In the back of Julia’s mind, she knew that what they were doing could be a huge mistake. But that was the interesting thing about living, she realized at some point between leaving her room and knocking on Lucian’s door. It was flawed. Mistakes would be made.

She wasn’t doing this, thinking that something was going to come out of it other than probably the most amazing sex she’d ever have. No expectations. That was what tonight was about.

And right now, she was just focused on this utterly breathtaking man on his knees in front of her, between her thighs. What he offered sounded like heaven—like something Julia wasn’t sure she could handle, but she sure as hell was going to find out.

“It sounds amazing,” she said, and she didn’t even recognize her own voice.

His smile would’ve melted the clothes right off her if she wasn’t already nude. “You going to watch me?”

Her breath caught. “I’m going to try.”

“You better try real hard.”

Julia didn’t get a chance to respond.

Lucian was done teasing her. One moment he’d been talking to her and the next his mouth was on her. Her entire body jerked at the very intimate kiss. Hot, wet heat flooded her veins when he made this sound that reminded of her of a man starved.

He did something so wet and so hot, it crushed her—the way he used his lips and the way he worked his tongue in teasing strokes. Her fingers were digging into the fabric of the couch. She was going to rip it apart.

And her body was moving, shamelessly meeting the strokes of his tongue. Primal and stunning sensations pounded her. Her body was coiling tight.

“Lucian,” she moaned, her chin falling down. All she could see were his fingers indenting her thighs and his forehead.

Then he clamped his mouth around that bundle of nerves, sucking and licking until she couldn’t take it. She cried out as release poured through her, liquefying bone and muscle. Collapsing back against the couch, she tried to close her legs, but he wasn’t having it. He kept going until her spine curved and she cried out his name again. Then, only then, did he lift his mouth and press a kiss against her inner thigh. “I love those sounds you were making,” he said, his hands flattening out on her legs. “But you know what I love more? The way you came in my mouth. Fucking loved that.”

Julia exhaled raggedly. “Oh wow.”

That half grin appeared and he rose, dragging his hands up her sides to her arms. His glistening lips were the hottest things she’d ever seen. “I’m not done with you.”

“I’d hope not?”

Bending over, he kissed her, and she could taste herself on his lips and tongue. The combination made her feel drunk. Holding on to her arms, he brought her to her feet. He was still kissing her, the material of his clothes rough against her overly sensitive skin.

“I want to go back to my bedroom—to my bed,” he said, and he sounded almost surprised by that.

She ran her hands down his back. “That sounds like a plan.”

He pulled back slightly, just enough that she could see his face. “I’ve never had a woman in my bedroom before. Here, in this room? Yes.” His gaze searched hers intently. “But never there.”

Her chest warmed and brightened, but she tried not to read into any of that. “Okay.”

Lucian took her hand, leading her around the couch. As nude as she was, she felt incredibly self-conscious. She’d never walked around the house naked when she was married. One scorching look from Lucian as he swiped a wooden box off the bookshelf, though? She wanted him to look at her. That heated stare made her feel like the goddess he called her.

He pushed open the door, letting go of her hand as she entered the cooler room. A light came on over the large bed. The room was a blur to her. She only saw him.

Lucian watched her with a heavy hooded stare as he opened the box, tossing a silver foil or two on the bed. He placed the box on a dresser.

Eyes locked with hers, he reached down and pulled off the charcoal-stained shirt he wore. She’d seen him shirtless, but each time was like the first time. His body was impressive. He flicked the button and then the zipper, shucking off his jeans and the tight dark blue boxer briefs.

All Julia could do was stare.

Every inch of Lucian was stunning. From the messy golden brown hair and those broad cheekbones and well-formed lips to the defined pecs and chiseled stomach. And when Julia’s gaze slipped farther down, she saw that the rest of him was just as perfect. He had those muscles on either sides of his hips, those indentations she just wanted to touch. The dusting of slightly darker hair led to . . . Sweet Jesus.

Pleasure hummed in her veins as she got her first real good look at what she’d only briefly seen in the hall. He was . . . God, he was gorgeous, and she didn’t even know where to begin with him.

Lucian extended his hand.

Heart pounding at every pulse point, she walked over to where he stood and placed her hand in his. He drew her in, and the first touch of their bodies, chest to chest, hip to hip, with nothing between them, shattered every semblance of a coherent thought.

The tips of Lucian’s fingers skated up her hips and sides. One hand caught the mess of hair and balled it up. He tilted her head back. When he spoke, his mouth danced over hers. “This is already better than tea, right?”

Julia laughed as she slid a hand to the nape of his neck. “So much better.”

“Told you.”

Then his lips were on hers, tasting and teasing until his tongue ran the seam of her mouth. He was kissing her like he hadn’t done it before, slowing it down until she opened for him. Somehow, and she really had no idea, he got her onto the bed as he kissed her. He kept moving her, hand under her arms, lifting her up further, never once breaking the kiss.

Once he had her where he wanted her, in the center of the bed, he moved back onto his knees and just . . . just stared down at her.

Julia’s heart started pounding so fast she feared she’d have a heart attack. “What . . . what are you doing?”

“Memorizing what you look like right now so I can sketch it later,” he said in a deep, husky voice that made her toes curl.

“What?”

He trailed his fingers along her jaw and then over her lips. “I’ve drawn you.”

“You have?” Surprise filled her.

“I have.” Those fingers of his were replaced with his mouth. He trailed a path of kisses over her jaw and then down her throat.

Her hands settled on his shoulders. “Can I see it?”

“Maybe.” His lips danced over her collarbone. “But now I have a better idea of how I want to sketch you.”

Considering she was naked in his bed, she wasn’t sure if she could handle that sketch. But then she wasn’t thinking about that, because his mouth was on the move, blazing a trail to the aching tips of her breasts.

God, he knew how to use that mouth of his.

She bit down on her lip as his mouth closed over a nipple. Her hands tightened on his shoulders and her back arched when he sucked deep. His fingers found the other breast, and between that mouth and those fingers, she was already lost in him all over again. Pleasure bolted throughout her body as her hips twitched restlessly, rocking against his hard length.

Lucian slid his hand from her breast. His palm glided down her stomach as that wonderful mouth of his replaced his hand. As he drew the other nipple deep in his mouth, he slid a finger deep inside her.

A keening moan parted her lips as she kicked her head back. Her body responded without thought.

“I could get drunk off those sounds,” he said, working another finger in her.

She opened her eyes, breathing heavily. “I could get drunk off you.”

That devilish glint filled his eyes as he dipped his chin, dragging his tongue over the tip of her breast. “Every part of you is addicting.”

She ran her hand down his chest, her fingers lingering on tight muscles. A fire was building in her blood again. “I could say the same about you.”

And that was the truth.

Everything about him was addicting. She felt like a fiend in that moment, chasing after the release she knew he promised, the bliss he was creating with his fingers and mouth. A tight flutter started deep insider her. It wasn’t enough.”

“Please.” She dragged her hand up to the shorter strands of his hair.

He lifted his mouth from her breast. His fingers were still inside her, moving in and out. “Please what?”

He was going to make her ask for—beg for it. “I want you.”

Lucian twisted his hand, pressing his palm against her. “You want me to do what?”

She dug her fingers into the hair and pulled, drawing a hoarse chuckle from him. “I want you in me.”

“That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear.”

Lucian moved, snatched one of the wrappers off the bed. He had that condom on in record time. Tiny shocks of pleasure darted to the very ends of nerves as he lined their bodies up. He braced himself, one hand at her hip as he pushed in a few inches. They both stopped, their breathing in rushed tandem.

“It’s . . . it’s been a long time,” she whispered.

“Yeah?” He kissed her, drawing her tongue into his mouth. “Might make me sound like a selfish bastard, but I’m glad to hear that.”

Julia drew one leg up, hooking it over his hip. The motion forced him to sink in deeper, all the way. The sound he made as he dropped his forehead to hers was nearly her undoing.

“You’re going to kill me,” he groaned.

The pressure of him inside her was stealing her breath. “I think you can handle it.”

“I don’t know.” His lips glided over hers again as his big body trembled. “I want to drag this out, but I don’t think I can.”

“Don’t.” She cupped his cheek. “I don’t want to wait any longer.”

He closed his eyes briefly. “Thank God.”

He took her then.

Lucian’s mouth was on hers as he dragged his thick length almost all the way out and then he thrust in. Julia’s cry was swallowed by his kiss. The fullness of him stretching her had the pleasure ratcheting up with every push and pull.

His hands were everywhere. So were hers. Her fingers dug into his tight ass. His palm closed over her breast. The steady rolling of his hips picked up as Julia whispered his name over and over, begging for more.

And he gave more.

Lucian told her in heated words how much he loved the way she felt, and those words scorched her. Their movements became frantic. Rhythm was lost. There were no more words. Just grunts and moans, a language of flesh meeting flesh. Her back arched and her hips lifted, seeking him—seeking more and more.

Then she was on that precarious edge of what she knew was going to be beautiful and powerful. Lucian seemed to sense this, because he shifted his body just right, and then he was thrusting and grinding, building the friction to intense, consuming levels. His hips were pounding into hers, all pretenses of control and seduction gone.

The tension coiled tighter and tighter, and then he reached between them, to where their bodies joined, and did something incredible with his thumb. Julia broke, the release exploding through her. Waves of pleasure washed over her. She was only half aware of his body slamming into hers.

“Julia . . .” His voice was a hoarse shot against her lips as his hips jerked and then he stilled deep inside her.

It felt like an eternity had passed before either of them moved. Lucian slowly lifted his upper body, resting his weight on an arm. “You okay?”

“More than okay,” she murmured. “It was . . .”

“Amazing? The best you ever had?” he suggested helpfully. “You’ll never be the same again? You saw Jesus, didn’t you?”

Julia laughed as she lightly smacked his arm.

He caught her hand and brought it to his mouth. “It was amazing. I don’t even have words and I always have words.” Kissing each knuckle, he then lowered her hand to the bed. “Be right back.”

Julia bit down on the inside of her cheek as he eased out of her. Once the weight and the warmth was gone, Julia rolled onto her side. She watched him walk over to a closed door she quickly discovered led to a bathroom. Water turned on as she curled her knees up. Her heart was still racing and her body still felt like every bone and tissue was replaced with feathers and pillow stuffing.

Lucian strolled back into the room, obviously a hundred percent confident with everything on display. She wasn’t complaining as her gaze roamed over him. She wished she could sketch, because her fingers practically ached with the desire to do so.

Silence crept in as Lucian returned to the bed. He pulled the covers back and then climbed in, stretching out on his back. Nervousness crept in, replacing that wonderful languor that had invaded her senses. What was she supposed to do? Stay? Leave? This man didn’t do relationships or women more than once for the most part, so he probably didn’t want them sleeping in his bed. Which was probably the smartest thing to do. She shouldn’t be sleeping in his bed.

For some dumb reason that felt more serious than actually having sex with him.

She probably needed her head examined, she thought as she started to sit up.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Julia halted. “I was going back to my room.”

“Uh, no. No, you’re not.” Lucian hooked an arm around her waist and dragged her over to him, fitting the front of her body to his side.

So, she guessed she wasn’t going back to her room.

She was stiff at first, unsure of how to process the fact he wasn’t kicking her out of his bed. Slowly, she relaxed, letting her cheek fall to his chest and her hand to his stomach.

“You know what?” he asked after a few moments.

“What?”

“I think I’m going to need seconds.” He placed his hand over hers, and Julia started to grin. “And thirds. Like a fucking buffet of Julia nonstop.”