Author: Jaci Burton

“Challenge accepted.” He pushed her onto her back and covered her with the top half of his body, kissing her so thoroughly that if she’d been standing, she’d have been left dizzy. She loved his mouth, the way he kissed her with slow, deliberate kisses, as if he had all the time in the world. This wasn’t a man who gave her a brief kiss, then went for the action. He spent his time lingering at her lips, using his tongue to lick over hers, to draw her bottom lip into his mouth, to explore until she could barely breathe. And then he moved his lips over her jaw, down her neck and over her collarbone, eliciting chill bumps over her skin.

And when he rolled his tongue over the swell of her breasts at the edge of her bra, she wasn’t sure she’d ever felt anything so teasingly sensual. She wanted to rip off her bra so he could get to her nipples, but again, Luke seemed to be in no hurry. He finally slid his hand down her back to release the clasp on her bra, drew the straps down her arms.

He stared down at her, using the tip of his finger to draw circles around her nipples.

“Pretty,” he said, then bent and took one already erect bud into his mouth.

She breathed in, arching upward to give him more. She threaded her fingers into his hair to hold him in place as he licked and sucked her nipples and drove her crazy with the expertise of his mouth. She shuddered when he moved his tongue down her ribs and over her belly, anticipating his next move.

“Let’s get these off,” he said, tugging her capris down her legs, leaving her wearing only her panties.

And again, he took his time to caress and stare at her body.

“You’re beautiful, Emma.”

She reached for him, running her fingers over his torso. “And you have too many clothes on.”

“I can fix that.” He hopped off the bed, undid the zipper of his jeans and dropped them, along with his boxer briefs, revealing his magnificently sculpted body, and a very impressive erection.

“Uh, wow,” she said, rolling over to her side.

He grinned. “You’re good for my ego.” He climbed back on the bed and rolled her onto her back. “But right now, let’s worship your body. It sounds like you have some missed orgasms to make up for.”

“I’d like to complain and say we should take care of you, but I’m all for you worshipping my body.”

He laughed. “I like a woman who knows what she wants. And there’s plenty of time for me later.”

He was so . . . different from any man she’d ever known before. Night-and-day different from Vaughn, who’d always been about his pleasure first.

And that was the last time she was going to think about him tonight. Or ever. She’d much rather focus on Luke, who was gorgeous, built, and had already given her one amazing orgasm. How could she think about anyone else when Luke was drawing her panties down her legs, pulling her to the edge of the bed, and putting his mouth—

“There. Oh yes,” she said, and then words were lost as Luke pleasured her with his expert lips and tongue until she was mindless, until all she could think about was climbing that mountain until she reached the peak and fell.

His tongue was a sweet balm to her tortured senses. And when she came, he was right there, holding her hand and taking her right over. She arched and cried out, her entire body vibrating as Luke held tight to her hips and made her his.

He kissed his way up her body. Her utterly motionless body. She was sure she was done for, but by the time he reached her mouth and planted a kiss on her that seared her, she was convinced he had magical powers. She twined her legs around his, aware of the ever-constant erection he’d had for a while now.

She reached for him, wrapping her fingers around his length and thickness. His body was warm, but here he was hot and pulsing. She stroked him, and he grasped her wrist.

“We don’t want this to be over with in a hurry.”

She smiled. “I think it’s your turn.”

“I could be gallant and give you some time to rest, but all I’ve thought about is being inside you, Emma.”

Heat flared low in her belly. “I’ve thought a lot about that, too.”

He palmed her stomach. “You have a beautiful body. A sweet mouth, a laugh that makes my balls tight, and a smile that makes me want to kiss you. I think about you all the time.”

“Tell me what you think about.” In the haze of this amazing afterglow, he made her feel brave enough to ask the question.

“How you challenge me. Your contradictions, how sweet you are, the way you love animals, and the way you move when you walk. And I’ve thought a lot about this.” He leaned over her and took the tip of a nipple between his lips, rolling his tongue over it, then drawing it into his mouth to suck.

She shuddered out a breath at the exquisite sensation, her body tightening in reaction. She slid her fingers into his hair, unable to do anything but watch as he mastered her body. Giving up control was something she vowed she’d never do again, but she gladly gave over control to Luke because he demanded nothing. He only gave to her in a way that constantly surprised her. He seemed to draw pleasure from giving pleasure to her, which was something she wasn’t used to.

She could get used to it in a hurry, though.

He lifted up, his gaze locked with hers. “And I’ve thought a lot about getting you naked so I could touch you.” His fingers crept low, covering her sex, taking his time to coax a response from her that left her languid and needy and arching against him.

She lifted her gaze to his, hitching a breath as she saw the hunger in his eyes. “I really like your hands on me.”

When he finally rolled over and grabbed a condom from his bedside drawer, she was more than eager to feel him inside her, to share that intimacy with him again.

He tore the wrapper open and applied the condom, then nudged her legs apart and slid inside her.

A moan escaped her lips, and he captured her mouth in a searing kiss that made her quiver, inside and out. And when he began to move within her, she clenched around him, the sensations overwhelming. Feeling as if she was falling, she flailed for something to hold on to. Luke grasped her hand and twined his fingers with hers, centering her.

“Emma.” His voice was a gentle whisper in her ear.

She opened her eyes, and there he was, moving above her, his eyes dark and filled with the same hungry passion that wracked her body with a need she couldn’t explain. She arched into that need and he fed her, levering his hips to hit that spot that brought her closer to the orgasm she was surprised she’d be able to reach after he’d already given her two explosive ones already.

Yet here she was, poised on the edge again, and as she tightened, he knew, and he smiled.

“That’s it,” he said, moving his body perfectly, as if he knew exactly what she needed.

He was exactly what she needed, and it scared the hell out of her.

She tensed, and he paused.

“What?” he asked, holding himself up on his hands. “Something wrong?”

This was ridiculous. It was only sex. Just fabulous, glorious sex, and nothing else.

She cupped the back of his neck and pulled him down to her again. “No. Everything’s right.”

She kissed him, wrapped her arms around him, and he moved against her, taking her right back to that spot where she forgot everything except that mindless pleasure he gave her. He grasped her hips and held her, rubbing his body against hers until she exploded. And then he went with her, groaning against her as he came. She held tight to him as he shuddered, then lay still, his breath warm against her neck.

They were both sweating, Luke’s heart pounding against her chest. Or maybe that was her heart. She couldn’t tell. She was wrecked, physically and emotionally, tied to Luke’s body, wrapped around him, within him, in ways she hadn’t expected.

He kissed the side of her neck, didn’t seem to be in any hurry to move, so she stroked his back, played with his hair and just . . . breathed.

When he finally rolled over, he left the bed. She watched him, enjoying the view of his great ass. He came back a minute later and climbed into bed with her, tucking her against his chest and wrapping his arms around her.

“Give me a few minutes’ recovery time, then we’re going to do this again.”

She laughed. “You’re on.”

This was nice. And different.

She had to remind herself not to get attached to Luke. This was supposed to be fun and simple and just about sex and this weekend. They had agreed that neither of them was looking for a relationship.

But as she yawned and snuggled in close to him, she realized that she felt . . . safe with Luke. That’s what was different about him. She never felt threatened or exposed when she was with him.

She felt safe.

And she hadn’t felt safe with a man in a very long time.

Chapter 19

“COME ON, LAZY, time to get up and put your swimsuit on.”

As the haze of Luke’s voice reached her, Emma blinked against the harsh light that poured in through the open deck.

“It’s morning already?” She rolled over on her stomach and pulled the pillow over her head.

“Yup. And we’re burning daylight. Let’s get moving.”

“I need coffee.”

“Already made. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

She groaned, but rolled out of bed. As she stood and stretched, she smiled at the unfamiliar soreness, remembering last night—the three times they’d made love last night. And each time, Luke had been a giving lover, making sure she was more than satisfied.

“Delicious,” she whispered to herself. She went into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair. She found her swimsuit and threw on shorts and a tank top over it, forcing her eyes to focus as she made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. The smell of coffee was her savior.

Luke had already poured her a cup.

“You’re my hero,” she said as she took a sip of the dark brew.

“I’ll bet you say that to all the guys who make you coffee in the morning.”

“Yes, it’s a regular revolving door of hot men brewing me coffee.”

He leaned against the counter, and she drank her fill of him. He wore a pair of blue-and-white board shorts and no shirt, and that delicious thought continued. He looked hot and tan, his abs washboard tight and sexy, his hair still sleep-tousled. The last thing on her mind this morning was water-skiing. She wanted to drag him back upstairs and have her way with him about five or six more times until maybe she got tired of him.

“You keep looking at me like that, two things are gonna happen,” he said, giving her a very hot look over the rim of his coffee cup.

“Yeah? What two things?”

“One, I’m gonna get hard, and two, we’re never going to go water-skiing today.”

Her lips curved. “And those are bad things?”

“Not necessarily, but there’s plenty of time for those things later. Today I promised you I’d take you water-skiing.”

With a sigh, she said, “I guess you’re right.” She looked around. “Where are the dogs?”

“Out back. I already fed them.”

“Don’t you sleep?”

“I got plenty of sleep.”

“As I recall, we didn’t sleep much last night.” She’d drifted off, but he’d awakened her in the middle of the night, hard, and stroking her breasts. She’d gone willingly into his arms. Just the memory of the two of them making love in the dark had her body quickening, wanting more.

“You’re giving me that look again,” he said, arching a brow.

“Am I? You know, we could put off that whole water-skiing thing.”

“Temptress. I’m going to go check the gear. You’re dangerous to be around when you’re sleepy and sexy.”

She grinned and went out back, finding the dogs playing nearby. Annie was fighting Daisy for a stick, though it appeared to Emma that Daisy was merely humoring her. Boomer sat on the sidelines like a spectator, above it all. Annie would growl and Daisy would hold on, clearly stronger than the pup, at least for now. Eventually Daisy got bored and dropped the stick. Annie ran off victorious.