Perfect for what? I don’t get a chance to ask because he drops to his knees, spreads my legs wide, and dives forward, kissing my sex with an open mouth.
“Yes,” I moan. It’s the only coherent word I can form. With his mouth doing wicked things, my brain has turned to mush.
Then he pulls my underwear to the side. If I thought his mouth was doing wicked things, his tongue takes over, and it’s positively sinful: twirling, sucking, and licking with thoroughness. Everything inside me is humming and tightening, ready for a release. But before this ends, I need to touch him too.
As much as I hate for him to stop, I sit up, pulling him back onto his feet. My hands roam over his body as my mouth places wet kisses on his neck. With frenzied fingers, I pull his pants down and wrap my hand around his huge, hot erection.
On a long groan, Lucas grinds into my hand. “That feels fucking amazing. Don’t stop.”
I have no intention of stopping. In fact, I want to take it one step further. Shuffling off the rock, I drop to my knees. I cup his balls with one hand, and with the other, I guide him to my mouth, taking him in.
“Fuck me!” he cries. His hands tunnel into my hair as he pumps into my mouth. “I fucking wanted to do this to you for years. My imagination wasn’t half as good as the real thing.”
A giddy feeling swirls in my chest. I wasn’t the only one who imagined the two of us doing wonderful things to each other. For months I dreamed of having a moment like this. Pulling away, I say, “I always wanted this too. I wish things had turned out differently.”
Lucas stops moving, and I look up. A fierce expression is on his face. He takes two steps back. “We shouldn’t be doing this.” It sounds as if it pains him to say the words.
I slowly blink as the desire burning through my body is screaming at being interrupted. “Why not?”
“You just broke up with your fiancé. You must be heartbroken. This isn’t what you need right now. I’d be taking advantage of your vulnerable state.” He pulls his jeans up and zips them.
What he’s saying should be true, yet I don’t feel heartbroken or vulnerable. All I want is for Lucas to keep kissing me—touching me. Do all the things I yearned for him to do to me years ago. Making my body burn like it’s never done before.
I get to my feet and dust dirt off my knees. “It’s exactly what I need. In the six years I was with Darren, he never once looked at me with such desire. Never touched me with so much wanting. What I need is a man who wants me like he can’t get enough of me.”
“We can’t do this. We hate each other, remember?”
My heart squeezes. Even after he learned it was Travis who set us up, he hasn’t forgiven me for what I did to him. He suffered a tremendous loss. That’s something that will take time to forgive—if he ever does.
After what Darren put me through, I need this. I want nothing but Lucas’ hands on my body. Think about nothing but the pleasure we can give one another. I rest my hand on his chest. “Is that still true? Now that we know what really happened have things changed?” He still might not like me very much forthe trouble I’d caused, but since learning the truth, my hostility toward him has vanished.
As he stares at me like he’s contemplating how to answer, the sky darkens and thunder rumbles in the distance. He pulls away and turns his back on me. “We better head to the cabin before we get caught in the storm.”
My shoulders sag with disappointment. This is new information he needs to digest. It may take time, or he may never forgive me at all. Maybe him stopping was for the best. It has only been four days since I learned of Darren’s affair. What if taking things further with Lucas was a mistake I’d regret? I guess I’ll never know. And that feels like a bigger disappointment.
Fixing my clothing, I stand next to him. “I’m ready to go.”
Without saying a word, he nods. His expression is shuttered, giving nothing away. Just when I thought we’d made a breakthrough, he’s gone back to being sullen.
We begin the trek back to the cabin. Wind whips through the trees, plastering my dress to my body and wrapping the fabric around my legs. Taking a step, I stub my toe on a tree root and stumble forward. Lucas catches my arm, stopping me from falling. Once I’m steady on my feet, he drops his hand so fast, like he doesn’t want to touch me.
“We need to go into town and buy you appropriate clothing. What you’re wearing is ridiculous and can get you killed.”
Chapter Nine
LUCAS
We drive into town in silence, although I’m super-aware of every breath, sound, and move Penelope makes. The taste of her is still on my tongue. Her scent is on my skin. And I want to kick myself for stopping what we started. But how could I have taken what I so desperately wanted? She’s just come out of a serious relationship. The last thing I want to do is take advantage of her vulnerability. Even with the information I learned about Travis being the one to cause the upheaval in our lives, I’m not sure I’m in the right headspace. If it were any other woman—the women I normally hookup with—I wouldn’t think twice. I’d fuck all thoughts from my mind. But this is Penelope. I believed for years that I hated her.
Do I hate her now?
The fury that rages through my body when I used to look at her has disappeared. How can I hate her for something out of her control? Yes, she planted the drugs in my locker that changedthe course of my life, yet I think I hate myself more for losing control and calling Garrett. This is Travis’ doing, and he will pay for his part.
I pull up in front of the This ‘n That store. There’s no way I can spend another day with Penelope dressed in skimpy clothing. Her gorgeous curves—the roundness of her breasts, the curve of her ass—need to be covered for my sanity. Because now that I’ve touched her, my body is craving more. If she’s covered, then hopefully this hard-on I’ve been walking around with can deflate.
Penelope opens the passenger door. When I don’t follow, she turns to me. “Are you not coming inside?”
“I’ll wait for you at the bar. I need to make a call.”
