by Melissa Jane
He breathed me in, large hands cupping my face. “Gemma,” Lucas sounded my name possibly for the first time in a decade. He smelled of pine wood and cologne. His hands slid around my shoulders gently pushing me away to study my face. “It’s been so long, and now you’re standing right in front of me.” I listened to the sound of his voice, deep and gravelly unlike the Lucas I knew as a boy.
“I am,” I finally managed, relishing the intensity of his gaze. He cupped my cheeks, thumbs working gently to wipe the stray tears.
He frowned. “Why, after all this time?” The old hurt reappeared. The same heartache I saw when he was leaving.
“Lucas, I don’t blame you. You having to leave without saying goodbye wasn’t a choice of yours. I know that.”
Lucas stilled, lost to a dark thought. His hands grew firm on my shoulders before carefully pushing me aside. He looked away, suddenly agitated.
“You can’t be here, Gemma,” he practically pleaded. There was a glimpse of the teenage Lucas again. The one that carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. That, and fear. I knew the path this was heading down. The very reason why we were in this position in the first place.
“Mason has already found me.”
I watched, assessing his reaction. He swallowed heavily, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Mason found you?”
I nodded. “According to him, every week for the last ten years.”
“Does he know you’re here?”
“I don’t know.”
Lucas rubbed his jaw, again lost in thought. I needed to ease his mind.
“I don’t understand the full hold Mason has had on you, but this can’t go on.”
“Gemma, that’s all well and good saying that, but Mason is—”
“Dangerous?” I almost scoffed. “Loose? I know this. I knew it ten years ago, and I’ve recently been reminded of it.”
A moment of confusion crossed his face. He wasn’t aware of everything Mason had put me through and now, after meeting for the first time in a decade wasn’t the time to bring it up.
“Lucas, it’s taken me this long to build up the courage to find you. I’m not leaving.”
The tension slowly faded, a small smile playing on his lips.
“Dominic,” he called, not breaking his gaze from me.
“Yes, boss?” I heard the voice of the man I’d seen earlier. To be honest, I’d forgotten he was still there.
“We’re done for the day.”
We waited until Dominic packed up and a car door opened and closed, the engine noise fading down the drive. Silently, Lucas held out his hand and I accepted, feeling the connection we’d always had. I let him steer me across the pine-covered grass down to the water’s edge and onto the small jetty that fronted the cabin. The wood creaked under our feet, the lake glistening around us. We sat side by side, our legs dangling over the edge. Lucas now held my hand in both of his, the sides of our bodies connected like glue.
We sat in silence in an attempt to gather our thoughts. I had a short time to mentally prepare for this but for Lucas, randomly appearing on his doorstep after so long, he was going to need some time.
“You look beautiful, Gem,” he said warmly, his thumb stroking my hand. “I often wondered what you would look like now. Whether you still had your long blonde hair, or if you finally cut it off like you kept threatening to do when you were fifteen.”
I knocked his shoulder with mine while laughing at his very accurate memory. “You always want what you’ve never had.”
“Ain’t that the truth?” A melancholy settled between us, the love we shared for each other having never lapsed or been explored.
“What brings you here?”
I wanted to tell him everything. But I was scared to tell him about the stalking, the threats, and harassment. I wanted to just enjoy the moment catching up on years that should never have been lost.
“There’s a few reasons. Most of them can wait until later.”
Lucas cocked an eyebrow, amused. “Later?”
“You going anywhere?”
He shook his head. “Absolutely not.”
~
Lucas had been staying at the cabin while it was in construction, working until the sun disappeared below the horizon and then restarting as dawn cracked. It was a project of love, and he had a creative eye for combining traditional and modern architecture together to compliment the setting. I watched as he walked back down the jetty carrying an ice bucket, a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and two glasses. We’d been talking for a good part of the afternoon, lost in a world that was just Lucas and me, while I artfully avoided talk of Mason.
I watched, admired, as Lucas sat back down and poured the wine. With every glance he gave, every smile he shared, every touch I welcomed, I felt my heart fluttering as it had so many times before. Now, ten years older, the desire had intensified. Lucas had grown up to be a strikingly handsome man and I couldn’t stop gawking.
“Are we toasting?”
“Yeah,” Lucas exclaimed. “Every day with you back in my life deserves a toast.” While his words were nothing but sincere, there was an edge of question to his tone, and I knew who was playing on his mind.
“So…” I started in an attempt to steer his thoughts back on track, “… is there a special someone in your life?”
I dreaded the answer in case it was something I couldn’t bear to hear, hypocritical given that I’d only split from Peter a heartbeat ago. But my life was constantly changing in a heartbeat these days. Things were coming and going so fast I could barely keep up.
To my relief, Lucas shook his head. “There was a girl. We dated for around a year, but I couldn’t give her what she wanted.”
“Which was?”
“Marriage. Kids.”
“Lucas Carter, you’ve always wanted to get married and start a family,” I gently teased.
He turned his face slightly and looked me in the eye. “I only ever wanted that with one person in particular, and I haven’t seen her for ten years.”
My heart backflipped, and I was rendered speechless. Even after all this time, Lucas still had a place for me in his heart. And then I felt a wave of sadness. We’d lost a decade. Time we’d never get back.
“What about you?” he asked, deflecting.
“There’s been nothing serious. I was seeing a guy recently but found out he was cheating so…” I left out the part of Mason being the one to send the photos catching my lying spouse in action. That would all reveal itself later.
“So…” Lucas grinned wide, staring out across the lake. “We’re two free agents?”
I laughed at his assessment of things. “I guess we are.”
Chapter 28
The sun disappeared under the horizon and fog was skimming the surface of the lake as the chill set in. I watched Lucas move with ease around the kitchen while preparing our dinner. Over wine and smell of simmering food, we laughed and chatted like we’d never been separated. The threat of Mason was pushed to the back of our minds while we drank each other in.
This was how it was meant to be.
This was how our lives were supposed to have played out.
Lucas blew on a spoonful of pasta sauce before holding it over the counter for me to taste.
“Oh my God,” I exclaimed, my taste buds dancing. “That’s so much better than mine. Who taught you how to cook?”
Lucas smiled, almost bittersweet. “Certainly not my mother.”
“How’s she doing?”
There was a pause. “She died.”
My heart broke. “Shit… Luc… I’m sorry.” A lump formed in my throat, sadness over not being there for him.
Lucas shrugged his shoulders indifferent to the hurt I knew he wasfeeling. “Don’t be sorry. Her quality of life had been poor for many years. Most of it by her own doing. She never fully recovered after we left Little Valley. One night she took a cocktail of drugs, passed out and never woke up.” Lucas returned to the stove, his back to me. I too
k the opportunity to wipe the tears away.
“Lucas,” I started, my stomach anxious. “Why did you move out of Delaware without so much as a goodbye?”
Lucas remained silent, and I wondered if he’d heard me. He continued to stir the sauce until finally, he answered, “It was the only option at the time.”
It was a vague response and not at all the answer I needed. But I didn’t push.
With dinner served, we moved down to the fireplace which crackled and flickered with dancing embers. We sat on a rug, our backs against the couch as we fell into an easy rhythm of conversation that didn’t touch on anything sensitive.
“I love that you got into cabin building,” I said while keeping my foodgasm face at bay. “Jesus! What’d you put in this?”
Lucas laughed, his beautiful eyes glistening. “You and I always had such an awesome time at Little Wren that I fell in love with the whole idea of cabins and… escaping.”
The mouthful of pasta quickly turned to cement as I tried to swallow. Lucas knew nothing of the last couple of times I was at Little Wren. To him it was heaven.
He frowned, worried. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” I returned, smiling despite my thumping heart. “You’ve done such a beautiful job, it’s easy to see why you’re in such demand.”
Lucas swallowed some wine. “You know, the first cabin I ever built was called ‘Gemma.’”
“No, it wasn’t.”
He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “Yep, it was.”
“You named it after me?”
“I thought it appropriate.”
Again, I was rendered speechless, this time for something good.
Lucas rose to his feet taking our dishes. “Stay here in front of the fire and give me ten minutes.”
I watched in amused confusion as he walked to the kitchen and back outside. In that time, I found my cell and typed a message to B. I hadn’t heard from him since the airport, and I had no idea if he’d even found the place. Walking around the cabin, I held the cell high above my head until I saw a single bar of reception show. Pressing send, I waited in position for a reply. Fortunately, he responded quicker than expected.
Me: Are you close?
B: Just to the right of the dirt road hidden from view.
Me: Any sign of Mason?
B: Not a single soul.
Feeling a wave of relief, I tossed my cell into my handbag as Lucas called my name from outside. From the porch I scanned the darkness, the moon casting a beautiful silver glow over everything within its reach. A mass of embers glinted to the left of the jetty, and it was there I found Lucas.
“What is this?” I laughed, taking in the vintage bathtub propped over a bed of hot, glowing red coals.
“This… this an experience you’ve got to do at least once in your life.”
Without another word, Lucas pulled his shirt over his head revealing the rippling muscles I knew existed under the fabric.
“Jesus…” I managed to mouth.
Lucas chuckled when the words reached his ears. He started unbuttoning his jeans and in the dark, my face flushed.
“Um…”
“Yes, Gem?” he asked, lowering his pants and pulling them over each foot. His cheeky eyes glinted in the moonlight, his smile wide and entertained. He was enjoying getting me hot and flustered. And in all honesty, I was enjoying it too. Before I could respond, however, Lucas climbed into the bath and lowered his sculptured body into the water.
“You’re not shy are you, Gem?”
I scoffed, palms sweating. “No. What makes you say… maybe. A little. No!”
Lucas laughed, and again my face flushed. I’ve loved this man with all my heart for as long as I could remember, and my body had always responded to him, but we never had so much as shared a kiss.
I was rightfully nervous.
“I won’t look, I promise.”
When Lucas turned away, I bit the bullet. Pulling my shirt over my head and lowering my jeans, I stood only in my underwear. In that moment, with the moon shining its silver essence, the smell of pine in the air and a chill tingling my skin, I felt liberated. The freest I had ever felt. Unclasping my bra, I tossed it to the side before pulling down my panties.
“Beautiful,” I heard Lucas murmur in a quietly husky voice. My heart pounded with an unexplored emotion, a pulse between my legs filling me with desire. There was no mistaking the craving on Lucas’s face, even in the darkness. His eyes scanned my nudity, drinking me in. He made me feel empowered, adored.
“Here,” Lucas said, holding out his hand. He helped me up the step and into the hot water. Lowering myself down, still clasping his hand, I pulled him into the middle of the tub and wrapped my legs around his waist. Lucas’s hardness pressed against my clit and I shivered in response, feeling the overwhelming urge to take it further. My nipples teased on his smooth chest, lips only inches away from tasting, claiming. Hooking my arms around his neck, I pulled him close, foreheads touching.
“You have no idea how much I dreamed of this moment, Gemma.” Lucas’s hands snaked through my long hair, holding my head in place. Closing the space, our lips connected in a kiss that was long overdue. He kissed me passionately, deepening as I groaned against his mouth. The roughness of his beard was a pleasurable pain. A pain I welcomed.
It was everything I’d ever dreamed it to be and more. He tasted of sweet wine, lips soft yet demanding.
We broke apart, panting, relishing a moment we’d both wondered about for so long. I was overcome with lust and a love I’d always shared for this man. With the fog gracefully circling us, Lucas hooked a hand under my ass and lifted me. I could feel his cock at my opening, teasing and tempting.
“You sure?”
I was growing lightheaded with need. “More than sure.”
Gripping my waist, he kissed me hard while pushing me down over his thick length. His cock broke through me, a cry escaping my lips as I molded around him.
He too groaned, savoring the sensation, lips trailing a path down my neck. I rocked back and forth, grinding slowly, my clit throbbing in delight. Water splashed just under my breasts. Lucas kneaded my ass cheek with one hand and tantalized my nipple with the other. My head lolled back, the full moon in sight as the pressure overcame me.
Releasing, I cried his name, clenching around Lucas’s cock as I rode the wave of climax. My clit was screaming in ecstasy, finally satisfied but yearning for more of Lucas Carter.
His muscled arms pulled me in close, our tongues dancing a slow rhythm.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured against his lips.
“Why?”
“I couldn’t hold back.”
He chuckled lightly. “And you think there’s a problem in that? I’m sure there’s a lot more where that came from.” In one swift motion, Lucas cupped my ass cheeks and slid out of me. Standing up, his glorious naked body and erect cock shimmering in the moonlight, he climbed from the tub and gestured for me to stand. I did so, no longer self-conscious of my nudity, the chill in the air caressing away the warmth of the bath.
Lucas’s hands hooked under my arms and in an effortless move, lifted me out of the tub high enough for me to wrap my legs around his waist. Our wet bodies molded together once more as he carried me back to the cabin, our lips busy making love. When we reached the living room, he carefully dropped to his knees and lowered me onto the rug in front of the fireplace. The heat from the flames deliciously warmed my skin while Lucas remained between my legs. We continued to kiss, slow at first before increasing the pressure.
Spreading me wider, Lucas’s cock again pressed at my entry. My hips rose to meet his, and he smiled against my lips, enjoying how much I craved him.
“Are you ready?” he murmured.
“Yes,” I panted heavily, anticipation slowly killing me. Taking both my wrists in one hand, he pinned them above my head. His free hand slid down my outer thigh to the crease of my knee bringing my leg high on his waist. It felt way too gl
orious to be under his powerful body and submissive to his needs.
He moved in one swift motion, gripping my wrists tighter as my fingers balled into anguished fists, thrusting deep inside and taking me prisoner. My cry echoed through the almost empty cabin, deep and throaty as I battled through the enormity of the pleasure and pain. Lucas slid slowly in and out until my breath returned and then fell back into a deep rhythm. My nipples were teased by his chest, my clit once again demanding the pressure of our grinding pelvises.
Lucas bit gently down on my bottom lip driving harder inside me until I thought I’d explode.
“Keep doing…” I begged until another wave of pleasure took hold of my wanton body. I tensed around him, cried against his demanding mouth then trembled as the climax continued to deliciously torment me. Lucas kissed me hard and pounded me even harder, my sensitive pussy happily taking what he was giving.
“Gemma,” he groaned, coming with a ferocity that ignited something within me. With each thrust, I could feel the last ten years fade away. With each kiss, I could taste the memories being replaced with the future.
Lucas slowed, gliding in and out, his gaze locked on mine, his weight resting on his elbows either side of my head.
“I certainly didn’t think this was how my day was going to end,” he said, a cheeky gleam in his eyes.
I laughed, feeling the least bit guilty. “Maybe I had hopes that it would.”
Lucas raised his brows in mock reproach. “Gemma Sinclair, what happened to that innocent girl I used to know?”
We both chuckled as he rolled to the side and reached for the blanket off the couch to cover us. He lay propped on one elbow looking down at me, the light from the fireplace dancing in his eyes.
“You know, there’s been plenty of times I’ve wondered about us in this situation.” His thumb caressed my cheek, and I leaned into his touch. “And it seemed so perfect in my head. But the reality is a million time better.”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the day you moved in next door,” I admitted. “And now here we are almost fifteen years later and it’s finally happened.” Lucas lowered his face and tenderly kissed me. It was beautiful, and I craved more, but all good things come to an end.