Hanchart Land (11 page)

His mouth left her breasts and went on a hot foray across her neck to her throat, where he sucked on an erratically beating pulse.

When he'd kissed his way to her ear, he murmured, "We're taking it slow, remember?"

He was making her crazy, and she wasn't even sure how to satisfy the desperate yearning. For starters, she clutched his head with both hands and dragged it up to hers for a kiss. Their mouths met, his still patient, hers almost frantic. She parted her lips and immediately welcomed the thrust of his tongue. Luke shifted his weight more fully over her, rubbing his chest against her sensitized breasts.

She moaned into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing him closer as she slowly undulated her body beneath the strength of his. Their tongues dueled, and then she sucked greedily at his until she drew a groan from deep in his chest.

He drew back, his eyes on fire, his breathing harsh. "You're not playing fair," he charged. "Kisses like that make a man lose his head."

Susan took the criticism to heart and forced herself to calm down. He was trying to stay in control, and she'd been urging him to lose it. Her only defense was his ability to completely shatter her control.

"You haven't told me everything you like, yet," he declared as he slid down her body and recaptured a nipple with his mouth, sucking deeply. After giving equal attention to the other breast, he slid lower, easing the gown down her body as his mouth discovered new territory. Her stomach muscles clenched as she felt a shower of kisses across her abdomen. She gasped as he continued to explore the soft flesh of her thighs.

Susan was sure she would hyperventilate at any minute. It was becoming more and more difficult to draw air into her lungs as his mouth continued to discover ultra-sensitive flesh. Her body was taut and quaking with explosive tension she prayed he knew how to relieve.

He gave her a brief respite as he pulled back to toss her gown aside, and then his hands and mouth went back to work at driving her insane with need. When his fingers began to knead the delicate flesh at the cradle other thighs, she nearly came off the bed.

"Luke!" she cried, throwing her head back against the pillows as he stroked her to a frenzy of need. Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides and the strength of his caresses brought her hips off the mattress.

Then he was sliding his full weight over hers, but this time her only distress stemmed from not being able to drag him close enough. She clutched at his shoulders and clung to him with all her might.

They were both soaked with sweat, their breath coming and going in harsh pants. Their eyes were glazed with a passionate fever as they met and locked. Luke nudged her thighs apart and settled between them.

"I'll be gentle with you," he whispered roughly, "but I can't promise it won't hurt."

She was beyond caring until he tried to complete their union. Pain and panic invaded her along with his big, powerful body. She tensed, alarm filling her eyes as her muscles reflexively fought the intrusion.

"Easy, it'll be all right," he swore gruffly, battling to gently, but firmly penetrate her unyielding flesh.

Susan wasn't as sure. She'd gone from pliant to tense in an instant. His tension was just as fierce. The effort he was making to control his desire was evident in every sharp line of his face. She forced herself to lie still and stop resisting.

Then Luke wrapped his arms around her and reversed their positions, bringing her on top of him with their bodies still straining to become one.

Her eyes lit with surprise, but she felt infinitely more comfortable and in control. After a few additional seconds to adjust to the feel of him, she felt a resurgence of desire. This time it seized her with twice the force and ten times more primitive need for satisfaction.

Her already flushed features caught fire as Luke's hungry eyes trapped her own. She felt wanton, yet wildly uninhibited for the first time in her life. She felt in control and took control of their loving.

Her eyes never left his as she began to rock her hips against the turgid strength of him. Her earlier cravings were nothing compared to what she experienced now, and the tempo of her movements increased in a frenzied rush until her control shattered and the satisfaction she'd been seeking suddenly radiated within her.

She cried out, shocking herself with the ragged sound of her cries. Then she felt a final, violent upward thrust of his body, and she collapsed against him in exhaustion.

For a long time after, all they could do was fight for air into deprived lungs. Susan knew she was dead weight on his chest, but she couldn't have moved if her life depended on it.

She was enthralled by the whole experience he’d given her. The lifetime wait had been worth the reward. She felt closer to him than she'd ever felt to another human being. Neither of them had confessed their love, but instincts told her Luke couldn't have made such beautiful love to her without feeling some emotion.

She knew men were different from women, and that the emotional aspects of loving weren't always as important to them, but she still didn't believe he could be so patient and tender if he didn't care a little. It was enough to spark more hope for their future.

"I'm sorry if I'm too heavy," she finally managed, her face still pressed to his heaving chest. The apology came without an effort to correct the problem.

Luke was stroking her hair with one hand and had the other locked around her waist. He started to speak, but had to clear the huskiness from his throat first.

"You're not heavy."

"That was incredible," she whispered back almost reverently.

There was a wealth of satisfaction in his voice when he responded. "Liked it, huh?"

Her only response was a nod of her head. She hadn't just liked it, she'd loved it; the closeness, the passionate need, the strength of their responses to each other. She loved being so close to him. It was one area of their relationship where they could become totally compatible. It wasn't all she yearned for, but maybe the intimacy would spill over into other aspects of their lives.

A sudden concern leapt to her mind. What if Luke had been so worried about pleasing her that he hadn't enjoyed it himself? He was a lot more experienced. What if she rated really low by comparison? She hadn't done anything to please him. She'd only wallowed in his attentions.

Lifting her head, she sought his eyes. They were closed, but opened and lit with curiosity at her probing stare.

"Was it all right for you?" she had to ask, even though voicing the question brought a rush of heat to her face.

A big, lazy smile spread across his face. He looked well satisfied, but she desperately needed reassurance. He seemed aware of the fact.

"It was good," he insisted.

"You're not just saying that?" In response, he rocked his hips against hers, making her gasp as she felt him pulse within her. While their eyes were locked, he slowly turned her in his arms until he was on top.

"It was so good, I want more," he declared, his eyes going dark as she wriggled beneath him.

"Oh!" was all she could say before his mouth trapped hers and passion escalated again.

A long time later, when Susan was fast asleep, Luke propped his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. Replays of the evening kept running through his head, making sleep impossible. How much of what Susan had told him could he believe? He'd thought her tale about Shane raping her was an elaborate ploy until he'd tried to penetrate the virginal tightness of her body. Damn! Just the memory brought him to swift, aching arousal again.

Could she have faked the innocence? The tightness sure as hell hadn't been faked. She'd been wet and wanting and more than ready for him. She should have sheathed him easily, yet she'd had trouble. Was she just naturally small, her muscles naturally tight, or was there a way women could control such things?

Shane had called her insatiable. Would the six months of celibacy since his death make a difference? After having been sexually active for two years of marriage? He didn't know and he sure as hell couldn't ask anybody.

She'd played him for a fool when she'd married Shane, and he wasn't likely to forgive and forget. He didn't know what kind of game she was playing, but he knew she was hiding something.

Right now, all he cared about was keeping his family's land intact, having a responsive woman to warm his bed, and having a wife who was willing to bear his children. He trusted Susan to satisfy those needs.

And he did want her physically. That he couldn't deny, even to himself. He'd wanted her for years. She'd become a fever in his blood that had scalded him all the time she'd been married to his cousin.

He'd learned to control the need, to reinforce it with his disgust at her duplicity. He had little respect for women who so easily switched their loyalties, but he didn't intend to let it happen again. She was his now. If she was insatiable, he'd make sure she never had reason to complain. He could be insatiable, too.

Like right now. Tonight. With her soft, warm body pressed against his and the intoxicating scent of her filling his nostrils, it was hard to think of anything but sating himself again. He shifted his legs on the bed as he fought the heavy pull of desire.

She'd been so eager and responsive, yet seemed so unsure and inexperienced. He refused to trust her or even his own instincts. She was temptation, and he was sorely tempted to wake her again. He ached too much to sleep, but he'd had plenty of experience with that particular ache. He could and would control it.

  The sun was high by the time Susan awoke on Saturday. The night had been long and filled with incredible discoveries, giving her a whole new perspective on life and love.

Considering the lateness of the hour, she wasn't surprised to find herself alone in bed. She missed Luke, but knew he had a busy day. Tonight was John's birthday party, so he and everyone else on the ranch would be preparing for the big barbecue and celebration.

She felt a moment's guilt at not being up at the crack of dawn to help, but then she remembered how she and Luke had greeted the dawn. A smile accompanied the memory. He was awe-inspiring. He'd taught her things she'd never known about her own sensuality. He'd drawn a passion from within her that had amazed her. Together, they'd scaled heights of pleasure beyond her wildest imaginings.

He hadn't seemed daunted by her inexperience, even though she had been at first. He'd been alternately patient and forceful, teaching her a broad spectrum of responses. His stamina was amazing.

She stretched, her body tingling with sensitivity as the sheet slid over her tender skin. A blush crept up her neck and face as she remembered how thoroughly Luke had caressed and explored her body. She wouldn't have believed it possible to be so uninhibited, yet there was no denying her responses to his loving.

He might be her first and only lover, but she was wise enough to know all men didn't make love so unselfishly. Luke was anything but selfish.

The bedroom door opened, startling her, and she jerked the sheet up to her chin. The man on her mind entered, closed the door, and then leaned against it while staring at her.

She gave him a tentative smile, and he returned it with a sexy masculine one. His eyes seemed all seeing as they lingered on her disheveled state. Her hair was a wild tangle, her skin still pink from a long night of his caresses, and she was totally naked under the sheet.

Susan felt her senses stirring in response to his blatantly sexual perusal. "Good morning," she offered to break the tension humming between them.

He quietly corrected her. "Good afternoon."

She dropped her eyes. "Is it very late?"

"Late enough that Rosa wanted to come and make sure I hadn't done you bodily harm last night." More heat invaded her cheeks as she realized the whole ranch staff would be speculating. "I can't believe I slept so long. I feel totally decadent."

"You're under doctor's orders to rest, remember?"

There was an unholy gleam in his eyes as he teased her. She responded to it like a flower to the sun.

"Doctor Peters might be a little shocked at your method of relaxing me."

Luke's gaze sharpened, and his tone took a serious edge. "Were you shocked?" Susan dipped her head, focusing her eyes on the sheet. She knew he didn't want a flippant answer. He was asking if their night of loving had unsettled her. Did that mean he had accepted the truth about her and Shane?

"I was shocked, but pleased," she said.

"What was shocking?"

She searched for the best explanation. "I just never imagined it could be that way."

Luke moved to the bed. His knee dropped beside her and she tilted toward him as his weight pressed down on the mattress. He cupped her head in his hands, turning her face to him. His tone took on the now-familiar sexiness of arousal.

"I imagined it, but the reality was even more incredible," he admitted.

Then his mouth was devouring hers as if to remind her of how easily he could make her want him. She returned his kiss with fervor, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. His big, hard body inflamed her senses. The feel and taste and scent of him stirred longings she'd barely had time to develop.

Several long minutes later, he slowly withdrew from the kiss. Her lashes swept up, and she stared at him with her heart in her eyes. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, but didn't want him to confuse the feelings with desire. She had plenty of both, but he probably wouldn't believe it.

"If you keep looking at me like that, I'll never let you out of this bed," he threatened.

"So?" she dared.

He groaned and rose to his feet, causing the sheet to slide to her waist. Before she could snatch it back up, one of his big hands cupped and caressed a bared breast. His thumb skimmed a nipple.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she placed her hand over his. "If you keep doing that, I'll never want to get out of this bed."

Luke chuckled, a wickedly pleased sound made her heart swell with happiness. He gave her nipple a tiny pinch and then pulled the sheet up to her neck.