His plan—he began to worship her body—was to drag out the foreplay until the condoms arrived. Half an hour shouldn't be any problem at all. It would take that long to make his way across every inch of her skin. He started with her breasts, sweeping his hands up beneath them and catching their bottoms with his thumbs as the rest of his fingers closed around the sides. Then he bent his head and took one perfect nipple into his mouth. He would coax it back to its former glorious state of erection.
Kate moaned and shuddered as her nipple pebbled in Lucern's mouth. She had begun to think this wasn't a very good idea when Lucern left her side, but now, as he suckled on her breast, drawing its peak into his mouth and pulling her desire back from where it had briefly hidden, she let her doubts drift away. She wanted him. Oh, yes, how she wanted him.
Her hands roamed over his shoulders and down his back, clawed his flesh as he nipped playfully at hers.
Lucern chuckled against her breast and urged her onto the bed. He lay atop her at once, his mouth finding hers and devouring it. Kate kissed him back with every ounce of her being, her hands sliding into his hair and holding him there as she did. Then she let her hands drift down over his body.
Lucern stiffened against Kate, his eyes closing with pleasure as her fingers wrapped around his erection. She squeezed gently before sliding her hand along its length.
Ah, the aggressive modern woman, he thought vaguely. Renaissance and Regency women had been much more timid. Not all of them, of course, but the majority had allowed the man to set the pace and do most of the work. Not his Kate, however. She grabbed for the gusto, urging him on, and once again Lucern saw that there was something to be said for modern women after all. They were smart, business savvy, sexy as hell and not afraid to go after what they wanted. They were…
Horrible, he thought suddenly as he thrust into her caress. He had half an hour to kill before the condoms arrived. He hadn't been with a woman for a while. Several hundred years of sex had rather stolen the novelty of it, and he had grown tired of the bother more than fifty years ago. He'd led a rather asexual life since. However, Kate had reinvigorated that side of him—with a vengeance. And if she continued to touch and caress him the way she was, he was going to lose control like a teenager. Oh, this wasn't good.
Reaching down, Lucern caught her by the wrist and pulled her hand away. He broke their kiss and moved down her body, shifting his erection out of reach. He was determined to keep her busy and excited until the condoms arrived.
Kate moaned with mingled desire and displeasure when Lucern's mouth slid from hers and he began licking and nibbling his way down her body. She had the brief thought that it was a shame he didn't have two mouths so she could continue to kiss him as he ravaged her flesh.
Catching the hand that had stopped hers from exploring, she drew it to her mouth. Grabbing one thick finger, Kate sucked it into her mouth and nipped. Lucern paused to pay special attention to her breasts.
Her body tingled everywhere, and Kate shifted restlessly beneath Luc, clutching his hand and gasping as his mouth dropped to her belly. The muscles in her stomach contracted and rippled under his onslaught; then they clenched as he moved lower still and urged her legs apart. Oh, this was… She hoped he wouldn't bite her there.
The thought, silly as it was, forced a gasping laugh from her lips, but it died as quickly as it was born. What he was doing to her didn't leave breath or thought for such concerns, and moments later she didn't care if he did bite her so long as he didn't stop everything else.
Dear God, he would kill her with pleasure and she would be happy in the dying, she thought dazedly.
Then, losing the capacity to think as her body imploded, she cried out, arching her hips upward and tearing at the bedsheets. She shuddered out of control, grabbing Lucern's shoulders as he shifted. The only thing that would make this better was to have him inside her. She was sure of it. "Please, Lucern," she gasped.
"What is it, sweet?" he asked as he lay between her legs.
"I want you inside me. Put on the condom," she begged. When he stiffened and paused, she frowned. "Luc?"
"Er…" Much to her dismay, he pulled away from her. "I, er…"
"Didn't you get a condom?" she asked. "I thought—"
"Yes, yes. I, er, I just forgot it in the other room," he assured her quickly. Pushing himself from the bed, he added, "I'll… er… just be a moment. Stay here."
Then he hurried out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him.
Chapter Sixteen
Lucern yanked the door open and peered out into the hall, hoping to see a bellhop sauntering up with condoms in hand. Of course, there was no such thing. The hall was completely empty. He slammed the door with frustration, then turned to peer around the suite. There should have been condoms in each room. Hotels should stock them like they did candy bars and booze. Really, Luc didn't know why no one had thought of it.