Her eyes flew open in time to see him lower his head. His mouth was on hers. He sucked her lower lip between his and soothed the sting her teeth left on her flesh with his tongue, gliding it back and forth across her delicate skin. She slid her hands up his chest and over the curve of his shoulders as he bent to compensate for the difference in their heights. His kiss intensified as he slipped his tongue deeper into her mouth. She combed her fingers through his hair, enjoying the softness of his locks gliding between them. He skimmed his hands down her arms and slipped them around her waist. Lucas straightened, pulling her up off her feet and up against his body. She dug her fingertips into his shoulders and broke the kiss, giggling. With her belly between them, all she felt were the tight muscles of his abdomen.
“What’s so funny?” he whispered against her cheek.
“I’m pregnant.” Giddiness filled her.
“Babe, that’s obvious.”
“No, I mean being intimate with you is impossible.” She released his shoulders.
“And this makes you happy?” Confusion marred his voice.
“No, actually it doesn’t.” The roller coaster that had become her emotions took a dip and she quickly deflated.
“Tell me what you want, Hope.” He lowered her to her feet.
“I don’t want to hurt if we can’t make this work.”
“Do you trust me?”
“More than most.” She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
“Then trust me with your heart.” He pressed his hand against the left side of her chest. “With your body.” Lucas ran his index finger along the edge of her dress to the deep v between her breasts. “And have faith in us.”
Chapter Five
Lucas told himself to breathe slowly. When Hope took his hand and led him toward the dark area beyond the living room, he hurriedly went over his technique in his head. Would she like it fast and hard or slow and gentle? He groaned inwardly, shuddering in his shoes like a hormonal teenager certainly wouldn’t inspire confidence. Lucas felt the sheen of sweat coating his face and knew his palms were getting moist. The fact that it had been well over a year since he’d been with a woman had never bothered him until now. He truly hoped it was like riding a bicycle and he hadn’t forgotten how to please a woman.
She flipped the switch as they entered her bedroom and he glanced around before shutting off the lights. Hope turned to face him. The light from the other room shone across a part of her face leaving the other half of her features in shadow.
“Why did you turn off the lights?” she asked softly.
“My leg, I’ll have to take it off.” Flashes of Michelle and her reaction to his mangled body raced through his mind.
“So?”
“Watching me take off a leg will kill the mood for sure.”
“Couldn’t be any worse than watching me undress. Believe me it’s not pretty.” She reached past him and flicked the toggle. Hope squeezed his hand and the side of her mouth kicked up in a half grin. “You asked me to trust you, now I’m asking you to do the same.”
He was still staring at her when she started to turn away from him and suddenly froze. “Shit.”
She released his hand and hurried over to the clothing-laden bed. Outfits were strewn over the mattress’s side, on the floor, and she was draping the various pieces over the crook of her arm.
“I created this mess when I was trying to find something to wear this morning.” She glanced up at him when he joined her by the bed and picked up one of the discarded garments.
“It’s okay, I’ve seen worse.” He couldn’t suppress the thread of laughter that laced his voice.
“It’s not funny.” She walked to the closet and threw her burden on the floor.
“I know, it’s…” Lucas looked up and saw the how her eyes had brightened with tears beginning to spill. “Hey, it’s okay.” He leaned forward, snagged her hand, and fell back into the one spot on the mattress that had nothing on it. He yanked her down onto his lap. “See no big deal.” Lucas pressed his lips to her wet cheek.
“You were talking about mood killers. I’m sorry.” Hope sniffed. “Lately my emotions have been all over the place.”
Lucas widened his legs and she sank down further between them. “Feel that.” He knew his erection rested against her ass.
She swallowed and nodded.
“I find you sexy no matter what you’re doing.” He dropped minute kisses along her jaw. Lucas placed his hand over hers and felt the baby. He lifted his head. “What I should be asking is, are you allowed to have sex?”
“My doctor didn’t say I couldn’t.”
“I promise I’ll be gentle.” He buried his face into the crook of her neck to lick and nibble the spot before sucking the skin between his lips.
Her head dropped forward and he slid a hand up her torso to cup her breast. Her erect nipples stabbed his palm and he placed open-mouthed kisses down the length of her throat. She slid her hands along his arms. He lifted his face from her throat and she turned her head to meet his stare, blatant desire burning in her chocolate irises. Supporting her back, he helped her rise off his lap.
Hope leaned past him and shoved the clothes onto the floor. Lucas dropped to the mattress and she shifted to straddle his hips. The pressure of her hands on his stomach had him flexing his abdomen. She glanced up at his face and giggled. He gripped her knees and slipped his hands beneath the hem of her dress, sliding them up and down her thighs. His dick pushed against his zipper and throbbed forcefully in his pants, anxious to be free. He glided his hands further up her body, skimming them over the thin material of her panties that rode up her hips and stopped when the fabric prevented him from going any further.
He closed his eyes, willing himself under control. Her skin was soft against his palms. Lucas ran his tongue along his teeth in an effort to dissipate the sudden case of dry mouth. He skimmed his hand across the tight skin of her belly, resting his palm on the taut mound. The baby changed spots and he tried to follow her movements still in awe of the tiny life inside Hope.
“Are you sure we won’t hurt her?” He opened his eyes to meet Hope’s brown gaze.
“I think she’s pretty well insulated.” She rolled her hips, pressing her groin against his, and his cock jerked.
He pushed his hand up, forcing it beneath the waistline of her dress and the sound of tearing fabric split the quiet. Lucas glanced at her clothing. The rough edges of her torn outfit exposed the creamy latte-colored curve of her breast. Lucas swallowed and coughed. She followed his line of vision and looked down. Hope shot him a devilish smile.
“Oh well. It was a little tight anyway.” She gripped the hem and slowly lifted the dress above her head.
His heart beat a little harder as she revealed her body in increments as she pulled it off and tossed it aside. He was like a kid staring through a candy store’s window, wanting to see everything, and focusing on nothing. Cupping her breasts, he watched her suck her bottom lip into her mouth. Dropping her head back, she closed her eyes. He slid a thumb over her taut nipple and a low moan rode her next breath.
“I didn’t wear a bra because my breasts have gotten so sensitive lately I try not to wear one unless I have too.” She apologized.
“Oh, baby, I am not complaining.” He rolled the tight nub between his fingers.
Lucas shifted to the side to move her off his lap. Careful not to lie on her, he eased her to the mattress and rested on his elbow to look down at her. He took in her appearance, glancing down her body at her flushed skin and heavy mounds with their dark caramel aureoles that pebbled under his gaze. Hope’s stark white panties stretched across her wide waist line and over her belly. Slowly he traced his fingers along her side and watched her quiver from his touch.
Some primal need in Lucas screamed at him to kiss her, take her, make her his. He quelled his unrestrained thoughts. Deep down he knew this was a significant turn in their relationship. She was offering him a piece of herself and damn if he’d screw that up. Lucas drew in a deep breath and continued his explorations, sliding his fingers under the elastic of her panties. He rolled her underwear down and leaned down to drop a kiss on her belly.
“Lift your hips.” He looked up to see her eyes closed tight and her hands wrapped in the sheet.
She hiked her pelvis up off the mattress and he slid the intimate apparel down her thighs and over her knees. He dropped them to the floor and rose to his feet, starting with the top button of his shirt. Lucas quickly loosened them all and slid it over his shoulders. He gripped the hem of his under shirt and drew it over his head, listening to Hope’s intake of breath as he did so.
“What’s wrong?” He ran a hand through his hair to get the strands out of his face.
“You’re beautiful.” she said in surprise, resting back on her elbows.
“Thank you, I think.” He chuckled. “I guess you can’t see the scars.”
“I see them, they add to your character.” She arched a brow as if daring him to disagree.
“You continue to surprise me.” He unbuckled his slacks.
“Why? I’m pregnant not dead and you, sir, are a hot piece of man candy.”
He couldn’t help the bark of laughter that escaped him and he let his pants fall from his hips. Stepping forward, he left them where they lay and moved to stand in front of her. He hoped she didn’t notice the awkward way he got to his knees as he lowered himself to the floor, but he wanted to make this right for her. Lucas wiped his damp palms on the bed before gripping her legs. He pulled her to the edge of the mattress and pushed them further apart to slide her thighs over his shoulders. The dark hair of her pussy glistened with her dew and he licked his lips in anticipation.
§ § §
Hope couldn’t see a thing over her belly, but the sensations he created in her body were making her dizzy. She felt his breath at the apex where her thighs met her vagina and currents raced along her nerves. A soft thud sounded when she fell back. She flexed her hands, tangling them in the sheet when she felt the whisper of his fingertips trace the folds of her cleft. She pressed her shoulders down into the bed at the first touch of his lips. Then he slid his tongue along the soft tissue of her vagina and she was sure her eyes rolled in her head.
She wondered where the moans were coming from until she realized they were coming from her. Her thighs trembled as she fought the desire to lock them around Lucas’s head. The sounds he made as he licked and nipped at her labia ratcheted up her needs and she shifted her pelvis to get his mouth where she wanted it, over her clitoris. He laughed and the vibrations hurtled through her, sending her into a frenzy as she awkwardly bucked her hips. She grunted, pummeling her fists on the bed in frustration at not being able to touch him, slide her finger through his hair, and hold his head in place.
Then he took a long lick up between her nether lips and wrapped his tongue around her clit and she found herself slamming her heels into his back. The warmth of his mouth bled into her pearl and flooded her body. Without warning, she felt him slide a couple of his digits into her channel. Overloaded, she tried to push his head away to stop the onslaught of sensations his mouth and fingers created. Butterflies tickled her stomach and slight pressure built at the base of her back. Hope threw her head back and momentarily prayed that Lucas hadn’t sent her into premature labor. Then everything exploded in a blinding kaleidoscope of color behind her lids as the rasp of his tongue lapping at her pussy sent shivers down her spine. She hadn’t known that she held his mouth pressed against her core until she felt him pry her legs apart.
Cool air brushed her nether lips when he moved from between her legs, rising to sit on the bed. Hope rolled her head to stare at his broad back. The sound of him unstrapping his prosthetic resounded through the silence. She gripped his bicep to pull herself into a sitting position. He stopped what he was doing when she pressed her lips to his shoulder. She watched as he finished his task, slid the false leg off, and set it to the side. Hope saw his Adam’s apple bob. Up close she clearly saw the web of pale scars which bisected his side. With tenderness, she started to kiss each mark, tracing her tongue along the raised welts. She glanced up at him when he groaned, and continued with confidence when he didn’t stop her.
She rose up on her knees and kissed her way around his body. He moved farther up on the bed to give her room as she lifted her leg to straddle his hips. His shaft jerked and she buried her hands in the hair at the back of his head. She waited for him to open his eyes and when he did, she smiled and leaned in to trail her lips along his jawline.