An Unlikely Bride (Lucas & Ava)

“Yes.”

“All I have to do is think of your name, and I’m hard.” He reaches into his pants and pulls out a condom from the pocket. “I smell your shampoo, and I feel like I can build a whole damn house with just my dick and some nails.”

My heart pounds unbearably, my breathing so shallow I feel like I’m going to hyperventilate. This man kills me because when he talks like this, it’s like he has no barriers or protection. He’s so raw and naked that I’m humbled by his trust, his love.

“But most of all, when I think of you, I want to find a way to make you happy. I crave your happiness, and I want to be the one to give it to you.”

“You do,” I murmur. “You’re everything.”

I gasp as he glides smoothly into me, the stroke long and unhurried. His eyes are on mine, his hair pulled away. I caress his cheeks, loving how he leaves himself so vulnerable.

“When we were apart, I had a dream about you,” I whisper.

“Was I being a jerk?” He pulls almost all the way out, then slowly re-enters me.

“No. I was kneeling in front of you because your very presence was as vital to me as the sun is to flowers. And at that moment I knew I’d never get my heart back. Even if you were to give it back, I’d never be whole because my heart was meant to be yours.”

“God, Ava,” he groans as he drives into me so deep I feel like he’s reaching for my soul.

His big hands grip my hips as I hold on to his shoulders. Our gazes are locked as he thrusts over and over again, uniting us in the most intimate way possible. Sweat mists over our hot skin. Liquid pleasure pulses through me, and I dig my fingers into him. A climax shatters me, leaving me breathless. I tighten and spasm around him as another orgasm peaks.

His breathing grows choppy, and the muscles in his jaw bunch. I brush my fingers over them. “Now, now, now…” A low groan tears from his throat, and he flicks my clit as he shoves into me, hard and thick and relentless.

We come apart together. He kisses me on the mouth, swallowing my sharp cry.

Arms around each other, we stay there against the table until our breathing is somewhat calmer. We’re both sweaty, sticky, but I don’t care. I run my mouth along the lean, strong line of his shoulder, grateful I didn’t give up and that he’s all mine.

“I never knew it could be like this until you, Ava,” he whispers and presses a soft kiss on my forehead.

“Me either,” I whisper back, tightening my arms around him.

Lucas is my rock, the foundation of my world. I’m never, ever letting go.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Ava

“You sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Lucas asks for the fifth time since lunch.

“I’m fine. Honest.” I check my purse to make sure I have my phone.

He regards me, his eye a skeptical slit. I don’t know what’s going through his mind, but I’m not leaving him stewing.

“What’s really bothering you?” I ask.

“You spending time alone with your parents.”

I sigh. His doubts and feelings about Darcy and Ray are completely understandable, and normally I wouldn’t object to having him come with me. But this is different. I need a private moment with Darcy and Ray to let them know I’m going to tell Lucas everything. They deserve that much after all they’ve done.

“I told you already,” I say. “I’m not giving you up for anything. Can’t you believe that…especially after last night?”

The skepticism darkens with sexual heat. “Yes, but I still have a bad feeling about it.”

“I know. But it’s going to be okay.” I kiss him on the cheek. “Trust me. Once I explain everything, they’ll love you.”

He sighs. “I wish we had more time. That way we’d already be moved into the new place, and they might like me better.”

I smile warmly, touched by this hint of vulnerability. “They’ll love you because you make me happy, not because you can keep me in a swanky penthouse. Darcy’s a trust fund baby, and believe me, she isn’t impressed by money.”