Chapter 22

By the timeMaddie and Lucas abandoned Hart Pond and arrived at Lucas"s gorgeous house an hour later, she could think of only one thing: Lucas.

His home was huge and beautiful, with a western flair and an expansive wooden deck. His gardens were vibrant and flourishing, surprising her with how much time and attention he"d put into the flowers. The big picture windows promised an amazing view of the ranch.

His house was understated for a billionaire, but it was designed with a cozy ranch aesthetic. There were gorgeous wooden beams across the vaulted ceilings. A massive stone fireplace took up most of the south-facing wall, and the couches around it created the coziest living space.

It was gorgeous, inspiring, and cozy. She couldn"t wait to explore it…later.

The minute Lucas shut the front door behind them, Maddie wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

Her dad was going to be dropped off in an hour.

This was all they had.

This was her moment, with this man who was making her trust again. Want again. Feel alive again.

Lucas picked her up, and she locked her legs around his waist as he carried her across the floor and up the stairs. She didn"t even bother to look around. She was desperate to focus on him as much as she could until time ran out.

Violet"s toenails were clicking on the hardwood floors as Lucas strode into a bedroom and tackled her onto the bed. She laughed as she hit the plush comforter, barely able to catch her breath before they were both tearing off their clothes "I feel like a teenager in heat," she said as he grabbed her foot and untied her sneaker.

"Me, too." He ripped his shirt off, revealing a body that was even more sculpted than she"d noticed in the dim, evening light of the flower store. He was absolutely breathtaking, and she giggled when he gave her a cocky look. "My chick magnet abs are working on you. I can see it in the way you"re gawking at me."

"I"m totally gawking." She propped herself up on her elbows, watching as he shed his jeans, tossing them aside before he climbed onto the bed, moving with predatory grace. He was sexy, ripped, and delicious.

On his side, she saw a scar, and she remembered that he"d been stabbed by the man who was supposed to keep him safe. Instinctively, she palmed it, then scooted down to kiss it. "A kiss makes the pain go away," she whispered.

Lucas caught her face as she looked up at him. "Thank you," he whispered. "You don"t know what that does to me."

Violet hopped up on the bed and then laid down across the pillows, planting her back foot across Maddie"s forehead. They both laughed, and Maddie reached up to grasp Violet"s paw. "My baby girl," she said.

Lucas scratched Violet"s ears. "Beautiful puppy."

Maddie"s heart turned over. What man would let a giant pit bull lie across the pillows when he was making love to her? Lucas did. He welcomed her dog completely. He accepted her panic attacks.

Damn the man.

He seemed like he was everything she needed. Everything she wanted. Everything that could make her want to trust again.

Except that he had to stay in Oregon, and she couldn"t leave her home.

She"d done the long-distance relationship with Adam, and she knew it didn't work for her.

This moment with him might be all she"d ever have, and she would have to make the most of it.

So, she drew him down to her, kissing him. She let go of her reservations, of her fears, of all the old stories in her head that she used to hold back and protect herself.

She gave it all up, and let herself surrender completely to Lucas.

The moment she did, she felt him pause, as if he could sense that she"d dropped all her walls.

He searched her face, then he kissed her, a kiss that took her breath away with its tenderness. He was such a wonderful kisser, making her whole soul dance in response.

He palmed her hips, his hands holding her still as he kissed his way down her body, between her breasts, across her belly, and then between her legs.

"Lucas."She whispered his name, her body instinctively arching into him as he worked his magic on her with his mouth and his hands. His whiskers were rough across the inside of her thighs, his hands tantalizing perfection everywhere he touched.

She was his. Completely. She didn"t want to overthink the moment. She just completely gave herself over to him, trusting him in a way she"d never trusted in her life. She didn"t try to protect herself. She didn"t watch her back. She didn"t hold back.

She gave herself the gift of absolute surrender, of complete trust, of fully being in the moment, of letting go of every story she carried with her. She gave herself into the safekeeping of this amazing man, absolutely certain that he was her oasis.

By the time Lucas grabbed a condom from the nightstand and sheathed himself, Maddie was lost to him, and she loved it. She"d never felt so completely free to simply bask in the moment, in life.

Lucas moved over her, smiling down at her with a smile so tender that her heart turned over. "My beautiful Maddie," he whispered.

My beautiful Maddie. Habit made her want to protest that she wasn"t his, that she belonged to no one, but in this moment, she wanted to be his, to be claimed by him. So she wrapped her arms around him and claimed him back. "My Lucas."

"All yours," he agreed as he slid inside her.

Her body and soul welcomed him, and she breathed in the moment their bodies connected. He began to move, and she was overwhelmed by the expression on his face, like he"d absolutely meant it when he"d called her his beautiful Maddie.

Her throat clogged with emotion, and she closed her eyes, needing to separate herself from the intensity of the moment. Instead, she focused on the feel of his body against hers, on his hands around her wrists, of his tender kisses on her forehead as Lucas continued to move inside her. Faster, slower, teasing her, making promises, until she was trembling, on the burning edge of absolute surrender.

Then he reached down, and his fingers brushed against her in just the right way, and a cry tore from her throat as he coaxed her over the precipice, sending her into the most delicious spiral. She clung to him, riding the wave of pure ecstasy, as he did the same, bucking against her in his own release, both of them fully giving themselves over to each other.

To this moment.

And this moment only.

Because there was no future.

Not unless one of them gave up the family and life that made them whole.