,” he said casually. “Anything could happen before sunrise. For instance, I could do this….” He unzipped her dress in a single movement, leaving it to flutter precariously from her shoulders. “And open up all sorts of possibilities.”
Josie gasped, feeling an unexpected rush of cool air hit her skin. But not for long. Assuredly, Luke put one hand to the small of her back, and warmth permeated the whole area. Skin to skin, she felt branded with possessiveness, with desire, with purposefulness. As though knowing exactly how she felt, Luke trailed his fingers up her spine, awakening nerve endings she’d never been aware of before. How could something so ostensibly innocent feel so good?
Before she had a chance to puzzle it out, he spread his fingers at the nape of her neck and brought her down for a kiss, angling her head in exactly the way he liked it…exactly the way Josie liked it, too. He kissed her with a hunger that was undeniable, with an expertise that was thrilling, with a sense of abandonment that was irresistible. Swept along in its wake, she moaned and kissed him back, stretching her jaw wide to accommodate more, more, more.
He plied her with caresses, ran his hands over her body until Josie couldn’t tell where her skin stopped and his began. He nudged her dress away and kissed her shoulder, his mouth skilled and inventive and seductive. Wanting more, she pulled down the pale pink fabric and offered herself naked to him, rewarded at last by the sweet feel of his mouth on her breasts.
“Yes,” she whispered, and closed her eyes in bliss.
There, in the flickering glow of Luke’s TV, in Luke’s tiny carriage house apartment, in Luke’s big, strong arms, Josie felt more herself than at any other time. She let herself go and simply felt, for the first time in forever. The more she opened herself to Luke, the more he gave her in return. More kisses. More sweet talk. More…just more.
She’d come here looking for rebellion. Instead, she’d found warmth, acceptance…love. To her immense surprise, it turned out those were all the things that really mattered. All the things that mattered between her and Luke.
“Pink panties.” He growled the words in pure masculine appreciation as his hands slid up her thighs and encountered the slippery, skimpy nylon covering her. “I wondered about that. Wondered if you were wearing anything at all under this dress.”
He cradled her derrière in his hands, kneading and caressing with an urgency Josie loved. Breathlessly, she pushed his hair from his face and kissed him once more.
“If I’m right, I won’t be wearing them for long.”
“Damned straight.”
With a powerful movement of his arms and shoulders, Luke flipped her on her back. The sofa cushions caught her, pillowing the impact. He followed her down, paused to fling away the wayward TV remote, stripped off her dress.
“Mmmm. You look beautiful. All over.”
“So do you.” She smiled and held his mouth to hers for another kiss, arching against him in abandonment. It felt easy to trust Luke, easy to believe he’d make everything all right. “But you’re wearing far too many clothes.”
Josie wriggled her hands between them, a task made harder by the renewed attention he paid to her neck, her shoulder, her breasts. She found his fly and worked feverishly at it, finally creating an opening big enough to use as leverage. She pushed.
“Hang on,” he panted. “Easy on the equipment.”
“I’m eager, that’s all.”
“I love that.” Luke propped himself on one elbow, strong and sure, his biceps bulging at the edge of her vision. “I’m eager, too. But first….”
He slid lower. Two seconds later, his fascination with her pink panties returned. He kissed her squarely at the center of them, then twined his fingers in the elastic and tugged them down, baring her fully. The look of awe on Luke’s face then made her love him even more.
On the verge of telling him so, Josie felt his fingers gently part her. She felt his mouth on her belly, on her thigh, on her…oh, God. Clutching the sofa cushions, she let loose an uncontrollable moan. Her body stiffened, then bucked upward. She might have known Luke would have an incredible talent for this. After all, it involved making her want to scream.
Tenderly, he brought his hands to her hips. Held her steady. Went on loving her. Josie curled her toes and shook all over, knowing there was no way she could withstand this for long. Luke gave a wonderful rumble of enjoyment, a rumble that vibrated all through her, and if she hadn’t been gripping the cushions so hard, she might have come apart right then.
“You feel amazing,” he said, showing her with another kiss, another lick, another subtle brush of his lips against her exactly how much he meant it. “Warm and wet and…mmm.”
Josie nodded, her hair tangling around her face as her breath came faster. Sensing her need, Luke proceeded with maddening slowness…perfect slowness. Everything narrowed to the glide of his mouth, the pulse of her body, the intimacy and beauty of the connection between them.
“Please, Luke…more,” she gasped.
Somehow, he understood. With a gentle, anticipatory smile, he moved away. He levered upward, shucking his jeans in a hasty movement that still managed to take way too long.
“Hurry up,” she said, sitting up to help. “Let me.”
But by then his crumpled denims had hit the floor, and so had whatever he’d been wearing beneath them. Luke stood before her proud and hot and huge, and Josie felt her heart pound even faster as her fingers found the steely length of him, naked for the first time. She glided her hand over him, savoring the ragged indrawn breath he gave in response.
“No wonder your jeans looked so tight,” she said. “No wonder you felt so good.”
Then there was no more time for words. He reached for her and cupped her chin in his hand, then tilted her face up to meet his gaze. He looked at her evenly. In his expression, Josie glimpsed emotions she never thought she would. Caring. Wanting. Indescribable, indefinable tenderness.
This was more to Luke than a casual encounter, she realized then. More than a meeting of bodies, more than a few laughs in the night. More than the culmination of weeks o
f flirting. More, even, than mere rebellion. This was sharing. Steamy, sexy, can’t-get-enough sharing. And maybe, just possibly, it was love for him, too.
He smiled. “If you keep looking at me that way, I’ll have to take you right here. Down and dirty. No holds barred.”
“Promises, promises,” she teased.
“You’re asking for it now.”
He laid her down and kissed her. Josie loved that even in this moment, they were in sync—that even now, while they were both completely naked, they still connected in that special way. With laughter and fun and openness. She’d never found another person who understood her the way Luke did. Who thought she was wonderful, exactly the way she was.
He trailed kisses over her body, leisurely and expertly enough that she forgot her name, forgot where they were, forgot everything except the thrilling pressure of his lips on her skin…there, there, there. He caressed her, whispered lovely, wonderful things to her, told her in ways both sweet and raunchy exactly what he had in mind for her. And then, just when Josie thought she couldn’t withstand another minute, somehow Luke made everything better.
He entered her in one molten, incredible thrust. Moaning, she rose to meet him. After that, there was nothing but loving, nothing but sensation, nothing but the sounds of their breathing and the hot, sticky slide of skin against skin. With a guttural sound of pleasure, Luke entered her again. Again. The room blurred around them, losing all meaning as they grew closer…closer.
“Ah, Josie. I love you. Love you.”
The words tumbled over themselves, hoarse and needful, but Josie didn’t care. Jubilantly, she wrapped her arms even tighter around Luke.
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
Freed by her confession, she let go completely. There was no holding back the orgasm that swept over her next, blinding and amazing and absolutely soul-deep. Luke gazed into her eyes as she shook beneath him, loving every thrust, every touch, every moment. She put both hands on his backside to hold him to her, and that was all Luke needed. He came with a roar, a sofa-shaking crescendo that seemed to surprise even him.
Long moments later, he kissed her. Even more than everything they’d just shared, that kiss united them…made them one. In love.
“Wow,” Josie breathed. “Wow, wow, wow.”
“Yeah.” With a sigh of contentment, Luke pulled her against him. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, then gave her shoulder a tender nip…a soft kiss. “You’re amazing.”
“And you’re cuddling.” As far as she was concerned, that made him her dream man for sure. Happily, she clasped his forearms and hugged him to her. She wiggled her derrière, settling herself more comfortably against him on the—thankfully—roomy sofa. “Go figure. Tough guy Luke Donovan. A cuddler.”
He snorted. “So what? You’re a screamer. I guess that makes us even.”
She gasped. “I am not a ‘screamer’!”
“Says you.” Languidly, he freed one hand to comb her hair away from her face. His fingers, caring and sensitive, skimmed over her temples. “But I was pretty close to you. I know I heard a scream or two.”
The machismo in his voice made her smile. She probably had screamed. A little. Being with him had felt more intense, in so many ways, than anything she’d ever experienced.
Smugly, she wiggled a little more. “I sure am loving all this cuddling.”
A sigh. Then a husky admission. “Me, too.”
Even though she couldn’t see his face, the warmth in Luke’s voice let her know his smile echoed hers. Feeling safe and satisfied and oh-so-beloved, Josie snuggled closer and just let go. Neither of them said anything about the I love yous they’d just exchanged. But Josie knew they didn’t need to.
Now that her feelings were out in the open, she accepted them completely. She loved Luke, and she was staying at Blue Moon. Nothing else was necessary.
Not even a hint of rebellion.
Chapter Nineteen
I love you.
Afterward, while rummaging through Blue Moon’s kitchen for a fortifying snack for himself and Josie, Luke guessed he should have resisted those words. But somehow, because of her, he hadn’t wanted to. As he’d looked into her face, as he’d felt her so warm and wonderful beneath him, something had happened. It was almost as though his heart had just…opened. He’d felt it. He’d said it. End of story.
I love you.
And when Josie had said it back to him? There weren’t any words to describe the way he’d felt then. Humbled? Awestruck? As ecstatic as a guy who’d just found a mint condition ‘68 Harley Davidson KR lowboy flat tracker? Yeah, those all fit. And then some.
The truth was, Luke hadn’t wanted to resist those words. Hadn’t wanted to resist Josie. It wasn’t part of the macho code, wasn’t admissible in a room full of bachelors, but what he’d said was true. Including that bit about her screaming, damn it. Luke didn’t care who knew it.
Inspired by the thought, he paused in his search through the cupboards. Man couldn’t live on snack foods alone.
“Come here, you.” He pulled Josie closer.
She came willingly, dressed in a short silky robe with her hair rumpled and her skin damp. They’d showered together—upstairs in the west wing’s deluxe refurbished bathroom, where the enormous tiled shower left plenty of room to make the most of steamy water and slippery bodies. Now, he kissed her.
“This isn’t getting us any closer to sustenance,” she complained, sliding her hands down his back. She cupped his bare ass, pulled him into his favorite soft, snug spot between her hips, gave a low purr of approval. “Especially with you naked like this. If we’re not careful, we’ll have a repeat of the shower incident.”
He grinned, remembering. “And that would be bad…why?”
“Because we need to pace ourselves.”
“Screw pacing. Let’s go for a record.”
“And because I feel a little weak in the knees.”
“That’s because of all this good lovin’, baby,” he said, his voice purposefully deep.
She guffawed.
“Are you laughing at my sexual prowess?” Impossible. “You’re trying to goad me now.”
“So what if I am?”
“I’ll have to abandon the search for snacks and teach you a lesson.”
More laughter. “No way. I’m starving.”
“Then don’t poke the bear.”
Putting on his sternest face—but feeling a little relieved, if the truth were told—Luke went back to opening cupboard doors. He had his studly moments, but damn. He wasn’t a machine. Three times in three hours? That would be a world record.
Listening to Josie cheerfully humming behind him, he pushed aside two packages of hot dog buns and a canister of Kool-Aid. He spotted a box of Ding Dongs way in the back. If he could just reach past the granola Josie had bought in a doomed attempt to “healthy” them all up, he’d be in business.
“Hey, Luke. Knock, knock.”
Almost had it…. “Who’s there?”
“Turnaround.”
“Turnaround who?”
“Turnaround and get a surprise.”
Huh. She was slipping. That one wasn’t even funny.
“‘Turnaround’ isn’t even a real name.” He glanced over his shoulder. “It doesn’t fit the knock-knock dynamic.”
She dropped her robe.
His argument went right out the window. So did his quest for the Ding Dongs.
“Now you’ve done it.” He examined her satiny skin, her luscious curves, her sassy, come-and-get-me smile. “Looks like it’s world record time.”
“Looks like it.” Josie blew him a kiss. “If you can catch me, tough guy.”
She bolted for the door, her cute derrière flashing him as she went. After a rueful shake of his head, Luke followed. Thirty seconds later, he caught her on the stairs. She shrieked and started laughing as he hauled her in his arms. He kept climbing, action hero style.
In her bedroom, he dropped her on he
r four-poster.
“That’s for making me chase you,” he growled.
“It was the least you deserved,” she said breathlessly, “for dissing my knock-knock joke.”
“Oh, yeah? Try it again.”
“Okay. Knock, knock.”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
“Hey. That’s not how it’s—”
“I love you, and kiss me.”
“Now that’s more like…mmmph.”
Tired of waiting, Luke pressed his mouth to hers in an urgent kiss. Now that he was on the road to record breaking, he had half a mind to try out every room in the house. He felt pretty sure that Josie—given her moans of enjoyment and the sexy way she wiggled against him—would go along with his plan.
Since Blue Moon had about twenty rooms, that meant…ah, never mind, he decided as she flung her arms around his neck and pressed herself tighter against him. The bottom line was, that meant life was good.
Really good.
That night—okay, that morning, since they didn’t make it to sleep until near sunrise—Luke dreamed of hammering. He dreamed of pounding, of clanking, of a persistent clattering just at the edge of his…hell. That wasn’t a dream. That was real knocking. Someone was knocking at his front door.
Ignoring it, he rolled over, feeling his muscles stretch. He sighed. He slung his arm over Josie’s middle and pulled her closer to him. A warm, bone-deep sort of contentment washed over him, unlike anything he’d ever experienced before.
Maybe it was her bed. Her bed, with its flowery sheets and mounds of pillows, felt far cozier than his ever had. But Luke knew it was really her. Really Josie. Snuggling against him, she looked almost as beautiful asleep as she did awake.
Happily, he gazed at her. One of her false eyelashes was crooked. Her mouth hung open in a fly catcher of a gaping maw. Ding Dong icing smudged in her hair.
He smiled. She looked great to him, even now. But when she was awake, there was love in her eyes. That made her more beautiful than anything else ever could.
Ah. Drowsily, Luke contemplated the coming day. After he’d given Josie sufficient time to recuperate, he’d fix her breakfast in bed. Froot Loops, toast, juice. The perfect balanced breakfast—even the box said so. Then he’d take her outside for a walk and show her his favorite place on the estate—a spot where the mountain runoff formed a stream, with a pretty little waterfall at the end of it. She’d like that.