Love me till the end

Chapter 20

**** mature content ahead ****

Contentment such as she'd never known gripped Charlie in the wake of making love with Luke. Happiness because she sensed something significant had taken place between them, something much more intimate than the sharing of their bodies. Their relationship had reached a turning point. There was an acceptance in Luke that hadn't been there before.

Does he love me like I love him? She knew it was too soon to tell. Instinct warned her that he'd pull away if she pressed him too soon. She lay listening to their labored breathing until it gradually slowed and the cabin became quiet again. Luke's arm was curled around Charlie, still trapped beneath her waist and a small gasp escaped her when he effortlessly pulled her back on top of him. She didn't resist when he closed his mouth over hers and kissed her hard and deeply. Their eyes met and clung after the passionate kiss ended. It had been much too brief to suit Charlie.

"Again?" she teased in a husky whisper, her words brushing against his parted mouth.

Luke's hands tenderly brushed the hair out of her face, his gaze moving with interest over her until the one-word question finally penetrated his thoughts. He realized what she was implying. There was no denying the teasing light in her eyes.

"Are you trying to kill me?" In spite of his inquiry he kissed the tip of Charlie's nose, at the same time running his hands down her back. "I need a little more downtime," he admitted in a sexy, bedroom drawl.

Charlie kissed his chin. "How much downtime?" She was curious, that was all.

"I've never had to think about it before." His grin was endearing. "Half-hour?"

Charlie smiled with wicked intentions until his warm palms cupped her naked buttocks. She closed her eyes and moaned loudly with pleasure. "Pity," she whispered shamelessly.

Luke's body shook with an inward laugh. His long fingers tickled up and down her thighs until she was squirming with something more than desire.

"I'll see what I can do about your, ah, disappointment in a few minutes. If I can't get the generator back up, we might have to produce our own heat." His meaning was obvious.

Charlie leaned back so she could meet his smiling eyes. "How would we do that, rub two sticks together?"

Luke didn't miss a beat. "I was thinking more about rubbing two bodies together."

This time Charlie kissed him, ending it by tugging his bottom lip inside her mouth and pulling on it. She ran her tongue behind it, gently nibbling like a hungry cat. "I think we have that covered." Luke's hands were still caressing the backs of her legs. She shivered with renewed desire and laid her head down. His heartbeat was strong and calming beneath her ear.

"Are you cold?" How quickly his tone went from playful to concern. His hand automatically reached for the discarded blanket to pull it over them, even though Charlie shook her head no.

"Are you kidding? If I were any hotter I'd set the blankets on fire," she mumbled against his chest. "That was a shudder of lust rippling over me," she said, her lips twitching with amusement at her brazenness.

"Really?" he asked in mock amazement. "Can you do that again?" His fingers had been teasing Charlie's flesh earlier, but now his hands were smoothing over her with definite purpose. Slow and lingering sweeps that became more intense as the seconds passed, designed to ignite the fire simmering between them.

"I'll try but I'm not making any promises." She closed her eyes and fought for a serious tone. "I'll have to concentrate really hard."

Who was she kidding? As soon as she felt Luke's exploring fingers dip into the sensitive spot pulsing between her thighs a volcano erupted inside her. In spite of her inner turmoil, she forced her hand to travel slowly up Luke's body before coming to rest against the defined muscles of his chest. Her finger absentmindedly toyed with a nipple. When her nail raked across it she felt the smallest flicker of movement against her, smiling with confidence over her power to turn him on. She continued to torture his nipple by leaning over and giving it a quick, hard flick of her tongue.