by Tonya Brooks
“My good looks?”
“Don’t think so.”
“Well, hell. That just leaves my sexual prowess.”
“Not that either.”
“It better not be because I know how to work on your bike,” he growled playfully.
She rolled on top of him, propped her folded arms over his bare chest and leaned forward until there was barely an inch separating their lips. “If you were flat broke, paralyzed, disfigured and homeless she’d still be lucky.” Easy informed him in the most serious tone he’d ever heard her use.
“Why?” he asked in genuine bewilderment.
“Because on the inside, you’d still be the most beautiful man I’ve ever met.”
She loved him. Holy hell, she really loved him. Luke had to swallow a couple of times before he gave her the tenderest of kisses and thanked her for the compliment the best way he knew how.
Chapter Seven
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
“Hello.” Luke answered his mobile phone absently, his mind on the brief he was working on.
“Hello, Sugah.” A soft, sultry Southern drawl said and every neuron in his body went on red alert. Just the sound of her voice could do that to him. Jesus, it oughta be illegal.
“Hey,” he said huskily.
“Are you hungry?” Easy asked in that same seductive tone that always left him panting for more.
“For you? Always,” he readily agreed, his pants unbearably snug just thinking about her.
She laughed, a smoky sexy sound that sent a shiver down his spine and even more blood to his already throbbing arousal. “I meant for lunch,” Easy corrected. “But I like your idea better.”
“So what do you plan to do about it?” he challenged with a wicked grin and loved their erotic phone calls.
“Why don’t you come up to the second floor and find out,” she invited with a purr.
“Second floor?” he repeated.
“Um, hmm. I’m waiting.”
The line went dead and he stared at the phone for all of three seconds before he bolted for the door. Thank God his office staff was on their lunch break. There’s no telling what they would have thought if they’d seen him tearing up the stairs like the wild man that Easy had turned him into. Luke opened the door at the top of the stairs and followed the sound of music past his law library and the storage room.
He came to the room where he crashed on occasion if he worked late into the night and was too tired to go home. It was also the place where he had brought women to have sex before he bought a house. After all, he might have been a grown man, but he wasn’t stupid enough to try and take a woman back to his father’s house. The old man would have kicked his ass.
Pushing the door open slowly, he saw that the blinds had been pulled and the lamp on the nightstand was turned on dim. A quilt covered the floor at the foot of the bed and there was a picnic basket sitting in the center of it. What captured his full attention was the sight of the naked woman sprawled wantonly across the top of the king size bed, that do me right now big boy smile on her beautiful face.
His woman. Waiting for him. In his bed. The instinctual need to claim her was as old as time itself and he heeded the call of the wild. “Best. Surprise. Ever,” came out in a low growl as he closed the door and locked it, eyes dark and smoldering with heat never leaving hers.
Easy’s breathing hitched in anticipation as he moved toward the bed, every inch a predator stalking his prey. The tie came off and hit the floor before his fingers went for the buttons on his shirt. She rose up on her knees and reached out to still his movements. “Let me.”
“Not this time,” he denied, his voice guttural as he grasped his shirt in both hands before ripping it open and dropping it to the floor. He saw the excitement flare in her eyes and reached for his belt buckle. “You like it when I get all primal, don’t you?”
“Yes.” She admitted in a breathy voice as her hungry eyes watched him tear out of his clothes.
“It excites you knowing that you can make me lose control,” he accused in a rough tone.
“Hell yeah,” Easy breathed and licked her lips when he stood before her completely naked. Raw need had her thighs clenching together, waiting, wanting his total unbridled possession.
“You bring out the beast in me.” Luke confessed rawly and grasped her head in his hands, his mouth claiming hers in a kiss that was as primitive as his need for her. “Make me want to claim you,” he admitted before he flipped her over on her hands and knees. His hands slid possessively over her perfectly rounded cheeks before snagging her hips and positioning her where he wanted her. “Make you mine,” he growled before sinking to the hilt in her welcoming sheath.
Easy cried out in sheer ecstasy, her hands fisting in the bed linens for purchase as he began to thrust into her without an ounce of restraint. Never before had Luke been so feral, so completely wild and untamed and it sent her desire spiraling into the stratosphere. “Yes!” she cried in exultation as her hips propelled back and forth in sync with his thrusts. She’d finally done it. She had managed to push Luke beyond the civilized veneer he hid behind and oh, God, was she reaping the rewards.
Luke was beyond coherent thought as he pounded into her as if his life depended on it. He’d never felt so free and unrestrained and it was all due to the woman beneath him, matching him stroke for stroke. The sound of her cries and gasps assured him that he was giving her pleasure, but the intellectual part of his brain had shut down and he was functioning solely from a primordial part of himself that would no longer be contained.
When Easy screamed his name as she climaxed, her muscles squeezing him without mercy, he buried himself deep and bent over her prone form, sinking his teeth into her shoulder, marking her, claiming her in the most visceral way possible. “Mine,” he growled possessively as he pumped his seed deep into her welcoming body.
They collapsed to the side and unwilling to release her, Luke pulled her back against his chest as they lay there fighting for breath and sanity, both of them trembling in reaction. “Yours,” she breathed between gasps of air.
Sweet Jesus. He’d lost it. He had completely. Lost. It. Luke was staggered at the realization of what he had done and was stunned beyond belief that he’d behaved in such a manner. Mind you it had been the most incredible sex of his life, but even so, he’d taken her like a rutting beast! The bite mark glared at him accusingly from the perfection of her porcelain skin. He’d bit her. Jesus freakin’ God. He’d actually bit her like some wild animal marking its mate.
Genuinely contrite, his hold on her became gentler as he placed tender kisses on her abused flesh. How the hell could he have done something so insane? And how the hell could he ever apologize for it? “Are you alright, baby?” he asked anxiously.
“Umm,” Easy breathed in absolute satiation and snuggled closer to his big, strong body. “If I was any better I’d be unconscious.”
“I didn’t hurt you?” he asked with a worried frown.
“Oh, I’ll probably have a few bruises.” she teased in a lazy tone. “But goddamn it was worth it.”
“What?” he choked in disbelief.
“You’ve been holding out on me,” she chided and rolled in the circle of his arms to face him. “From now on I want you just that wild every time.”
Was she serious? “Are you serious?” Luke asked in shock. Holy hell, the woman had every right to chew his ass out and instead she was purring like a contented cat and insisting that he do it again?
“Damn right.” Easy sighed and stretched languidly against him. “I’m so sated I may never move again.”
“I, uh, bit you,” he pointed out in case she hadn’t noticed.
“Uh, huh,” she murmured drowsily, a sleepy smile curving her lips. “Does that mean I can bite you back?”
Perverse creature that he was, Luke found the idea to be oddly appealing. “Depends on where you plan to bite,” he teased and snuggled her closer.
“I’ll surprise
you,” she yawned as her lashes fluttered shut. “I like the way you reward surprises.”
Luke just lay there holding the woman of his dreams after she fell asleep. He loved just holding her, watching her sleep. Easy was so beautiful, so perfect. Everything he wanted in a woman and more. Could he give her up? Hell no. And if she wanted to go, would he let her? Shoving the unpleasant thoughts away, he focused on the only thing that mattered. She was in his arms where she belonged, where he wanted her to be. Until it was over, she was his.
A quick glance at his watch assured him that his staff would be back soon. The last thing he needed was for one of them to come upstairs and discover him and Easy curled up in his bed. Careful not to disturb her, he slid out of bed, pulled on his slightly wrinkled pants and went down to his office. Luke grabbed his cell phone off of the desk and called his office manager to tell her that they could have the rest of the day off. Once he made sure the office was locked up, he headed back upstairs to Easy.
She was curled up in the center of his bed with her back to him, the jagged scar a visible reminder of the hell she had suffered through. He didn’t have to ask how bad the accident had been. He knew she’d been trapped under the hummer, that it had been on fire and about to explode. He knew it had been a traumatic event that had scarred more than just her flesh.
A tremor ran through him at the realization that she could have been killed and he would have never met her. Never even known what an incredible woman he had lost. Never recognized the other half of his soul. Never known what it was like to love this deeply. Yeah, he loved her. No sense in trying to deny it. He was tired of fighting the inevitable. Easy was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and he’d be dammed if he’d let her go.
Now he just had to figure out how the hell he could keep her and still salvage his plans for the future.
~~~~
Easy’s eyelids fluttered open and she stared into the most remarkable blue eyes. The memory of their unbridled passion filled her mind and she shivered in pleasure. “Hey,” she greeted softly.
“Hey,” he smiled back and ran his fingertips gently down her cheek.
“What time is it?” she asked and wondered if they still had time for lunch before his staff came back.
“Almost two.”
She shot straight up in the bed, a horrified expression on her face. “Oh, God, why didn’t you wake me?” Easy demanded as she rolled off of the bed and began putting her clothes on in a mad rush.
“Is there some place you have to be?” he queried with a frown.
“No, but your staff are back by now and they can’t find me here,” she hissed quietly as she shimmied into her leather shorts.
“I gave them the afternoon off.” Luke said as he rose from the bed and stretched.
She looked up and her mouth watered at the sight of those rippling muscles. God, he was gorgeous. Easy would never get tired of just looking at Luke. “You did what?” she asked and tried to get her brain to focus on something other than his body.
“Told them to take the rest of the day off,” he explained as he picked up his tie and ruined shirt to toss them onto a chair.
“Oh, Luke. You should have just woke me up,” she said in regret that he’d had to close his office because of her.
“Hey, I’m the reason you haven’t been getting much sleep at night. The least I could do was let you take a nap,” he said with that bad boy grin. “Besides, I wanted to spend the afternoon with you.”
“You did?” she asked, hopeful that she hadn’t ruined his day.
“Uh huh. We haven’t had lunch yet.” he pointed out as he walked toward her.
“Oh, okay. If you’re sure I’m not disrupting...” The words died on her lips as Luke pulled her into his arms and kissed her hungrily.
“Feed me,” he whispered against her lips. “I worked up an appetite.”
So had she, and not just for food. “It’s a good thing I requested a cold lunch.” Easy laughed as she moved around the bed and knelt down beside the basket. She opened the lid and began removing the contents and placing them on the blanket in random order. “Desi chose a selection of cold cuts, cheeses, fruit, bread and a bottle of wine that she swears is good served warm.”
When he didn’t respond, Easy looked up and saw him staring down at the blanket with the strangest expression. “Luke, are you alright?” she asked and glanced down at the blanket to see what had caught his attention. It was either the bread or the condoms. Nothing remarkable about the bread. Had to be the condoms. “I, um, thought we might need them.”
“We did,” he rasped in a guttural tone and raised glittering blue eyes to hers. “And I didn’t.” As soon as Luke had seen the foil packets, realization had dawned. He hadn’t used protection. Easy could be pregnant. With his child. Something primal inside of him howled in triumph because if she were pregnant, he would never let her go. She was his.
His rational side was in the middle of a full blown panic attack bordering on cardiac arrest. How the hell could he have been so irresponsible and made such a stupid juvenile mistake? The first rule of sex was: no glove, no love. Jesus freakin’ God. Easy could be pregnant. With his child. The damnable thing was that once the realization sank in, every ounce of fear left him. Because if she was, he could never let her go. She was his.
Easy stared back at him wide eyed and mouth agape. She didn’t know what to say or how to react. The knowledge that she might be carrying Luke’s child thrilled her heart and soul, but she was pretty damn sure he would not feel the same way. Good God, he’d probably think she was trying to trap him into marriage or something.
“I’m sure it’s fine,” she managed to say in a shaky if normal sounding tone. “I mean what are the chances, right? And even if something did come of it, I take full responsibility. It takes two and I wasn’t thinking. You have nothing to worry about. I’m...”
Luke knelt beside her and framed her face in both hands before he kissed her tenderly and stopped her nervous babbling. “We’re in this together, Easy. Whatever happens,” he said gently as his eyes held hers captive. “Are we clear on that?”
She nodded mutely. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“Neither was I.” Luke admitted and then thought to ask, “Do you want children?”
The way her eyes lit up told him all he needed to know. “I do, but not like this,” she said and saw him frown. “I mean I’d never intentionally try to get pregnant like this. It should be a mutual decision between two partners who are ready to become parents.”
“I agree,” he nodded, expression as solemn as she had ever seen it. “But if it has happened, you already know I’m ready to settle down and start a family.”
Her heart was hammering wildly in her chest. Easy knew exactly what he was saying. Solid, dependable Luke Baker would marry her if she were pregnant. But would he marry you if you weren’t? The odds of that were not in her favor and she knew it. “I... I’m sure it’s fine,” she said again and was trying to convince herself that it was true.
The fact that she didn’t respond to his declaration irritated the hell out of Luke. He wanted her to want to stay with him, not be forced to, dammit. Somehow he was going to find a way to bring this woman to her knees and make her admit that they belonged together. He had to make himself as irresistible to her as she was to him.
Yeah, he had no clue how to do something like that. However, he’d never met a woman who didn’t appreciate a little romance and Easy had already set the stage with the picnic. It was time to turn on that bad boy charm and woo his woman. He reached over and picked up a strawberry and lifted it to her lips.
Easy could not look away from the heat in those mesmerizing eyes as she bit into the fruit he offered. A dribble of juice ran onto her chin and she lifted her hand to wipe it off. Luke caught her hand in his and leaned forward to slowly lick the juice away before he licked her lips and gently kissed her. The action was so erotic that she forgot a
ll about chewing.
Luke lifted the berry to his mouth and bit it while his eyes devoured her. Oh, yeah. He had her attention now. Easy was staring at him as if she’d never seen him before. Her pupils were dilated and her breathing was becoming shallow. He didn’t know much about romance, but he damn sure knew how to seduce a woman.
When he lifted the berry to her mouth again, he waited for her to part her lips and then he slowly rubbed the fruit over them until they glistened with juice. He gently nudged it against her lips and her teeth sank into the berry. Once again he leaned forward and licked the juice away slowly, seductively and then claimed her lips for a tender kiss.
Easy’s heart was pounding wildly in her chest. She didn’t know what Luke was doing and frankly, she didn’t give a damn. The only thought in her head was that the man was damn good at seduction and she was loving every minute of it. Not about to be left out, she lifted a cluster of grapes, pulled one off and lifted it to his mouth.
Luke took her hand in his and held it in place as he guided the grape past his parted lips and then bit down gently on the pad of her thumb. Easy moaned softly and closed her eyes in remembered ecstasy of the last time he had bitten her. When his eyes began to glitter with that wild look, she knew he was thinking about it as well. “Luke,” she said huskily.
He pressed his index finger against her parted lips and said, “Shh.” She sucked his finger into her mouth, swirling her tongue around it and savoring the strawberry flavor as his eyes darkened with a ravenous hunger.
The pair continued to feed each other bites of food interspersed with kisses, licks and nibbles until they were both breathing ragged and starving for a different type of sustenance. Luke stood and pulled Easy to her feet and then he began to undress her slowly, his lips caressing every inch of flesh that his hands uncovered.
Easy was trembling all over by the time he lifted her in his arms and sat her on the side of the bed. Her eyes followed him as he went back to the blanket and returned with a condom and a strawberry. The combination should have been incongruous, but the wicked gleam in his eyes assured her that he had a purpose for both items and the matching smile on his lips assured her that she was going to like it.