She wanted him for an orgasm. The kind that made her want to wrap her legs around his waist and cling as tightly to his body as she could as wave after wave of pleasure shook her.
She’d let him give the pleasure she knew was his to give. She’d take his kisses, his touches, his body inside hers. She’d demand he give her more and more until he lost control and they both saw stars.
This time she was under no illusions of grandeur or love or happily-ever-after.
* * *
Lucas cupped Emily’s bottom and molded her against where he throbbed. His lips tasted the sweetness of her throat, his tongue nipped into the groove of her collarbone.
She wiggled, grinding her body against his, and he almost swore.
He’d had sex since their divorce. Not once had he felt this heat, this burning. Not even at the pinnacle. They’d not even removed a single item of clothing and he was bursting at the seams. For Emily.
His Emily.
With her, the burn had been about so much more. It had been a heated look, a light stroke of her finger across his skin, an accidental bump of her body against his, and he’d lose focus of everything except taking them both so high they’d never fall back to the ground.
But they had fallen back to the ground and it had been a rough fall. One that had left Emily in constant tears and him feeling helpless to dry them.
He pulled back, cupped her face and made her look at him. “We have to stop.”
Her eyes widened, then filled with anger. “No. You are not going to do this to me. You aren’t going to be the one to push me away. Not this time.”
The second she’d spat the words at him, regret had filled her face. She’d revealed things she hadn’t wanted him to see. Things he suddenly needed to see, to understand.
“What do you mean?” He hadn’t pushed her away. He’d wanted her. Always. He’d just not been able to bear the sadness he’d caused her.
“Never mind.” She went to pull away, but he held her to him.
“No. I’m not leaving until you tell me.”
Her body stiffened, but she didn’t fight to get loose. “Then you’d best pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable, because you’re in for a long wait.”
Why did he feel as if he’d handled this all wrong? Maybe he was destined to always do things wrong with Emily, to always upset her and make her unhappy. Yet she was the only woman he’d ever wanted to do things right with.
“Emily, I want you.”
She laughed, but it was a humorless sound that could have just as easily come from a wounded animal who’d just been kicked. “Yes, I can tell by you saying we have to stop after making me think you wanted to have sex with me.”
“I do want to have sex with you.”
“Would you please make up your mind? Your indecisiveness is killing me.”
“I’m not being indecisive. I’m trying to do the right thing.”
“Toying with my emotions by seducing me with your kiss, then pushing me away, that’s your idea of doing the right thing? You really are a sick one, aren’t you?”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “I guess you might see it that way, but
hear me out.”
“I’m all ears.”
“There is nothing better I’d like to do than push you up onto that countertop and kiss you until you scream with pleasure.” His hands dropped to her waist, caressed her there, as if he considered making good on his suggestion.
“But?”
“But I didn’t come here for sex, Emily. I came here tonight because I wanted to be with you, because the thought of eating alone, or even with someone else, when I could be with you just wasn’t acceptable. I’m here tonight because I needed your company and no one else’s would do.” His hands moved to her hips, pulled her flush against his hard body and worked her shirt free from her pants. “No one else has ever done. Just you.”