He sat forward, widening his legs to fit around hers. One of her curls had come loose from the knot at her neck, and he wound it around his finger. Resting his hand on her shoulder, he rubbed his thumb up and down her silky neck. “You sure?”
“Right now, I’m not sure of anything,” she said, eyes wide. She leaned closer, her breath brushing across his lips. “Oh, screw it.” Grabbing the back of his neck, she pulled him in, fusing his mouth to hers.
Hot. Allison was so damn hot, taking what she wanted. He let her play, nibbling at his bottom lip and delivering sharp nips that made him growl. He forgot the bites the second she swept her tongue across the seam of his lips and pressed in. She sucked the tip of his tongue, and every muscle in his body hardened. She explored the recesses of his mouth, tickling the roof with her tongue, and he throbbed.
He couldn’t take it anymore. Playtime was over. Raking his fingers through her hair, he gripped the back of Allison’s head and angled her mouth. His tongue tangled with hers, tasted every inch of her mouth. He was on sensory overload. She was velvet and silk, sharp edges and lush curves. And that was just her mouth.
Wrapping an arm around her waist, he stood, hauling her flush with him. He groaned. God, her curves just didn’t stop. He slid his hand up her side, the fabric of her dress soft as down. He cupped a breast, hefted its weight, and almost melted on the spot.
Allison pulled back, her soft pants brushing across his lips. A small wrinkle creased her forehead. “I’m sorry. That was stupid of me. I can’t do this.”
His fingers tingled, aching to feel her body. “Why is it stupid? It’s obvious we both want each other. What’s wrong with that?”
She laughed, sounding defeated. “Nothing. Under normal circumstances, nothing would be wrong with it. It’s just not something I want to do anymore. I’m looking for more than a roll in the hay with someone who will be gone in a month.” Her shoulders rounded. “And I can’t keep saying one last fling before I set my mind to settling down.”
Luke shoved his hands in his pockets. They needed to be restrained to keep from reaching for her. He took deep breaths, trying to bring his body back from overdrive into neutral. He was hard as a brick, and she was determined to save herself for something serious—someone serious.
The throbbing behind his right eye returned. He would never want to hurt a woman by promising more than he could offer. But damn if he wasn’t tempted.
She laid a hand on his arm and squeezed. “Both my sisters are married to nice, dependable men, and I have two nieces. That’s what I want. No matter how much my hormones want to take you up to my bed and have their way with you, that’s not going to get me to my dream.”
“Nice. Dependable.” He shoved his hands deeper in his pockets. “It doesn’t sound like you want a husband. It sounds like you want a pet dog.”
She took a step back and ran her hands down her dress, smoothing out the creases. “There’s nothing wrong with dependable.”
“It’s boring.”
“Reliable.”
Raising his hand, he picked up a lock of her hair and twisted it around his finger. “That’s just a synonym for dependable, not an argument.”
“This isn’t something you can argue with me about. It’s my decision.” She took a step away before turning back. “I’ll show you to your room. And I really am sorry I threw myself at you like that, gave you the wrong message. It won’t happen again, hot shot,” she said with a wink, her good humor restored.
Luke picked up his bags and trudged after her up the stairs. She bounced back as quickly as her curls did, and a tiny kernel of resentment blossomed in Luke’s gut. He didn’t want her to be heartbroken, but a token display of dejection wouldn’t go amiss. Luke was man enough to admit that the fact that he was never going to have Allison Stuart caused an ache behind his breastbone.
And just for a moment, he thought about what it would take to be the kind of man Allison wanted.
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