***
KATIE STARTED laughing as Luke sat her back down on the counter. “You never even took your pants off,” she pointed out. “What if you would have tripped?”
“I wouldn’t have fallen,” he said, laughing as he disposed of the condom in the wastebasket and then pulled his pants back up. “And even if I had—I was feeling no pain, I can promise you that.”
He closed the distance between them, pleased when she held his face and kissed him sweetly. His hands slid over her slender rib cage, grazing the gentle curves of her bare breasts. He felt her shiver. “So,” he said softly, loving how easily she responded to his touch. “Have we successfully made up, Katie?”
“No,” she said, mischief sparking in her eyes. “I don’t think we have. I think we need to try again. I’m willing if you are.”
A return smile tugged at his lips. “How willing, I wonder?” he challenged, making no effort to hide the rough edge of desire coloring his tone.
“What did you have in mind?” she asked playfully.
His fingers brushed her bottom lip before his tongue followed. “I want it all this time, Katie. No inhibitions. No holding back.” For reasons he couldn’t begin to explain, he wanted that full commitment from her. That decision to fully be with him. Up until now, he didn’t believe he’d gotten that from her.
She pulled away, hands on his shoulders, surprise on her face. “You think I was holding back? Because I have to tell you, I didn’t feel like I was holding back.” She’d felt wild, and yes, willing.
“What we just had was good, damn good, but that was frenzied make-up sex, after a tug-of-war over whether we’ll be together or not. This time there is no frenzied rush, Katie. This time is slow and thoughtful. No wondering if what happens is the heat of the moment rather than our choice, our decision together. This time we’re making love, not having sex.” A flutter in her stomach erupted with heat spreading through her limbs. Make love. She wanted that. But she was scared of being vulnerable, of getting hurt again.
Letting loose a nervous bubble of laughter, she whispered, “I do believe this was my first spontaneous eruption of lust. I liked it.”
He didn’t laugh. His eyes darkened, his hand sliding up her back, erotic with gentle demand. “Say it,” he ordered, intensity suddenly crackling from him.
“Say what?” She blinked.
“Say…‘Luke, I want you to make love to me.’”
Her lashes lowered, her heart lodged in her throat as a moment of fight or flight took hold.
“Katie,” he whispered, his hand framing her face, bringing her gaze to his. “I need to know you meant what you said when you stopped me from walking away. That we are really in this together.” There was a rawness to his tone, honesty and real emotion in his eyes, a hitch to his voice as he added, “Because if we aren’t—”
She pressed her lips to his. “Make love to me,” she said softly into his mouth. “We’re in this together, Luke. We are.”
He didn’t give her time to change her mind. Luke wrapped his arms around her back and cradled her, carrying her toward the den, not upstairs. And she was glad for it—she didn’t want to wait. She wanted him now. Soon. Not soon enough.
He stopped at the light switch as they entered, kissing her even as he reached and turned the dial, casting a dim, sexy glow over the room.
Staring down at her, he confessed, “You have no idea how much I want you.”
Katie inhaled a deep breath, absorbing both his words and his spicy male scent, then nuzzled his neck. He felt good, he felt right. She didn’t want to be scared. She didn’t want to think about the reasons this might be a mistake.
And when he settled her on the soft leather couch and shoved aside the coffee table, she shoved aside any such thoughts, enthralled by the sight of him undressing.
She curled her legs to her chest, wrapped her arms around her knees and watched his every move. And he let her. Oh, yes, he stared at her with such heat and desire in his eyes that she knew this was going to be a delicious escape. An escape she wanted. With him.
***
HE WAS gorgeous. Katie watched as Luke stripped down to nothing, her mouth dry and her stomach swirling with heat. Her thighs ached, her core wet with the need to feel him inside her again. She didn’t know where to start in her admiration. There were so many joys to this man’s body, and she allowed herself to luxuriate in all of them. His chest and shoulders were broad, defined, pecs sprinkled with the perfect amount of springy, light brown hair. His legs powerful, his abdominals damn near a work of art, valleys dipping around hard muscles. She wanted to kiss a path around every single one of them, too.