Way to Her Heart - By Melanie Schuster Page 0,16
of Lucas. And that was the other hand, the thing that made her current situation rather uncomfortable.
She plopped down on an ottoman near the stairs and looked at the pretty plant with a frown on her face. Of course it was normal for a healthy woman to enjoy a flirty night of dancing and kissing with a big hunk of man, but the whole thing had much more meaning for Sherri. Lucas was the first man she’d kissed since the night she and Trevor conceived Sydney. More to the point, he was the only man she’d wanted to kiss. Many men had pursued her over the years and she was always able to send them on their merry way without a second thought. Her priorities were firmly in place, as were her totally justifiable fears of abandonment.
She knew for a fact that men could be craven cowards who ran out on a woman rather than owning up to their responsibilities. After Trevor’s betrayal and subsequent disappearance, she’d made herself a promise that she’d never, ever allow herself to get so caught up in a man that she put all her trust in him. They just weren’t worth her trust—that’s what she’d decided. And after Sydney’s birth she’d renewed that vow with a codicil. She would never let any man get close enough to her or her precious baby. No man would ever have the chance to break her daughter’s heart the way hers had been shattered by Trevor. Giving up a love life had been a very small sacrifice to make for Sydney’s sake. Not once had she regretted choosing her little girl’s happiness over sex. Not until the first time Lucas touched her hand.
She groaned loud and long, dropping her head into her hands. After a moment she had to laugh at herself. Pushing the ottoman back into its normal spot, she went to do her usual house check, turning off the music and then making sure that all the doors and windows were locked and that the alarm was set. Filling a thermal glass with ice and water, she went upstairs to bed. She undressed slowly and thoughtfully before getting into the shower. There was nothing like a hot shower to send her to sleep. Tonight, though, the shower did nothing but remind her of what Lucas’s touch did to her. When the spray of hot water hit her skin it was like being stroked with his strong fingers over and over. All over. She directed the handheld shower over her body, lingering in all the places she wanted him to touch and to taste. With her eyes closed and the sweet scent of her body gel wafting up to her sensitive nose, all she could think about was what they’d be doing right now if not for the condom shortage.
She ended the shower with a punishing cold blast of water as though it could put an end to her wayward thoughts, but her ploy didn’t succeed. Wrapped in a big pink towel, she sat on the edge of her bed and started applying the coconut oil she liked to use. The oil melted into her skin and gave it a delicious scent, which only increased her sexual angst. Who knew that all of her desires would come galloping back after one kiss? That wasn’t strictly true, though; the second their hands connected something had happened to her deep inside. It only got more intense every time their skin made contact, and tonight was the most explosive reaction she’d ever registered. Even Trevor, who considered himself to be an accomplished lover, hadn’t had the same effect on her libido.
Once she was moist from head to toe and smelling fantastic, she slid under the covers without a stitch on. Sleeping nude was one of her favorite things, although she didn’t do it when Sydney was home. Normally she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, but tonight all she could think about was Lucas and what it would be like to have him next to her in the bed. A litany of “if onlys” went around and around in her head and she couldn’t seem to cut them off. If only she wasn’t convinced that sex couldn’t be a part of her life. If only Lucas wasn’t so damned sexy. If only he was a dimwit and a bore instead of such a charming man; she wouldn’t be tossing and turning right now if he was