He pulled back with a wry smile.
He didn’t blame her for the disbelief in her expression.
Hell, his own mother would be shocked when he confessed he was ready to give up his bachelor days and take a wife.
And his father…
No. He gave a shake of his head.
He wasn’t anything like his father.
He only needed one woman to make him happy.
“Eventually,” he hedged, not wanting to terrify her into bolting. “First I just want the opportunity to prove I’m no longer that stupid kid who hurt you.” He cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his pleading gaze. “Will you give me a chance?”
“I…” His heart halted as she hesitated, panicked by the thought she might say no. Dammit. He was going to lock her in his bedroom until she accepted he’d never meant to hurt her.
Then, without warning, her hazel eyes warmed with an emotion that sent hope sizzling through his body. “Yes.”
A dizzying relief exploded through Luc. “Thank god.” Framing her face in his hands, he covered her lips in a desperate kiss, nipping her full bottom lip in punishment for terrifying him. He moaned as she readily melted against him, his erection thickening as he wrapped his arms around her. His tongue dipped into the warm wetness of her mouth, tasting her passion as she grabbed his T-shirt and tried to drag him closer. He growled in frustration as the console kept them separated, the heat of the sun already making the air uncomfortably hot. “Damn…” he muttered, reluctantly lifting his head to study her face that was now flushed with desire. “This car wasn’t made for making love to my woman.”
A tiny smile curved her lips. “Your woman?”
“Mine,” he growled with full male possession.
She kissed the tip of his chin. “I like that.”
So did he.
A lot.
“Are you going to tell me what you’re doing here?” he demanded, nuzzling a path of kisses down her throat.
She tilted back her head, offering him better access. “When I was seventeen, Kristen stole a bottle of tequila and brought it to the trailer,” she murmured, clearly distracted as his tongue teased the pulse that pounded at the base of her neck.
Luc felt a stab of surprise. Madison had never attended the private parties where there was alcohol. No doubt the example of her mother had taught her the emptiness of trying to find pleasure in a bottle. And in truth, he’d admired her for resisting the peer pressure.
Her respect for her body was far sexier than any amount of trying to impress him.
“You never used to drink in high school,” he said, breathing deep of her vanilla scent.
“Which only made it worse,” she admitted, shivering as he traced the neckline of her top. “After a couple of shots I decided I had to have some tangible proof of my love for you.”
He abruptly straightened, smiling with wicked amusement. “Hmm. I like the sound of that.”
She rolled her eyes. “You would.”
“What was this tangible proof?”
“A tattoo of your name in a heart.”
A tattoo? He was momentarily stunned, then he suddenly recalled the strange smear of makeup he’d noticed last night.
“On your lower back,” he said.
“Yes.”
His hand skimmed down to the spot just above her firm ass. The knowledge that she had his name forever imprinted on her skin was hot as hell.