Lessons Learned (23 page)

As if those three little words granted permission, I slowly pushed his boxers down, letting my hands linger along his bottom. Breathing harsher, his hands settled along my hips, and his hazy eyes never left mine while he lowered my panties. With the barriers out of our way, the two of us sank against the mattress.

Lucas hovered above me, teasing my lips with soft kisses as his chest pressed against mine. We were both trembling, but there was no uncertainty in his eyes and there wasn’t a shred of doubt in my heart.

His hand slid along my thigh, and I gasped when he hitched my leg around his waist. I lifted the other, wrapping both around him and drawing him closer. Lucas gasped as he pressed his hips into mine, and I cried out when our bodies finally aligned.

“Open your eyes,” he whispered. “I want to see those beautiful eyes, baby.”

His voice was soft and coaxing, and I had no choice but to obey.

With a shuddering groan that ignited my blood, he began to move.

His hand gently stroked up and down my spine while we listened to the storm that raged just outside the bedroom window. Thunder roared overhead and lightning flashed in the window, but all I could focus on were his warm hands on my skin. I was sitting in his lap, and our blanket was wrapped around us like a cocoon.

“Sweetheart?” He drifted his hand through my hair, and I hummed softly, resting my forehead against his. “I owe you an apology.”

I couldn’t imagine why. This morning couldn’t have been more perfect.

“I didn’t even think about protection,” Lucas whispered.

Oh.

“Neither did I. I guess we probably should have had that discussion at some point.”

He laughed. “Probably. Do you want to have it now?”

“We can,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I have to warn you, though. Mine will be the shortest story in history.” He wasn’t really paying attention anymore. His fingers were creeping up and down my spine, causing me to squirm in his lap.

“Lucas, are you trying to distract me?”

“You are very distracting,” he whispered, burying his face against my neck. “You, sitting naked in my lap, is very, very distracting.”

I bit back a groan as his teeth nibbled along my earlobe.

“So, why don’t we have this embarrassingly short conversation, and then maybe we can distract each other.”

Suddenly serious, he settled his hands along my back, pulling me closer. “Why would it be embarrassing?”

“Because I’ve slept with two guys, and you’re one of them,” I explained. “After I broke up with Ryan, I decided to get tested for every disease known to man. Everything was good, and I’ve been on the pill since I was sixteen. The end. Your turn.”

A soft smile crossed his face.

“Just two? Really?”

Mortified, I nodded and buried my face against his chest.

“Hey, I’m glad it’s just two,” Lucas whispered gently against my ear. “Besides, my story isn’t much different, although I was a little wild in college.”

I lifted my head and frowned. “How wild?”

He rolled his eyes. “Not
that
wild. Just four total—well, five now. My last girlfriend had an affair with her boss, so I was tested. Everything was fine.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“See, that wasn’t so bad.” Lucas kissed me softly.

With a sigh, I rested my forehead against his. “Thank you for last night, Lucas.”

“Thank
you
for last night. Thank you for trusting me with your story. I just wish I could have been there to help you.”

His eyes hardened, and I knew he was thinking about Ryan.

“Don’t hate him. Nobody could help me, Lucas.”

“I could have.”

Smiling, I kissed him softly.

“Don’t dwell, please,” I said, cupping his cheek with my palm. “Last night was so emotional, but today . . . today has been—”

“Incredible,” he murmured against my lips.

The blanket fell away from our bodies as he tumbled back onto the bed. Lacing my fingers through this, I lifted my body slightly before sinking back down, causing him to grab onto my hips and groan my name.

“Amazing,” I whispered.

Sunday morning arrived, bringing with it more torrential thunderstorms. I was a little disappointed. I’d really wanted to show Monica the falls today, but maybe it was for the best.

I wasn’t sure my body could handle a hike today. I wasn’t entirely sure I could make it down the stairs.

It was the best kind of exhaustion.

Lucas snored in my ear, and I sighed happily. What a weekend we’d had together. I had bared my soul, and a heavy weight had lifted from my heart. He knew everything, and he was still here.

Lucas loved me, and I loved him.

My lips tingled as I remembered his heated kisses.
After nearly two months of pent-up sexual frustration, making love for the first time had been a little frantic.

And the second, and the third . . .

Turning over in his arms, I gently traced his soft lips with my fingertip. Lucas scrunched his nose, making me giggle. His arm tightened around me as a sweet smile crossed his face. Leaning closer, I pressed soft kisses against his eyelids.

“Have I told you how much I love waking up with you?”

“You might have mentioned it,” I whispered against his skin.

Lucas checked the alarm clock and groaned. “I think church is definitely out this morning.”

I struggled to sit up, but he tightened his hold around my waist, making it impossible.

“Just one more hour,” he mumbled, his voice a soft plea.

I groaned.

So tempting.

“We have to get out of this bed today. I need to make sure the guest room is ready for Monica, and then I have to get groceries for all of us . . .”

He smiled then. “Us?”

“Us.”

“I love the sound of that,” Lucas murmured before kissing me tenderly. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Do you know what else I’d love?”

“You’d love to take a shower with me?”

His sleepy eyes widened in surprise.

“I . . . was thinking . . . waffles,” Lucas stuttered adorably, “but hell yes, I’d love to shower with you.”

Kissing him quickly, I hopped out of bed and raced toward my bathroom. Our laughter echoed off the walls of the old house as he chased me down the hallway, and just like that, our amazing weekend became absolutely perfect.

“Well, you are adorable.”

Monica had never been one to hand out idle praise, but she’d loved Lucas immediately, just like I knew she would.

The rain had made the long drive from Memphis even longer, but Monica had been in good spirits when she finally arrived. She’d only been here an hour, but the interrogation had begun straightaway. I’d offered to make dinner while silently praying she didn’t completely scare him off. Monica never minced words, especially when my heart was involved.

She’d despised Ryan and had told him so frequently.

Lucas, the saint he was, had taken it all in stride, answering each and every question with a polite smile on his face. They sat around the kitchen table while he told her all about his parents and his growing up in New York. He even told her a little about the student who nearly destroyed his life, and I could tell Moni was impressed he’d be so open and honest with a complete stranger.

As for me, I’d spent the hour fixing dinner and glancing over my shoulder, just to make sure the man I loved wasn’t running for the door.

“Yes, he’s adorable.” I placed a platter of burgers on the kitchen table. “Is the interrogation now complete? Could he possibly be allowed to eat his dinner?”

Surprised, Moni glanced at her watch.

“It’s kind of late for dinner, isn’t it? I mean, we’re in the country. Don’t you guys eat around five or six?”

“We had a late breakfast,” Lucas replied before thanking me and placing a burger on each of our plates. Our waffles had actually turned into a late lunch thanks to the fantastic shower filled with wet kisses and soapy fondling.

Best shower ever.

Taking the seat next to him, I leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek—a silent thank you for putting up with my nosy best friend. Lucas winked at me and offered me a heart-stopping smile before passing the plate to Monica.

“I’ve missed your cooking,” Moni said with a groan as she took the first bite of her burger. “And
everyone
misses our Sunday night dinners.”

Every Sunday night, our small circle of friends had congregated at my apartment. They each brought a side dish while I fixed the main course and dessert. Monica, a complete failure in the kitchen, always brought the wine.

“So, I know you work together, but how did the two of you meet?”

Lucas wiped his mouth with his napkin before answering. “We met at the hardware store.”

“I was buying paint for Grandma’s house.”

He nodded. “I was sweeping the aisle, and just happened to look up to see this beautiful, damsel in distress—”

“I was
not
in distress . . .”

“—staring at a wall of paint samples.” Lucas grinned at me. “You stood there forever, comparing the different shades of blue.”

I laughed at the memory. “There was
a lot
of blue. Mr. Johnson finally had mercy on me.”

“Mr. Johnson rarely moves away from the cash register. He had to help you because I was too chicken to do it myself.”

My forehead creased with confusion. “You were? Why?”

“You were beautiful, and I was so intimidated.”

Me? Intimidating?

I’d nearly forgotten Monica was even in the room, but I could feel her eyes on us, watching our exchange like a hawk. Lucas and I shared a smile before I turned my attention back to my friend.

“So, that’s how we met,” I said.

Monica grinned just as her cell vibrated on the table. She checked the screen, and her smile grew.

“Do you guys mind if I take this?”

Lucas rose to his feet. “Not at all. I should be heading home anyway.”

They said their goodnights, and Monica headed to the living room while I offered to walk Lucas to his car.

“You don’t have to go.”

Taking my hand, he helped me down the steps. The storms had finally ended, but everything was still wet and smelled of rain.

“I think I should. You two haven’t seen each other since August. I need to call my parents, anyway. Mom goes ballistic if I go more than three days without calling home.”

Laughing softly, I wrapped my arms around his neck.

“I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too,” Lucas murmured.

We kissed goodnight, and as I made my way back onto the porch, I heard the creaking of the swing. Monica was there, fiddling with her cell phone.

“Is there a reason I only have one bar of service?”

Laughing, I sat next to her. “You’re in the mountains, Monica. Be thankful you have any service at all.”

She sighed disapprovingly as I began to push.

“It’s peaceful here,” Monica murmured.

“It is.”

I looked toward the mountainside. It was too dark to see them now, but the trees were littered with splashes of red, orange, and gold. The leaves were already beginning to fall, and it wouldn’t be long before all was left was a mess to rake and plenty of bare trees.