Page 40 of Lucas (The Valeur Billionaires #2)

She snatches the phone from my loosened grip and leaps to her feet.

“Ah!” I open my eyes and sit up. “You played me.”

She giggles from across the room. “So easy to manipulate a man.” She looks at my phone, a huge smile stretching her lips. “What is this?”

“That’s me losing a bet.” I sit up on the rug, running a hand through my hair.

“A pink tutu?” She’s still smiling.

I shrug. I bet against Kaleb and Noah and lost. I had to walk down the street wearing only a pink tutu and ballet slippers. They documented the whole thing, of course. Luckily, it didn’t make the gossip pages.

“You look cute. ”

I place a hand over my heart. “Oh, no.”

“What’s wrong?” She steps closer, concern flickering over her face.

“You called me cute.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Calling a man cute is the biggest hit to the ego. I can be handsome, hot, manly, sexy. But not cute.”

“Aww, did I wound your ego, cutie?” she taunts with a playful glint in her eye.

I growl and lunge for her, grabbing her waist and tugging until she falls on me again.

“Lucas,” she gasps, her voice husky.

“Say my name again.”

“Lucas,” she whispers, her breath fanning over my face.

“Fuck.” I lift my head and kiss her. Gently at first, but it turns heated.

I pull her to me, tangling my fingers in her hair as I drink from her lips like a man dying of thirst. Her mouth is soft and pliant.

I graze my teeth over her bottom lip, coaxing her to open for me, and then I give her my tongue.

The kiss turns into a battle of wills, both of us fighting for dominance.

I groan into her mouth, my world narrowing to the taste and feel of her.

I break from her lips only to trail kisses down her neck, nipping and licking at her collarbone.

She pants, her eyes closed, lost in sensation.

I stop, pulling back.

My cock is hard and aching, both of us sprawled on the rug. There’s nothing I want more right now than to flip her onto her stomach, pin her arms behind her back, and fuck her deep and hard .

But I won’t be an asshole and manipulate her into it.

The old Lucas would have, for sure. But not me, not the new Lucas. The Lucas who wants more than just her body.

“Good night, Ava,” I say, my voice rough with desire I force myself to bank.

Her eyes fly open, and she scrambles off me, putting distance between us.

I want to call her back, to tell her to stay in my arms, but I restrain myself.

“Good night, Lucas.” She rises to her feet and returns to the bed, slipping under the covers.

I watch her go, already missing her warmth, the feel of her soft curves against me.

I know I made the right choice, though, even as my body screams in protest. If I want a real chance with her, I have to prove I’m not the man she thinks I am.

I have to prove I’ve changed, that I’m worthy of her trust, her heart.

Even if it means denying myself the pleasure of her body, the ecstasy of losing myself in her heat.

“Can I ride with you to the office?” she asks as we reach the cars, the morning sun glinting off the polished metal. “Where’s Kaia?”

I freeze in my tracks, my heart skipping a beat. I offer her a ride every morning, and she always refuses. Hope blooms in my chest, warm and effervescent.

“Kaia left earlier. She caught a ride with someone from the team. Why do you want to join me? Ah, admit it, you’re in love with my car.” The Jaguar is back from the shop, gleaming in the front driveway.

“No, I just have a few important things to do on the way, and I prefer not to drive.”

She looks troubled, not even bothering to rib me like usual, despite the perfect opportunity I gave her. “Is it something I can help with?” I ask, studying her face for clues.

She narrows her eyes. “Can you get me the Pearl Garden project?”

I open the car door for her, and she slides in, her skirt riding up to reveal a tantalizing glimpse of her thigh.

I slip into the driver’s seat and start the engine, savoring the powerful purr for a moment. I missed this car. She may not love it, but I sure as hell do.

“Actually, yes. I can.” I shift into gear and pull out of the parking lot, the tires crunching on the gravel.

“Really?” She places her hand on my arm, her fingers warm through the fabric of my suit jacket.

“But why would I do that, Wifey?” I arch an eyebrow, the corner of my mouth lifting in a half-smile.

“God, I forgot for a second what an insufferable ass you are. Let me guess, you want a blowjob in exchange?” Anger sparks in her green eyes, turning them into chips of jade.

I grin. There she is, my feisty spitfire with the smart mouth I want to silence with my own. She’s fucking glorious when she’s pissed off.

She reaches for my belt buckle, her fingers fumbling with the clasp.

“What are you doing?” I grab her wrist, stopping her. She can’t be serious .

“What you wanted, right? You want a blowjob, so let’s get it over with.” She wrenches free of my grip and tries to undo my pants again, her movements jerky and rushed.

“Get it over with?” I slam on the brakes, and the car screeches to a halt, throwing us both forward.

Ava stares at me, eyes wide. “Are you trying to kill us?”

I scrub a hand over my face and exhale, trying to rein in my temper. “I knew you thought badly of me, but I didn’t realize how much.”

Fuck, that hurts.

It really fucking hurts.

I’m in love with her, and she thinks I’m scum. It’s not just a joke or teasing banter. She genuinely believes I’m a real bastard.

“I don’t think badly of you,” she says, but it rings hollow.

“No? Because you think such good things about me that you’re trying to give me a blowjob for a project?

I don’t even know what to say. I was sure that after all the time we’ve spent together and after this weekend, you’d know who I am.

” I turn my face to the window, blinking hard against the sudden sting in my eyes.

The tightness in my throat intensifies, threatening to choke me. Maybe I deserve this. Falling for a woman who will never love me back. God knows I’ve walked away from plenty of women when they told me they were falling for me. I did the exact same thing.

So this is how they felt.

“I told you things no one else knows about me, and you still think I’d ask you for sexual favors in exchange for something. That I’m only one step above a rapist.” My voice cracks on the last word, betraying the depth of my pain .

“That’s not what I think. Not at all.” Her eyes widen, a glimmer of regret in their depths. “Truly, it’s not.”

I shake my head, refusing to meet her gaze.

“Lucas. Look at me,” she pleads, her voice soft.

I drag my eyes to hers, steeling myself for whatever I might see there. Pity? Contempt?

“That’s not what I think of you. I don’t know why I said that. You’re a good man. I know you would never do something like that to me. I’m frustrated, and I took it out on you without thinking. I’m truly sorry.” Her words tumble out in a rush, sincere and contrite.

I nod. “Apology accepted.”

Can she ever see me as anything other than the ruthless businessman, the unscrupulous playboy?

I want so badly for her to know the real me, the man beneath the polished veneer. The man who is hopelessly, desperately in love with her.

But I’m terrified that man will never be enough. That she’ll never be able to love me the way I love her.

“Can I make it up to you?” She places a hand on my thigh. “I want to suck you off. Really. You have an amazing cock, thick, big, and hot. I can make it so wet.” She licks her lips. “Take it deep into my throat.”

Fuck, I’m getting hard again. What am I going to do with this woman?

She reaches for the front of my pants, but I stop her again. “No.”

She stares at me, looking confused.

“You can make it up to me by letting me eat you.”

“What? ”

“I want you to come on my tongue, Ava.”

“I don’t understand.”

“What’s there to understand? I want to spread your legs and eat your wet, needy pussy until you come all over my face. Is that clear enough?”

She swallows hard, her chest rising and falling.

“Do you want that, Ava?” My voice is rougher than usual, and my dick aches against my zipper.

She nods.

Her pupils are wide, like black plates hiding the green of her eyes.

We’re on the road to my estate, in a visible spot, but I don’t care. Nothing will stop me now.

I get out of the car, pulling her out with me.

“What are you doing?” she pants.

I’m beyond words. I push her against the hood, laying her down on it.

“My weight will damage the car. The hood will dent.” She tries to slide off, but I stop her.

“I don’t care.”

“What if someone passes by?”

“There’s no one around for miles.”

“What if someone shows up unexpectedly?”

“Then they’ll have an interesting experience.” I push her skirt up, revealing her thong.

“Red, Wifey? You wore red for me?”

I spread her legs, pulling her thong aside before she realizes what’s happening. “Are you wet for me, Ava? What will I find when I slip my fingers inside you?”

“Try and see,” she taunts me .

Fuck yes. I lean down, kissing her while my fingers play with her clit, making her writhe. Then I slide one finger inside and pull it out, bringing it to my mouth and sucking on it.