Chapter Thirty One

Sullivan took Lucy's hand in his as he navigated the rest of Seventeen Mile Drive, picking up speed as they passed the golf courses and mansions that lined the fabled road. "Um," he said as they approached a turnoff to head back into Monterey. "Your place?" he asked, assuming she would be more comfortable in her own environment.

She shook her head after a pause. "No, Brandt's there," she said simply. "And even though he's no doubt rooting for us to get together, I have no interest in him eavesdropping on all the moaning and screaming."

"There's going to be screaming?" Sullivan asked in a teasing voice.

"From you," Lucy shot back, not missing a beat.

"Hmm," Sullivan said with a laugh, then let go of Lucy's hand to wriggle his cell phone from his pocket. Glancing down, he speed dialed a number then put the phone to his ear, still watching the road. "You at home?... leave now... like right now... because I said so... Spence, I swear by all that is holy... I don’t know, hours. Hell, possibly days. What, you want me to hang a sock on the doorknob or something?... shut up... thanks, later..."

Lucy bit back a grin. "Keepin' it classy there, Jackson. Days?"

He simply looked at her with a cocked eyebrow, heat burning in his eyes. "And if you're very, very good, I might even let you break for meals and sleep."

“I can honestly say I’ve never had a conversation like that with my brother,” she mused.

“Sadly, that isn’t the first time we’ve had that one, but it’s usually him calling me.”

“Usually?”

“I’m a man of mystery, remember?” Sullivan said, but Lucy knew he was joking around.

Lucy wondered if this was all going far too fast as they sped towards the house, but it had been so long since she'd had a connection with someone... and Sullivan was the same way. Two damaged people who had finally come out of the darkness and found each other.

Also, the promise of multi-day sex with an insanely hot guy?

Hard to pass up, she thought naughtily.

"So Spencer is leaving your house, I take it?" she asked, glad for the privacy. True, Spencer had probably seen more of her body than Sullivan, but the last thing she needed was the twin hearing the aforesaid moaning and screaming – especially if she was going to remain his client.

"He better be burning rubber getting out of there," he confirmed, and she settled back in the seat, smiling as he twined his fingers with hers again.

**

"Despite the promise of moaning and screaming, is it okay for me to admit I'm kinda nervous?" Lucy asked, turning to face Sullivan as he closed his bedroom door, enveloping them in semi-darkness.

"Yeah, it's okay. I am too," he said huskily, crossing the room quickly and cupping her cheek with his palm. "But not so much that I'm not willing to, you know, man through it."

Lucy giggled. "Reassuring."

He pulled her to him, kissing her gently, and then harder and harder, and within minutes, they had peeled various layers of clothing off and found their way to the bed. Lucy really was nervous now - Ryan had been the only man she'd ever slept with. Making love with him was pleasant and gentle, but as a couple they had never had any of that toe curling, firework making, 'falling over the edge of oblivion' stuff that all her trashy romance novels had promised.

She had a feeling Sullivan would be a completely different man in bed - different from Ryan, and different from the shy, retiring persona she had come to care for.

Even now, he was taking control, maneuvering her out of her remaining clothes, setting the pace, his hands trailing fire along her skin as he lay atop her, his fingers and tongue working all over her...

God, her toes really were curling now, she thought absently as his head dipped lower and lower. For a moment, she flashed on how embarrassed she should be by the state of her stomach, her less than stellar thighs, but clearly, Sully wasn't hesitating at all - or judging her.

"Mmm," he said, gently biting her left thigh. "I like these."

"What? Thighs?"

"Thighs... other things..."

Lucy laughed as he trailed his fingers in slow circles, making her stomach clench and sweat to break out on her brow.

Minutes later, he brushed back the hair from her forehead, laying atop her, his eyes finding hers in a silent question. She nodded and sank her fingernails into the skin of his back to urge him forward, and he arched before entering her, both of them crying out with the sensation of it.

She moved beneath him, pulled her to him, making good on that promise of moaning, and when she tumbled over that cliff, she had to admit - she was pretty sure she screamed his name.

He collapsed atop her a moment later, then rolled over to give her a little breathing room. When they were both done panting and punctuating the silence with a few 'whews' and 'omigods', Sully rolled back onto his side to lazily kiss her. "I should have told Spencer to pack a bag," he mused, kissing her collarbone. "I don't think I'm letting you out of her for days, possibly weeks, now."

"People might start to talk," Lucy said, tugging the sheet up and snuggling down on the pillow. "That would be awkward."

"It would be worth it," he murmured, and she smiled. "That was..." he glanced up, meeting her eyes. She nodded and smiled.

"Yeah. That was," she said happily, even as her eyes slid shut.

“Do you want to know what I noticed?” Sullivan asked quietly.

“What’s that?” Lucy asked, eyes still shut and a small smile of contentment on her lips.

“You were totally un-self-conscious just now,” he said quietly. “You’ve been so worried about your body since I’ve known you, I thought maybe… I thought maybe you’d insist on darkness, or wearing your clothes, or something silly. But you didn’t. I think you worry about your body because of stupid society norms, no other reason. When it’s just you and me…”

She peeked an eye open, watching him intently, holding her breath.

“When it’s just you and me,” he said, sliding a hand up and down her thigh, “you are the girl in the firelight I remember. Not worrying about what anyone else thinks, just content in your own skin – literally. And I can’t tell you how incredibly sexy that is. It just draws me to you, I swear to god…”

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, letting his words wash over her. “Thank you,” she finally whispered, then was unable to bite back a small smile. “But you know, I’m still pretty damaged when it comes to body image. Maybe we should have another round of… therapy…” she said, smiling wider now.

“Oh, I think that’s a very good idea,” he agreed eagerly, tugging the sheet back gently. “Perhaps I can do a more… thorough examination of this body of yours…”

Lucy’s toes curled again as his lips met her skin.

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