by Eden Ashe
He untangled his arm from her grip as gently as he could. “Because we’re adults, Jilly. There are some things I’m not willing to risk.”
She planted her feet and crossed her arms, daring him to go through her. “What does that mean?”
Sure if he didn’t get out of the tiny space soon, he would lose the last thread of sanity he managed to hold onto, he grasped her by the upper arms and lifted her off her feet. Shifting slightly, he set her to the side to let the attic stairs down. He frowned, not recalling that he’d pulled them up after him.
“Luke?” She knelt next to him, her voice soft and confused. “What’s wrong?”
The latch was stuck. Tipping his ball cap back for a better view in the limited light coming through the windows, he shifted and put his weight into opening it.
The latch snapped off in his hand. Below them, doors slammed shut.
“Oh, shit,” Jilly breathed.
He sat back on his heels and scrubbed both hands over his face. “Yeah. Oh, shit.” Pulling his cell phone out of his back pocket, he dialed his father from memory then tucked the phone between his shoulder and ear and got to his feet. When the phone did nothing but give him a no-signal beep, tendrils of worry spread through his gut. The house, up on a hill and surrounded by the ocean on three sides, had always been a technology black hole. He tried Megan’s phone and, when he got the same response, he considered chucking his phone across the room.
Shoving it back in his pocket, he put his considerable weight into trying to kick the door hatch open.
“Hey.” Jilly slipped her small hand into his. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”
He grunted and tried again. “We have no food. No way to call out, and who knows when anyone will come looking for us. A sore leg seems worth it if it can get us out of here.”
Moving in front of him, she got up on her toes, cupped his cheek, and said, “I don’t want you to hurt yourself. There’s enough crap up here. Something should be able to help us break through it.”
Jilly had never seen Luke worried before, let alone so close to panic. It scared her. She had no idea what she’d do if he succeeded in hurting himself to get them out, because she was not big enough to move him without his help.
“Come on.” She tugged on his hand, relieved when he followed her without yanking her arm out of its socket. “Let’s sit for a minute and make a plan,” she said, grinning. “I like to plan.”
His chuckle had the muscles in her shoulders relaxing, but her thighs trembled and need twisted low in her belly. “I remember that about you.”
That stopped her in her tracks. “You do?”
Humor, and something else she couldn’t define, something darker and hotter that left her breathless, lit in his mismatched eyes. “Are you kidding? I still have the list you made about me when you were in the seventh grade.”
Her jaw dropped in sheer embarrassment. Crap, she’d forgotten about that. Trying for her best innocent expression, she blinked. “I don’t remember any such list.”
“Really?” With a wink, he slipped an all-too-familiar piece of pink paper from his wallet. “Maybe this will jog your memory.”
Stunned that he not only still had it, but carried it with him, she collapsed onto the window seat. “You kept it?”
A grin lit his face, something truly wicked dancing in his eyes. “Why would I have gotten rid of it? It’s not every day a boy finds a list outlining how his little sister’s best friend plans to get him to fall in love with her.”
“Oh. My. God.” She lowered her head between her legs. “Kill me now.”
“Nope.” The words were good-natured, and she lifted her head to glare. “Not until you finally appease my curiosity. What exactly does it mean to kiss someone until their head spins?”
“I hate you. You are enjoying this way too much.”
He shrugged, still grinning. “Of course I am. Do you blame me?”
“Yes!” Jerking upright, she pointed at him. “It was your own fault. You were always walking around shirtless and sweaty from playing basketball with your friends and whenever you’d see me staring at you, you’d shoot me this wink.” Standing, she drilled him in the chest with her finger. “That damned wink kept me obsessed for two years!”
Catching her wrist before she could try to yank free, he hauled her against him, her arm caught between them. All humor faded from his face, replaced with a dark hunger.
“You don’t want to talk to me about obsessed, baby. You have no idea what it is to be in love with someone for years and know they’re so far out of your reach, you’re an idiot for even believing you have a chance. But you can’t turn it off. You can’t fake your way out of it. All you can do is pray to whatever god feels like listening, that one day you’ll wake up and her face won’t be the first thing you see. That she won’t be the last thing you think about at night, or tonight might finally be the fucking night you stop dreaming of her.”
Her mouth dried. “You…me?”
“Yes, goddamn it! You.” Gripping her upper arm, he hauled her onto her toes until his mouth hovered directly above hers. “It’s always been you.”
Without giving her time to process the new information, he swooped in and claimed her mouth again, but that time, he was ravenous. Starving. And with one hand still trapped between them, she had no choice but to meet the storm raging between them head on.
He left her no room for thought. His mouth devoured hers and he dragged her along for the ride.
She was okay with that.
When her legs turned to jelly, he gentled the kiss. If she’d been undone by his raw, possessive hunger, she had no defenses against the tenderness. Slipping a hand over her hip to her bottom, he kept her close while the pad of his other thumb brushed against her cheek.
“Sweet.” He licked at her mouth, his tongue sweeping in to alternately destroy and possess as his hand roamed down to palm her breast. With a shuddering groan, he pressed his head against hers. “You are so fucking sweet, baby.”
If Jilly had ever had a thought beyond being wrapped naked around Luke Bannon, she could no longer remember it. More importantly, it could be the only thought she had for the rest of her life and she’d be okay with that.
Stepping back, her heart thundering at the devastation on his face, she lifted her shirt over her head. Her jeans came next, until she stood before him in her bra and panties.
Aware it should be a bad idea, she couldn’t care less at the moment. Like a switch had been flipped inside of him, he was all over her, his mouth worshipping every inch of skin he found.
“Mine.” His hands were gentle as they pulled down the straps of her bra, his lips following the lace-edged material down until his tongue swiped over one nipple. Once. Twice. “Christ, mine.”
Sure if he didn’t stop she’d go mad, she clasped his head in her hands and arched, desperate for that insanity. She’d never felt so worshipped. Devoured.
Loved.
When his lips closed over her nipple, sucking her into his mouth with a greed that nearly had her coming from the pleasure of it, Jilly was lost.
And so, so screwed.
Chapter Five
So fucking good.
Ignoring the warning klaxons going off in his head, telling him to slow down and think about what the hell he was getting ready to do, Luke hitched her up. He was sure he’d died and gone to heaven when she wrapped her body around him like her life depended on it.
Everything forgotten except the feel of her, the beyond-sweet taste of her, he backed her into the window seat then sat her on it. He fell to his knees in front of her and pulled back, needing to look at her. The fading light from the sun cast a shimmering glow around her, and the words he couldn’t say squeezed into his throat, desperate to escape.
He gave up. Tugging her head back, he skimmed his lips up her throat. The erratic pound of her pulse echoed through him, gave him hope where he had no business even wishing for it. But his heart knew she was it for
him.
Breath catching on a moan, she clutched his shoulders. Dug in. “Luke. God.”
He smiled and continued to trail his mouth over supple skin. Hunger clawed at him while he worshiped her full breasts, tearing moan after moan out of her. And when he dragged his mouth lower, his tongue slicking over her damp panties, her thighs quivered.
His control snapped. With a flick of his fingers, he ripped her panties off and lifted her to his mouth, growling at the taste of her. “So. Fucking. Sweet.” Draping her legs over his shoulders, he licked her like a man starved for her taste. Which he was. “Don’t move, baby.”
Positive she’d keep her legs where he needed them, he relaxed his grip on her thighs and dragged his palm up, until the pad of one thumb scraped against her clit at the same time his tongue dove inside of her. She whimpered, a damp flush covering her, and he grinned.
Then got to work.
Dear God in heaven, he’s going to kill me.
She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Flames licked up her body from the inside out, and if he didn’t let her come soon, she’d disintegrate from the pleasure.
“Luke....” He’d lost his hat at some point. Terrified he’d stop and she’d be at the broken edge forever, she tugged at his hair “Please.”
Everything in him paused for a heartbeat as his eyes met hers. Pure, dangerous…wickedness dwelled in them. With one final swipe of his tongue, he eased her legs down, then stood.
Shaking too badly to move, she managed to lift her head and nearly drooled while watching him tug off his shirt. A half-gasp, half-moan escaped at her first real glimpse of his massive, muscled torso. Tattoos covered nearly every inch of his flesh, all the way down to ridiculously hot hip muscles.
Next came his pants, followed by black boxer briefs. And when he stood in front of her, gloriously naked, huge, and hard, and…huge, she nearly swallowed her tongue, positive if she didn’t get to touch him soon, she’d self-combust.
She started to pull back into a sitting position, but Luke—damn him—had other ideas. In one quick move, he had her in his arms and their positions switched, so she straddled his lap. His cock rubbed against her core, and she moaned, her head falling back in pleasure. His mouth closed over her nipple, worshipping it.
“Christ, baby. I knew you’d feel like heaven.” While one hand raked through her hair, the other lowered her down onto his shaft, so slowly she’d have taken over if he hadn’t been holding her in an iron grip.
And then—as if sensing how close he’d pushed her to begging—he sucked her breast into his mouth again and drove into her, pushing her over the edge and straight into oblivion.
Her scream triggered a deep growl from him, and, with his gaze locked on hers, he clutched her ass and rocked his hips against hers. Once. Twice. Then he impaled her, so full and thick. A second orgasm built with the force of a freight train. Sure she couldn’t stand another second of pleasure, she let her head fell back. He reared up and dragged her mouth to his, all the while driving into her until she worried she’d never again be complete without him.
Left with no choice, she melted into his kiss, gave her body over to him fully, and tumbled one last time into sweet, miraculous oblivion.
And when he buried his face in her throat and shouted her name, trembling violently, Jilly was a goner.
By the time he’d come down from heaven and was semi-capable of coherent thought, Jilly had collapsed against his chest, boneless and shivering. Sure his world had fallen off its axis, Luke managed to wrap his arms around her and hold on while he waited for the spinning to stop.
Crawling farther up his lap, she curled against him, snuggling in like a cat seeking heat and attention. He smiled and rested his chin on top of her head and ran his fingers through her beautiful hair, grateful for the silence. She’d have questions, and he had no idea how the hell he’d even begin to answer them. Eventually, she shifted against him.
Time’s up.
Turning her head, she smiled and pressed a kiss against his chest, directly over his heart, before tilting her head to see his face. “I can honestly say I did not see today ending up this way.”
“I’m not going to apologize, Jilly.” He straightened, hauling her up with him.
“Luke.” Her smile faded a bit, and his heart tumbled to his toes. “I don’t want an apology.”
He closed his eyes. “I know. I’m sorry.” Opening his eyes again, he waited for her to meet his gaze. “I didn’t expect today to end this way, either. I’m off balance.”
She snorted and kissed him on the cheek before climbing off his lap and glancing around for her jeans, giving him the pleasure of watching her bend over to rifle through the pockets. Finding what she’d been looking for, she padded back over and sat beside him then shifted to throw her legs over his and burrow in closer to his side. She shoved a small stack of papers into his hand. “See for yourself.”
A smile tugged at his lips. After unfolding the papers, he read the one on top and laughed.
Ways to convince Luke Bannon to keep the house:
Offer to cook for him three times a week. Agree to four if necessary. (Agree to seven days a week.)
Offer to do his laundry.
Offer to make him partner in gift shop/bookstore.
Research ways to out-stubborn stubborn beasts.
Beg.
Guilt mixed with humor, until he kissed the top of her head, pushed her legs aside, and got to his feet. Handing the rest of the lists back to her, he went to find their clothes. After he’d tugged on his jeans and boots, he rounded up her things.
The vulnerability in her eyes rocked him. With an inward curse for being an asshole, he crouched in front of her and rested his hands on either side of her thighs, crowding her so she had no choice but to look at him.
“I know what this place means to you, baby.” He ran his finger up the outside of her thighs. “I know how much you loved your grandmother. But there are some things I can’t do, and live here with you is one of them.”
Tears welled, but even if she cried, she’d never use it as a weapon against him. Everything affected her so goddamned deep. And he didn’t have to hear her say it to understand he had broken her heart.
She sniffed. “I won’t bother you.”
Christ. He stared at the ceiling, and did his damndest to regain control of his spinning thoughts. While the soft part of him wanted to believe sex could lead to something more, he needed to be rational. There was no guarantee she’d ever love him, and there were some things he couldn’t risk.
“It’s not about you bothering me. It’s about my heart, and how much I can—and can’t—take.”
Her perfect brow furrowed, confusion flickering in her eyes. But before she could respond, a loud bang shattered the room. In the next heartbeat, he shot to his feet, his arms spread to shield Jilly as he tried to figure out what the hell had happened.
The attic door had fallen open.
She crept up against his back, peering around him. “How the hell…?”
Luke shook his head. Grabbing her stuff, he shoved it at her then snagged her hand and dragged her over to the stairs. “Don’t question it. Let’s just get out of here before it locks us in again.” He tossed her clothes down to the hall beneath them before turning toward her then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You go first. I can jump if I need to.”
Sky-blue eyes narrowed on him. “You’re not going to do something weird and lock yourself up here, are you?”
Unable to block the urge, he brushed a soft kiss over the tip of her nose. Christ, he loved her. “No. I promise.”
With a doubtful expression, she nodded. Gaze on his the whole time, she shifted and made her way down the stairs. Back on solid ground again, she scrambled into her clothes, and he followed after her.
Once dressed, he linked their fingers and headed to the first floor. They hadn’t solved anything, but he had hope they were no longer locked in this beast of a house. His control and
sanity were slipping by the second. If he had to spend one more night with Jilly, he’d end up promising her the moon.
Chapter Six
We’re still locked in.
Unease growing in the pit of her stomach, Jilly sat on the stairs while Luke checked every window and door.
When he let out a frustrated sound and sat next to her, she gave a long exhale. “I don’t want to bring the mood down or anything, but how worried should we be?”
“I don’t know.” He rubbed the back of his neck, before bracing his forearms against his knees. “I don’t like this. I don’t know where it’s coming from, and my next option is breaking us out.”
Her stomach rolled. “You tried that with the attic door, remember? It didn’t work.”
He spread his hands, palms up. “What choice do I have?” His hot gaze leveled on hers. “I can’t be locked in here with you indefinitely, Jilly.”
Any semblance of rational thought vanished as she stared at him. After another moment, he snorted and rose, heading toward the kitchen. Heart aching, she lifted a fist to rub over the traitorous organ. There were a lot of things Jilly wanted in her life. Being something Luke regretted would never be one of them. Her grandmother’s will already complicated everything between them. Sex made it even messier.
Not sure what she planned to say to him, but knowing they had to get this figured out, she stood. Any words she’d formed vanished when she walked in. He bent over, his head under the kitchen faucet. Geez. The man had an ass that would make most romance cover models jealous.
Fighting the urge to see if a quarter really could bounce off his tight, perfect buns, she cleared her throat and shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. Between his butt and the hint of raw, chiseled torso muscles, thanks to his shirt bunching up, she had to lean against the fridge before she lost her balance.
“Luke?”
His head snapped up, his temple driving straight into the faucet. “Jesus, Jilly,” he snapped. Stepping back, he snatched a hand towel from its place on the stove handle and glared at her over his shoulder. “Could you not with that husky voice?”