Page 50 of Winter’s Fire

He slipped his fingers free and applied pressure to her labia, rubbing her slick flesh over her clit, increasing the tempo until he forced her through another screaming climax.

Lucy’s fingers uncurled from the headboard bars, but he wasn’t ready to finish with her yet. “Don’t let go,” he snarled, barely recognising his own voice in the savage growl.

Logan moved away from her long enough to sheathe his cock. Though he was ready to drive into her, hard and deep, he held back for a moment. Her pleasure was more important than his. Calling on every last atom of his self-control, he moved into the cradle of her thighs, but held himself poised at her entrance.

“Please…”

The need in her voice found its mate in an answering emptiness inside him. Never so certain of anything in his life before, he eased slowly inside the only woman who could take away the agony of that emptiness. Her body contracted around him, and he groaned at the sweet torture of it.

“Touch me.”

She needed no second bidding. In the shelter of her arms, he could set aside the past and be the man he used to be.

No. He’d never be that man again, but for the first time, he dared hope that with Lucy—for Lucy—he could be something better.

~~*~~

The sun had gone down by the time the yacht tied up at the resort’s private dock. Knowing they had to leave the cocoon of safety provided by their cabin, Logan battled with the nausea threatening to choke him. After they’d made love, irrational though it was, he’d watched Lucy sleep, as if by doing so, he could hold back the inevitable and keep her safe from any danger that might await them on the island.

“Logan? Are you okay?”

A gentle hand on his arm banished the melancholy of his thoughts. “Yeah, I’m fine, thanks. Got everything?”

“I already checked about three times. Before we go… I don’t want you to worry about me, okay? I can do this, Sir.”

Logan lifted a hand to touch her collar. This one wasn’t disguised as a necklace—there was no reason to do that here. “I know you can.”

On tiptoe, she placed a light kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for having faith in me.”

With an arm wrapped around her shoulders, he guided her through the door and up to the deck where they’d leave the yacht behind, and join other guests in one of the stretch limos waiting to take them to the resort.

Their fellow passengers for the transfer comprised a heterosexual couple, a two men-one woman ménage, and a female pairing. Logan switched on his cover persona, and joined in with the shallow conversations about the resort’s reputation and facilities. It didn’t take long to establish their status as dabblers in the lifestyle. If these people turned up at Aegis, they wouldn’t last five minutes, and could even be out of their depth at this resort.

The sooner they arrived at the hotel, the better.

In spite of the lateness of the hour, the reception desk was fully staffed, and the process of checking in only took a few minutes.

“Thank you, sir.” The receptionist handed back his credit card after confirming their reservation. “Your accommodation is ready for you—through those doors, follow the signs for the beach, and you’ll see the path to the bungalows on the left.”

“Thanks.” Logan slid the plastic back into his wallet and pushed it into his hip pocket. “What about our luggage?”

“It should already be waiting for you, sir.”

He nodded his thanks to the receptionist, and turned to Lucy. She’d stifled a few yawns in the limo. No wonder she was exhausted—it had been a hellishly long day. He was more than ready to crash himself and could only imagine how she felt. He took her hand. “Come on. You’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep.”

She nodded in dog-tired agreement. “I feel like I could sleep for a week, Sir.”

Without thinking, he leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Let’s go.”

They made their way through the marble, glass and gold lobby, still thronged with guests as exotic-looking as the plants and flowers that provided vibrant splashes of colour. Music was playing somewhere, adding to the buzz of conversation and laughter.

As they made their way along the path to the bungalows—the most exclusive accommodation offered by the resort—the noises of humans at leisure were gradually displaced by the calming sounds of nature. In the distance the ocean murmured a soothing lullaby, accompanied by the breeze caressing the palm trees, and a perfect counterpoint for the faint, unidentifiable chirps and clicks of local six-legged wildlife.

Logan inserted the key card in the front door, then followed Lucy into their home and base of operations for the next week.

“Oh. My. God.”

He almost crashed into her. She’d ventured only a few feet into the room before coming to a grinding halt. “What?”