CHAPTER TEN
B ella had eased Luke into the whole “getting to know you” thing. She’d started with the basics—favorite color, movie, and music, and then she’d slowly graduated into talking about his job. What he liked about it. What he didn’t. But as soon as she’d asked him why he’d become a firefighter, he shut down.
Baby steps.
Making out seemed to help though. No sooner had those walls gone up, than they toppled back down. And all it took was a kiss. Now that she knew that, it was going to be her secret weapon.
She’d need it. Especially when she ventured into the topic of his childhood. But they were a long way from that. He did continue to surprise her though. As soon as they’d settled onto the couch after dinner, he’d pulled her into his arms. And kept pulling until she was nestled into his side, her head resting on his chest.
It was where her head still lay. And she had to admit, she liked it. She’d never been much of a cuddler, not really. She was even starting to wonder if Luke Cappelli had managed to break her snuggling record in only a week.
No. Surely not? That would just be sad.
Sad or not, it was likely true. She wasn’t exactly the poster child for healthy relationships. She also might have been slightly overexaggerating when she told Luke earlier that she had “relationships.” Dating, sure, she did that. Relationships, not so much. Unless you counted dating and sex for a few months at a time, then Bella dumping their asses as soon as they started to want more.
“You okay, angel?” Luke’s hand began gliding up and down her arm.
Damn, that feels good.
“Yeah, why?”
“You went all stiff in my arms, that’s all. What were you thinking about?”
Uh, my shitshow of a love life.
Obviously, she didn’t say that. “Nothing, it doesn’t matter.”
“Oh, I see. Is that how it’s gonna be?”
She lifted her head to find him peering down at her, a smug smirk on his shadowed face. “How what’s going to be?”
“You expecting me to open up ... but when it comes to you, it’s optional.”
He deserved an eye roll and a scoff for that, and that’s what she gave him as she righted herself. Pushing against the leather next, she swiveled until she was facing him.
“That’s not how it is and not really how it works either,” she corrected. “For a start, you can’t expect me to share every private thought. The same way, I don’t expect you to share all of yours. And believe it or not, I am opening up to you, more than you realize. You’re not the only one who’s new to this, okay.”
“Hold up”—Luke tilted his head—“what do you mean you’re new to this? Is this the ‘blind leading the blind’ type of situation here? ’Cause if so, I’m confused. Weren’t you the one who told me you needed this in order to have good sex?”
“Let me ask you something, Luke.” She made sure her eyes were pinning him in place. “Have you ever gone to bed with someone you’ve actually spent time with? Someone you like, as a person ... not just someone you wanted to fuck?”
She could have sworn she saw his jaw clench.
“I think you know I haven’t,” he ground out.
She did know that. But saying it out loud had the desired effect. “Okay, well, would it be so bad to find out what that’s like? To know the person you’re about to fuck. To like them. To care about how they feel. And to learn how they like to be touched. You don’t think just those things would make sex better?”
Her heart was racing as she looked into a stare that was getting darker by the second. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she began doubting them. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Maybe they should have done things Luke’s way. One night. Get whatever this was out of their system, and move on.
It’s too late.
It was. She knew it was. And so did he. That was made even clearer as Luke propelled himself forward, his big hands engulfing her face as he took her lips. She could taste the cocoa she’d made them on his tongue as she opened for him. But that wasn’t all she could taste. No. He tasted like home. Felt like it.
You’ve finally lost it.
Maybe. Or maybe he just had her under some kind of lust-fuelled spell. It would explain the noises coming out of her as he lowered her back into the couch cushions. His big body fitting perfectly between her legs. It would definitely explain the brain fog too as he pressed into her.
He pulled back too soon; she needed more fog.
“You’re right, angel.” She kept her eyes shut as his lips brushed against hers. “I want to find out.”
His heavy breaths mingled with hers. Then, all of a sudden, his hands were no longer on her face, they’d found their way down to her bare thighs. Pushing up his fire department shirt even higher than it had already ridden.
“Are we doing this ... now?” she asked, her voice shaky. Nerves were beginning to kick in.
His hands stopped at her question, everything stopped. “Open your eyes, angel.” She was too scared to. “Please, sweetheart.”
Something in his tone convinced her to try. When she did, she found him looking so deep into her, she could swear he saw everything.
“Not tonight,” he simply stated, “tonight, I want to learn.”
“Learn?”
“What you like.” His stubbly skin scraped over her chin, heating her insides. “How you like to be touched.”
That’s what you wanted, right?
She wasn’t so sure anymore. Not while her stomach was flipping and her body burned.
“But if you’re not ready ...” he went on, “then I’ll stop. Just say the word.” His dark gaze bore into her, searching her expression. Looking for answers.
The answer was clear then. Her body had overruled her head, not for the first time. She was going to let him learn. And in return, she would do the same.
With a nod, she let her nose brush his. “I want that—I want to learn too.”
She didn’t know if it was relief flooding his features, desire or longing, whatever it was though, it made her chest feel tight.
Am I having a heart attack?
No. Not a heart attack. Not yet anyway. But it was getting closer by the second as Luke’s warm hands began caressing her thighs again, his mouth running down the length of her neck.
“I want to taste you, angel,” he rumbled as the hem of her shirt hit her neckline, a growl erupting from the man who’d put it there.
No one had ever growled at her breasts before.
Is it weird that I like it?
This was not the time to question her sexual tastes, not when Luke’s mouth was covering her nipple and sucking so hard, she saw stars. It was safe to say she liked that too. But again, there was no time to think about that. Because her education was about to begin. It started when a hand pushed beneath her panties and a thumb circled her most sensitive spot. Her first lesson was clearly learning that Luke Cappelli could multitask. Amazingly, he could use his mouth and hands at the same time. Really fucking well.
As his teeth started to scrape, his fingers began to push. And just like that, her head fell back, and her body arched. “Fuck.”
***
F or the second morning in a row, Bella woke up in Luke’s bed. But what was different about today was he was still there. His chest pressed into her back, a big arm curled around her and a heavy, hairy leg covering her thigh. She was surrounded by him. And it felt good. Too good.
After their little teaching session on the couch last night, Luke had carried her upstairs and laid her out on his bed. There might have been some more advanced modules being taught after that, but they still hadn’t gone all the way.
All the way? What are you, a teenager?
That’s exactly what she felt like. Fooling around had never been so good. It was safe to say that after last night, they both had learned what each other liked. And how they liked it. She should be happy. Ecstatic. She should be on cloud nine and shouting from rooftops just how many orgasms Luke Cappelli had dragged out of her. But as she stared at the trickle of light leaking through the silver blinds, only dread pooled in her stomach.
I’m in way over my head.
If she thought she liked Luke before they’d taken things to the next level, it was nothing compared to how she felt now. She was in deep. So deep, she couldn’t think of a time she’d ever felt like this about anyone.
It’s only been a week!
It had. And that made it so much worse. If this was how she was feeling now, then how much worse was it going to be in another three weeks, when she got in her Prius and drove away? Forever.
“Morning, angel,” Luke rasped into her hair, his warm breath sinking into her neck.
“Morning.” Her eyes fluttered shut. Just in time for Luke to dip his head and lay soft kisses over her bare shoulders.
As he hummed into her heated skin, his hand was next to wake up. Gently, he traced the curve of her waist, letting his fingers glide over her stomach and down toward her center. Getting so close, then drawing back. Over and over again. Teasing. Torturing. Until she was on the verge of begging.
“I think I need a refresher,” Luke rumbled.
Her body instinctively arched into him. All too ready to obey. “Oh yeah? Scared there’s gonna be a pop quiz?”
“I really fucking hope there’s gonna be a pop quiz, sweetheart.” Sharp teeth dragged over her shoulder blades, sending a shiver down her spine.
As screwed as she was, there was no turning back now. So she might as well enjoy it while it lasted, right? Twisting in Luke’s hold, she turned to face him. Those sexy eyes were on her immediately, flames dancing in them as her hand dropped and she began stroking his side.
“You know where I hear is the best place to study?” she asked, just as his mouth tipped up into a smoldering smile.
“Where?”
“The shower.” She let her teeth sink into her lower lip as she flashed him innocent eyes.
If possible, his grin grew bigger. “Then what are we waiting for, angel? I’ve got a pop quiz to study for.”
In one lightning quick move, Luke rolled out of bed. Next thing she knew, she was airborne. Cradled against his chest as he strode toward the bathroom. That was when she started giggling.
“Who knew you were such a nerd, Cappelli?”
She was treated to a throaty chuckle as he set her down, his big arm stretching around her as he turned on the shower. “Sweetheart, I think you’re forgetting what exactly is on the curriculum.”
Bella took her time running her eyes over him. Admiring the very naked, chiseled view. She would have thought she’d feel self-conscious standing there, having also lost her clothes a long time ago, but after last night, it wasn’t possible. Let’s just say that Luke’s tongue and her body had become very familiar. At this point, she was fairly certain that there wasn’t an inch of her that he hadn’t put his mouth on. Which explained the smile currently plastered across her face.
She watched on as Luke took a step under the cascading water and extended his hand. Accepting, she let him guide her inside the shower, feeling a familiar spike of her heart rate as he dipped his head and captured her mouth.
Splashes of water tickling her cheeks helped cool her heated skin as she tilted her head. She wanted more. She wanted deeper. And when she got it, she quickly turned tipsy as she inhaled all that he was.
Bringing her hands to his chest, her thumbs stroked muscle as she moaned into his mouth. In turn, she gulped down Luke’s groans as he walked them backward, not stopping until her back was pressed against the tiles. When he snaked a hand between them, she felt that familiar throb. And ache.
Jesus Christ.
He was teasing her now. Just the way she liked it. So she let him. Breaking free of his kiss, her head fell back and rested against ceramic as she struggled to catch her breath. Once again proving that he was a star multitasker, his mouth came to her ear, nipping her lobe.
“If your plan is to try and ruin me for anyone else, angel, it’s working.” Hot breath traveled down her throat as he continued to nip and suck until she couldn’t see straight. “It’s like you were made just for me. For me to play with . Worship . Get so fucking lost in , that I don’t ever want to be found.” His mouth clamped down on the spot where her neck met her shoulder, and he sucked. Hard.
Her husky moan echoed around the porcelain chamber. But he was only just getting started. She knew she was about to get lost as one thick digit slipped inside of her. She could only hope that she’d find her way back. Eventually.