I felt his hard chest hit my back as he wrapped me up in his arms, moving us toward the couch in the living room. All the while his hands moved over my body, cupping my breasts, between my legs. He continued kissing me, my lips, my neck. Kissing and nibbling his way over my shoulders as he pushed the straps of my bra down. I felt him kneel behind me as he unhooked it and tossed it aside. Kisses rained down over my back as he pushed my panties down my hips. I stepped out of them and kicked them aside just in time for him to reach up and put a big warm palm between my shoulder blades before pushing me gently over the side of the couch. I felt his breath between my legs. He kissed the inside of my thigh, and I bent farther over. I felt him at my center, his tongue entering me, his hands spanning my hips, pulling me into his face, his fingers reaching around to swirl right where I needed it. He’d always been so, so, so good at this.

“Oh, God, Luke.” I gasped.

He abruptly stood up. I saw his shirt fly over my head to land in front of me on the couch. I heard his boots, then his belt buckle hitting the floor. I felt his warm skin and the hard muscles of his torso against my back. His chest hair tickled me in the most delicious way as he kissed my neck, then he shoved into my body, pushing inside me with rough strokes.

Yes…

His tears hit my back as he relentlessly pounded inside me, breaking my heart while at the same time putting it back together again. He traced the top of my spine with featherlight kisses as his hands dug into my hips to pull me back into his thrusts before he suddenly stopped and stepped away.

Confused, I turned my head to look at him.

“God, oh God, Lily, I’m so sorry,” he said. He steadied me and moved around me to sit on the couch. “Did I hurt you?” he asked brokenly.

“You did not hurt me. Why did you stop?”

“I don’t want to take from you, not like this.”

I stomped, still wearing my heels, to stand in front of him. “Look at me,” I demanded.

He looked up; eyes hot as they traveled up my body.

“Take me, damn it. Stop hiding how you feel. I want everything. I want you, Luke. I want the real you, without the apologetic mask. I want you every way you come to me, happy, hurting, angry. No matter what, I’m yours. Quit protecting me and just be with me.”

“I have to protect you,” he insisted. He moved his hands to my waist, gently caressing me as he gazed up into my eyes.