ELEVEN
CLAIRE FINISHED THE LAST BITE of her steak and carried her plate and Luke’s to the counter. It felt like lately, all she wanted to eat was red meat. Apparently their baby was a carnivore. They still hadn’t gone back to Comme Ci, although since she found out about the baby, it didn’t feel nearly as raw as it had. It seemed like just a matter of time before any residual weirdness would fade completely. Luke had Colin call ahead to a steakhouse he liked, and by the time they left the doctor’s office, their dinner was waiting for them.
She was glad they ate at home. She wasn’t about to let him know, but she was too tired and feeling too vulnerable to go out. Hearing the baby’s heart beat had been mind blowing, but it also made everything very real. She couldn’t seem to stop her mind from cycling through all the potential problems. How was she supposed keep running English Electrical at the level she did and manage a child? What about flipping houses? And growing the business so there would be something to hand down when she was gone?
She’d seen how he mother handled her family and knew she couldn’t do it that way. But she didn’t know of any other alternative. She had no idea how she’d find her way through it. Rinsing the plates, she stacked the dishes in the dishwasher. Luke always said to leave them in the sink, but Claire hated the idea of Esmeralda cleaning up after them when it was easy enough to do herself. When she finished, she turned around to see Luke watching her.
“There is a lot going on in that gorgeous head of yours, sweetheart,” he said, taking the cloth from her and wiping off the table. “Do you want to talk about any of it?”
“God, no.” The words were out of her mouth before she’d decide to say them, but it was true. In this case she was pretty sure, talking about what she was worried about wasn’t going to make her feel better. It seemed far more likely that the opposite was true. Since she had no idea how to solve the dilemma of how to manage everything, laying it out seemed like the easiest way to feel worse about everything.
“Okay,” he said still watching her. “Are you feeling okay? Tired?”
“I’m fine,” she said with a bit more heat than she intended. She was tired of everyone treating her like she was going to break, and it made her feel a little bratty.
“Good,” he said, what looked like determination and anticipation curling the corners of his mouth. “Take off your clothes.”
Desire licked low in her belly at the command in his voice.Thisis what she wanted, what she needed, him to take control and overwhelm her body so her mind shut off for a while. She was ready, more than ready, to let him take her like that again. While she hurried to comply, Luke poured himself a scotch and pulled the club chairs together until they faced each other. He sat in one, nursing his drink while he watched her peel the dress over her head.
“Here in front of me.” He motioned to the square of floor between the chairs with his glass, beads of condensation sliding down the straight sides. She moved to stand in front of him, her tender nipples pebbled tight under the lace of her pale pink bra.
“All of it off, Claire. I want to see every fucking inch of you.”
Heat flushed her chest, but she didn’t stop. Keeping her gaze locked on his, she reached behind her and unfastened the clasp of her bra loving the way his nostrils flared when she freed her heavy breasts.
“Panties too,” he said, his voice sounding ragged. As she watched he unbuckled his belt with his free hand and pulled it from the loops of his pants with a snap that made her jump. “Don’t make me ask you again.”
But he didn’t have to, she was already shimmying the pink lace over her hips and stepping free of it.
“You are so fucking beautiful.” With one hand holding his drink and the other the bent loop of his belt, he watched her. The naked appreciation in his eyes sent molten desire low in her belly and when she moved, she felt her sex slick from wanting him so much. “You are going to tell me, without hesitation if anything is too much for you. I mean it, Claire,” he said, his voice sounding serious. “I’m not going to tie you up tonight and we’re not using a safe word. Stop means stop, and you are going to use it if anything we do makes you feel less than amazing.”
She nodded, her mouth going dry. Apparently he had believed the doctor about at least one thing. Fucking was back on the menu. She watched the belt in his hand and wondered what he planned to do to her. Not knowing what was going to happen built a delicious anticipation in her body, and all she could concentrate on was the man in front of her and the way her body felt.
“I need to hear you say it out loud, Claire.”
She nodded again swallowing hard. “I’ll tell you to stop if I need to.”
“Good. Sit on the chair and spread your legs for me.”
He’d seen her naked dozens of times and had his mouth on her everywhere. There was no reason for her to be shy in front of him, but the inherent modesty she had left over from childhood made her hesitate just long enough for him to run the belt through his hand. She sat, letting her legs fall open, knowing it wouldn’t be enough to make him happy and knowing he’d see exactly how wet she was. He didn’t say anything, simply slapped the belt softly against his thigh. She spread her legs wide, giving into the stretch and the vulnerable exposed feeling. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her, but the possibility and the unknown added a layer of heat to everything they were doing.
“Better,” he said, and his approval made her more determined to please him. She didn’t understand why it worked the way it did. She was independent. A headstrong successful business woman who gave the orders instead of taking them, but surrendering to him made her feel more than she’d ever imagined. She couldn’t figure it out now. Not with her sex exposed and her breasts aching to be touched.
“Left leg over the arm of the chair and shift your hips forward so I can see all of you.”
She hurried to do as he asked, letting her leg dangle over the arm of the chair. The position meant she couldn’t hide anything and something about being spread open made her throbbing clit feel that much more prominent. God, she wanted him to touch her.
“I think maybe we need to wax that pretty pussy,” he said thoughtfully, taking a swallow of his scotch. “I want to lick and suck every inch of you. I can’t wait to taste you.”
His words had the breath catching in her throat. Something about him sitting there in his slacks and dress shirt, looking so civilized at first glance, saying such bawdy things with the same tone of voice he’d use to order a bottle of wine, made her pulse hitch. She’d wax for him. She’d do anything he wanted if it made him look at her like that – like he’d never get enough of her. Apparently, this was the point where her reservations vanished.
“Pull your nipples for me, sweetheart. Harder,” he said when she ran her fingertips over the sensitive peaks.
Cupping her breast in her hands, she rolled her nipples between her fingers and thumbs, amazed at how much more sensitive they were. When she tugged gently, stretching them to rosy peaks, it felt like she was forging a direct link between her nipples and her clit.
Keeping his attention focused on her hands, Luke draped the belt over his thigh long enough to unbutton the cuffs of his white dress shirt and roll them up to reveal his strong tanned forearms. Taking another sip of his drink, he loosened his tie, sliding it free of his collar and unbuttoned the small shell button at the base of his throat. She licked her parted lips, imagining pressing her mouth to the triangle of skin over his pulse.
“That’s it,” he said, the heat in his eyes and the rasp in his voice winding her desire tighter. “Now show me how wet you made yourself.”
