He hesitated; then disappointment crashed over his face. He clenched his jaw and finally nodded. “Do you have any objections?”
“Have you read the annulment papers?”
“Yes.”
His tone gave her more hope. “You spit that out like a bad word.”
Luc anchored a hand around her waist, then brought her closer to him. Their bodies nearly touched . . . but not quite. Then he lay his forehead on hers, his breath tightly controlled. “It is. Ending our marriage is the last thing I want.” He took a deep breath and stepped back. “But I’ll respect your decision, whatever it is.”
He left everything to her, put the power in her hands. If he cared only about himself and his chance to become a parent, he’d never do that. Ever. He’d push and coerce, threaten, cajole . . . anything but let her make the ultimate decision.
“I love you,” she whispered.
The next split second of silence terrified her, especially as both hope and disappointment mingled on his face. What was he thinking?
“I love you, too. So much I . . .” Luc sighed and cupped her cheek. “I’m empty without you.”
To others, it might sound like a greeting card, but she knew exactly what he meant. He’d helped to heal her past wounds, fill in her tomorrows. Luc had made her whole. If she did the same for him, she’d rejoice and hold him close for the rest of her days.
“Ending this marriage is the last thing I want, too,” she confessed.
To prove her point, she gripped both the annulment petition and custody papers, then ripped them both in half. She dropped them to the ground between them.
Luc glanced at the torn documents, then up at her. His eyes flared, burning fiercely, as he grabbed her and kissed her as if nothing would ever mean more to him.
Not opening to him was impossible, and he sank deep into her mouth, the burn between them his own brand of possession. Though it had been less than a month since she and Luc had shared a bed, the ache racing through her after this one kiss made her feel as if it had been forever. She needed this, needed him.
Tears burned her eyes as his lips worshipped her. There would be important events in their lives together undoubtedly, their coming child—and maybe others someday—but Alyssa knew deep in her gut that nothing would ever mean more to her than this moment and their love.
When he lifted his head, she looked at him and melted.
“I need you,” he admitted hoarsely. “To love you. As much as you’ll give me. I need to feel that you’re really mine. Please say you want that, too.”
Alyssa nodded. “I do.”
Caressing his cheek, she pressed her lips to his and swept into his mouth. When he rewarded her with a slow kiss full of devotion, she trembled.
Not even lifting his head, he laid her across the sofa, her back warmed by the buttery leather as he covered her body with his own, wrapping his arms around her. She felt safe, loved, as she sighed against him, desire growing. He compelled her to touch him in return—his face, neck, taut shoulders and back.
Soft demand filled his next kiss, seeming to reach deep inside of her to embrace all of her, even the broken parts. Luc brought light to the places in her soul that had been dark since Joshua’s attack. He made her whole again.
His next kiss started like gossamer, then grew more urgent with every brush of lips, every swirl of his tongue, until it was deep, hard, burning. Alyssa couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think of anything but Luc and the silent promise of devotion between them. She opened to him and gave him everything inside her, secure that there were no more secrets between them.
Drowning in Luc’s hungry kisses, she trembled as he slowly removed her top, her jeans, her frilly under things, then spread kisses all over her body. He sucked her aching nipples, palmed her hip, stroked her needy clit. She burned. Luc always had that effect on her. From the moment they’d met, Luc had impacted her as no man had.
Alyssa was dying to have the same effect on him.
With a gentle nudge, she persuaded Luc to roll onto his back. Without a word, she removed his shoes, his shirt, his pants, and everything beneath. Then she was staring at his gorgeous, naked body, masculine shoulders, rippling abs, and hard, imposing cock. She shivered, and her mouth watered.
Kneeling beside him, she threw her hair over one shoulder and bent to him. Luc tensed. When her tongue curled around his dick, she tasted him, harsh and hot and so salty male. Then she took him deeper with a moan.
“Sugar, yeah,” he hissed, filtering his fingers into her hair and anchoring against her scalp. “Damn, you’re incredible.”
So was he.