Lie to Me (Pearl Island Trilogy #4)(35)

“Enough, enough,” Chloe finally gasped. She thrashed her head, her body sensitized almost beyond bearing. When he continued tormenting her with pleasure, she reached for his shoulders to urge him upward.

He took a second to put on the condom before working his way up her body with a trail of nips and licks that left her quivering. Finally, he settled over her, his weight pressing her into the mattress. She felt his fingertips caressing her face, and opened her heavy eyes to find him looking at her with such fierce desire, her breath caught.

Knowing she brought this out in him made her feel powerful and hungry for more. She moved her hands over the hot skin of his back, thrilling to the feel of his muscles tightening at her touch. Going lower, she found his butt as firm and round as she’d thought it would be. He sucked in a breath as she squeezed.

“God,” he growled, nuzzling her neck. “What you do to me.”

“Show me,” she urged.

He pressed inside her, stretching her, filling her. When he began to move, she lost herself in the thrill of watching him, touching him. Her own pleasure built again, along with his, higher and higher until it burst over both of them. Gasping, she arched her back, joining him as shudders racked his body.

Slowly, he descended into her welcoming arms. She held him as he struggled for breath, enjoying the sheen of sweat that covered his hot skin. When his tremors stopped, he rolled onto his back, taking her with him. Slowly, the world settled about them.

To her surprise, he didn’t move away when the heat of the moment passed. He held her close, stroking her hair. The tenderness of his touch unnerved her, since she’d had so little of that in her life.

When he kissed her forehead gently, she went still. The gesture somehow felt more intimate than what they had just done. It felt… loving.

She wanted to lift her head to see his face, but the thought of what she might find in his eyes held her in place. Was she ready for something like this? Ready for someone who might want more than casual dating and mutual satisfaction? Fear hitched in her chest at where that could lead, to vulnerability and hurt.

Oh, but it felt so good to have someone hold her. Simply hold her.

Rather than ease away, as her instincts for self-preservation warned her to do, she nestled against him and let herself drift to sleep. Tomorrow was soon enough to decide if she was ready to trust Luc with more than her body.





Chapter 10





“Good morning.”

The enticing voice drifted to Luc from somewhere far away, but his mind felt too sluggish to respond. A whiff of coffee coaxed him toward consciousness. Cracking his eyes open, he found himself face down in a rumpled bed, his body leaden from a long, hard sleep.

“What time is it?” Rubbing his face, he twisted around and found Chloe wearing a white bathrobe, sitting cross-legged on the bed beside him. Soft light from a bedside lamp haloed sable hair that tumbled to her waist. She gave him a hesitant smile. For one heart-stopping moment, he thought he was dreaming. Then memory came flooding back and a smile tugged at his lips. “Good morning.”

“I have coffee.” She gestured sideways, and he realized she’d set a tray beside her on the bed. It held a white carafe, mugs, a small dish with sweeteners, and a little cream pitcher. “I wasn’t sure how you like it, so I brought options.”

“How about black and by the gallon?” His voice came out scratchy.

“I can definitely handle that.”

While she dealt with the coffee, he managed to sit up against the headboard. His sluggishness surprised him since he never slept so soundly that he couldn’t wake in an instant. Normally he could never shut his brain off enough for that. Even in sleep, his mind churned.

Last night, though, he’d fallen like a rock after having the best sex of his entire life.

“Here you go.” Chloe held a steaming mug out to him.

“Thank you.” The first sip warmed his throat. The second helped clear a layer of fog from his brain. By the third, the taste of the coffee finally registered. He looked at the mug in surprise. “Hey, this is really good.”

“Living at a B and B can do wonders for a woman’s coffee-making skills.” She studied him over the rim of her own mug. “It’s the least I could do before waking you so early.”

“What time is it?” He looked at his watch. His eyes were too tired to focus, but the hint of light creeping around the curtains told him it was morning.

“Barely after six,” she said apologetically. “I have to be at the inn by seven thirty to help with breakfast.”

“Oh.” His groggy brain had just started to form a plan to spend the morning in bed with her, but her statement nixed that idea. “I guess I need to get out of here, then.”

“No, you can take your time. In fact, I thought about leaving you a note and letting you sleep, but...” She shrugged. Her gaze skated away as if she was nervous.

Why would Confident Chloe be nervous?

“I’m glad you woke me,” he reassured her. He’d wake up at the crack of dawn every day if it meant waking up next to her. Fast on the heels of that thought, reality smacked him in the face. Oh shit. He’d slept with Chloe before telling her about the necklace.

He hid his cringe behind another swallow of coffee. Stay calm, he ordered himself. And don’t say anything important before you’re awake enough to think straight. He cleared his throat and tried to look nonchalant. “I’m glad we have a few minutes before you head for work.”