On impulse, simply because she was so happy to be seeing things she'd only read about, she tipped her head up and kissed his cheek.
“What was that for?” he asked, tightening his arm reflexively around her.
“Thank you for bringing me. I know I gave you trouble about coming, but I’m so glad to be here. Thank you.”
The declaration embarrassed her a little. Part of her didn’t want to let him know how much everything he did meant to her. An even larger part of her didn’t wanthimto mean as much to her as he’d started to, but she was afraid it was too late for that.
Resting his thumb against her chin, his fingers warm and firm on her cheek, he turned her face up for a kiss. He slanted his lips over hers, hot and demanding, turning something sweet into something much hungrier. He teased her lips apart, and she opened for him, unable to deny him anything. Melting against his chest, she gave herself over to the delicious torment of his lips and tongue.
He broke the kiss, pulling back with a wicked grin. She looked down to her hand under his suit coat, fisted in the polished cotton of his shirt. Forcing herself to relax her hold, she smoothed the fabric over his hard chest.
“It is most certainly my pleasure,” he said, caressing her cheek before he let her go.
Fuck it.She’d enjoy every bit of this weekend and deal with the aftermath on Monday. Hopefully she’d still have some of her heart left.
THEY WANDEREDTHROUGH the museum for hours, losing themselves in the displays, following the inlaid path in the floor as it branched into genera, families and species. Luke never rushed her or tried to lead the way. In this one thing, at least, he seemed content to let her take charge, trailing behind her as she explored.
Claire finally stopped, awestruck under the giant whale in the Hall of Ocean Life, and Luke came to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him. She let her head fall back against his chest so she could look at the giant blue whale suspended above them and breathed in the clean citrus scent of his aftershave.
He nuzzled the long line of her exposed neck, and she arched, rocking forward on her heels and pressing her butt into his groin, relishing the way he started to swell just because she touched him.
“If you don’t stop doing that,” he said, tugging her earlobe with his teeth. “I’m going to take you to the planetarium, slide your panties to the side and fuck you as soon as they turn down the lights.”
She shivered in his arms, fighting the heat that flared at his words. He kept her continuously on edge, a sexual hunger burning just below the surface all the time. And she wanted him in a way she’d never wanted a man before. It seemed foolish to make a feeble attempt at denying it, but the control he had over her frightened her. She didn’t want to be the only one vulnerable. The only one ready to burst into flames. She wanted to knock the feet out from under him, too.
“Promises, promises,” she said, wriggling out of his arms before he had a chance to make good on his threat.
His nostrils flared, and he pushed a sexy curl of dark hair off of his face, his eyes blazing like coals in the blue light of the hall. He was so fucking gorgeous, and the heat rolled off him in waves. She half expected women to start throwing their panties. No one should look that good in a suit. All control. Command. Power.
He closed the distance between them in two strides, trapping her arm in his strong hand, the heat from his fingers scorching her skin through the silk of her blouse. She felt her panties go damp and realized there wasn’t much she’d be able to say no to if Luke demanded it of her. Maybe poking a tiger hadn’t been the smartest idea.
“Let’s go,” he said, leading her from the hall. “I’m hungry.”
He kept his hands on her as he guided her out the door, past the statue of Teddy Roosevelt on his horse and down the steps, only stopping to help her into the waiting car. As soon as he closed his door, he hit the privacy screen between them and the driver. He turned to look at her, heat and hunger and iron hard control burning in his eyes. She swallowed hard, feeling every bit the prey to his predator as the car pulled out onto the road.
“Lift your skirt, Claire.”
She could say no. There was no “or else” real or implied in his tone. Just because he told her to didn’t mean she had to do it. But he’d asked her for honesty for the weekend and she found she couldn’t lie – not even to herself. She wanted to do what he asked, wanted to find out how far this thing between them would go.
Shifting in the seat, she raised her skirt until it bunched around her waist. She hadn’t bothered with stockings and her panties were the black lace tangas his assistant delivered with the clothes that morning. Her bottom stuck to the leather seat, making her even more aware of the tiny strip of lace covering her sex.
Keeping his gaze locked on hers, he lifted her knee, pulling it across his lap and spreading her open.
“Beautiful,” he said, his voice a low commanding rumble.
He held her leg behind the knee with his left hand, pressing the back of her thigh against the hard thick length of his cock. That and the heat burning in his dark eyes were the only evidence of his arousal. The rest of him - his voice, his expression, his touch, were so controlled. She wondered how much it cost him. And how he’d make her pay.
The fingers of his right hand traced the damp lace covering her sex. There was no use trying to hide how much she wanted this, how much she wanted him. He could tell for himself. Sliding the lace to the side, he slipped his fingers through her silky folds, and she let out a soft moan she couldn’t contain.
“You are very wet,” he said, circling her opening with the tip of his middle finger.
She sucked in a breath, holding it, praying that he’d touch her the way she needed. He teased her, stroking and petting her slick folds, finally letting his thumb rest against her swollen clit. Exhaling, she shifted trying to raise her hips, silently urging him to ease the fire he was stoking with his casual touch.
“Stay still for me,” he commanded, stroking, circling, teasing her with his fingertips.
He removed his hand from her leg just long enough to lower the privacy screen between the back seat and the driver a few inches. Claire scrambled to close her legs but Luke grabbed her knee, anchoring her in place, spread open and vulnerable. His fingers returned to her clit, her pussy to tease her as he shot her a glance, daring her to protest. The screen was only open a few inches. If she stayed still and quiet, the driver would never know. So this is what she got for teasing him in public.
“Take us past Rockefeller Center, please,” Luke told the driver while Claire struggled for calm.
