and wait for her to come to him anymore. It was clear she was
keeping herself distant, and there was no way in hell he was about to let
another man intrude on what he considered his.
When
Lucie stopped in front of the bathroom, he took her hand in his and pulled her
to him once more. He wasn’t letting her get away that easily, and he knew if he
left it up to her, she would run and hide from him until he forced her to face
the searing heat that they couldn’t deny any longer.
Moving
her backward until she was in the bathroom with him, Kane shut the door,
letting her know his intentions. It was now or never. Either she would succumb
to the inferno of lust that ignited when they were in close proximity, or she
would turn and run. Either way, he was ready to move on to the next phase of
what was happening between them.
“Turn
on the water, Lucie,” he instructed her as he began unbuttoning his shirt.
Watching
the emotions play across her face was like watching a deer caught in the
headlights of a vehicle moving at a high rate of speed. She wasn’t sure what
was coming at her, but she knew something was coming, something she couldn’t
control.
“Kane,”
she whispered his name, barely audible even in the small area.
“We
can’t run from this,” he told her, reaching behind her to turn the shower on
because it was obvious she wasn’t able to do it based on the way her hands were
visibly shaking. “Do you want to run from me, Lucie?”
He
wanted to know the answer, but more importantly, he wanted to know the truth.
She could deny him all she wanted, but he saw the desire in her penetrating
gaze. He’d felt her passion in their kiss, knew she wanted him as much as he
wanted her.
“Answer
me,” Kane ordered, taking a step closer and reaching for the buttons on her
shirt. He eased one small disc from its mooring as he kept his eyes locked with
hers. The rich chocolate brown swirled, darkening as he continued to undress
her one tiny button at a time.
“I’m
scared,” she whispered.
“Of
me?” he asked, suddenly worried about what exactly had happened between
them all those years ago. Kane could be rough on his lovers, he knew that. And
considering the compelling hunger he harbored for Lucie consumed him,
overpowered his senses, he wasn’t quite sure what he was capable of. Especially
at that moment in time.
“No,”
she assured him with what sounded like conviction in her tone.
“Then
what are you scared of?” Slipping her shirt off of her shoulders, Kane allowed
the cotton to glide down her arms, falling to the floor at her feet as he
trailed his fingertips down the inside curve of each arm, then back up until he
reached the underside of her breasts.
Glancing
down, he watched as her chest expanded with every choppy breath she inhaled,
imagining what it would feel like to bite the pebbled tips of her nipples. He
didn’t give in to the craving yet though. Instead, Kane let the backs of his
fingers graze over her white lace bra, before tracing his fingers over her
collarbone and then slowly back down. Slipping one finger between her soft skin
and her no nonsense bra, Kane scraped his fingertip over her nipple, moving his
eyes up to meet hers.
“What
are you scared of?” he repeated, insisting that she answer.
“This,”
Lucie said the word, and then released his gaze before turning her attention to
where his hand lingered on her breast.
Kane
pulled her bra down forcefully, releasing one plump, beautiful globe from the
silky confines before he tweaked her nipple with his thumb and forefinger. When
Lucie would’ve thrown her head back, he put his other hand on the back of her
head, holding her so she was forced to watch.
“Don’t
look away,” he demanded. “Never look away.” The steam from the shower was
filling the room, coating her body in a fine sheen of moisture, which only
increased his urge to lick her.
Everywhere.
~~*~~
Oh,
God! Lucie wasn’t sure she would survive the