Love you.
The thought should have shocked her, but it didn’t. Instead it filled her with a sense of tranquility. She thought about the first time she’d met him. He’d driven Josh home in his beat-up old Volkswagen, dressed in a denim jacket riddled with holes, his dark hair cut in a sexy, shaggy way that made her heart thump. Maybe she’d fallen in love with him then, that very first day. Or maybe it had happened when he’d held her in his arms tonight like she was a fragile piece of china. She couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment but she didn’t need to.
All that mattered was the burst of love and tenderness that overflowed in her heart right now.
“Dance with me,” she murmured, twining her arms around his neck.
He chuckled. “There’s no music.”
“Yes there is. You just need to listen.”
He slid his hands to her hips as she pressed her cheek to his chest. And they danced, under the moonlight, to the symphony of waves and wind and gulls. After a while, even the sounds of the night seemed to fade away. They were the only people on the beach, in the world, and at that moment, nothing else mattered.
A flood of urgency rushed through her suddenly, as if tonight would be the last night she had with Luke. She kissed him again.
He seemed surprised by her hurried kisses, but he responded quickly, weaving his fingers through her hair and angling her mouth for better access. Their tongues dueled, until he let out a low groan and parted her robe with his hands.
He lowered her onto the sand and dragged his mouth across her breasts, while she stared up at the ink-colored sky and the white moon that overpowered it. Then she closed her eyes and sighed with pleasure as Luke teased her body with his tongue. His mouth hovered between her thighs, and, feeling wanton, she parted her legs and greedily took all that he gave.
Lying there under the vast sky, with the breeze dancing across her exposed body, thrilled her. “I want you inside,” she whispered, running her hand through his messy hair and nudging him.
He slid up her body, shucking his boxers, and in an instant he plunged his cock inside her. Utter completion.
Feeling him throbbing inside her, she arched her hips to meet his hurried thrusts. She heard the waves crashing on the shore, as loud and powerful as the wave building inside her. She clung to him, her breaths jerky and erratic, and when the first surge of climax swelled, she cried out his name.
Pleasure like nothing she’d ever experienced, ever dreamed of, filled every nerve ending. It made her shudder and writhe, moan and whimper. Luke leaned down and kissed her, swallowing her cries with his hot mouth, before letting out a cry of his own. She held him as he let go, kissed his face and chest as he jerked inside her. When he collapsed on top of her, his chest slick with sweat, his breath warm against her neck, she held him tighter.
She didn’t know how long they lay there, didn’t care.
“Ellie, I…” His voice faltered, but the sheer emotion flickering in his eyes, the satisfaction and tenderness, told her all she needed to know.
Chapter Twelve
Luke woke up with a smile and a hard-on. Christ, how was this humanely possible? He’d made love to Ellie nearly half a dozen times during the night, yet his cock still throbbed. He wanted her. Again. And again. And again.
Her warm sleeping body was spooned against his back, and he rolled over so he could look at her. Smiling, he watched the rise and fall of her chest, the way her eyelids fluttered as if she were having an action-packed dream. Was she dreaming of him? He hoped so.
Sliding out of the tangle of sheets, he got up and quietly walked to the bathroom. Then he tiptoed down the hall toward the kitchen and started brewing a pot of coffee for him and tea for Ellie.
Sipping his morning coffee, he entered the living room and rummaged through his jacket pocket for his cell phone. When he flipped it on, he found thirteen messages in his inbox. All from Josh, of course. Yet he had no desire to return a single one.
“Luke?”
He turned to see her in the doorway, wearing an oversized T-shirt. Even with the sleepy expression on her face, the sight of her took his breath away.
Ellie walked toward him, planted a soft kiss on his lips and then pulled back with a smile. “Good morning.”
“Morning.”
He handed her a cup of tea and her smile widened. “Thanks,” she said, looking touched. “Do you want to sit outside?”
With a nod, he followed her through the patio doors and they sat at the table. Sipping her tea, she watched him over the rim of her mug. “I wanted to talk to you about something.” Clasping the cup between her fingers, she met his gaze. “I’ve been thinking of going back to San Francisco.” Her expression clouded. “More so now that I don’t have a job.”
“Josh will be happy,” he said ruefully.
“What about you? Does that make you happy?”
“Bringing you home is the reason I came here, remember?”