Aria
By the time we pull away from the kiss, my heart’s thumping so hard I swear it’s trying to break out of my chest. My whole body? Yeah, it’s officially on fire. Desire is a bitch like that.
“That was… lovely,” Lucas murmurs, brushing a strand of hair out of my face smoothly. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
Great. Just great. Now my thighs are wet, and I’m officially pissed at my own body for reacting this way from just a fucking kiss. Why is this bastard so good at seduction? Like, did he take lessons or something?
“Thanks,” I manage, but my voice comes out shaky, which is so not the vibe I was going for. “Did you… really mean it? That you like me?”
He smiles…. one of those confident, panty-dropping smiles that should be illegal. “Wasn’t it obvious?”
Obvious? No, sir. Sometimes he’s hot, sometimes he’s cold. He’s like Katy Perry on steroids.
“Aria,” he says seriously, his gray eyes locking onto mine, “I really like you. But I’m scared. I don’t want to hurt you like Ethan did.”
“Then don’t,” I whisper, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Just… be different.”
“I’m not like Sarita,” he blurts, and I blink, confused for a second. “I’m a coward. I’m not brave like my sister.”
And just like that, I see a side of Lucas I’ve never seen before. Vulnerable. Raw. This isn’t the cocky alpha who smirks like he owns the world. This is just… a guy. A scared, confused guy.
“Let’s take it slow,” he says softly. “One step at a time. By the end of this cruise, I promise, I’ll have my shit together.”
I raise a brow. Why does he sound so afraid of commitment? Is it really just his dad? I want to push, but I hold back. Baby steps, right?
“You’re not a coward,” I tell him instead. “You took a step, and that’s something. So stop beating yourself up.”
His face lights up like I just handed him a winning lottery ticket. And damn it, he’s adorable when he smiles.
He leans down and kisses me, soft and sweet. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“So, friends first?” I ask with a grin, even though Gail is practically losing her mind in my head. She’s not a fan of slow…she wants him to claim us, mark us, like, now!
I get it, though. The clock’s ticking, and if he doesn’t mark us soon, we’re gonna be in pain.
“More like boyfriend and girlfriend,” Lucas interrupts my thoughts firmly. “Come here.”
Before I can process, he pulls me closer, and his lips crash into mine. The kiss is not sweet…. it’s fiery, intense, the kind of kiss that leaves me breathless and makes my damn toes curl.
Before I know it, his fingers are on the back of my dress, pulling down the zipper.
“Whoa, hold up,” I shake my head, pulling away.
“You don’t want to?” His voice is cautious, but there’s an edge there too…like he’s daring me to say no.
“It’s not that.” I pout, glancing down at my ruined dress. “I’m all sticky and gross.”
“Shut up.” His voice drops, and before I can argue, his lips are on mine again. Then they move to my neck, nibbling like he’s staking a claim.
“Ah,” I whimper, arching my back as my fingers fumble with the buttons on his white shirt.
The moment his shirt hits the floor, I let my fingers roam over his muscular arms, trailing to his back and those broad chest. Every inch of him feels like carved stone, and the tattoos covering his skin? Absolute fucking art. Lucas is so sexy, it’s almost unfair.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he mutters as my gown slips off, leaving me completely exposed. The cool air kisses my skin, and I can feel my nipples harden instantly. His gaze drops, roaming over me slowly, drinking in every curve. When his eyes settle lower, right where I know I’m soaked, they darken with pure, unfiltered desire.
Before I can even process, his hands are on me, cupping my breasts and kneading them like he owns me. A loud moan escapes my lips as my body trembles under his touch.
“You like that, don’t you?” His smirk is so damn cocky it should piss me off, but it only makes me want him more. “You like it when I touch these beautiful tits.”
Heat pools between my thighs as his fingers work like magic, massaging and teasing until I’m practically coming apart in his hands.
“You’re mine, Aria,” he murmurs, leaning in closer, possessive, firm. “Just look at how your body responds to me.”
Before I know it, he lifts me off the ground effortlessly. My legs wrap around his waist, instinct taking over as he carries me to the bed. He lays me down gently, and I watch him, my heart racing, my body burning for him to take me.
When he steps back to remove his pants and briefs, I swear my breath hitches. He is breathtaking, the kind of hot that makes my heart stutter and my brain short-circuit. The second his cock comes into view, my eyes widen. Holy shit. I thought Ethan was big, but Lucas? Lucas is… something else entirely.
“Like what you see?” His voice is low and teasing, that damn smirk still plastered on his face.
All I can manage is a breathless “Fuck.”
I’m lying here, completely exposed, and he’s just… devouring me with those intense gray eyes like he fucking owns me.
“Don’t worry,” he whispers, leaning over me. “I’ll go easy on you.”
And I know, without a doubt, I’m about to lose myself to him completely.
Out of nowhere, his mouth latches onto my nipple, and holy shit, I can’t even process the sensation. It’s like a bolt of lightning courses through me, making my whole body tremble. His tongue and teeth work me over like he’s trying to ruin me, and I am not complaining.
As if that’s not enough, his fingers glide down my thighs, slow and teasing, until they find my soaking wet folds. He doesn’t hesitate…two fingers slide inside me, and I arch off the bed with a gasp.
“Fuck,” I mutter, instinctively trying to close my thighs, but of course, Lucas isn’t having that. He wedges them apart with his knee, pinning me down like it’s his damn job, and starts finger-fucking me like a man on a mission.
“So fucking wet for me,” he murmurs, his lips moving from my nipple to the valley between my breasts. His voice is low and rough, the kind of tone that shoots straight to my core. “That’s right, baby. Moan for me.”
Moan? Try scream. My body’s completely out of my control, and all I can focus on is the fire building in my lower stomach. I’m so close…so damn close, I can taste it.
“Please… ahh…” The words barely leave my lips before he pulls his hand away, leaving me teetering on the edge.
“What the fuck, Lucas?” I whine, glaring at him through the haze of frustration and lust. “Why’d you stop?”
“Because I’m not done with you,” he growls in an authoritative tone. “You’ll cum when I say you can.”
I want to argue, but before I can, his lips crash into mine, silencing any complaints. The kiss is rough and possessive, and I melt into it, wrapping my arms around his neck like he’s my lifeline.
When he pulls back, his gaze locks onto mine, intense and unrelenting. He brushes a strand of hair from my face, his touch surprisingly gentle. “I’m going to mark you now. Can I?”
Wait, what? My brain stutters. Mark me? Like… for real? I didn’t expect this…didn’t think he’d want to make it official.
His gray eyes don’t waver, and I realize he’s serious. Dead serious. And for the first time in forever, I’m stunned into silence.