Page 87 of The Rebel Billionaire

Just a way to keepmesafe.

I didn't intend to speak, but I heard myself say, "If you don't want me to stay in your house, we can always go to a hotel orsomething."

Lucas went still. His eyes landed on my face, one eyebrow raised. I couldn't decide if he was confused orannoyed.

"What the fuck are you talkingabout?"

Wishing I'd never said a thing, I shrugged helplessly and said, "Well, I mean, I've never even been inside your house until today. It seemed pretty clear you wanted to keep that distance, and that's okay. I get it. So I'm just saying if you're not good with it, we can go staysomewhereelse."

The words spilled out of me, pushing through my defenses, leaving me cold andvulnerable.

Afraid he would see all of the hope I'd been storing in my heart, I refused to meethiseyes.

Finally, he said, "It's fine, don't worry about it. It's not abigdeal."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Not exactly the enthusiastic response I waslookingfor.

This is why we weren't having that conversation about our relationship. Lucas was smart. Lucas was hella smart. He could play at being a dumb guy, but I knewbetter.

He was well aware he'd never let me across the property line, much less inside his house. We both knew the only reason was because he thought I was indanger.

He didn't really want me there. If I had any pride, I'd go right back to Winters House by myself and let thisthingend.

Curiously, I found I had very little pride when it came to LucasJackson.

I let Lucas shepherd me into the house, aware he was scanning our surroundings with sharp eyes, his first thought keepingmesafe.

I waited for him to shut and lock the door behind us. The second he turned to face me, Ijumpedhim.

I was tired of thinking. After the news about Gage and the weirdness about the benefit and staying in his house, I was done thinking about my feelings, tired of obsessing about my fears andhopes.

I was done thinking at all. I just wanted tofeelgood.

Lucas had my heart turned inside out, but he was always reliable when it came tomybody.

It didn't take much. My hands pulling his face down to mine, my lips against his, his tongue sliding into mymouth.

He caught me as I jumped, closing his hands over my ass, supporting my weight as I wrapped my legs around hiswaist.

I didn't notice anything about his house as he carried me down the hallway to his bedroom. Everything inside me was focused onLucas.

I kissed him with frantic desperation, trying to memorize his taste, his smell, the feel of his skin under my fingertips. Ever since we'd argued at the dealership that morning, I'd had the sense things were slipping away, sliding out of mycontrol.

I was losing something I didn't even have. I didn't know how to save it, how to get it back. I only knew that the heart of it was Lucas and I wanted him. I wanted to absorb everything Lucas, to memorize him so I'd have something to remember when hewasgone.

He dropped me onto his bed. I tore at his T-shirt. Yanking it over his head, I smoothed my palms down his chest, sinking my nails into his shoulders as I pulled him down on topofme.

I was already working on the button of his pants when he unsnapped mine and shoved them down overmyhips.

I wanted usnaked.

I wanted nothing between Lucasandme.

Ineededhim.

Allofhim.

My knees splayed wide, so wide the stretch of it almost hurt as he settled between them, the head of his cock at the gate of mypussy.