Always Running (MATURE CONTENT)

CHAPTER 17

Nessa watched as Lucas' face gave nothing away. He would be a formidable poker player. Being somewhat intimidated by his height, Nessa stood up and watched him pace back and forth with his hands behind his back.

"You may be right," he said, after a few moments. "Perhaps I jumped the gun offering you my help. I may be asking too much of you and I understand. You've gone through something so traumatic I guess I wasn't thinking." Lucas stopped pacing and watched as a myriad of emotions fell upon her face.

He hated what he was doing to her, making all her fears spike up and attack her, fueling all her doubts again, but he had to do it. He had to break her in a manner of speaking. He had to break that wall that she had built around herself the last seven years. He had to make her need him.

Nessa reined in her emotions. She had to find a way to win that hand, because that was what they were doing, they were playing a game that only one of them would win, there could only be one victor and knowing what she did about Lucas, she was positive that he wanted to be the one to win and perhaps he would win, only because she would let him. There were times when a woman had to know when to fold and walk away, but that time had not arrived yet. Lucas was locked down like the National Reserve. He didn't show any emotion unless he wanted to show it, and that made Nessa nervous. She needed to prove just how far he would go to get his way because that bullshit that he had fed her about not wanting anything from her except loyalty was just that, bullshit. Of course, he wanted things from her, all men wanted their efforts to be rewarded and Lucas wasn't different in that respect. What she needed to figure out was what Lucas really wanted from her.

"I like the time we spend together." It was now her turn to raise the ante and call and see if he showed his cards or kept playing. "Maybe me living with you is not the best thing for either of us right now."

"What do you mean?"

Nessa controlled the urge to smile. He was nervous, he had no idea what she was holding, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to raise or call. Good, very good.

"I have a lot of baggage, Lucas, more than you should have to deal with." She walked to him and stood right in front of him. She placed her palms on his chest and tilted her head up. "You say that you don't want anything from me except loyalty, but you will and what if I can't give you what you want? What then? Will you turn me out again? I have everything to lose here, and I don't think I can go through that again." She leaned up as far as she could reach and pulled him the rest of the way down and left a soft yet packed with emotion kiss on his lips and stepped away before he had the chance to return it. He needed to stay hungry for her.

Lucas watched as she retreated and made her way towards the stairs. Oh, she was good! Damn it! He needed to step up his game. His stupid plan had backfired just like his mother had warned it would happen. It was obvious that Nessa had been really shaken up by what he had done. He hadn't protected her. He had dismissed her just like she had said and now she was putting her boots back on so to speak. She didn't feel safe anymore and it was his fault. Damn it to hell!

Nessa left the door to her room open knowing that Lucas was mere seconds behind her...she hoped. If he walked in her room she had won that hand, but if he didn't, she would have to step up her game. She had made it that long without Lucas and she was sure she would make it longer without him, the only problem was that she didn't want to. What the hell was she doing? Again.

Lucas stormed in her room and saw her standing there staring out the window. Her black duffel bag sat on the bed. His heart skipped a beat, and his throat went dry.

"What're you doing?"

"I was asking myself that same question." She turned and closed the distance between them and jumped into his arms wrapping her legs around his hips and kissed him hard. She kissed him with the intensity that she was consumed with. Lucas took her mouth and ravaged it. He didn't waste any time. He walked to the bed and with one hand he held her up by her ass and used his free hand to sweep the duffel bag off the bed before laying down with her.