Chasing Forever Read online

  With indecent slowness, one of his hands wandered from her hip to her stomach and finally to her breast, cupping it lightly through the fabric of her dress. Her muscles simultaneously tensed and caught fire beneath his fingertips. Belatedly, she realized he was cataloging every twitch, sigh, or exhalation and comparing it to her responses six years ago.

  “What are you doing?” she asked absently.

  “Getting reacquainted,” he said as his fingertips slipped into the top of her bias cut dress stopping at the scalloped edge of her lace bra.

  She leaned back into him even further, circling one of her arms around his neck as she teetered ever so slightly on her nude colored heels.

  Pulling his hand from the front of her dress, he pushed her hair to the side and reached for the zipper at the back of her dress. “May I?”

  “Please,” she practically begged as she stood absolutely still. She didn’t want to give him a reason to stop or delay. She craved his hands and mouth on her bare skin and more of that scalding intimacy she’d experienced before dinner.

  “Thank God,” he mumbled so softly she could barely make out the words. She felt a tug at the back of her dress and cool air hit her skin as it fell open, exposing the top of her back. Then he bent his head and his mouth traced the descent of her zipper. His warm breath traveled down her spine making her tremble, stopping only when he reached the skin above her panties. He dipped his finger just under the top of her panties moving it leisurely from side to side.

  Then he stood up, and she finally took another breath. Slowly, he slipped one cuffed sleeve of her dress off her shoulder, then the other. She tried to turn around, but he held her in place as he slid the fabric of her dress over her breasts, down her stomach, over the curves of her hips, finally letting it pool on the floor around her heels.

  For a few seconds, she stood breathless and untouched facing his bed, her back to his in nothing but her bra and panties eagerly waiting for his next move. Under normal circumstances, she would feel uncomfortable standing in a brightly lit room in her bra and panties, but the only thing making her uncomfortable was that he still wasn’t touching her. Did she need to beg? She was losing her mind.

  Then, as if he heard her thoughts, he placed his hands on the top of her shoulders, causing an electric current of heat to sizzle through her body as he turned her around to face him.

  “You’re so insanely beautiful. It makes my heart hurt,” he murmured as he ran his fingertips from her neck to her waist, his heavy lidded sinful stare imploring her to rip his clothes off. “I’ve missed this freckle,” he said, his fingers dipping just under the top of her panties.

  Reaching for him, she started unbuttoning his shirt, her eyes never leaving his. She didn’t want to look away. The expression on his face held her captive. “Your turn. I’m not doing this alone this time. Once was enough.”

  “Alone?” he asked, smothering his laugh as he watched her unbutton his shirt. “I hope you’re not referring to earlier this evening because I distinctly remember being part of the pre-dinner activities.”

  “Maybe, but not as much as I wanted,” she responded feeling bold as she pushed his shirt off his shoulders, running her hands along biceps. Unable to stop herself, she leaned forward to kiss his chest and then looked up at his face. He was smiling, not his fake nice to meet you smile, but his real smile, the one that showed his dimples and caused her heart to thump in her chest.

  “Hmm…that was just the appetizer so you knew what I had in mind for this evening, but if you didn’t like it I promise to entertain you more this time. I don’t want to disappoint you.” Leaning forward, he pushed her hair away from her face, then his lips began exploring the sensitive skin near her neck, nuzzling his way to her throat, his tongue tracing every curve and she was overcome with longing as her body lurched forward brushing against him. Electricity rippled between them, and she stiffened in shock.

  Stunned, she let out a nervous laugh trying to ignore the tightening in her lower stomach as his lips traveled to her shoulder and the top of her breasts. Taking a step back, she motioned to his pants. “And the rest,” she demanded, pointing at his pants.

  “Anything for you,” he responded with a devilish smile. Once he kicked off his shoes, he undid his belt and his pants, before sliding them down his narrow hips and stepping out of them. He stood before her, completely at ease and what a sight it was.

  Her eyes traveled over every inch of his bronzed, perfectly sculpted body, unable to look away. The soft yellow glow of the overhead light highlighted the perfect angles of his face. He was gorgeous. There were no words to describe him adequately. She stepped forward touching the sides of his hair that were just starting to curl over the tops of his ears and the nape of his neck. He needed a haircut.

  He wrapped his arms around her back and skillfully unhooked the clasp of her bra, his eyes burning holes into her body as her breasts tumbled free. Bending forward, he kissed her slow and searching as if he had the entire night and maybe he did. They had nowhere to be until tomorrow afternoon.

  Walking her backwards, her legs bumped into the mattress. At his direction, she sat down on the edge of the bed. Hooking his fingers into the sides of her panties, he pulled them down her legs sinking onto his haunches in front of her.

  Self-conscious, her heart rocketing out of her chest, she slammed her legs closed embarrassed to be so blatantly exposed with all her imperfections on display. “The light,” she whispered.

  “It’s fine.” He pushed her legs open, his face determined and demanding. His fingertips caressed the silky skin of her calves, pausing to kiss the arc of her knee, then moving higher and higher.

  “Wait. I should tell you something,” she said bashfully as his hand coasted up and down the soft skin of her inner thigh sending shivers of heat through her.

  “The thing is . . .” she buried her head in her hands, not wanting to see his face.

  His hand squeezed her leg above her knee and then continued drawing small circles on her legs trying to reassure her. “Yes?”

  “Well, I haven’t done this in a really long time.”

  He pulled her hands away from her face. “What do you mean?”

  She closed her eyes. “This,” she blurted out waving her hand between them.

  He didn’t say anything.

  She groaned. Oh God, did she need to spell it out for him? “Have sex,” she whispered. “I haven’t had sex in a long time,” she repeated.

  His hands stopped caressing her thighs and she opened her eyes. Did he want to stop? Did she scare him away?

  “Okay.” His eyebrows pulled together, and she realized he still didn’t understand what she meant. “We can take it slow, or we can do other things.” He bent his head kissing the inside of each thigh.

  “No, I want to do this. I just wanted to warn you I might be a little rusty. It’s been over six years.” Relieved she admitted it, she exhaled loudly.

  He turned his head to the side, his lashes half-lowered, not saying anything for a few painfully long seconds and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Maybe she should have gone with the flow and not said anything. He wouldn’t have known. Damn her need to be honest.

  “Regan,” he began, his voice low, as he ran his finger along her cheek, “I don’t know what to say.”

  They stared at each other in silence, and she wasn’t sure if she should try to explain or wait for him to make the next move. She slid back out of his reach. “It’s not a big deal. I dated. Well, not a lot,” she clarified. “It just never went that far.” She sucked in a breath and then bit her trembling lip afraid she would start crying and then her humiliation would be complete. For the last month, she kept her guard raised, afraid of the havoc he could wreak on her again and now she succeeded in making a fool of herself. She didn’t need him to do that.

  “Sweetheart,” he muttered. “Don’t get upset. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I am humbled and absolutely speechless.” Leaning forward,
he kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose and finally her lips. He kissed, teased, and nibbled her until erotic shocks traveled down her body.

  He wrapped his fingers around the nape of her neck, then threaded his hands through her long auburn hair, all the while kissing her with a determined focus that literally stole her breath. Breathless with desire, she wrapped her arms around his neck so close that her breasts brushed against the soft hair of his chest.

  As his hands brushed over every curve of her body, she could barely remain still. He dragged his lips from her mouth, down her throat, stopping at her chest to pull her nipple into his hot, wet mouth, and she gasped. Gently, he guided her backwards until the mattress pressed into her back.

  With his free hand, he pushed her legs apart and sank his body between her thighs. She couldn’t even lift her head to watch as his mouth trailed hot, open kisses down her body.

  He probed her wet folds teasing her with a finger, but never fully penetrating her. Mindless, she arched her hips in frustration. “Are you getting impatient?” he asked, the low rumble of his voice causing vibrations in her body.

  “Yes!” She dug her hands into his thick wavy hair pulling him closer.

  “I wouldn’t want that,” he muttered as he slid one finger inside her, moving it in an unhurried rhythm that threatened to rob her sanity.

  “Lucas,” she whimpered as his finger circled her center.

  “You should see how stunning your face looks when you’re so close. It’s absolutely beautiful.” He grinned and then slipped another finger inside her.

  He was killing her and then he bent his head kissing her, there, and she nearly screamed. In less than a minute, she writhed against his mouth moaning and cursing as a surge of pleasure cascaded through her body with every flick of his tongue and probe of his fingers. She felt totally exposed and vulnerable as his fingers pressed into her hips holding her open, sucking her into his mouth, but she was way past the point of caring.

  Rocking her hips against his mouth, she began to ride the wave of completion . . . and then he pulled back and stopped, not letting her finish. “Oh no. You didn’t stop, did you?” she asked practically panting the words as she pressed her hands against her eyes and rolled her head from side to side on the bed.

  “With you whimpering and moaning like that I can’t wait one more second to be inside you.”

  His voice had a dark sexy edge to it, almost like she was being tempted to sin by the devil and she loved it. He grabbed a condom from the pocket of his pants near his feet. Leaning up on her elbows, she watched him rip open the foil wrapper. She reached forward taking it out of his hands. “Let me,” she said.

  As she rolled it on, he went absolutely still, his lashes lowered over his fiery amber eyes and a small groan escaped his mouth. God, she loved that mouth especially after he reminded her of all the wonderful things he could do with it. How could she have forgotten that?

  Seconds later, he was over her, his hands braced wide next to her head, his toned arm muscles flexing as he nudged her legs open with his legs. His mouth sought and found hers, his tongue tangling with hers mimicking what her body was dying to do with his. She arched up, reaching for him, willing and ready to give him each and every secret of her flesh, mind, and soul, but he held back, teasing her with every slide and flex of his hips, never quite giving her what she craved.

  “Stop torturing me,” she groaned, desperately digging her nails into his narrow hips, spreading her legs farther as she pulled him toward her.

  Laughing softly, his teeth grazed her shoulder and her head fell back.

  “Soon enough,” her murmured, teasing her throbbing breasts with his skilled mouth.

  When she didn’t think she could take one more minute, he eased inside her, and she whimpered in relief at the sensation of finally being connected to him again. She vaguely recalled something about being lost and then found, and she thought it appropriately described her thoughts at that moment. She needed this. It’d been too long.

  She clutched his shoulders as he pushed deeper inside her body, his eyes burning into hers. “You remember this?” Lucas whispered.

  She nodded, unable to respond. How could she have forgotten? Her mind may have blurred the feeling to save her shattered heart, but her body hadn’t forgotten how perfect it was with him. Maybe that’s why she never wanted to try sex with anyone else. It would have been one more heart-shattering reminder of why every male paled in comparison to him.

  He thrust in and out of her in a disciplined rhythm that drove her crazy. Bending forward, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, his bristled jawline teasing her. “I know I do. I could never forget this. Being inside you is fucking awesome. Nothing compares,” he said, his voice gravelly and intimate.

  Her heart raced faster at his words. She was in danger of being hurt by him before this trip, but now she’d gone over the cliff. She couldn’t hold back. Tilting her hips, she ground her mound against him begging him to go deeper, harder, faster. He kissed her again, sliding against her body as he finally hit the spot that sent her spiraling over and over. She opened her eyes and watched as he followed her with a final hard thrust into her body, before collapsing on top of her.

  “It doesn’t get any better than that,” he whispered, kissing her cheek.

  “You’re right.” She was exhausted and totally sated for the first time in years.

  He rolled off her onto his side, so close she could feel his breath against her face.

  She closed her eyes hard, not sure what to do now. Would he want her to leave and go back to her room?

  He didn’t move or say anything, so she turned her head to look at him. “Do you want me to go back to my room?” she asked in a small voice, her lips quivering.

  He reached down and dragged the blankets over them. “No, I’m not letting you go anywhere anytime in the near future.” He kissed her forehead and her lips and then wrapped his arms around her placing her back against his chest.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  When Lucas woke up the next morning, bright light streamed into the room through the large floor to ceiling windows. He normally loved that about his room at his parents’ mountain home, but right now he wanted to roll over and go back to sleep. He looked at the clock. Not even seven in the morning.

  Regan lay on her side, her naked body still pressed against his. After the first round, they both fell asleep, but he’d woken her two hours later wanting her again. She had looked so sexy with her slim body wrapped around him and her tousled auburn hair spilling across his white sheets that he couldn’t help sliding his lips along her milky skin.

  Maybe he’d been too demanding the second time around, but he gave as much as she did and didn’t regret it. Within minutes of waking her, she pushed him on his back and used her mouth on him in ways that should be illegal. Finally, he had to pull her on top of him and take her until she moaned his name and begged him not to stop.

  After one night with her, he was right back where he was six years ago—completely wrapped up in her, needing her and wanting her.

  He should be scared. After all, he hadn’t felt this way about anyone since he allowed, no forced her, out of his life six years ago. All of his relationships since her were casual, even when they lasted longer than a couple months. He never wanted anything more. Now he wondered if that was because he still craved her.

  Lucas leaned over her body, pushing her hair from her face and whispered her name.

  When she didn’t respond, he ran his hand over her breasts, connecting each freckle and then teasing her nipples until they puckered. Kissing her neck, shoulder, and then the slope of her breast, he felt her stir underneath him. He looked up as she smiled at him, her beautiful green eyes still sleepy, but happy and he liked seeing her that way. She had the sexiest eyes he’d ever seen, green around the rim and gold near the center.

  Her hands moved across his chest and then down his stomach until they reached his erection, already hard and r
eady. “Mmm,” he groaned as she stroked him slowly from his tip to his shaft.

  “You’re demanding,” she said, laughing lightly. “First, in the middle of the night and now early in the morning. I thought we’d sleep in and take advantage of our day away from the office.”

  “I can’t help it. We have a lot of lost time to make up for.” And he believed it. He couldn’t believe he walked away from her once. He wouldn’t do that again, not without fighting for her and not without giving the relationship everything he had and more.

  Grabbing a condom from the nightstand, he rolled it on and slid into her, rocking back and forth slowly, letting her feel every inch of him, each thrust intensifying his need for her. He watched her face, taking notice of every sensitive spot because he wanted her to know how much he wanted her.

  She pulled him closer and gasped as he sped up his thrusts. “Do you enjoy waking up like this?” he asked, kissing her hard.

  She pulled her mouth away from his. “I can’t even tell you how much.”

  “Me too,” he said as he bit her lower lip lightly. He only hoped he would be lucky enough to have many more mornings like this one with Regan. He lifted one of her legs wrapping it around his body and that subtle adjustment was enough to tip her over the edge of oblivion. Her walls contracted around him and he couldn’t hold back any longer—one strong shove and he spilled into her. He was exhausted and completely spent but more alive than he’d been in a long time. Still he craved more of her and not just in bed. He wanted everything she’d give him and more. He wanted forever.

  ***

  The day passed more rapidly than Lucas would have liked. He wanted to savor the freedom of being with Regan before reality came back with a vengeance. Two days weren’t enough. He needed more time. Reality was his enemy.

  After meeting Jack at his hotel for breakfast, they hiked to a lake near the Village and went paddle boating even though he insisted it was for children, because when he saw that look on her face, he’d give her anything she wanted.