Page 58 of Lucas (The Valeur Billionaires #2)

“Don’t change the subject. Are you jealous?” I should be annoyed, but I’m not. I kind of like it.

“I told you before, I don’t share.”

“We just met. He was only thanking me.”

“He can thank you from a distance. No need to get handsy.”

I snort. “You remember I’m not your property, right?”

He narrows his eyes. “You’re still my wife, Ava. You haven’t let anyone else touch you, have you?”

I lift my chin. “What if I have?”

“Then I’ll find out who it is, and his days are numbered.” He steps forward, and I step back until I’m pressed against the car door with nowhere to go. My chest rises and falls as I pant for breath.

“His days or mine?”

“I would never hurt you, Ava.”

“Would you kill for me?” I whisper.

“I’m willing to do anything for you, haven’t you figured that out yet?” he whispers back, his face mere inches from mine.

“Why did you bring me here?”

“Because I love you, and I wanted to give you this gift. Because since you left I’ve been wandering around in a daze, not knowing what to do, how to get you to forgive me.

I gave you Gant Construction. I’m willing to give you everything I have, even my life.

Take it all. I have nothing if you’re not in it. ” His eyes blaze.

“Kiss me, Lucas,” I plead.

His lips close over mine and he kisses me, brushing my lips, tasting me like he’s afraid to hurt me.

I run my teeth over his bottom lip, urging him to give me more, showing him what I need.

The kiss ignites, and I surrender to it, to him, letting the feel of his body against mine consume me. When he does that thing with his tongue, my knees go weak.

He pulls back. “Let’s get out of here.”

I nod, and he opens the car door for me. He starts the engine and peels out onto the dirt road.

The moment we’re off the sanctuary property, anticipation coils low in my belly. I reach over, taking Lucas’s large hand in mine. His skin is warm, sending tingles up my arm as I guide it to the front of my jeans. He sucks in a sharp breath, his eyes darting to mine, darkening with desire .

My body screams, every nerve ending begging for his touch, his possession. The ache between my thighs is almost unbearable, the damp heat making me squirm in my seat.

He fumbles one-handed with the button of my jeans. I help him, popping the button and lowering the zipper. Damn it, why did I choose to wear such tight pants today of all days?

His hand slips inside, skimming over the lace of my panties. I can’t stop the whimper that escapes as his fingers brush against my covered mound. I shift, pressing closer, trying to direct him to where I need him most.

His heated gaze darts from the road to me and back again, his full lips parting on a low groan as one long finger delves under the lace and finds my slick folds. “Fuck, Ava.”

I’m not the only one affected. The impressive bulge straining against his zipper is proof of that. He eases off the gas, slowing our speed.

“God, you’re so wet,” he rasps, sliding his middle finger through my soaked slit. He pulls his hand out and brings the glistening digit to his mouth, sucking it clean. His eyes flutter shut in bliss. “Mmmm. Better than I remembered.”

“You’re going to crash us,” I shriek. “Watch the road.”

He grins, unrepentant. “Dying with the taste of your sweet pussy on my lips seems like a fantastic way to go.” He returns his hand to my pants, his finger once again seeking my swollen clit. He finds the aching little bud and circles it.

I cry out, my head thumping back against the headrest.

It’s been too damn long since he touched me like this. Since I felt the wicked mastery of his hands on my body. And God, how I’ve missed him. Missed this.

“Make me forget, Lucas,” I plead. “Make me scream.”

He licks his lips. “I can pull over. ”

“No, don’t stop. Like this.” I’m exhilarated by the thrill, the danger. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it this much.

He nods, the muscles of his jaw clenching as he reins himself in. “Pull your jeans down, baby. Give me some room to work.”

I wriggle the tight denim down to mid-thigh. Cool air hits my heated flesh, and I shiver. But it’s nothing compared to the full body shudder as his fingers return to my bare pussy.

He explores me leisurely, teasingly, swirling around my clit before dipping lower. “I could do this all day,” he murmurs, almost to himself. “Touch you, taste you, breathe you in. Fuck, Ava. The way you respond to me, it’s everything. You’re everything to me.”

On a tortured groan, he sinks one long, thick finger into me while his thumb massages my clit in tight circles. “I need to be inside you. It’s been too long since I’ve felt your perfect little cunt squeezing me.”

His dirty words make me burn hotter, stoking the already raging flames. I squeeze my inner muscles around his probing finger in silent demand. “More,” I gasp out. “I need more of you.”

Lucas curses under his breath but complies, adding a second finger, then a third, fucking them in and out of my slick heat. His thumb never stops circling and flicking my bundle of nerves, driving me closer to the edge with every pass.

The delicious pressure builds fast, my neglected body crying out for release. My back arches as I rock my hips into his touch, riding his hand in desperation. Needy, incoherent sounds fall from my lips, filling the car. The windows fog up from the heat we’re generating .

“That’s it, baby,” he coaxes. “Take what you need. Use me to make yourself feel good. I want to feel you come all over my fingers. Drench my fucking hand.”

He crooks his fingers inside me, hitting that magic spot, as he pinches my clit between thumb and forefinger. The unexpected zing of pain mingled with pleasure has me flying apart.

I scream his name as the orgasm crashes over me, my body quaking and my core clenching around his fingers. It seems to go on forever, aftershocks zipping through me with every twist of his fingers, every brush against my oversensitive flesh.

“Goddamn,” Lucas grits out through clenched teeth, his hips flexing almost involuntarily against the seat. A muscle in his jaw ticks as he labors for control.

Dazed and panting, I drift back to earth. He eases his hand out of my panties and brings his fingers to his mouth, licking them clean.

“Jesus, Lucas,” I rasp, my voice husky. “That was...”

“Fucking divine,” he finishes, flashing me that infamous panty-melting grin. But there’s an edge to it. A hunger.

A twinge of concern penetrates my post-orgasmic haze. “What about you? Do you want me to...” I trail off, glancing at the impressive tent in his jeans.

To my surprise, he chuckles almost self-consciously. “Ah, no, I’m good.”

I frown. “But you’re hard enough to hammer nails. It must be painful.”

He blows out a rueful breath. “I’m thirty-four goddamn years old, Ava. A grown-ass man. But I swear to Christ, you make me feel like a hormonal teenager again. I nearly creamed my pants just from watching you come apart for me.”

My eyes widen as I process his admission, heat rushing to my cheeks. “Really?”

He shakes his head in apparent wonder. “You wreck me, woman. Every single time.”

A strange mix of feminine pride and tenderness wells up inside me. “I’m not sorry,” I whisper.

His eyes soften. “Good. Never be sorry for how you affect me. It’s the headiest damn thing I’ve ever experienced.”

We gaze at each other, the air crackling with all the unspoken love and longing between us. No more words. Not now.

I set my clothing to rights, and just in time, too, as we’re pulling up outside my house.

Ever the gentleman, Lucas exits the car and comes around to open my door for me. But he doesn’t step back to let me out. Instead, he crowds into my space, one hand braced on the frame beside my head.

“Thank you for trusting me today,” he says, his eyes intense on mine. “For hearing me out. It meant more than I can put into words.”

“I’m glad you took me. That you let me in, even just a little.” I reach up to cup his stubbled cheek, reveling in the rasp against my palm. “I know we still have a ways to go, things to work through. But this was a good start.”

“The best,” he agrees, nuzzling into my touch.

I let my hand drop and gather my courage. It takes every ounce of willpower I possess to say my next words. “I should head inside. Alone. ”

Disappointment and hurt shutter his expression before he masks it.

He nods and steps back. “I understand. You still need time.”

“I do,” I agree, hating the flicker of pain I see in his eyes before he shutters it. “But I promise you, it’s not forever. I just...I need to be sure, Lucas. Before I let you all the way back in.”

“I get it, Ava. And I’ll be here whenever you’re ready. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” I whisper back. I remain rooted to the spot as he gets back in his car and pulls away. Only when his taillights disappear from view do I turn and head into the quiet house.

But my mind is anything but quiet.

I want to let Lucas back into my life, my heart, my bed. To lose myself in his arms and never let go. I’m terrified of getting hurt again, though. Of placing my trust in him only to have it shattered once more.

I love him. God, do I love him. So much it’s like a physical ache. But the lingering specter of betrayal tempered that love, and I need to make peace with that. To know, with bone-deep certainty, that I can count on him, no matter what.

Heaving a sigh, I shuffle into the living room and collapse on the couch. I flip on the TV, more for noise than any actual interest.

I must doze off because the next thing I know, I’m startled awake to the discordant screech of “ ring-ring! ”

“Jesus,” I mutter, scrubbing the sleep from my eyes. Across the room, I spot Cartman bobbing on his perch, looking too pleased with himself .

“Yeah, yeah, I’m awake,” I grumble at him as I fumble for my phone. The number flashing on the screen has me frowning. “Michelle? Is everything okay?”

“Well, that depends,” my best friend chirps. “You’re not in the middle of wild reunion sex with Lover Boy, are you? Because I don’t want to be a cockblocker, so if you are, I’ll hang up and let you get back to riding the Lucas Express.”

“Oh my God, Michelle.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. My girl has many excellent qualities, but tact has never been one of them. “I’m not having sex. I just woke up from a nap.”

“Okay, well, I’m here with Noah, and they have this birthday tradition where they call each other and curse each other out or some dumb shit.

The problem is, Lucas isn’t answering, and I remembered you had that thing with him today, so I figured you made up and are together.

So is he with you? Can you put Lucas on so Noah can do his thing and I can get my orgasm? ”

“Wait. What?”

“Hey, Ava,” Noah chimes in. “Can you put me on speaker so Lucas can hear?”

“It’s Lucas’s birthday today?”

“Yeah.” Noah sounds surprised. “Wait, you didn’t know?”

“No, I didn’t. And he’s not here.”

“Oh. Well, do you know where he is? He’s not answering his phone.”

“He dropped me off at home and left. I’ll try calling him.”

“Okay, good. If you get a hold of him, tell him to call me back, please.”

“Will do.” I hang up.

It’s Lucas’s birthday today? My cheeks heat. That whole time, the drive to the parrot sanctuary, the ride back. And he didn’t mention even once that it was his birthday.

I’m awful.

I dial him, but he doesn’t answer. Instead, I get a reply with a picture of a beer mug on a bar, gripped in Lucas’s hand. No text attached.

He went drinking? I zoom in on the image. Wait. I recognize that beer coaster. It’s Andy’s Pub. A pretty well-known place close to here. He must have stopped at the first place he saw on the way.

Within two minutes, I’m in my Jeep, headed there.