Last Chance (23 page)

statement.

Nudging her up the stairs, he led her to his bedroom. He had never

had a woman in this room before and was glad. Whenever he slept with

someone, he usually slept at the woman's apartment, or if she stayed here, he

went to her room. The fact that he was leading McKenna to his bedroom was

of great significance. One she wouldn't know, but he certainly did. McKenna

was special.

Closing the door behind him, he said, "I'm nervous."

"Why?"

How did he tell her that her experiences of sex made him nervous

because he wanted to take away those memories? He wanted to imbue only

good things in her head when she thought about lovemaking in the future.

What Damon had done to her, what she had felt forced to do while on a job,

those didn't matter. Only tonight mattered.

She was still waiting for an answer, an expression of nervousness on

her expressive face. The perfect answer came to him, one that he wasn't so

sure wasn't true. "I've never made love to a woman who could kick my ass."

She burst out laughing, as he had hoped she would. "If I promise to be

gentle with you, will that make you feel better?"

Drawing her close, he whispered, "Yes," and then forgot all

trepidation as his mouth closed over hers.

McKenna groaned into his mouth. If he was nervous, she was

terrified. Suddenly hands that had always been gentle and tender were

caressing her, filling her with a need she barely recognized as her own.

Panting, she pulled back. "I think I'm more scared than you are."

A tender smile lifted his mouth. "Let's be scared together, shall we?"

"Yes."

His eyes watched as she pulled the dress over her head. Standing in a

nude-colored bra and bikini panties, she would have shivered, but heat

infused every particle of her body, blazing like an inferno.

With a tenderness she had only ever seen in this man, he unclasped

the front closure of her bra, and she let him look at her. Nipples tightened as

his eyes roamed over her with so much want she almost cried out in need.

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Lowering his head, he licked lightly at her nipple; electricity blended

with the fire and McKenna thought she might explode from the pleasure.

His mouth still on her breast, his hands glided down her body and

hooked his fingers at her panties, drawing them down her. In seconds she

was completely naked.

McKenna shuddered and he pulled back to ask, "Still scared?"

"No."

Another smile, sexy and hot. "Me neither."

Suddenly his eyes went serious and grave as he gently touched the

scars on her stomach and her breasts. Some were scars from fights she'd had,

close calls during rescues. Most had come from Damon's hands, but under

Lucas's tender hands, they seemed to disappear. Despite those marks, he

treated her as if he was touching something precious, something special.

Going to his knees before her, he looked up at her. "From the moment

I met you, I've thought about tasting you, loving you. Will you let me?"

She nodded, unable to deny him. No man had ever behaved this way

with her. Each time with Damon had been a violent rape. A few times when

she'd been on a job, she had endured a quick screw to gain trust or ferret out

information for a rescue. She was so glad no man had ever touched her like

this, made love to her. At least in this she was a virgin.

Lucas's golden head lowered as he pressed soft kisses to her mound.

McKenna melted, her legs going weak. He took advantage of the loosening

of her legs and pushed them apart. Then, when he had her in the position he

wanted her in, he looked up at her again. "Thank you, McKenna."

She didn't know why he said that. She was the one who should be

thanking him. And then she stopped thinking. Her mind, her very being, was

focused on his tongue as he licked, then delved deep. Not thinking, only

feeling, McKenna cupped his head in her hands and pressed him against her.

When he groaned, the vibration on her clit had her growling his name. The

throbbing between her legs increased, and apparently Lucas knew she was

close. He groaned again, pulled her closer, and tongued her over and over,

lapping, sucking, and licking. And with a wild flash of blinding light,

McKenna screamed and came against his tongue.

Still panting at the incredible sensation she'd never felt before, she

barely comprehended that Lucas came to his feet. When he began to rip at

his clothes, she watched him in wonder. The coolly, controlled Lucas Kane

was no more. He seemed feral, almost wild, yet nothing about his action

frightened her. He wanted her and he intended to have her...that was the way

it should be. What she had known and read about happening to others was

happening to her. She was about to make love for the very first time.

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When Lucas made a grab for her, McKenna held a hand out to stop

him. Yes, she wanted him, but she also wanted to look at him. He had seen

her, admired her despite her imperfections. And Lucas? He had none. She

wanted to devour him with her eyes, and then with her hands and her mouth.

He was as beautiful as she had imagined him. Broad shoulders,

smooth golden skin, the furring on his chest darker than the hair on his head.

His taut belly looked as hard as a rock and his erection jutted upward, almost

reaching his navel. Her mind told her she should be scared. She had felt the

violence, knew what pain that appendage could cause. But with Lucas, she

knew he would never hurt her. His penis was a beautiful part of his body.

She knew it would give her pleasure, and for the first time ever, McKenna

wanted to give it pleasure. She went to her knees before him.

"McKenna, you don't have to--"

She closed her mouth over him. Oh yes she did. She absolutely had to

taste him, pleasure him, give him everything he had given her. This was

what physical love between a man and a woman should be. No fear, no pain,

no dread. Only pleasure.

She took him to her throat and groaned at his taste. With what

sounded like a curse, Lucas jerked from her mouth and lifted her in his arms.

Dropping her on the bed, he kneeled over her.

"But I was enjoying myself," she murmured.

"As was I...way too much."

"How can you enjoy yourself too much?"

His mouth whispered against hers, "Let me show you."

McKenna loved how he kissed. As if she were a canvas and his mouth

the paintbrush, his total concentration was on her pleasure, creating and

building until she was almost crying with her need. His lips feathered softly,

gently over hers. A hot flush of heat speared through her and then she

moaned in protest when his mouth lifted from her.

Lucas's heart, his entire body, felt as if they were about to explode as

he looked down at the beautiful woman before him. Passion-swollen lips,

nipples distended, begging for his hands, his mouth. He wanted to savor her

and devour her at the same time. If he went too fast, he might frighten her;

too slow and he would explode. His gaze went to her face again, and he

knew that no matter how badly he wanted to explode, he wouldn't. This was

for McKenna...he would prolong her pleasure, give her everything she had

been denied.

If it killed him, when she left this bedroom, she would know that what

happened between a man and a woman could be beautiful and satisfying,

with absolutely no pain involved.

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"Lucas?"

"Easy, love...just enjoying the moment."

Her smile nervous and sexy at the same time, she whispered, "Could

you enjoy it down here with me?"

"Definitely." Lowering his head, he whispered kisses all over her face

and neck, then stopped at her breasts because he had to. They were small,

lovely, infinitely kissable and suckable. He could spend hours enjoying

them. Keeping his mouth closed over one nipple, he let his hands roam up

and down her body, loving the way she writhed beneath him, her soft little

pants and gasps firing his blood and burning through to his soul.

Unable to wait any longer, he grabbed a condom from the bedside

table and slid it on. His jaw clenched for control, Lucas moved between her

legs. Watching her face for any expression of fear or pain, he eased into her

wet warmth and groaned at the tightness. When he heard the hitch in her

breath he stopped. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yes, you feel so good...it feels so right."

His heart pounding, everything within him begging for release,

wanting to pound inside her for satisfaction, he ground his teeth together as

he eased further in and then buried himself deep.

"Oh."

That one soft word was loaded with meaning. The expression of

wonder and awe on her face stripped every bit of control away from him.

Covering her mouth with his, Lucas began to move. And McKenna was

right there with him. She wrapped her legs around his hips and met every

movement, arching her body to drive him deeper within her.

Propping himself on his elbows, he watched her eyes glitter as he

thrust and retreated. She was close. The look on her face, the tightness of her

body, and the clenching of her channel told him she was within seconds of

climax. Wanting to make it as spectacular as possible, Lucas pressed deep

within her and held still, allowing her to reach for the pleasure she sought.

Her eyes widened and a long, low wail left her mouth as she tightened and

spasmed around him.

Unable to stop, Lucas let go, pounding deeper, and then felt the

quickening of his body as he came full force inside her. Several seconds

later, his breath still rasping from his lungs, he shifted to move off of her.

She clasped her arms around him and buried her face against his chest.

"McKenna?"

"I don't want to let go yet. Okay?"

"I'm too heavy for you."

Her face still hidden, she shook her head. "No, you're fine."

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Knowing he had to be smothering her, he rolled over onto his back,

keeping her as close as possible. Something told him he needed to stay quiet

and just hold her. He didn't think he'd hurt her; he'd watched her reaction

every step of the way until the very end, when he'd lost his mind. Had he

somehow hurt her then?

A soft sound that sounded like a sniffle pierced his heart like a dagger.

"McKenna? Sweetheart?"

When she still wouldn't look at him, he pulled away. He had to know

the truth. Had he injured her somehow? He looked down at her face and his

heart hurt even more. McKenna wasn't a crier. The only time he'd seen her

cry was when she'd told him about her past. Any other time, she faced things

with sheer bravado and gritty determination.

"Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head but seemed unable to speak.

"What is it, then?"

A long breath shuddered through her. "I never knew how beautiful it

could be or how good it would feel to have you inside me."

Relief at her word mingled with sorrow at her previous experiences.

"It was special for me, too."

"Really?" She looked up at him with such hope, he was tempted to

spill his guts. He couldn't. She wasn't ready to hear it, and he honestly didn't

know what he felt other than a myriad of emotions he could barely

comprehend himself, much less explain.

"Yes, very special."

Dammit, he sounded like an idiot, but she seemed happy with the

words, so he let it go. If he started talking about commitment or anything

remotely related to her staying, she'd be out of his bed and into a taxi before

he could speak.

He kissed her softly and said again, "It was very special."

A stomach growl was her response.

He looked down at her in mock horror. "No way."

She giggled, and he delighted in the carefree sound.

Bounding from the bed, he held out his hand. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"To raid the fridge, of course."

She stood and looked around the room. "Where are my clothes?"

Pulling a sheet from the bed, he wrapped it around her slender frame

and gave her the end of it to hold.

"What are you going to wear?"

Grabbing his underwear, he pulled it over his hips. "Let's go."

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"What if Conrad gets up in the middle of the night?"

"Conrad has his own apartment on the other side of the estate. There

aren't any servants in the house."

For some reason that statement seemed to delight her. She held the

train of her sheet in her hand and said, "Let's go clean out the kitchen."

Feeling more lighthearted and happy than he could ever remember,

Lucas led her down the stairs to the kitchen.

Lucas stood at the window of his office. He'd left McKenna sleeping

deeply and had come into the city. Though his plans had been to work from

home today, the urgent phone call he'd received from Phelps changed them.

The man was due in a few minutes and would expect some direction.

He'd been furious at the news Phelps had given him and had been

determined to give an earful to the editor of the news rag. Now he was