by Madison, Mia
God, would I ever stop crying? The tears flowed steadily as I took in Luke’s words. I wanted to believe him—my heart yearned to. But I had to protect myself against further disappointment. The people you like the best are the ones with the power to hurt you the worst. “It… it didn’t always seem like it.”
“I know. I was holding back… mentally and physically. Sometimes when I allowed myself to touch you, I feared I wouldn’t be able to stop. I wanted to take you up in my bedroom and spend the whole afternoon worshiping your body. Kissing those sweet lips. Running my hands over those luscious curves. But I forced myself to hold back.”
“Why?”
He shook his head ruefully. “For a million reasons—all of which I thought were important at the time. For the kids, of course, I thought they’d be hurt if we broke up and you stopped coming by. And I was right—they were miserable this week. You can’t even imagine the accusations in their eyes. And then… some part of me, the part that tries to be a gentleman, thought it might not be fair to you. After all, you’re just starting your adult life and your career. Dating an older man with kids is probably not what most women your age dream of.”
I shook my head, disagreeing with him, but he continued on. “But mostly it was as I said. Everything was changing and even though the sum of all those changes was good, it took some getting used to. And last week when I got that news about Brandon, I guess I thought that maybe life would be easier if you’d never come into our lives. I know it doesn’t make much sense, but that’s what I was thinking. Or, shit, I don’t even think I was thinking. I just reacted. I was upset about another change, and I blamed the person who’d brought the most changes to my family.”
Luke took my hand in his free one. “But since then, I’ve realized that every single change you’ve introduced to my life has been a good one. Overwhelming, but good. And when I realized how badly I’d treated the woman who’d become so important to me and my kids, I didn’t know how to take it back. It was too much to ask you to forgive. But I’m asking you to anyway, Gabi. Because I need you. Not just my kids, but me. I need you, and I want you, and I’m so very, very sorry.”
Tears poured down my face… something that was happening a lot lately. But it was a good thing—I saw that now. The fact that I was crying meant that there was someone in my life important enough to feel strongly about. That meant there would be ups and downs, but it also meant I’d found someone worth taking that journey with.
“Can you forgive me?” Luke’s voice was low but sincere. He knew he’d hurt me, and I knew he’d do his best not to do it again. The man had been through a lot, but at his heart, he was a protector. I knew now that he’d admitted to himself how much he needed me, he’d protect me, too, not just the kids.
“Yes,” I breathed, squeezing his hand. “Can you kiss me?”
22
Gabi
For a moment, surprised joy lit his face. It was quickly replaced by hunger as he reached for me. He leaned across me, pinning my body to the arm of the couch. His mouth met mine and it was like the last few weeks faded away. His kiss healed me—healed us.
Luke overwhelmed my senses as his mouth ravished mine. His spicy, masculine scent filled my nose. The heat from his body made my skin sizzle. And his kiss somehow walked the line between dominance and devotion. I didn’t ever want it to end.
His lips moved to my throat, nuzzling and nibbling while I threw my head back and moaned. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you look tonight?”
His touch was magic, so I ignored the question—until he stopped. “Do you? You were the most beautiful woman in the auditorium tonight. You should always wear red, it makes you look like the seductive temptress you are.”
“Oh, but my hips—”
Luke nipped at my earlobe, making me yelp. “Don’t do that. Don’t tear your body apart when I’ve been captivated by it since the day I met you. You look gorgeous tonight—all of you.”
“Mmm…” I murmured as his strong hand stroked my thigh. But then he stopped—again.
“Say it. Tell me you know you look beautiful.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, wanting to block out his words. Why couldn’t he just keep kissing me?
But Luke wasn’t like that—he called the shots and he didn’t back down. “Say it.” His hand slipped into the gap at the top of my dress and found my nipple. He pinched it.
“Ow! Okay, I, umm, I like this dress.”
“Not good enough,” he growled, and he squeezed my nipple between his thumb and forefinger, making me gasp—and making my panties wetter.
“All right! I, um… I looked good tonight.”
“Beautiful,” he commanded, and his hand moved to my other nipple, pinching the hardened tip.
“Okay, I looked beautiful!” I repeated with a yelp.
“Still do,” he said. Instantly, the fingers on my breast started caressing me, making me moan. His lips ravished my throat again, and I let the bliss overcome me. Without conscious thought, I spread my legs wider, feeling Luke’s hot body press up against me. I couldn’t help grinding my hips up against the hard bulge in his pants.
“Minx,” he growled as I rubbed against him. “We’d better move up to the bedroom before I take you right here.”
“That works for me.” My voice was thick with longing.
“So eager,” he said with a smirk. “But I’ve dreamed about getting you in my bed again ever since that time you read to me up there.”
“That was our first kiss. It seems so long ago.”
“It was. Too long ago. That’s why I want you back in my bed. Now.”
“So bossy,” I commented, but it wasn’t a complaint.
Luke pulled back a little, grinning down at me. “I can be. The question is, do you want me to be?”
“I want you,” I answered truthfully—but also to sidestep the question. It felt too intimate, too embarrassing to confess to what I really wanted.
“Answer me. When I take you in my bed, I can worship every inch of your gorgeous body… or I can make you scream with pleasure.” To emphasize his point, he pressed his hand between my legs, pushing his fingers hard against my panties. Instantly, my arousal level was off the charts.
My breath came out in ragged little gasps. “That’s a hell of a choice.”
“We’ve got time for both.” Luke looked smug as he stroked me, seeing my back arch from his touch.
“We do?”
“Yes. Your roommates are keeping the twins all night.”
“Really?” My eyes widened as my jaw dropped open. A whole night with Luke? It sounded too good to be true.
“Really.” He shot me a wink that was so sexy it made me squirm under him all the more. “So the only question is, what do you want first? Gentle lovemaking… or something a bit more adventurous?”
His stern gaze told me he expected an answer. “I, umm… I want you to take charge.” I was pretty sure my blush was visible from space.
“That’s going to happen either way.” One corner of his mouth quirked upward in a sexy half smile.
Heat filled my core. “Okay then… I choose more adventurous.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” He straightened up, and I groaned at the loss of contact. “I have a few things to take care of. I’ll be upstairs in five minutes, and when I do, you’ll be lying on my bed wearing that dress but not your shoes or panties.” I gasped up at him, my eyes wide. His gaze swept up and down my body. “Ever since the first moment I saw you tonight, I’ve been dying to untie that bow holding your dress together. It’ll be like opening a present.”
For a moment, I was too dazed to accept the hand he held out. The thought of him untying the sash that held my wrap dress closed took my breath away. When he pulled me up, his arms went around me, steadying me. Otherwise, I think I would’ve melted into a puddle on the floor.
Luke held me for a moment longer, squeezing a handful of curls. His lips lowered to my ear. “And you have no idea how mu
ch I’m going to enjoy unwrapping this particular present.”
That was enough to make me head for the stairs.
Lying on Luke’s king size bed waiting for him was torture. Especially since my panties were on the chair by the bed and the silky fabric from my dress tickled my flushed skin. It felt like he made me wait far longer than five minutes, but I didn’t turn my head to look at the clock on his nightstand. Instead, I spent every second thinking about how much I wanted him. How excited I was that this was finally happening.
And really wanting him to be there.
Finally, he was.
He strode into the room, unbuttoning his crisp, white dress shirt. “Stay still,” he ordered when I automatically reached for him. As more and more of his impressively broad chest was revealed, he glanced down at the black, see-through panties I’d shed. “Very nice. Does your bra match those panties?”
“Yes,” I breathed.
“I can’t wait to see it.”
He stood by the bed as he pulled off one sleeve then the other. I think he knew how desperate I was to touch him. His wicked grin showed me that he enjoyed making me wait.
Such an evil man—one that I wanted more than anything.
Finally his shirt was off, and I stared at his flat abs and contoured muscles. He’d told me once that he sometimes went jogging, especially when he had writer’s block, but most of his muscles came from the woodworking he did. He was so strong, and I couldn’t wait to see how he’d use those muscles tonight.
His hand rubbed across my breast and down to my side where the fabric tied together. But then after a long, teasing moment, his hand slid down across my stomach, trailing along my thigh. My legs parted, and he looked smug. “So eager. But you’re going to have to wait a little longer yet.”
I let out an exasperated breath as he moved away from me. On the dresser, there were several candles in glass jars, and he lit them, one by one. They hadn’t been there the last time I’d been in his bedroom, at least I didn’t think they had. “Were you so sure we were going to end up here tonight?”
He turned off the main light and returned to my side. “I hoped. I hoped you’d be in my bed tonight, Gabi.”
“Don’t you mean Gabriella?” I asked because he was clearly in a dominant mood.
“They’re all one and the same now. Gabi and Gabriella. They’re both names for the woman I can’t stop thinking about. The woman who’s made my life so much better.” My heart swelled at his words, but my hips churned, wanting to feel him grinding against me. Luke grinned at my eagerness. “And the woman I’m going to make scream my name… starting now.”
“Oh, please… please do.”
His long index finger pressed against my lips. “Shh… you don’t get to call the shots.” He pushed his finger partway into my mouth, and I swirled my tongue around the pad of his fingertip, sucking lightly. “Good girl. Now spread your legs.”
My pulse doubled. The silky dress covered me, but underneath I wore only the bra. The thin fabric rode up on my thighs as I moved them apart.
Luke kept his eyes steady on mine as he climbed onto the bed, hovering over me. His knees were between mine, and I spread my legs farther apart to accommodate him. He grasped my hands, entwining his fingers with mine, and then pinned them against the bed on either side of my head. I gasped as I stared up at him. His gaze was smug and predatory—and it was driving me wild.
“Wrap those luscious legs around me,” he ordered.
My body moved without conscious thought. The skirt of my dress fell back as I lifted one leg and then the other, wrapping them around his midsection.
He ground his hips against me and the bulge in his pants pressed against my mound and my slit. He was so close to where I needed him to be.
Luke leaned his head down and kissed me, and it was different than before. It was like he was claiming me, biting my lips, pushing his tongue in my mouth. His hands pinned mine down, and his long, hard body pressed against mine. He was in complete control—of himself and me as well.
And I loved every second of it.
He switched his grip, holding both my hands in one of his, and he gazed down at me. “Time for me to unwrap my present.”
His long fingers tugged at the tie of my dress, pulling it open. I gasped as he pushed the sides apart, revealing my black see-through mesh bra. It was a front-opening plunge bra—the only one I could wear with a V-neck dress like this.
“Nice.” His voice was husky as he undid the clasp. “You’re so fucking beautiful.” He kept my hands pinned above my head as he sucked my nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue and nibbling. It felt so good that I writhed underneath him, grinding against his erection. I wanted to feel him inside me so badly.
His free hand snaked between our bodies as he drew my other nipple into his mouth. I cried out when his long finger pressed between my legs, this time with no panties getting in the way. He pushed inside of me, sliding in easily, and I arched my back, pressing my breast more firmly against his mouth.
Luke pumped his finger in and out a few times before adding a second. My breathing was coming up in short gasps and I tried to pull my hands free, wanting to wrap them around him.
But he held my wrists tight, grinning as I squirmed underneath him. “So eager,” he said.
It wasn’t something I could deny… not while my hips were bucking as I rode his fingers. Not while my nipples were rock hard.
“I’ll make you a deal… I’ll release your hands if you clean these.” He pulled his fingers out of me, making me groan at the loss of sensation. His index finger touched my lips again, but this time not to shush me. I licked his fingers, tasting my arousal on them. I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anyone in my entire life.
“Wait,” he said, just as I was about to suck his fingers into my mouth. He bent down and gave a long lick to the back of fingers so that they were trapped between our tongues. “You taste as good as I remember,” he said before kissing me again.
True to his word, he let go of my wrists, and I plunged one hand into his hair, pulling him closer to me as we kissed. My other hand roamed up and down his back, feeling the outline of his taut muscles. When I felt the waistband of his slacks, I traced the edge of his belt, following it to the buckle under his belly. I grasped blindly at the belt, trying to get it open, and Luke lifted his hips to help me.
“I need you inside me.” I got the buckle undone and was trying to open his zipper, but I kept getting distracted by the hard length under the fabric. “Please.”
“You don’t get to call the shots, baby.” He shifted to one side as he unfastened his pants and shoved them down. “But lucky for you, that’s what I want, too.”
He sat up, shoving his pants and boxers the rest of the way off. “Take off your dress,” he ordered as he opened the drawer of his nightstand.
Sitting up, I slid the sleeves of my dress and the straps of my bra off my arms. I didn’t even have time to feel self-conscious about being naked in front of him because I couldn’t take my eyes off his rock-hard cock. I couldn’t wait to feel it inside me.
And then I didn’t have to wait, because he rolled on a condom and kneeled between my legs again, the tip of his hard cock rubbing against my slit.
“Please,” I moaned.
“If you really want it, prove it.” His command was said in a firm, steady voice but the quickness in his breath showed me how much he wanted this, too. “Cup your breasts. Hold them up as if offering them to me. They’re part of my present.” He delivered that last part with a wink.
I was quick to obey, cupping my breasts and even letting my thumbs brush past my hard nipples. “They’re for you. Everything is. Please… please take it.”
“My thoughts exactly,” he said, and he guided his hard cock into me, parting me, filling me. Making me cry out.
“Oh god, Luke…” That was all I could say as I threw my head back.
He pulled back and plunged in again, going farther this time. A
nd even more the next time. “Look at me,” he growled, grasping my face in his hand as he thrust into me. He was claiming me, showing his ownership with every inch of the hard cock he pushed inside me. It felt so good.
More than that, it felt right.
“Squeeze your nipples.” Luke reached back and grabbed my ankle, lifting it, setting my foot on his shoulder. Oh god, now it felt like he was going even deeper. He did the same with the other leg, and it felt like his cock was impaling me. The friction and pressure were overwhelming my senses as he moved inside me, several long strokes followed by quicker, shallower thrusts.
“Yes… yes…” My cries echoed in his bedroom as he pushed into me again and again, propelling me closer to the explosion I could feel building.
“I’ve waited a long time for this,” he growled.
“Me too—”
“Waited a long time to make you come again. And that’s what you’re going to do. It’s just you and me, so don’t hold back, baby. I want to hear you scream.” His hand plunged between us, his finger finding my clit. He didn’t waste any time, flicking back and forth as he pounded in and out of me.
He was working me into a frenzy—I was so close. “Don’t stop,” I gasped, and he didn’t.
In and out, he filled me, claimed me, took me higher and higher. He worked my clit ceaselessly. “Come for me, Gabi. Come hard.”
Another thrust… another flick of my clit… and I was on fire, my body bucking against him, every muscle trembling as I came. “Luke!” I cried out before the intensity of the orgasm rendered me speechless. I writhed under him, jolts of electricity arcing through my body.
He plunged inside me once more, and stayed there, his body stiffening from his own release. His harsh grunts joined my gasping cries as we rode the waves together.
When at last he collapsed onto my chest, I held him close, wrapping my arms and legs around him. I could barely breathe—and couldn’t speak—but I knew I wasn’t ready to let go.