The Rebel Surgeon's Proposal (14 page)

Francesca lost focus as she gave herself up to Luke’s passionate seduction. His hands and his mouth left no part of her untouched. She felt cherished, desired. And emboldened by his husky words of encouragement, her hands enjoyed an exploration of their own, learning the planes and contours and textures of his muscled body. Her fingers reached his erection and instinctively wrapped around him, cautious at first, discovering what he enjoyed, revelling in his responses, his groan of pleasure. Imagining how he was going to feel inside her, impatience increased.

But Luke kept her waiting, indulging himself in learning her body, teasing her as he took his time pretending to count the freckles across her collarbones. She gasped, her hold on him tightening as his lips, teeth and tongue worked down to her breasts, drawing each nipple in turn into the moist heat of his mouth, tormenting, suckling deeply, bringing her to fever pitch. And when she didn’t think she could bear any more, his mouth journeyed on, pausing at her navel, which she had never known was so sensitive, before sliding lower still, leaving her breathless and boneless with pleasure as he settled between her thighs.

Francesca’s fingers clenched in the thickness of Luke’s hair, crying out at the delicious shock as his mouth and fingers took her higher and higher. Control was slipping away from her and she didn’t care. She couldn’t think of anything but the incredible pleasure as Luke took her over the edge into oblivion.

As she slowly regained her senses, Luke was reaching for
his discarded jeans and rummaging in the pocket for a condom. He rolled onto his back, taking her with him, handing the packet to her. Still shaking from the force of her orgasm, her heart racing, she opened the foil with trembling fingers, hesitating, taking her time as she slowly rolled it on.

‘Chessie, sweetheart.’ Luke’s voice was hoarse, his whole body rigid with tension. ‘You’re killing me…please. I need you. Now.’

Her moment of awkwardness was stripped away by the urgency of his need and the answering ache of her own body. He gave her control, guiding her as she slid over him. Slowly, oh, so slowly, she sank down, closing her eyes as she savoured the exquisite sensations of being filled so completely, so wonderfully by Luke. Her gasp of shocked delight mingled with his groan and she forced open her eyes, staring down at him, seeing his own darkened with hungry passion. For her.

‘Move,’ he begged her, his hands sliding up her thighs to span her hips.

Unable to keep still another second, she did as he bade, the flickering glow from the fire casting shadows over the age-old dance of their bodies. Her hair cascaded wildly around her as she set the rhythm. One of Luke’s hands fisted in it, drawing her down to take her mouth in a blistering kiss. She met and matched him, striving for the ultimate resolution. But even that was not enough. She had control but found she no longer wanted it. She needed more. Needed everything, Needed all of Luke.

‘What’s wrong?’ Luke asked, as if sensing a change in her as she hesitated.

She shook her head, lying on top of him, a shiver of delicious sensation rippling through her as her sensitive breasts grazed his chest. Adjusting her hold, she encouraged him to roll over.

His free hand cupped her face. ‘You’re sure, Chessie?’

‘Yes.’

Excitement coursed through her at the smouldering expression in his eyes as he reversed their positions and his weight came down on top of her. Instinctively her body arched up to him. With one hand locked in her hair, Luke slid his other arm under her hips, holding her to him as he entered her with a deep, heavy thrust. Francesca sobbed, writhing beneath him, wrapping her legs around him, crying out as he set his own rhythm.

‘More,’ she pleaded in a heated whisper, clinging to him, needing to feel all of him everywhere, afraid they would combust with the heat of the flames that raged between them.

‘You’re mine, Chessie.’ Luke said the words again and again as they came together, but she barely registered them, too lost was she in the raging inferno of their passion. ‘Mine.’

When she thought she had reached the height of bliss, Luke took her even further, then further still, before falling with her into an endless abyss of unimagined pleasure. Crying his name, she held on to him, uncaring if she never surfaced again, because nothing on earth could be as special and amazing as what they had just shared. They collapsed together, spent and drained, in front of the dying embers of the fire. She could hear Luke’s breathing as ragged as her own and feel the frenetic beat of his heart in time with hers. She had thought sex dull, unmoving, a waste of time? How wrong she had been. How right and wonderful it was…with Luke.

Francesca had no idea how much time had passed before Luke moved, then she was aware of him lifting her in his arms and carrying her sleepy form through to the bathroom. After tying her hair up to keep it out of the water, he snapped on the shower and together they stepped under the spray. She leaned into him as he took the soap and lathered her body, lingering over her breasts, her nipples hardening impossibly again, her whole being buzzing as he washed her intimately. She returned the favour, lazily gliding soapy hands over his body.

‘No birthmarks,’ she murmured, feeling as well as hearing his throaty chuckle.

‘And I still have lots of lovely freckles to count and explore.’

He laughed again as she groaned, but her groan turned to a gasp as he knelt down and, hooking one of her knees over his shoulder, set his mouth to the feminine heart of her and rocked her world all over again. Francesca whimpered and sank against him, too shaky to stand unaided. His hands cupped her rear, shaping gently, holding her steady, and she gripped his shoulders, not sure how much more she could take of the erotic assault on her senses.

Francesca lost all sense of time. The next thing she was aware of was Luke towelling them both dry, and then he was tucking her into his bed and snuggling up with her. She rested her head against him, feeling sheltered and protected with his arms around her. Not to mention deliciously exhausted. She’d never spent the whole night in bed with a man before and was surprised she wasn’t more unsettled.

They talked softly for a while…about the house, old memories, Luke’s mother. Francesca had no idea what made her ask her next question but the words were out before she could stop them.

‘Have you never been in love?’

‘Only once in my life, Chessie.’

Luke’s voice was heavy with sleep but his reply brought a searing swell of jealousy that threatened to rip her to shreds. She stiffened, wondering who the woman was, raising her head to look at him in the dim light.

‘Do you still love her?’ she persisted, angry with herself.

Luke’s eyes were closed but a smile touched his mouth. ‘I’ll love her for ever.’

She froze in shocked despair at the softness of his voice. ‘So why aren’t you with her?’

‘At the moment she doesn’t feel the same way I do.’

Francesca frowned at the admission, hating the sadness he’d been unable to hide. The woman, whoever she was, had to be crazy to let Luke get away, to throw his love back at him. Fighting the sudden welling of tears, she set her head down on his chest again, feeling and hearing his steady heartbeat.

‘I hope it works out for you,’ she managed, a catch in her voice.

His hand stroked her hair and he drew her closer. ‘So do I, sweetheart.’

Luke slipped into sleep a long while before she did. She’d had the most amazing night of her life, experienced things she had only read about in books and had never believed she could feel in real life. And then she had ruined it all by asking Luke those questions and learning of his love for another woman. She had never wanted to be loved by a man, had never wanted a relationship or closeness, had asked no more than friendship from Luke, so why did she now feel so wretched?

For Luke the weekend flew by far too quickly. They woke very late on Saturday morning. The post had brought a note for him and Francesca from Conor and Kate Anderson, along with a squiggly ‘Thank you’ from Rebecca for her birthday present. Also enclosed was a photo of Rebecca cuddled up with her huge toy elephant, which made both him and Francesca laugh. And Luke thought again how he longed for a gaggle of mini-Chessies of his own, just as Conor had Kate and Rebecca.

Aside from her enjoyment of the note and photo, Francesca seemed quiet and he vaguely remembered a whispered conversation before they had fallen asleep, something about never being in love. He hoped to goodness he hadn’t frightened her off by confessing the true extent of his feelings for
her. So he didn’t refer to it. Instead, he began a detailed exploration to count the freckles sprinkled across the back of her shoulders…or intended to, until he was distracted and made love to her again, showing her with his body everything he could not yet tell her in words.

As he had suspected, under that ice maiden reserve, a façade he understood all too well, Francesca was a sensual, feisty woman, a side of her he longed to bring out and explore and keep all to himself. In just a few hours she had blossomed, responding to him instinctively, sharing a depth and extent of passion and pleasure he’d never known before. He could only hope this weekend would win her over—or at least give her something to think about so she wouldn’t reject him completely.

In the afternoon they went to the animal shelter and, after a few chores, enjoyed another walk with Murphy and Harry. The only downside came when Sally Hislop, the spirited and indefatigable owner of the centre, told Francesca that, after months of waiting, a perfect new owner had been found for the two huge and lovable Newfoundlands.

‘I can’t believe I won’t be seeing or walking them again,’ Francesca murmured as they arrived back at his cottage. ‘I’m glad they’ll have a good home, but…’

Her sentence trailed off and Luke drew her forlorn figure into his arms, not having the words at that moment to comfort her. So he distracted her the best way he could and took her to bed.

Which was pretty much where they stayed all day on Sunday. It helped that it rained, keeping them indoors. And, really, there was nowhere else he wanted to be but with her. So they spent hours making love, sleeping, talking and making love again.

It was amazing.

Francesca was amazing.

And then it was Monday afternoon and time to take her home. Luke wanted to rage and protest, to kidnap her until she understood and recognised what he had known all along…that they were meant to be together, two halves of a whole. But on the drive back into town, Francesca again grew silent and Luke felt sick with nerves. She’d said she wanted a bit of time at her flat alone to get ready for the first of their three upcoming night shifts, but with each minute he felt her slipping away from him again. He drew up outside her flat and switched off the engine, at a loss to know how to get through to her.

‘Thank you for this weekend, Luke.’ Her gaze flicked towards him and away again, her fingers nervously toying with the strap of her bag. ‘I had a good time.’

The words and their polite delivery, as if all that had passed between them had been some bland and pleasant outing rather than the blaze of passion, broke through his calm control. Despite knowing he should handle Francesca with patience, all his feelings came pouring out in an unstoppable tide.

‘A good time? Is that all this was to you? This wasn’t just a weekend that meant nothing. Not for me. I understand your fears and I know you need time. But this weekend was a taste of what the rest of our lives could be like, Chessie.’

Francesca stared at Luke, shocked by his vehemence and also by his words. ‘What do you mean?’

‘You’re mine, Francesca, you always have been. As I am yours.’ His hand snaked out, his fingers fisting in her hair, preventing her looking away from the fiercely determined expression in his green eyes. ‘It’s taken ten years to find you again, and now that I have, I’m not letting you go. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved, ever needed, the only person aside from Ma who has ever cared about me, believed in me, respected me. And you feel nothing at all?’

‘I do care about you, I do feel the attraction, but I don’t know I have it in me to commit. I’ve always been alone, Luke. You know that. The one person I should have been able to depend on and trust, my mother, let me down, lied to me, used me, betrayed me.’

‘And you think I did the same when I left town,’ he said, his voice hollow and with an edge of bitter regret.

Unshed tears spiked her lashes as she fought her confused emotions. ‘Not knowingly, not like that. But it made me stronger alone. It made me believe I could never depend on anyone but myself. How do I know you won’t go again? How do you know what we have will last?’

‘All I know is that I love you, that being with you makes me stronger, more complete, and happier than I’ve ever been. I didn’t leave you—I left Strathlochan because I had no choice. And as soon as I could, I came back. For you. But you were gone and I couldn’t find you. Yet I never forgot and never gave up hope.’ He paused, his hand still locked in her hair. ‘When Ma broke her arm and told me you were here, all I could think about was coming back for you. It took me eight weeks to organise everything—to pack up, to leave the professor’s team, to get the job here. It was the longest eight weeks I’ve known because I was so desperate to see you again, to know if it was still there.

‘And it was, Chessie,’ he continued, filled with the passion she had come to know. ‘The second I saw you in that corridor, I knew the connection had never been broken, that ten years apart had changed nothing, had only made you more beautiful and special, and my love for you even stronger and deeper. I need you, Chessie. You are the other part of me that makes me whole. I came back to Strathlochan for three reasons…for Ma and for the job, yes…But the most important reason of all was coming back here for
you
.
You hold my heart in your hands. I’ll never leave you, I’ll always love you, I’ll always be here for you, whatever you want or need. You have to decide what that is and if it’s enough for you.’