Finding Julia Read online

  When the waiter brought fresh drinks, he smiled at her and they clinked glasses.

  Julia lost track of time as they sat in the lounge, sipped drinks, and danced again. They chatted about everything and nothing at all. Luke’s natural warmth and charm continued to put her at ease, but sexual tension so intense it was almost palpable electrified the air between them. As inexperienced as she was, Julia still knew she’d have to be dead not to feel it. And wasn’t that pathetic; a thirty-year-old woman whose sexual experience wouldn’t fill two pages in a book.

  At some point, Luke took off his jacket and stuffed his tie in the pocket. Each time he led her to the dance floor, their bodies clung closer together. His arms held her with confidence and assurance, almost possession. Without the extra layer of the jacket between them, she could feel the heat of his body through his shirt. The fine cotton was like a silk caress against her cheek, and thin enough she could feel the hard buds of his nipples. When he moved his head, she could feel the tickle of his breath in her ear and shivered at the tiny fingers of sensation it brought.

  His cock pressed against the softness of her through the fabric of his slacks. Her body responded with an unfamiliar intensity, tiny nerves sparking everywhere, the feel of his arousal electrifying her. Her breasts ached with the need to be touched, and her panties were so wet she was sure he could smell her scent. So this was what it was like. This was what other people reveled in and she’d never tasted. She was sure if she went to bed with him, she’d die of pleasure.

  If she went to bed with him? Wasn’t it already, in her mind, a foregone conclusion?

  “I can feel every one of your muscles move against me.” His voice was a low hum in her ear. “You have such a graceful body. Soft and warm.”

  Warm was an understatement. Overheated might be more accurate.

  “Do I offend you with my comments?” he asked, his hands tightening on her almost imperceptibly.

  “No.” She could hardly get the word out. “No, you don’t.”

  “Good. Because I like telling you. Do you know how beautiful you are?” he asked as they shifted their feet almost in place in a corner of the floor.

  His words were soft in her ear, a whisper tickling her skin, sending delicious shivers through her.

  “Thank you,” was the only thing she could think of to say, feeling like a tongue-tied idiot.

  “I can feel your heart beating hard against mine,” he told her. “Are you nervous?”

  “Mmm, I’d say a little…unsure?” She was definitely swimming out of her depth here. “Am I making sense?”

  “We don’t have to dance any more if you don’t want to.”

  It was way more than dancing. She was sure they both knew it.

  The heat of his breath at her ear sent a shiver racing through her. She knew he was slowly seducing her, letting her fall into it in slow increments, giving her plenty of opportunities to change her mind. Pull away.

  “You know what I mean, Luke.” She took a deep breath. “We’re talking about a lot more than dancing.”

  There. She’d said it. Pulled it out into the open. They might as well stop…well…dancing around it. She lifted her head slightly now and could almost see the message written in his eyes.

  “It’s about whatever we want it to be.” He tilted her head back against his chest. “Right?”

  His voice was warm syrup slowly wrapping her in a sensual cocoon.

  Did she know what she was doing? Hell, no, but she wanted to do it anyway. Oh, my God. Was this her?

  “I don’t know how to do this,” she finally answered, their bodies almost still, her cheek pressed against his shoulder. “I have no experience.”

  The squeeze of his hand told her he knew exactly what she meant.

  “You don’t need experience, Julia. You just go with the flow.”

  The combination of the music and the drinks flooded her system with erotic sensations, transporting her into an almost hypnotic state. But his next words both thrilled and shocked her, not because she hadn’t been expected them but because she had.

  “I want you, Julia.”

  The words, spoken so quietly she almost missed them, made her body contract, her heartbeat kick into triple time, and her pulse race madly.

  “I want to feel your naked body next to mine,” he went on. “Touch you everywhere with my hands.”

  She shivered, heat flooding her, the walls of her cunt fluttering, and her nipples throbbing. She could almost feel his hands on her naked skin. So many conflicting emotions roiled inside her. “I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.” She attempted to lighten the mood.

  His grip on her tightened almost painfully. “Now there’s where you’re dead wrong. I actually say it to no one these days. And haven’t for a long time.”

  And suddenly, curled against Luke’s hard, lean body, she couldn’t remember why she’d thought even for a minute this might be a bad idea. She was nearly a free woman and the most exciting man she’d ever met actually wanted her. Wanted her! And with an intensity she’d never found with Charles. She was practically jumping into this with both feet, without any hesitation at all.

  And somehow she felt a rightness to this, a powerful something pulling her and Luke together.

  When the duo announced they were taking a break, Luke led her back to the table, still holding one of her hands. “Are you very hungry?”

  “No.” She was aware of what he asked. “Are you?”

  “Not for food,” he told her.

  Immediate heat flashed through her body again and the pulse beating in her womb reverberated everywhere inside her. One last alarm bell clanged in her brain. If she didn’t stop now, it would be too late. But she could have more easily stopped a runaway train.

  “This is more than a whim, you know.” His gaze was intense. “I want to be totally clear about this.”

  “Yes.” She could barely get the word out.

  He paid their bill with efficient speed and guided her to the elevator. As the car glided smoothly up three floors, he held both of her hands, kissing her lightly as if knowing she needed reassurance.

  “It will be fine, Julia.” Luke moved his lips to her forehead. “Trust me.”

  What else could she do?

  Chapter 4

  Her fingers fumbled so much with the key card Luke finally took it from her and swiped it through the slot. As soon as they entered her room, she began to tremble, and he drew her into his arms. Sheltering her. Reassuring her.

  “Are you scared to make love, Julia? Does it frighten you?” He brushed his mouth against hers and pressed his warm palm against her back. “What kind of life do you have where sex is such an enemy?”

  Illumination from the outside slanted in through the partially open drapes, providing enough light without turning on the lamps. The darkness made her feel more secure, insulated, but still her mouth couldn’t form any words to answer him. She was conscious of his maleness, of the feel of his body against hers, of the unfamiliar heat of desire rushing through her. Feelings she’d never known before gripped her and held her. She stood there, wanting his touch more strongly than she could admit.

  “I’m going to kiss you,” he said. “We’ll take it from there.”

  Slowly, Luke enfolded her in his arms again and began to stroke her back, to kiss the edges of her ear, the side of her neck, the line of her jaw. They were soft kisses, undemanding, and they eased the edge of her nervousness. His hands were warm; wherever he touched, little sparks of fire burned on her skin. He moved his mouth across her cheek to her lips and touched his mouth to hers in a gentle caress. His lips were strong and soft at the same time.

  In moments, gentleness quickly flew out the window. He urged her mouth open, savoring her with his tongue, coaxing her to do the same to him. He tasted of whiskey and maleness, an earthy combination that teased her senses. A jolt of electricity sparked as he probed the hot, dark recesses of her mouth,
seeking every inch. His tongue moved over every surface, traced a line across the roof of her mouth, rasped against her own small tongue. A different kind of dance took over, a more sensual one capable of fanning her senses to life. She shook with a kind of need she’d never experienced, and he did nothing more than kiss her.

  The kiss went on and on. He licked at her lips, his mouth moving against hers as he slanted it first one way and then another. His large hands, with their long fingers, cupped her head with a touch both gentle and commanding. She could feel the imprint of each finger against her skull. His seduction on the dance floor paled compared to the impact of this kiss. Now Julia knew what it meant to be kissed breathless.

  With a mind of their own, her arms crept up his back, pulling him closer, sliding her hands against the soft fabric of his shirt. She was in unfamiliar territory here, operating purely on instinct. Her breasts ached even more, silently begging to be touched and held. Her nipples tingled, fire built between her legs, and she didn’t know what to do with it. This was so new to her.

  Without releasing her mouth, Luke slid his hands under her sweater, caressing the soft flesh with feather-light touches on her ribs and her spine, tracing lines and drawing patterns as he learned the curves and angles of her body. His fingers branded her every place he touched her as he impatiently drew her sweater over her head.

  At last! She sighed with relief.

  When his thumbs rasped against her nipples, she felt them harden—a delicious shiver ran through her body. With an easy deftness, he slipped the hooks on her lacy bra, releasing her breasts and cupping them at last in his hands. His lips were voracious on hers and the entire time his hands roamed over her upper body, his mouth never left hers. He kept her welded to him as he fed on her taste, stealing her breath.

  He drew patterns on her with light touches of his fingers, caressing each bump and space. Pausing for a moment to skim the upper swell of her ass, he shifted his hand to trace a line up her ribs to her breasts.

  Aroused by Luke’s stimulating touch and desperate to feel his naked skin, she brought her hands around and opened the buttons on his shirt. Yanking the tails from his trousers, she frantically pushed the garment from his shoulders and down his arms until it fell to the floor. She ran her hands over him, exploring his upper body, wanting to touch him everywhere at once. She skimmed his chest with her fingertips, relishing in the feel of the crisp hair curling on his chest and the hard buttons of his nipples.

  The thickness of his cock pressed against her stomach, increasing her own heat. Her legs suddenly grew weak and shaky, and she clung to his lean body for balance. His hands dropped to her waist and slowly unfastened the button on her slacks. The rasp of the zipper sounded loud in the room. As he pushed her slacks down her hips and thighs, he lifted his mouth from hers at last. Lowering his head, he closed his mouth over one taut nipple.

  “Ohhh.” The tiny cry of pleasure rippled from her throat as his lips tugged and pulled on the hardened bud and his fingers kneaded her soft flesh.

  In a frenzy of arousal, Julia unfastened his slacks and shoved at them. Clumsy in her efforts, she made small sounds of frustration as she pushed at the clothing.

  Luke finally lifted his head from her breasts, pulling one last, erotic time on a nipple and stepped back to rid himself of his clothes. Kicking his shoes off and yanking away his socks, he knelt in front of her. With careful attention, he tugged her slacks and panties down to her ankles, lifting each foot to step out of them. He pulled off her shoes; then he placed his hands on her hips to hold her steady and pressed his head against her mound, inhaling her scent.

  “Ohhh.” The pleasure of the sensation spiraled through her.

  When he opened the lips of her cunt and licked the sensitive tip of her clit, she thought she would melt to the floor. Only her hands braced on Luke’s shoulders kept her upright. Again and again he flicked his tongue over the swollen knot, each stroke making her insides quake and her nerves fire. She felt dampness on the inside of her thighs as Luke’s wicked tongue did its work. Inside her, the manacles locking her down released with agonizing slowness and her body unfolded, one delightful burst at a time. Luke moved his tongue lower, tracing the length of her slit with the tip of his tongue. She cried out with pleasure at the sensations whirling through her body. It was too much. It wasn’t enough. Stop! No, she wanted more.

  She clutched at his shoulders, digging her nails into the skin as he took her higher and higher. When her climax exploded, every muscle spasmed in response. The walls of her pussy clenched over and over again, and her body shook so hard she didn’t know if she could remain upright. She collapsed forward, leaning into Luke, held in place by his strong hands. His warm mouth whispered kisses over the softness of her belly as she tried to regain some sense of balance.

  “Remarkable.” His voice was so deep and sensual. “You are the most responsive woman I have ever known.”

  She was breathless, unable to answer him.

  Luke slow-walked them to the bed and reached for the bedside lamp. Julia stretched out her hand to stop him.

  “No. Please. I’m… I’ve had children… I… I’m not a teenager any more, Luke.”

  “Thank God. Neither am I.” He stroked her cheek gently. “I want to see you, Julia, to look at you. Please. It would give me such pleasure.”

  Reluctantly, she withdrew her hand and he snapped on the light. She would have crossed her arms to cover herself, but he held them at her sides, his eyes raking her body.

  “You’re lovely,” he whispered, drinking in the sight of her. “Why wouldn’t you want me to look? You have nothing to hide. Do you know how sexy you are, what a richness there is to your body?”

  “My body leaves a lot to be desired, Luke,” she protested, still nervous. “Certainly at my age.”

  “Not for me, sweet Julia. I could feast on you forever.”

  Now she allowed herself to look at him, to let her eyes take in every inch of his naked body, and she drew in her breath at the sight. As big as he was, his body was still lean but well-muscled, with silky hair on his arms, and a thick mat of curling hair on his chest. A thin line arrowed down to his groin to the most magnificent erection she’d ever seen. She quaked in anticipation.

  He carried her down to the bed with him, his lips tracing a path across her breasts and the roundness of her belly to the soft triangle of curls at the apex of her thighs. He captured her mouth again as his hand moved toward her heat, gently nudging her legs apart. The liquid of arousal trickled from her cunt, and she caught her breath. Her body answered his touch with little coaxing. She loved his strong fingers on her, the heat of his mouth, and the feel of his flesh over hard muscles. He dropped his head lower and flicked his tongue on her nipples, then raked them with his teeth. Her breathing quickened and she arched herself into him.

  More, more, more!

  The demand echoed in her head. She wanted him to touch her everywhere at once. Kiss every bit of her. When his tongued traced a line even lower, a dark thrill raced through her. He shifted positions and his fingers gently opened the lips of her pussy. One swipe of his tongue across the sizzling knot of nerves made her cry out.

  “Luke!”

  “Right here, baby,” he murmured, his mouth busy on her sex.

  He traced the line of her slit, lapping at the moisture gathered there. His teeth tugged gently on her pubic curls before nipping lightly at her labia.

  Julia was sure she would burn alive from the heat racing through her. As her mind spun out, her only focus was her center where Luke’s mouth performed wonders on her. She forgot to worry, to be nervous, or afraid. All she wanted was more of what he was doing. The walls of her pussy fluttered like leaves in a hurricane, grasping hungrily at Luke’s marauding tongue.

  An unfamiliar ribbon of hot need coiled low in her belly then unwound slowly, pushing her to a sensuous plateau she hadn’t even known existed. When his tongue thrust stiffly inside her wet chann
el, she cried out again and thrust her hips at him boldly.

  Magic beckoned, a starburst waiting inside her to explode and thrust her into space. She reached for it, panted for it, but he held it just out of reach, teasing her, demanding she give everything to him. Breathing fractured, her body strained toward the explosion she needed like she needed her next breath.

  Suddenly, he pulled away and rose to his knees. She pried her eyes open, her body quivering at the edge of the precipice he’d taken her to, shocked at the sudden absence of his touch.

  “What’s wrong?” She barely croaked the words, stunned, wondering if she’d done something wrong.

  “Shit.” He smacked his forehead. “I am the biggest damn idiot.”

  “What is it?” She was frightened. Was he changing his mind? Now of all times? “Please tell me.”

  “I have nothing with me,” he said, his voice grating. “I didn’t carry anything because I didn’t expect to need it.”

  “Carry what?” She blinked. “I don’t understand.”

  “Protection, damn it.” He pushed himself away from her. “I don’t want to send you home pregnant. That’s the last thing you’d need.”

  Julia reached out a hand and tugged him back to her, desperate to feel his touch again. “It’s okay. I’m like the Boy Scouts, always prepared.”

  “You’re taking birth control pills?”

  She shook her head. “Couldn’t tolerate them. I have a coil. An intrauterine device. I haven’t gotten around to having it removed.”

  “Thank God,” he breathed.

  “So there’s no worry.” She tugged again until he lay against her. Her body shook with a desire beyond anything she’d ever known. “Please, Luke?”

  Now there was no stopping, no thinking. He began his movements again, this time with a greater ferocity. She wanted to hurry him, so great was her building need, but he took his time, enjoying every inch of her, every response. He grasped both of her hands in one of his and drew them over her head, stretching her out and forcing her breasts upwards. The way he used his lips, his tongue, his teeth on her nipples drove her mad, creating a new sensitivity in her breasts. Lazily, he trailed kisses the length of her body. When she felt his tongue probing at her quivering folds again, she nearly jackknifed off the bed.