Authors: Joan Swan

Blaze (14 page)

BOOK: Blaze

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Her lashes swept down to cover the sharp glint of her eyes as she looked at his bare chest. “He's a lousy kisser. Does that help?”

“Uh . . . No.”
Hell no
.

“Hmm. Sorry.” She bent her knee and slid it along the outside of his thigh. His throat thickened. “He's not near as hot as you. Does that help?”

“Hardly.”

Her hands slid over his shoulders, his back, rounded forward to stroke his belly. Luke's body jerked in response. The warmth of her touch pushed a moan out of his throat. At her back, he closed his hands into fists to keep them from roaming, but had to open them again to grab her hands and still them as her fingers toyed with the waistband of his boxer briefs.

His breathing had picked up by the time she slid her fingers into his and flattened their palms. “His body doesn't even begin to compare to yours.”

“You know . . .” He was caught between searing jealousy and a sexual need so primal he was ready to chew his own arm off to fill it. “The fact that you've kissed him and seen his body doesn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”

A short, disgusted laugh scraped her throat. She pushed his hands back, rolled toward him, and whipped one leg over his hips until she was straddling him on her knees, his hands secured on either side of his head. God help him, she was gorgeous. She looked down at him with those eyes, those freckles, tossed her hair to one side, and licked her lips. “If you really want to ruin the moment, I could drag out all your . . . affairs . . . since we broke up.”

Impatient for the weight of her hips on hisâeven while knowing it would be better for them both if she changed her mind and climbed off himâhe moved beneath her. “You make it sound like I had a different girl every night. I don't know what you heard, butâ”

“But it doesn't matter now. Unless you're seeing someone.” Her eyes grew intense, her body still. “Are you?”

“Uh . . . no.” A flicker of panicâthat she might actually go through with this seduction and he'd be so pathetically helpless to stop her once it startedâhad him struggling to get up. Actually struggling. She was a hell of a lot stronger than she looked. Which only turned up the heat in his flaming body. “Keira, let's back up a secondâ”

“Let me clear this up for you, because I know how you can beat one subject to death.” She made one hard push of his hands against the bed, stilling them. Her eyes shone with residual wetness, but the mind behind them had shed any weakness. The warrior was back. And she had her sights set on him.

She bent her knees and lowered her hips until that sweet, hot center pressed against his straining erection, separated by only two thin layers of fabric. Lust kicked through his system. His eyes closed, hips rose automatically. Keira responded by rocking against him, the silk of her panties sliding along his length.

“Ah, God. Baby, what . . . ?” He'd started to ask what they were doing, but he knew damn well what they were doing. He also knew asking that question might very well stop what they were doing, and he didn't think he could. Not now. After so long without her. So many dark nights. So many unfulfilled fantasies. “Christ, Keira.”

She stilled against him and waited until Luke cracked his lids to continue speaking. “Not including tonight, because
he
kissed
me
without my consent, Tony and I kissed once. I've seen his body during workouts at the gym. I was not involved with him, nor did I sleep with him. Nor did I ever want to.” She lifted her brows, lowered her face closer to his, which pressed her hips harder against him. “Better?”

“Aaaah . . . God, yes.”

“We were amazing together, Luke.” She leaned closer and whispered. Her breath caressed his jaw, his neck. He squeezed her hands hard and curled his toes to keep from pushing against her. “Do you remember? How hot, how sexy, how fun? Do you remember how you taught me everything? How to touch you, how to ride youâ”

“Keira.” With an irritated, wanton bark, Luke opened his eyes and stared past her beautiful face toward the ceiling.

He hadn't been her first lover, but neither had she been experienced when she and Luke had finally slept together. He'd never dreamed she would end up being as much a teacher as a student.

She released one of his hands and caressed his jaw. His mouth opened against her palm.
Don't kiss her. Don't do it. If you start, you'll never stop.
He growled and closed his teeth on her skin instead.

She gasped, the sound more surprise than pain. He hadn't put enough pressure behind the bite to hurt her, just enough to snap them both back to reality. “You're playing with fire here, baby.” He looked directly into her eyes with all the fierceness built up in his body, wanting her to understand exactly what she was unleashing. “It's been one hell of a long time and I'm locked and loaded.”

Something hot jumped in her eyes, and a slow, wicked smile slid over her face just before her hips tilted in a slow erotic lunge. “Bring it on.”

Excitement shot through his hips, up his chest. He arched and groaned. She combed her fingers through his hair, pressed her mouth to his chest. An electric wave of sensation flowed from her body to his. An overwhelming passion surged in one wild undulation, shoulders to thighs. His cock swelled until it ached.

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.
The fire mellowed and his brain came back online. “What the hell was that?”

“That was
us,
” she whispered, her mouth at his ear. “You're so right; it's been one hell of a long time, Lucas. Too damn long.”

Longer than he cared to think about. Far longer than she knew.

“What?” She lifted her head, a frown of suspicion on her face.

He slid his other hand out from under hers and cupped her face in both hands. Ran his thumbs over her freckles. This reading minds thing was getting dicey, especially under these conditions. “What, what?”

“Don't what, what me. What did you just think?”

If he wanted to ruin the mood, all he had to do was answer that question honestly. Fess up to the fact that it had taken him a year to even come to terms with the realization that she wasn't coming back. That he would actually have to attempt to move on. After which he'd spent another year haphazardly dating and sleeping with every type of woman from corporate executives to free-spirit artists just to find out where he belonged. Only to discover each morning after that the hole inside him had grown a little wider, a little deeper, a little darker. Until he couldn't face one more excavation.

His solution had been to stop having sex altogether. About a year ago.

And at this moment, he would give almost anything to be able to take every one of those nights back just to be able to tell her he'd never been with anyone after her. Wished he'd been smart enough to know
this
was where he'd always belonged. That he hadn't shoved that barrier between them and broken the bond they'd shared.

Second chances don't happen as often as people think.

“You're thinking pretty hard there, Ransom. And working pretty hard to keep me out.” Her fingers drifted across his forehead, down his nose to his lips. “How long is it going to take before you ask for what you need?”

He caved. It didn't even take a second.

He lifted his head, drove his fingers into her hair, and kissed her mouth before he could change his mind. She sucked in a breath of surprise, siphoning the air from his throat, then returning it on a groan as she sank in and kissed him back.

Her mouth was just like he remembered, supple, warm, wet, and so willing. Unable to wait, he swept his tongue inside. And groaned again. She still tasted wild and sultry, and now with the tang of salt from her tears, a little forbidden, a little frightening. Her tongue met his in a slow, circular sweep that made his muscles quiver.

“Oh, God,” he said against her mouth. “So good, baby. So good.”

Her hands wrapped around his shoulders, nails clawed at his skin as if she couldn't get close enough fast enough. He tilted his head, took her mouth harder, faster, deeper. Ignoring the pull of his ribs, he rolled them to the side, then onto her back.

She wiggled, positioning him just right between her opened legs and fully drew his hips in. And Luke felt like he'd come home. The level of joy flooding his chest frightened the hell out of him. He couldn't just have sex with her and walk away. He couldn't lose her again.

He rested high on his elbows to look down at her, that shiny black hair dark against the pillow, her face scraped, bruises developing in various places along her jaw, forehead, and cheek. “You're so beautiful.”

With sultry, heavy-lidded eyes, she slid her hands down his back, gripped his ass, and pulled her hips into her as she lifted and rocked. Luke nearly climaxed. And, Jesus, wouldn't that have been a beautiful screwup?

“Slow down, baby.” He clenched his teeth, moved his hips back to break the connection. Yeah, he wanted her fast, but not that fast. “You're gonna make me lose it here.”

She groaned in complaint and tried to pull him back. “I love that. When you can't control yourself. When your mind blanks out and your body takes over. I want it. I want
you
.”

“You are so sexy.” He pushed the T-shirt up, exposing her tight abdomen, complete with a couple ridges of muscle. Pressed his hands to her waist and slid them up her ribs. So soft, so hard, so perfect. “Goddamn, you feel good. When did you go all Rambo?”

She laughed. The sound filtered through his head, squeezed every last thought from his mind, and then wrapped around his heart. Tied it off with a big fat bow. He was history. What ever made him think he could go through life without her?

He slid down her body, pressed his mouth against her belly. Her fingers raked through his hair.

“Lucas.” His name was part groan, part sigh. “God, I've missed you.”

Ah, shit. He squeezed his eyes against the burn. He couldn't count the number of times he'd dreamed of hearing her say those words. Only now, holding her, kissing her, loving her again, did he realize he'd also been waiting for them. Had put his entire life on hold secretly hoping, praying, this moment would come.

“Make love to me, Lucas.” She pulled at his hair, squirmed beneath him, searching for contact. “I need you. I really need you.”

Life didn't get any sweeter than this. He wanted to savor it. But after so long without sex, without her, his body was in the driver's seat.

He skimmed teeth, lips, and tongue up her stomach, pushed the cotton over one luscious breast, and sucked the nipple into his mouth. She fisted his hair, arched, and let out a little cry of pleasure that sparked him deep inside.

“I . . . God, I can't wait.” She gripped his face and pulled his mouth from her breast. “Condoms. Do you have any?”

A light flicked on in his head. A blindingly bright light that made his brain wince. Condoms. Common sense.

“Luke?”

With his chin on her belly, he looked up at her. His stomach squeezed with dread and hope. “What . . . if I said no?”

“No, what?” She was breathing hard, eyes hazed with lust, brow pulled in confusion.

“No, I don't have any.”

She stared a blank second, then released his face, pushed herself back, sitting up. The T-shirt fell over her perfect breasts. Thoughts passed through her eyes, but not her mind, at least none that he could hear. And judging by the flashes of disappointment, that was probably a good thing.

“I guess I'd say . . .” She blew out a breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and combed both hands through her hair. “Shit.” Wiped both hands over her face. “Dammit, Luke. Why'd you let that . . .” She gestured helplessly. “Why'd you let me do that if you didn't have any?”

He lifted an eyebrow, barely restrained an absurd laugh. “Keira.”

Anger and embarrassment tightened her expression. She pushed out a heavy breath and tried to escape from beneath him.

“Wait.” He grabbed her hips before she got away and pulled her back, pressed his forehead to her shoulder. “I really want to be inside you. Really want to feel you, Keira.” It was true. So damn true. He ached to feel her again. And he really
didn't
have any condoms. “We can still . . .” He kissed his way up her neck to her ear and whispered, “Let me make you come, then I'll pull out. I promise.”

Her head fell back on a groan, half pain, half pleasure. He took the opportunity to bite a gentle path back down to her collarbone. “You can't be serious. Luke, you
know
that doesn't work.”

He dropped his head against her shoulder again.
Would it really be such a bad thing if it didn't work?

“Whoa.” Her head came up, eyes dazed. “Did that mean what I think it meant?”

BOOK: Blaze

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