Hope Flames: Hope Book 1

by Jaci Burton

  And he’d been great to her, really there when she’d needed him.

  Like now, offering to listen. Luke was good for her, good for her ego. She needed that right now. Even more than that, she wanted it, wanted him.

  There were so many things she wanted, so much she’d denied herself because of that stupid mistake she’d made so long ago.

  If she’d had a normal life, she could have a wild weekend fling with Luke and walk away without looking back. She could be free and easy about her sex life without a second thought. Instead, she always second-guessed everything in her life because of the potential consequences. She was always afraid every choice she made would be the wrong one, that every man she chose would be the next one to hurt her as badly as Vaughn had.

  But Luke hadn’t hurt her. Not yet, anyway.

  Yet every time she saw him, every minute she spent with him, she grew closer to him. And she knew that no matter how hard she tried to downplay her feelings, she knew just that—she had feelings for him.

  And that meant he could hurt her. Which scared her more than just a little.

  It scared her a lot.

  Obviously this brave new Emma wasn’t quite as brave as she thought.

  Luke stood, came over to the balcony, and leaned against the railing, not getting too close but close enough that she picked up his scent. It made her want to take a deep breath so she wouldn’t lose his unique flavor. He always smelled so good, and he never even wore cologne.

  He tucked her hair behind her ear, and her skin prickled with goose bumps.

  “I think deep inside you’re still a little bit afraid.”

  She quirked a brow. “Of?”

  “Men. Or maybe just me.”

  Her lips lifted, the two shots of whiskey making her feel braver than normal. She placed her palm on his chest, the thump, thump, thump of his heart making her own beat wilder and faster. “Are you trying to offer me some kind of therapy?”

  He let out a short laugh. “I’d be the last person to offer to psychoanalyze anyone, Emma. If anyone’s had one hell of a fucked-up life, it’s me. But I know what it’s like to be hurt by someone you care about. And if you want to talk about that, I want you to know you can trust me.”

  Her eyes burned with the tears that pricked them. She lifted her gaze to his, seeing the pain that lived in his eyes, too.

  He understood. And she could talk to him, lay out her fears, but not now. Not tonight, when there was something else she wanted so much more. She dug her nails into his chest, heard the harsh intake of his breath, and knew right then that she was playing with fire.

  She was more than ready to go up in flames, as long as he was with her.

  “That’s . . . really nice of you to offer, Luke. But I’m kind of talked out for a while. Wouldn’t you rather kiss me?”

  He inched closer, his body vibrating against hers as his hip brushed hers.

  “You want me to kiss you. You sure about that?”

  She nodded. “Very sure.”

  He reached up and swept his thumb across her bottom lip.

  “You’re trembling, Emma. Are you cold?”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m kind of hot.”

  He snaked an arm around her waist and tugged her against him. His body was hard—all over. She grabbed hold of his shirt like a lifeline, as if she were afraid he’d disappear right in front of her eyes.

  And when he slid his other hand across her neck, his breath warm against her cheek, their eyes met in this slow dance of heat and promise.

  And still, he paused, his lips only inches from hers.

  “Be careful what you ask for, Emma. You might get it.”

  “I really hope so, Luke.”

  His lips came down on hers, and this time there was no hesitation. She wound her arm around his neck as his mouth invaded hers.

  It was always like this with Luke, this dizzying, crazy, make-her-knees-weak kind of kiss. And when his tongue slid inside to tangle with hers, she buckled, and Luke tightened his hold on her, but didn’t break the kiss.

  She caressed his shoulders and slid her fingers into his hair, tugging it until he groaned, which only made her nipples tingle. And when he backed her up against the wall of the deck and ground against her, letting her know that he was very much turned on and oh-so-ready to do something about it, her body responded by quivering and dampening in just the right place. If he had a condom on him, they could do it right there on the deck. She was primed for the kind of orgasm she hadn’t had since the last time they were together.

  And when he moved his hand from her hip to her waist, lifting her T-shirt, she was all in on this, breaking contact with him just long enough to pull her shirt over her head and toss it on the deck.

  His gaze met hers, and he grinned, then pulled off his shirt.

  “Wait,” she said.

  He frowned. “Is this too fast for you?”

  “No. Definitely, no. I just need to look at you.” She gave him a slight push so he’d take a step back.

  She took in the sight of him. Well-sculpted shoulders, a wide expanse of chest, and oh, God, those abs. She was going to have to spend hours exploring his abs. With her tongue.

  She took a deep breath, then sighed.

  “Are you ogling me?” he asked.

  “Maybe a little. Okay, yes. I’ve missed seeing you naked.”

  His lips curved. “You’re killing me, Emma.” He moved in and kissed her again, this time laying a very possessive hand on her breast. She gasped, especially when he deftly pulled one side of her bra down to brush a thumb over her nipple. If she came while he did that, it would be so embarrassing. Then again, she might not care, as long as she got a great orgasm out of it.

  Except right now she was breathing so fast and so hard she was afraid she might hyperventilate. But the sensations he evoked when he touched her were almost more than she could bear.

  His hand drifted down her rib cage, and when he reached her pants, he slipped his hand inside and cupped her sex.

  She pulled her lips from his. “Oh, God, yes, please touch me there.”

  He met her gaze and moved his hand. “Like that?”

  She grasped his wrist, too far gone and close to the edge to even care about how brazen she was being. “Yes. Just like that.”

  His erection was hard and thick as it rested against her hip.

  “Have you come since the last time we were together, Emma?” he asked, slipping his fingers inside her panties.

  She could barely form words, but she managed a strangled, “No.”

  His fingers were rough, and they felt so good against her skin as he took her right to the edge in a few expert strokes.

  “Then let me take you there.”

  Taut with tension and teetering right on the edge of climax, she moved against his questing fingers, listening to the hard edge of his voice. And when he tucked his fingers inside her, she quivered and rocked against the heel of his hand as he moved it over her sensitized flesh.

  “I know exactly what you need,” Luke whispered, his voice a dark promise in her ear.

  She was there, all she had to do was let go.

  “You’re so soft,” he said. “So wet under my fingers. I can’t wait to put my mouth on you and make you scream, Emma. And when I’m inside you . . .”

  The sound of his voice, so direct, so coaxing, did her in. She came with a wild cry, digging her nails into his arm as she bucked against his hand. He took her mouth in a hot kiss that made her soar even higher, leaving her trembling in his arms and utterly satisfied, yet still wanting more from him.

  He withdrew his hand and wrapped his arm around her, holding her close as he pressed soft kisses to her neck.

  “That,” she said as she rested her head on his shoulder, “was exactly what I needed.”

  “I could tell,” he said against her neck. “That was one hell of an orgasm.”

  She laughed, loving that he kept it light. “That was just the first. I intend to
have more than one.”

  He pulled back and looked at her. “I’m glad to hear that, since I’m hard as a rock right now.”

  She took his hand and led him inside the house. “I assume you brought condoms?”

  “I told you, I’m always prepared.”

  She smiled. “I brought condoms, too.”

  Chapter 18

  LUKE LAUGHED, AND dragged Emma into his room. “Again, Emma, you surprise me.”

  She flopped onto his bed. “Why, because I brought condoms?”

  He kicked off his boots and climbed onto the bed next to her, pulling her into his arms. “Yeah.”

  “I like to be prepared, too.”

  “I’m glad, because I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of sex this weekend, and I don’t want to have to go back to the store.”

  She rested her head on her hand. “Feel that supremely confident about your prowess, do you?”

  He circled the swell of her breasts with his fingertips. “I made you come once already, didn’t I?”

  She drew in a sharp breath. “Yes, you did. How about we do that again? It’s been a long time since we were last together.”

  “Challenge accepted.” He pushed her onto her back and covered her with the top half of his body, kissing her so thoroughly that if she’d been standing, she’d have been left dizzy. She loved his mouth, the way he kissed her with slow, deliberate kisses, as if he had all the time in the world. This wasn’t a man who gave her a brief kiss, then went for the action. He spent his time lingering at her lips, using his tongue to lick over hers, to draw her bottom lip into his mouth, to explore until she could barely breathe. And then he moved his lips over her jaw, down her neck and over her collarbone, eliciting chill bumps over her skin.

  And when he rolled his tongue over the swell of her breasts at the edge of her bra, she wasn’t sure she’d ever felt anything so teasingly sensual. She wanted to rip off her bra so he could get to her nipples, but again, Luke seemed to be in no hurry. He finally slid his hand down her back to release the clasp on her bra, drew the straps down her arms.

  He stared down at her, using the tip of his finger to draw circles around her nipples.

  “Pretty,” he said, then bent and took one already erect bud into his mouth.

  She breathed in, arching upward to give him more. She threaded her fingers into his hair to hold him in place as he licked and sucked her nipples and drove her crazy with the expertise of his mouth. She shuddered when he moved his tongue down her ribs and over her belly, anticipating his next move.

  “Let’s get these off,” he said, tugging her capris down her legs, leaving her wearing only her panties.

  And again, he took his time to caress and stare at her body.

  “You’re beautiful, Emma.”

  She reached for him, running her fingers over his torso. “And you have too many clothes on.”

  “I can fix that.” He hopped off the bed, undid the zipper of his jeans and dropped them, along with his boxer briefs, revealing his magnificently sculpted body, and a very impressive erection.

  “Uh, wow,” she said, rolling over to her side.

  He grinned. “You’re good for my ego.” He climbed back on the bed and rolled her onto her back. “But right now, let’s worship your body. It sounds like you have some missed orgasms to make up for.”

  “I’d like to complain and say we should take care of you, but I’m all for you worshipping my body.”

  He laughed. “I like a woman who knows what she wants. And there’s plenty of time for me later.”

  He was so . . . different from any man she’d ever known before. Night-and-day different from Vaughn, who’d always been about his pleasure first.

  And that was the last time she was going to think about him tonight. Or ever. She’d much rather focus on Luke, who was gorgeous, built, and had already given her one amazing orgasm. How could she think about anyone else when Luke was drawing her panties down her legs, pulling her to the edge of the bed, and putting his mouth—

  “There. Oh yes,” she said, and then words were lost as Luke pleasured her with his expert lips and tongue until she was mindless, until all she could think about was climbing that mountain until she reached the peak and fell.

  His tongue was a sweet balm to her tortured senses. And when she came, he was right there, holding her hand and taking her right over. She arched and cried out, her entire body vibrating as Luke held tight to her hips and made her his.

  He kissed his way up her body. Her utterly motionless body. She was sure she was done for, but by the time he reached her mouth and planted a kiss on her that seared her, she was convinced he had magical powers. She twined her legs around his, aware of the ever-constant erection he’d had for a while now.

  She reached for him, wrapping her fingers around his length and thickness. His body was warm, but here he was hot and pulsing. She stroked him, and he grasped her wrist.

  “We don’t want this to be over with in a hurry.”

  She smiled. “I think it’s your turn.”

  “I could be gallant and give you some time to rest, but all I’ve thought about is being inside you, Emma.”

  Heat flared low in her belly. “I’ve thought a lot about that, too.”

  He palmed her stomach. “You have a beautiful body. A sweet mouth, a laugh that makes my balls tight, and a smile that makes me want to kiss you. I think about you all the time.”

  “Tell me what you think about.” In the haze of this amazing afterglow, he made her feel brave enough to ask the question.

  “How you challenge me. Your contradictions, how sweet you are, the way you love animals, and the way you move when you walk. And I’ve thought a lot about this.” He leaned over her and took the tip of a nipple between his lips, rolling his tongue over it, then drawing it into his mouth to suck.

  She shuddered out a breath at the exquisite sensation, her body tightening in reaction. She slid her fingers into his hair, unable to do anything but watch as he mastered her body. Giving up control was something she vowed she’d never do again, but she gladly gave over control to Luke because he demanded nothing. He only gave to her in a way that constantly surprised her. He seemed to draw pleasure from giving pleasure to her, which was something she wasn’t used to.

  She could get used to it in a hurry, though.

  He lifted up, his gaze locked with hers. “And I’ve thought a lot about getting you naked so I could touch you.” His fingers crept low, covering her sex, taking his time to coax a response from her that left her languid and needy and arching against him.

  She lifted her gaze to his, hitching a breath as she saw the hunger in his eyes. “I really like your hands on me.”

  When he finally rolled over and grabbed a condom from his bedside drawer, she was more than eager to feel him inside her, to share that intimacy with him again.

  He tore the wrapper open and applied the condom, then nudged her legs apart and slid inside her.

  A moan escaped her lips, and he captured her mouth in a searing kiss that made her quiver, inside and out. And when he began to move within her, she clenched around him, the sensations overwhelming. Feeling as if she was falling, she flailed for something to hold on to. Luke grasped her hand and twined his fingers with hers, centering her.

  “Emma.” His voice was a gentle whisper in her ear.

  She opened her eyes, and there he was, moving above her, his eyes dark and filled with the same hungry passion that wracked her body with a need she couldn’t explain. She arched into that need and he fed her, levering his hips to hit that spot that brought her closer to the orgasm she was surprised she’d be able to reach after he’d already given her two explosive ones already.

  Yet here she was, poised on the edge again, and as she tightened, he knew, and he smiled.

  “That’s it,” he said, moving his body perfectly, as if he knew exactly what she needed.

  He was exactly what she needed, and it scared the hell out of her.


  She tensed, and he paused.

  “What?” he asked, holding himself up on his hands. “Something wrong?”

  This was ridiculous. It was only sex. Just fabulous, glorious sex, and nothing else.

  She cupped the back of his neck and pulled him down to her again. “No. Everything’s right.”

  She kissed him, wrapped her arms around him, and he moved against her, taking her right back to that spot where she forgot everything except that mindless pleasure he gave her. He grasped her hips and held her, rubbing his body against hers until she exploded. And then he went with her, groaning against her as he came. She held tight to him as he shuddered, then lay still, his breath warm against her neck.

  They were both sweating, Luke’s heart pounding against her chest. Or maybe that was her heart. She couldn’t tell. She was wrecked, physically and emotionally, tied to Luke’s body, wrapped around him, within him, in ways she hadn’t expected.

  He kissed the side of her neck, didn’t seem to be in any hurry to move, so she stroked his back, played with his hair and just . . . breathed.

  When he finally rolled over, he left the bed. She watched him, enjoying the view of his great ass. He came back a minute later and climbed into bed with her, tucking her against his chest and wrapping his arms around her.

  “Give me a few minutes’ recovery time, then we’re going to do this again.”

  She laughed. “You’re on.”

  This was nice. And different.

  She had to remind herself not to get attached to Luke. This was supposed to be fun and simple and just about sex and this weekend. They had agreed that neither of them was looking for a relationship.

  But as she yawned and snuggled in close to him, she realized that she felt . . . safe with Luke. That’s what was different about him. She never felt threatened or exposed when she was with him.

  She felt safe.

  And she hadn’t felt safe with a man in a very long time.

  Chapter 19

  “COME ON, LAZY, time to get up and put your swimsuit on.”