Page 27 of Beloved Beast

He thrust deeper, his breathing uneven. She clasped his back as her legs crossed behind him. Her cries turned to sobs due to the intensity of emotion surrounding them. “Come for me. Let yourself fly,” Luke encouraged.

On his huskily whispered words, she did let herself fly. To soaring heights. As her body shuddered, she clutched him tighter as he moved faster, at such a rapid speed he couldn’t be human. Oh. Another climax was building again. Already?

“Come for me again. Now,” he demanded, his voice rough with passion.

This was beyond…anything. Perhaps because it had been ages. Gillian couldn’t think straight, her emotions being tossed in all directions. She cried out, saying his name over and over as tears spilled from her cheeks. Luke stilled, his husky groans mingled with hers. Their bodies shuddered with the release. They had climaxed in unison. Luke lifted her upright slightly, holding her close, their heartbeats banging in harmony. As if they were one. Every part of her body turned to jelly.

After several moments, he laid her gently on the bed then stood. “Where are you going?” she asked, her breath still coming in short gusts.

He strolled to his suitcase then peeled off the sheath. Dear heaven, he was still hard. “Remember I said intense? Thorough. All-encompassing. Frequent, attentive, and passionate.” He smiled slightly as he slipped on another condom. “I am ready for more, whenever you say.”

Gillian’s insides tumbled in anticipation at his words. He looked magnificent standing there in dim shadow, every outline of his muscled body on full display. His words and smoldering look made her bold. “Only if you let me take control. Some men do not like it.”

“I believe in giving as much as one takes when it comes to bedsport. I also believe in being adventurous, but only if the partner is comfortable. I can be whatever you wish from me, Gillian. Try anything you like. In my distant past, before I met my wife, I was indiscriminant in my choice of partners. It is only after I met my wife I learned to keep my selfishness at bay. I vow I will give you as much as you offer. And more.”

His long narrative was spoken with deep, resonant emotion. And it touched her. What a marriage he must have had. A tiny spark of envy moved through her, but she dismissed it. The poor woman was dead. As was Otto. It was time to live in the present. What he proposed appealed greatly. “I vow to do the same.”

Luke lay flat on the mattress. “Then do with me what you will.”

Surprisingly, she didn’t feel fatigued. Quite the opposite. Where to begin? How tempting to give him oral pleasure, but with the sheath on…another time, and soon. Instead, she straddled his slim, muscular hips, laid her palms flat on his chest and explored him. Her fingers brushed by his nipples, and they hardened under her touch. The exploration continued up his well-formed arms to his broad shoulders. She touched every part of him, followed with her lips, kissing and licking him as he moaned softly. Gripping his shaft tight, she positioned herself above it and began a slow descent. Luke’s eyes snapped open and met her gaze. “Yes. Take me.”

Fully seated, she began to move. Gillian loved this position, the feeling of being in control. She found a steady rhythm, rocking back and forth, leaning forward in order for her little nub to scrape along the long length of him. In response, he clutched her hip with his right hand and thrust upward with each up and down motion. Perspiration gathered at her hairline, and slowly trickled down the side of her face as she became completely lost in the sensation. Everything focused on where they were joined.

“Kiss me,” Luke demanded, his voice rough.

She kissed him fiercely. With his left hand, Luke gripped the nape of her neck, holding her still while he savagely plunged his tongue into her mouth. In response, Gillian moved faster, and electric sparks hummed through her entire body. She pulled away, breaking the kiss and cried out, her head thrown back in utter ecstasy.

A low, animal sound rumbled from deep within Luke’s chest as he thrust harder. The muscles in his neck pulled taut as his body shook with the intensity of his release. Gillian couldn’t stay upright; she collapsed against his chest, still joined.

“More?” he whispered in her ear.

He could not be serious. She could barely move, let alone catch her breath. She met his gaze. His multi-colored eyes glowed with desire. “Luke,” she croaked.

“I know you can come again in a matter of minutes. Trust me on this.” He kissed her flushed cheek. “As can I.”

With great effort, she pulled herself to sit upright once again, straddling his hips. He was still hard inside her. Unbelievable. “The sheath?”

“It will hold.” The corner of his mouth twisted into a sly smile. “If you would rather not…”

She arched her eyebrow. “Is that a challenge?”

Luke laughed. The sound deep and masculine, sending flickers of energy along her nerve endings. “A challenge it is. Ride me. Let us give each other pleasure.”

Clutching his shoulders, she began to rock once again. He was right. She was close. A few minutes later, her sharp cry pierced the air. Luke’s deep-throated groan followed it. As she lay in his arms, her eyes growing heavy with sleep, she realized sex had never reached this level of intensity before, and it left her feeling a little sad. Oh, Otto, have I forgot you that quickly? She blinked back a couple of tears and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 12

Once Gillian fell asleep, Luke found clean bedding in the tall wardrobe and covered her with the top sheet and a quilt. He stood for the longest time and watched her. With her golden hair spread across the pillow, she looked flushed, pretty, and entirely at peace. Good. After everything that had happened the past couple of days, along with finding out the man she’d cared for had died, there was no sin in finding comfort with another.

Glancing at his watch, he was surprised it neared quarter past eleven. They had been making love for hours. Being as quiet as he could, he slipped on a pair of flannel pajama bottoms. Though he usually slept nude, he’d brought them along for proprieties sake.

After closing the door quietly behind him, he headed down the hall and stopped in front of the closed door that used to be Glenna’s room. Luke could not bring himself to look inside. He paused, gently laying his hand flat against the door. Sighing wistfully, he trailed his fingers across it like a caress. He lowered his head as he did in memory and sadness. How he wanted to find her sitting upright in bed waiting for him to bring her a cup of tea, the firelight casting her in a soft, romantic illumination.

But she was not there. A sharp pain tore through him. Damn it all, he still missed her. A part of him still loved her. Time would come and go, but his feelings for her would be—forever. Shaking his head forlornly, he made his way downstairs to the kitchen. Taking a quick inventory would keep him occupied long enough for his lingering grief to dissipate.

The cupboards below contained pots, pans, baking dishes, and the drawers had adequate utensils. SIS was thorough. The upper cupboards held the food items Gillian had found, plus there were three tins of salmon—not easy to get—eight tins of Spam, the mystery meat from America, which certainly came in handy when beef was hard to come by. A box of powdered eggs. One of powdered milk. Tins of beans and beef barley soup. Four tins of sardines, which he couldn’t stand. Two tins of custard.

One advantage to staying out in the country: they might be able to purchase eggs directly from a local farmer. Rations only allowed one real egg a week. Perhaps they could procure some chicken meat not found in a tin. Luke opened another cupboard. Ah. He smiled. Preserves. During his exploration he found green beans, beets, carrots, and apples.