Had To Be You (Romance/Drama) [COMPLETED]

Chapter 16 - Believe Me

"You never did tell me what other place you would like to be at." Lucas spoke, taking her up the expanse of shore.

"Other than here? I think it would be Italy. I've always wanted to see Italy."

"And why haven't you?"

Naomi thought about his question before she leveled her voice to answer him. "I kept using work as a means by which to stay home even when Xavier would leave to Spain, as he did a few weeks ago, so it wouldn't make much sense if I departed to Italy for my own leisure when I could've gone to his country, now would it?"

She had tried to keep the bite from her voice, but it had seeped out gradually as she spoke, mirroring the anger she directed at none but herself. And although undeserved, she felt a bit of that anger toward Lucas, because he should have known the answer without having to bring it out of her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think," was all he said.

She stayed silent, and Luke felt a knot form in his stomach. A sickening jealousy that he had to be rid of.

"Does it hurt?" He asked quietly, bringing her to a stop underneath a cove of palms. She had to lean her body against the wiry trunk of a tree to keep from knocking into his chest.

His eyes were deadly calm as he questioned her, but Naomi knew the composure was a mask. He was bothered and jealous and ready to snap the tree with his palm, and she loved the satisfaction that it gave her to have him question, just for once, what he himself meant to her.

He was a fool for it, of course, but she reveled in it.

"Does what hurt?" she asked, keeping her voice innocent.

"Thinking of him. Of your past and what you didn't do with him. Of what you're doing now. Pain. Does it give you pain?" She had never heard him speak so tensely, and the intensity of his eyes was almost enough to soften her completely. Almost, but not quite there.

"What am I doing now?" she questioned, reacting only to that of which he'd said.

He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, supporting his hand against the palm tree and bringing his body ever so closer to hers.

"Please, woman," he murmured, "Don't drive me crazy just yet."

"Answer me."

He licked his bottom lip. "You're here, with me."

"Why could that possibly be something to give me pain? What am I doing Luke?" she repeated, clenching her hands into the hooks of the pants he had donned.

She wanted to hear him say it.

He took a breath of surprise from her throat when he grabbed her ass and brought her snugly to him, taking the rest of her breath with his mouth. "You're having an affair, Naomi Hall. With me."

He snapped, and kissed her again.

His tongue was forceful, rushing into the sweep of her mouth until she softened herself and bid him entrance. Then all at once he gentled his hold and the pressure of his kiss, prying from her body every tense knot that kept her from yielding to his touch. She was like a ball of icy fire in his hands, soothing and burning his skin with just one sweep of her fingers and a single whimper from her throat.

He ran his hands up the curves of her bottom, up the length of her back, only to rest them at her cheeks before he ran them through her hair. She smelled and felt so sweet when she outstretched her hand over the planes of his back that Lucas almost hitched her up around his waist for both their pleasures, but he told himself it was the time to speak. The time to make her feel better. And it was such a glorious time for it that he couldn't give it up.