“I agree, but why did you come tonight if you’re leaving already?”
“I got off the plane and found myself at your door.”
“Good answer.”
He kissed her again before he stood. “See you in the morning.”
He turned, but then her soft voice came from behind him. “Sleep here.”
He turned back. “No, we won’t sleep.”
She looked almost nervous when she said, “I have to tell you something.”
Apprehension filled him. “It sounds important.”
“It is.”
“Can we talk tomorrow? I’m exhausted.”
She worked her lower lip for a minute. “Okay.”
He started from the room again, feeling tense. He knew she was tense too when she sought to ease it through teasing. He was happy to play along.
“You aren’t going to forget my name, are you?” she said.
“No, Gwen.”
“Get out.”
“Leaving, Nancy.”
She threw her pillow at him, which he dodged easily, and started from the room. “Sleep well, Bertha.”
He closed the door to her room on the sound of her laughter.
Darcy woke in the morning and smelled coffee, so she padded down the hall to see Lucien sitting in her kitchen reading a paper. The memory of last night in all of its glory came rushing back to her and then that wonderful voice greeted her from across the room.
“Morning.”
“You’re here again.”
He folded the paper and placed it on the table before he stood and walked over to her. He pulled her close.
“I never left. Struggled for over an hour with myself knowing you were in there and I could be too. I fell asleep on your sofa. I couldn’t seem to get myself to leave.” He kissed her and she felt his lips turning into a smile before he said, “I made you coffee.”
She didn’t want the coffee; she wanted to strip him out of his clothes and drink him down. His arms tightened around her as if he could read her mind.
“You wanted to talk.”
“Yes, but I don’t want to have that conversation at this particular moment.”
Curiosity flashed in his eyes but he seemed to move past it and asked, “There’s a party at Trace’s tomorrow night. Will you come with me?”
“Yes.”
He touched her hair, rubbing a few strands between his fingers, before he lifted his eyes to her. “I want to make love to you, Darcy, but first, I want to get to know you again.”
“Okay.”
“No arguments? That doesn’t seem possible.”
“When you make sense, I have no need to argue with you.” Her teasing turned serious before she added, “I never thought we’d be here again, so I’ll take you any way I can have you.”
His eyes darkened. “Fuck waiting.”
He lifted her off the floor and didn’t release her when they reached her room, but let her slide down against him, pressing her tightly to him just before his mouth covered hers. Her hands moved around his back to learn the body of the man he had become. She slipped under his shirt to touch his warm skin, hard with muscle. His hands moved to frame her face as he deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring every part of her mouth before he sucked her tongue into his. He moved to her shoulders, pushing the loose shirt down her arms, pinning them to her side. His mouth pulled from her and he looked dangerous as his eyes moved down her body to her breasts.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered before he closed his mouth over her nipple, sucking one of those peaks deep into his mouth. Lust shot straight between her legs. He moved to the other breast and the need to touch him was raw, but she couldn’t because her arms were pinned.
“I want to touch you.”
He guided her shirt down, freeing her arms before he lowered himself in front of her and pressed kisses down her belly. When he kissed her between her legs through the silk of her panties, she almost came. He slid the silk down her legs. “Spread your legs for me.”
The memory of their first time teased her mind and she knew he remembered it too. He pressed a kiss on the inside of her knee, then up her thigh until he reached her center. He spread her with his fingers before his tongue tasted her, right on her aching nub.
“Oh God.”
He looked up at her with a grin before he said, “Lucien. Oh Lucien.”
“Tease,” she whispered.
As if to confirm that statement, he ran a finger over her moist heat, teasing her as he played with the sensitive nub before circling her, but not