She’d chanted his name over and over, the mantra fueling his ministrations. “Luke…Luke…” she’d murmured, squirming beneath his hold.
Luke’s tongue pushed deeper into her, lapping and licking at the wetness that flowed from her fountain. Joanne cried out again, pushing herself even harder against his face as she succumbed to the desire. As his tongue lashed back and forth over her steaming sex, she couldn’t take anymore. She was desperate for the sweet culmination of his loving.
The back of Joanne’s head dug deep into the pillows as she arched her spine. For a brief moment she thought of pulling away, but Luke grabbed her thighs and held her still, his eager mouth never losing connection with her body. Joanne’s thighs clamped tightly to the sides of the man’s head as she rode the waves of sheer delight that had consumed her.
“Don’t…stop…I’m…” Joanne had screamed, her body quivering with the wrenching convulsions of an extreme orgasm. Her pelvis shuddered as she arched her back again. Her mind seemed to explode, as well. As she bucked against the mattress, Luke held her firmly, feeling her writhing and twisting against the sheets. Then as her orgasm had slowly begun to die away, he pulled himself from between her thighs.
Her eyes glazed, her heart thudding in her chest, Joanne reached her arms out to him, wanting to feel him next to her. Moving above her, Luke eased his body gently over hers, allowing his flesh to slowly kiss her flesh—thigh to thigh, belly to belly, torso to torso. He began to kiss her, his lips caressing her lips, her neck, her shoulders, her face, inserting his tongue into her mouth.
Luke didn’t think it possible for it to get any hotter, but it did, desire rising with a vengeance to sweep between them. She had slumped into soft compliance beneath him. The familiar ache between his legs raged with fury, desperate to possess her. Sensing his need, Joanne had reached between them to pull pulsating steel into her hand, wrapping her fingers tightly around his manhood.
Luke had inhaled swiftly, leaning his head into her neck as he’d relished the sensations sweeping from his groin. When it had become too much to bear, he’d grabbed her wrist to stall the rhythm of her strokes. “I want to be inside you,” he’d whispered softly, reaching for the condom he’d pulled from his wallet. “I want to feel you wrapped around me.”
Joanne had looked as if she were holding her breath in anticipation as she’d watched him sheathe his manhood. The engorged protrusion seemed to be moving with a mind of its own as it reached for its target. Gliding her body against him, her pelvis had rotated with want against an erection that had risen full and hungry for her.
His gaze moved up the length of her body until he was staring deep into her eyes. Tears misted his dark orbs, a wealth of emotion gleaming down at her. She had pressed a palm to the side of his face, lifting herself up just enough to meet his mouth with her own.
They held the kiss for just a brief moment, but the connection was the sweetest thing either of them had ever experienced. And then his body had melded with hers, Luke easing himself inside her as he pulled her legs up and around his back.
As they moved in perfect sync, time stood still. Luke pushed and pulled himself from her, his steady plunges pushing them both nearer and nearer to an abyss that they had never known possible. The feeling was too much, moving her own tears to spill past her lashes and dance against her full cheeks. As they’d ridden the last waves of their orgasm together, Luke had held her close, holding her tightly in his arms, vowing to never let the woman go.
Luke took a deep breath as he palmed his crotch with a heavy touch. Just thinking about the woman had him hard all over again, a raging erection pulling tight in his jeans. But something else was weighing down on him, as well. Something he had never experienced before. Whatever it was had a tight grip on his heart. There was no denying that Joanne Lake had him totally and completely spellbound.
Chapter 14
Her laughter was music to his ears, as Luke laughed with her. Joanne was doubled over, salty tears puddled at the edge of her eyes as she neared the point of crying from laughing so hard. Luke shook his head in amusement.
“It really wasn’t that funny.” He chuckled as they stood in the storage room of the community center, taking an inventory of the supplies.
Joanne nodded her head. “Yes…yes, it was,” she gasped, trying to catch her breath. “You should have…should have seen your expression!”
Luke knew the moment had been funny. His brothers were still teasing him about it. He imagined it would take some time to live that moment down. Joanne had joined him at the rodeo, the duo having a grand time watching the many events that had pitted horses and their riders against each other. Trying to show off, Luke had jumped into one of the paddocks, determined to give Joanne a display of his horsemanship. The horse he’d chosen to ride, though, wasn’t having any part of Luke’s plans. As Luke had tried to settle himself atop the massive animal, the horse had reared down on his front haunches, tossing Luke to the ground.
Luke had looked completely befuddled as he was suddenly sitting butt deep in a pile of horse manure, the horse turning an about-face and swiping the man with a wave of his tail as he eased himself over to the other side of the enclosure. The impression Luke had made was hardly the one he’d hoped for.
“Okay, so maybe it was a little funny,” Luke admitted.
Joanne swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. She took a deep breath of air, filling her lungs, and then a second, blowing warm breath past her lips. “At least you weren’t hurt,” she said finally. “I wouldn’t do that again if I were you.”
Luke chuckled. “Not to worry, baby. Matthew can keep his horses.”
“Your family was very sweet. I really had a good time.”
“I’m glad, Joanne. I had a great time, too.” Taking a glance over his shoulder to ensure no one could see them, he leaned to press a light kiss to her lips. “A very nice time,” he whispered seductively.
Joanne could feel her cheeks warming, a faint blush washing over her face.
The two had spent most of their time together over the weekend talking. Joanne had wanted to ensure that Luke didn’t think she just randomly jumped into bed with every man who showed her an ounce of attention. It had been important to her that Luke understand that the time they’d shared had been exceptionally special, that her attraction to him had not only taken her by surprise but had her feeling something she had never ever felt before for a man. She’d been relieved when Luke had admitted that he was feeling it, as well, wanting her like he’d never wanted any other woman before.
His teasing only served to remind her that she had thrown caution right out the door, engaging in activity, and in places, she had no business. She could feel a full grin pulling at her mouth. Shaking her head, Joanne couldn’t begin to explain what had gotten into her. Luke, however, hadn’t been at all dismayed by what they had done and where they had done it.
As if he could read her mind, the man pressed another kiss to the back of her neck, allowing his lips to linger there longer than necessary.
“We could lock the door,” he whispered, warm breath teasing her earlobe.
“No, we can’t.” Joanne giggled, turning to face him as she met his mouth in a quick kiss. “Don’t even think about it.”
Luke laughed. “Oh, I can think about it. That’s half the fun.”
“Luke Stallion, you are trouble. I can see that now,” she said, gliding her index finger along the line of his profile.
He smiled. “Yes, I am,” he said, winking. “Think you can handle me?”
“The question, sir, is can you handle me?” she said, her demure tone causing a ripple of heat to pierce his insides.
The man’s eyes widened, a full grin spreading across his face. “Oh, baby, that sounds like a challenge.”
Joanne laughed warmly, moving out the large door. “Something tells me you’ll have no problems with being up for any task, Mr. Stallion. No problems at all.”
“I’m up, all right,”
Luke chimed, following behind her. “Girl, I’m definitely up!”
Time flew. It had taken no time at all before Luke and Joanne had established a comfortable routine with each other. Joanne couldn’t begin to imagine herself going back to how it was before Luke had come into her life. She relished the time they spent each evening sharing what each had accomplished during the day.
She was moved by Luke’s dedication to the rejuvenation project. His commitment to the community was inspiring, the man moved to restore the area to its original glory. He frequently sought out her opinion, and Joanne was flattered that he respected what she thought and believed in. His interest in her business was encouraging her as well, as Luke pushed her to think outside of the box, allowing her to bounce her ideas off him as he fueled her creativity with his own.
The two were having such a good time together that Joanne hadn’t given a second thought to telling him about her father or her history, and Luke hadn’t pushed for information that he saw that she was uncomfortable sharing.
Luke understood that there were things in Joanne’s life that hadn’t always brought her joy. Every so often a look of dismay and hurt would cross her face when he’d ask about her family and her friends. So Luke vowed that if he could avoid it, he would never say or do anything to put that pain in her eyes.
Both were enjoying how their new relationship was developing. Both were awed by their new couple status, never having fathomed that being one half of a whole could have happened so quickly.
The two were seated on the oversized sofa in Luke’s bedroom, a raging fire burning in the fireplace. The day had been long and strenuous and Luke was glad to finally be finished with it. He was also glad that Joanne was there with him, listening to his concerns and readily offering him words of encouragement and advice.
He looked up from the laptop resting on his thighs to stare at her as she pored over dress designs on the other end of the couch. They sat facing each other, their legs entangled across the length of the upholstered cushions. Watching her had become habitual, with Luke stealing glances every opportunity he could. He loved watching her from a distance. Loved how her brow furrowed in concentration when something was challenging her. He adored how her eyes lit up when she was happy, the wealth of it shimmering across her face. Luke found himself reveling in the feeling of deep contentment he was feeling whenever he was with Joanne. Loved feeling like he would be happy to spend the rest of his life lying right there near her. Luke suddenly saw himself holding tight to that feeling forever, never wanting it to end.
He closed his eyes, taking delight in how she caressed the length of his leg with her bare foot. Her touch had provoked every nerve ending in his body to fire with anticipation. Easing his computer to the floor, he leaned back against the armrest, falling into a feel-good moment that had captured his full attention. From the other end of the sofa, Joanne was watching him as intently, her own desire igniting like a brush fire out of control. A sly smile pulled at the corners of her mouth as she drew a heated path from the cusp of his groin down to his ankles.
“Girl, what are you doing to me?” Luke suddenly asked, his voice dropping to a loud whisper. He opened his eyes, staring at her keenly with a look of sheer lust.
Joanne giggled, her manicured toes grazing the wealth of an erection that was pressing heavily against the confinement of his sweatpants. “Want me to stop?” she asked, as she stroked him with the ball of her foot.
Luke shook his head, leaning his head back against the sofa as he closed his eyes. What she was doing was feeling much too good for him to stop her. Luke didn’t notice when Joanne reached for her glass of iced tea on the end table.
A sly smile spread across Joanne’s face. Reaching into the liquid, she pulled out a single ice cube. Pulling it to her mouth, she kissed it, sucking it in slowly as she adjusted to the freezing texture against her lips.
Moving up the length of his body, Joanne slowly pushed her hands beneath his T-shirt, moving the fabric to expose his naked skin. Sucking the ice cube into her mouth, Joanne leaned to kiss Luke’s bare nipple, allowing the frozen water to snake past her lips and graze his erect nipple. The sudden chill moved Luke to sit upright, wincing ever so slightly. Joanne’s gaze met his stare, her palm pushing him back down as she moved to his other nipple, encircling the dark bud with her cold lips. She felt his body jump, his erection pulsing against her abdomen.
Luke clasped his hands together above his head, fighting the urge to push her from him, relishing the intense sensations of hot and cold that were sweeping through his body. His legs shifted against the sofa as he moved to wrap them around the back of her thighs.
Joanne continued to trail a hot-and-cold path down his torso, pausing to sink her tongue into his belly button. Ice water dripped from her mouth and she lapped at it with her tongue. The melting ice caused droplets of water to dribble across the taut muscles of his abdomen, down to the tight curls that peeked from the waistband of his sweats. Luke’s head bent backward as he felt a shock of pleasure burn through him. He felt himself stiffen even more, his flesh harder than concrete.
Clasping him around his hips, Joanne pushed at his pants, moving him to lift his hips as she drew the garment over his buttocks. With freedom gained, his erection strained and bobbed with his runaway pulse, begging for attention. When Joanne took him in her mouth, his brain went numb, all coherent thought lost to him.
The sensations were overwhelming, pleasure beyond his comprehension. Joanne rotated her head when he bottomed out in her throat, his engorged member filling her mouth. Luke gasped at the woman’s aggressiveness. Joanne had attacked his manhood as if it were necessary for their survival, her ministrations urgent. Luke didn’t know how he would be able to last under such an onslaught, his whole body starting to tremble and quake. Every muscle in his body suddenly tensed as Joanne pleasured him like he’d not been pleasured before. His heart was beating heavily in his chest and then his whole body exploded, every one of his senses leaving him a second away from unconsciousness.
As Joanne sat back against the sofa, her gaze still locked on his face, Luke fought to regain his composure. His breathing was erratic, sweat beading across his brow. He opened his eyes and met her stare. Joanne’s smile filled him.
“You are staying the night, right?” he finally managed to ask, still gasping for air.
Joanne laughed, tossing her head back against her neck. “Should I stay?”
Luke nodded. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The smell of coffee invaded Joanne’s consciousness. For a brief moment, she wondered where the decadent scent was coming from, and then she remembered the personal coffeepot Luke had set on a timer the evening before.
Sleep had come in the early hours of the morning, their late-night antics keeping them up well past their usual bed times. Luke’s naked body was curved warmly around her own nakedness, and Joanne had no desire to rise from where they lay. Luke’s breathing was still deep and heavy, and Joanne knew that he was as reluctant to pull himself from the throes of sleep as she was. She heaved a deep sigh.
The man had become a sweet addiction, a craving that she couldn’t seem to get enough of, and Joanne was completely enamored with him. Luke Stallion had unleashed a wealth of emotion that Joanne hadn’t known she possessed. She felt a sense of freedom with the man, all her inhibitions melting away when they were together. Joanne couldn’t begin to fathom the effect he’d managed to have on her usually reserved and conservative personality traits. But Luke had set her inner tiger free, and Joanne had no desire to cage that beast.
She rolled her body against the padded mattress, turning until she was facing the man. She pressed her face into his chest, inhaling the scent of him. Without opening his eyes, Luke wrapped his arms tightly around her torso, hugging her close. His touch was easy and gentle as he slowly caressed her back and shoulders. Joanne snuggled down into the warmth of it.
Whatever was happening between them had taken on a life o
f its own. Joanne didn’t have the words to define what she was feeling for Luke, but she knew that whatever fate might have in store for them, she could easily stay lost in that Stallion’s arms forever.
Chapter 15
John and Matthew stood at the back of the oversize conference room, arms folded over their chests as Luke and the team he’d pulled together presented the final details of the rejuvenation proposal.
When every aspect of the project had been explained, analyzed and critiqued, Luke shut off the overhead projector and closed his laptop. Silence filled the space as everyone waited for the senior partners to react. Luke held his breath in anticipation.
Matthew cut an eye at John as he moved to the front of the room. “How soon before you’ll be ready to initiate stage one?” Matthew asked, meeting Luke’s stare as he sat down.
“All the permit applications can be filed today. I have assurances from the zoning department and the permit office that they’ll have them completed within two weeks. There are contracts on the table already for us to officially purchase the necessary property, and we can close in forty-five days. The rest is gravy. All we need is the go-ahead.”
Luke looked from Matthew to John, his expression hopeful. He knew he’d done a good job, exceeding everyone’s expectations, but he was anxious to hear John say so. He was eager for his older brother to give him the okay to proceed.
John said nothing, a pensive stare focused intently on the younger man. A slow smile finally pulled at John’s mouth, lifting it easily. He nodded his head as he strode slowly to the head of the oversized conference table, moving to stand in front of Luke. The two men eyed each other briefly, then John extended his hand, the two men shaking.
Lost in a Stallion's Arms (Kimani Romance) Page 12