His hand traced a path down her arm. His touch was light and comforting, but was he claiming what was his? Gooseflesh rose on her arm under her sleeve. Her heart pounded, robbing her of breath. She could not relax at his touch but felt…
Anything but fear. Nothing in Luke’s demeanor or touch frightened her. She trusted him to cherish her and do no harm.
“I like how you are touching me, Luke.” She should at least give him feedback on the touches that she did enjoy. Perhaps having her clothing on made it feel safer.
His hand stilled momentarily before resuming its exploration back up her arm and across her shoulder and collarbone. “You don’t know how much I like touching you. You sure smell pretty tonight.”
She grinned. “Mamá’s angel trumpet soap.”
“No, it’s the essence of Cassie.” He bent toward her to brush his lips against her temple. “I love you, Sweet Pea.”
“I love you, too, Luke.” Each time she said the words, they became easier. But fears of disappointing him if she could not show that love physically left her worried. “What if I cannot—”
His fingers against her lips silenced her. “We’ve spoken our vows. Those are the only promises I needed to hear. We’re going to take this relationship slowly—one touch at a time. If I go too fast, remember your safeword.”
She giggled. “Pickle?”
“Well, you can choose any word you want, as long as you tell me ahead of time. That one was just to break the ice and lighten the mood.”
She smiled, imagining she would need that every time they embarked on an intimacy session. “Pickle will be fine.” She met his gaze, seeing the love shining in the reading light from the headboard. “You make me feel so special.”
Cherished.
Honored.
Loved.
“You’re the most special person in the world to me, darlin’.”
She nibbled on her lower lip, unsure if she should say it. But he asked for honesty. “What if I cannot respond to a man’s touch again?”
“You just let me keep touching you and we’ll see where this goes.”
“T-touching my private areas?”
Luke chuckled. “Let’s start slowly. Arms, head and neck, legs—thighs and below.”
“I can do that.” If he did not touch her breasts or more sexual places, what harm could be done? Cassie nodded.
“Think of this as being two teenagers exploring each other’s bodies for the first time. No sex. Just touch.”
The tip of his finger traced an imaginary line down her right arm and then moved slowly up again. She shivered, surprised at the catch in her breath. He had only touched her arm, so why was she feeling so—
Her nipples peaked and Cassie moved quickly to hide her chest from his gaze. Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment.
“Darlin’, when a wife responds to the touch of her husband, it’s never bad or dirty. It’s just damned hot. Lower your arms. I won’t touch, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to see the effect my touch has on you.”
Breathe, Cassie.
She lowered her arms to her sides and let him continue to touch her. Surprisingly, her body responded to his touch. He had turned her from someone totally shut down to someone who wanted…
Wanted…
More.
Her legs trembled, and suddenly nervous about being a disappointment to him, Cassie curled over on her side, away from Luke, hoping he would stop igniting her body.
Undeterred, he kept stroking her arm. Up and down in slow, tantalizing strokes. He lifted her hair and his lips pressed against the nape of her neck above the collar of her gown. She shivered, goose bumps breaking out on her arms. She clamped her legs more tightly together. Even though he had not touched her there, the juncture between her legs tingled as if he had.
Luke molded his hard body against hers. His erection pressed against her bottom and she moved away.
“I do not think I can do this!” How could she be afraid of letting go the way he wanted her to?
His firm hand on her upper arm halted her escape. “Shhh. You don’t have to do anything. I’m just going to hold you. Touch you. Just the way we agreed.”
Had she agreed to respond like this? She could not remember. He had said something about touching her arms and legs but she had no idea his touch could be so…powerful.
Or feel so…right.
His hand moved to hers and his thumb made featherlike circles on the inside of her wrist, sending jolts of electricity throughout her body. How could a simple, non-sexual touch to her wrist be so…erotic? Places she had not acknowledged existing for years also sparked to life.
Cassie leaned back against him, giving Luke better access to her arm, her wrist, but Luke pulled away and knelt on the bed. Before she could guess what he had planned, he pushed the coverlet down, exposing her body. Why did she feel so naked when she was covered from neck to ankles? Without a word of explanation or warning, he crawled down the bed to her knees.
“Lie on your stomach.”
She hesitated a moment, but her backside felt less vulnerable than her front so she soon complied, resting her face on the pillow turning away so he could not see her response. The material of her gown skimmed along her calves, baring them to his gaze. The exposed skin burned as if touched by his hand, but only the cloth had made contact with it.
When her knees were bare, he stopped moving the garment and she relaxed again—until he kissed the back of her left knee. Cassie jerked her knee away. “What are you doing?”
He chuckled. “Kissing my wife’s body—so I can make her jump like that.”
“Why would you want me to jerk away like that?”
His fingertip traced a circle on the back of the knee where he had kissed her and gooseflesh rose there, as well. “Because having you respond to me is just about the sexiest thing I can imagine at the moment.”
Sexy? “I am not sexy.” The breathy tone in her voice made it sound as if it had come from someone else entirely. She wore a nightgown covering most of her body and yet his words made her feel desired, sensual, sexual.
Breathe, Cassie.
Luke’s touch grew firmer as he massaged her calves, moving lower. His hands eased away the tension in her left one first, then the right. Who knew she held tension in her legs? He moved lower to her foot. Bending her leg, he drew her foot closer to him, and his thumbs massaged the ball of her left foot.
“Mmmmm.”
Had she just moaned? The involuntary sound hung in the air.
* * *
“Ticklish, darlin’?”
“I did not think so.”
We’re fixin’ to find out.
He brushed his lips along her instep, and she jerked her leg away. Luke tamped down the urge to chuckle. So damned responsive. Wanting his kiss to linger, he moved to her right foot and massaged her instep with his thumbs. When he placed a kiss on this one, she jerked a little but quickly relaxed into his hands.
Man, he loved her dainty feet.
“Good girl.” Her control of her responses told him she would have good discipline if they ever tried anything kinky. His cock stirred as he thought about restraining her with rope.
Slow down, Denton. You have a lot of ground to cover first.
Such a dainty foot. Yeah, he did have a thing for her feet. He grinned.
You’re a goner, man.
They had the rest of their lives to explore each other’s bodies, too. Although they’d been legally married for two months, he didn’t think she considered herself truly married until today. This was the first time she’d surrendered herself to his touch.
The exhaustion from tonight’s events ebbed away when he looked up a little while ago to see her standing in the doorway, her curves silhouetted by the hallway light. They wouldn’t be sleeping much tonight.
Her level of trust had ramped up, too, during this trip. Maybe with the threat of those bastards behind her, some lasting healing could start. He flexed his hand. He neve
r thought himself capable of killing another living thing, but tonight he would have killed Pedro—and the others, too, if need be.
When he pressed his thumbs into the ball of this foot, she moaned again.
That’s my girl.
Emboldened, he laid her foot down and raked his fingers past her ankles and over her calves. Goose bumps sprang up. Her tiny gasp told him he’d surprised her. Well, he planned to spend the rest of his life bringing surprises like that into Cassie’s life.
He kneaded her calves again on the way back up, but she was much less tense now. He spent a good fifteen minutes on one before doing the same with the other. Realizing he hadn’t heard anything from her in a while, he glanced up. Her eyes were closed.
“Cassie? You doing okay, darlin’?”
No response. He placed one hand on either side of her body and leaned over her. Her chest rose and fell with her shallow, rhythmic breaths. Asleep? Was she kidding?
Luke sat back on his heels and shook his head before a wide grin spread across his face. That his bride trusted him enough to fall asleep while he touched her body spoke volumes. He stretched out on the bed beside her, lying on his back as he stared at the ceiling. It was going to be another long, frustrating night.
Oh, what the hell? He rolled onto his side and pulled Cassie toward him, half expecting her to wake up and halfway acknowledge his presence. Instead she sighed and the corners of her mouth curled slightly.
He bent down and placed a kiss on her lips before reaching for the covers. Tonight he would have Cassie in his arms. Nothing else mattered but holding her as close to his body as he could. So he did.
“Goodnight, sweet bride of mine.”
* * *
Cassie dreamt she was cocooned like a butterfly sprite and then emerged into the light of a new day, her wings fluttering as she tested them for the first time. The steady beat of a drum encouraged her to break free of the bonds of earth and fly.
Free.
As the fog of sleep lifted, she found her cheek resting against Luke’s chest. Their legs were entangled in a suggestive way and her gown had ridden high on her thighs. She pulled away to adjust it, but Luke protested in his sleep and tightened his arm around her body, holding her closer.
An instant of panic melted away as she reminded herself this was her husband. I trust him. Luke had never done anything to take advantage of that trust. Rather than returning to her cocoon, she decided to relish in the euphoria she had experienced in the dream.
Had she finally broken free of the past? Reclaimed her power?
Goddess, please make it so.
Cassie was abundantly tired of having to be on guard every moment of the day. Five years of living that way had exhausted her and turned her into a person even she did not want to spend time with. Why had Luke put up with her months of constantly pushing him away and distancing herself from him?
Such a patient man.
He must see something in her that he wanted, unless he was merely the type of person always rescuing the lost. Luke’s empathy for wounded creatures whose spirits had been shattered was one of the first things that endeared him to her. She had seen it in how he treated his horses. Even the dog and puppies they found at the cabin. She couldn’t wait to check on them when they returned home.
But she had also experienced it in the way he nurtured and cared for her.
Last night, his touch had been so innocent, and yet her mind and body twisted it into something carnal. Parts of her body she did not know existed throbbed, ached for his touch. Even now, hours later. She wanted a man’s touch for the first time since…
Don’t think of that time. Live in the moment.
Wanting to show she was ready to try harder to do just that, her hand brushed across Luke’s T-shirt. His muscular chest—honed by hard work rather than barbells in a weight room—might be hard as steel, but her subconscious had led her to use it as her pillow while she slept.
Raising herself onto her elbow, she traced her fingertip down the center of his chest, avoiding his pecs and nipples. She paused just above his naval and retraced her path. Above his heart, the steady beat made her realize this had been the drumbeat heard in her dream.
Solid, strong, steady.
Luke.
How long had she slept with her ear over his beating heart? She leaned over and placed a kiss on the spot, feeling the beat reverberate against her tingling lips.
“Mornin’, darlin’.”
She pulled away and stared into Luke’s sleepy eyes. Is this what was meant by bedroom eyes? Her heart fluttered as the smoke returned to his smoky-gray eyes. “How long have you been awake?”
He grinned. “Long enough. Don’t stop on my account.”
She drew her hand away from him. “I…I think I was finished.”
“You sure?”
She was not sure of anything anymore.
“I think so.”
“Well, ain’t that a shame?”
“I am sor—”
His fingers pressed over her lips cutting off her apology. “Don’t apologize for everything all the time, or I’ll take you over my knee.” Her eyes widened, and she started to pull away until he grinned and she realized it was just an American expression.
He moved his hand up to brush a strand of her hair away from her cheek. “You allowed me to touch you last night. Waking up to find you touching me, well, do you have any idea how incredibly happy that makes me feel?” He did not wait for a response. “But I don’t want to hear you ever regret anything that happens between us.”
“I am—” She almost did it again, but caught herself. “I am going to work on it.”
“Good girl. And for future reference, the best way to wake me up that I can think of—well, at this point in our relationship—is with a kiss wherever you want to leave one.” He framed her face and leaned toward her to place three chaste kisses on her mouth. When he released his hold on her, she retreated to a more comfortable distance, bringing her fingers to her tingling lips. Her heart pounded, but she knew this to be the result of arousal, not fear.
“We’re just going to keep taking baby steps.” He touched the tip of her nose and grinned. “This is going to be a nice, leisurely trail ride, darlin’, not the Kentucky Derby. We have the rest of our lives to wake up in each other’s arms, to explore what each of us enjoys, to deepen our relationship in ways we can’t even imagine right now.”
Her heart swelled at his words. How had she found a man so…? She kept coming back to the word “patient.” That he was joyful about every little crumb she meted out, even though he had to be incredibly frustrated, enchanted her even more.
Cassie leaned over and placed a lingering kiss on his lips, breathless when she put some distance between them again. “Thank you, Luke. Now I think we should go see what our last day in my homeland holds for us.”
* * *
When they ventured out of the bedroom, Cassie was surprised to find the house filled with children’s voices and the smells of wonderful foods wafting through the front room. How long had she and Luke been in bed?
She started toward the kitchen when Luke steered her toward the living room. Perhaps he wanted to visit with Eduardo’s children first. Cassie came to a standstill when she saw the portrait she had given her parents at last night’s reception hanging over their mantle.
“Your dad asked me to help him hang it last night while you were in the bathroom. He is proud of his daughter’s talent and wants to be sure every visitor to his home sees it.”
She blinked back the tears. Would they never stop? “Thank you.”
“Tía Casandra, why do you cry?” Eduardo had instructed his oldest son to speak English around Luke as a show of hospitality.
“Lalo, it is because I am so very happy.” He shook his head and went back to playing a game with the others.
“Now, I need coffee and you need breakfast.”
Hand in hand, they entered the kitchen where Mamá set down the soup ladle
and crossed the room to give them both hugs. After pouring two mugs of strong, black coffee, they decided to share a seat at the opposite end from where Susana nursed Quenti so Mamá could sit when ready. No one seemed to want to move to the larger dining room table. The kitchen was cozy.
Quenti must have been feeding for a while because now he only sporadically chomped on Susana’s nipple to squeeze out a little more. Cassie smiled, thinking of Kitty and her three babies all demanding her milk at the same time. Well, only two could suckle at their mamá’s breasts at a time, but she pumped in between to always have some on hand.
Cassie looked up to see Luke wearing a sappy smile, and although he was not looking at Susana and Quenti, she just knew that was why. Susana had not covered herself in front of him as American women might. But he didn’t seem embarrassed or horrified at the natural sight either.
What would it be like…
Don’t think about a baby, Cassie.
Only baby steps, as Luke had said.
Like sitting on Luke’s lap now. She found herself wanting to touch him, be held by him, just be closer together physically. Intimacy. He played with her hair and rubbed her back, innocent touches that just melted more of the ice away from her heart.
Eduardo entered the room and placed a kiss first on Susana’s smiling upturned face and then on the crown of her newest nephew’s head. Only then did he look across the room at Luke and Cassie.
“How are you two doing this morning?”
Eduardo relaxed visibly when she smiled at him. “Wonderful. I hope you are not suffering any ill effects from the excitement last night.”
“I would do it all again to protect my family.” Cassie noticed bandages on his knuckles, but when asked he assured her Susana was just overreacting.
Luke had refused to let her treat his hands, but now she wished she had insisted, too. She met his gaze. “Next time, you will listen to me and let me take care of you, too.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He grinned and she was not sure if he was serious or not. She hoped there would be no next time. The thought of seeing him or Eduardo hurt again made her ill.
“Lucas, you showed me last night I have nothing to worry about with you watching over my little sister.”
Nobody's Dream (Rescue Me Saga #6) Page 57