“I want you, Lennox,” he whispered against lips that were still moist from his kiss.
“I’m all yours, Roland.”
A part of him wished that was true, that he could have her the way she wanted, the way she deserved. But he couldn’t. He had been truthful through their entire ordeal. What they shared during this time would have to sustain them. Once they left the treehouse, there would be no going back for either of them.
Sweeping her off her feet, he carried her up the flights of stairs to the bedroom. His hands trembled with need as he placed her on the bed, then he gazed down at her. She was wearing his shirt--the one he’d taken off when they’d made love earlier--and it looked like it belonged on her.
He frowned. Why would he think such a thing? But he knew. As much as he fought against it, and would continue to fight against it, Lennox meant something to him. He was drawn to her like a moth to a flame, unable to resist. And today was no different.
After taking his shirt off her, he reached out and fondled her breasts, loving the way they felt, and how warm her nipples were. One day, she would likely become a mother and her baby would seek nourishment from these beauties. But right now, they brought him pleasure.
He dropped his hands to her legs, another one of his favorite parts of her. He loved running his hands over them, feeling the soft strength of her calves and ankles. And theylooked so good…especially in those stilettos. Not many women could wear them with the grace and style that Lennox had.
“Roland…”
Her voice was soft, but he heard the need. He understood her wants and her desires because they mirrored his.
“Yes, baby. I’m here.” And for the time being, he wasn’t going anywhere.
Slowly and methodically, his fingers inched up her leg to that part of her he adored the most. She automatically parted her thighs for him, knowing what he wanted. And when he reached her center and he felt her heat at the same time her scent filled his nostril, blood rushed through his body, centering in one very obvious place.
Taking his hand off of her for a quick minute, he tugged his jeans down his thighs and then removed them completely. Then, coming back to her, he lowered his head and captured a nipple in his mouth and began sucking hard.
“Roland!”
He loved the feel and taste of her breasts in his mouth and only released the nipple to move to the other one. Then it was time for his tongue to absorb another taste. He pulled his mouth back and set it on a path down her body to her stomach. Once there, he licked it all over and beyond. And speaking of beyond…
His hand lowered to her womanly folds and he began stroking her there while his mouth continued to caress her stomach. Although he admitted to being a breast and leg man, there wasn’t a part of Lennox he didn’t love.
Love?
He refused to associate that word with any woman—never again!-- and quickly came up with a replacement--adored. He adored Lennox, each and every inch of her. When she moaned his name again, her plea becoming more demanding, he raised his head, lifted her hips, then smiled when she placed those gorgeous legs around his neck. They were in full agreement and had a mutual understanding. They needed and wanted the same thing.
When she moaned yet again, he pressed his open mouth to her feminine core and began feasting on her, as if today was all they had. It wasn’t long before an orgasm overtook her and she let out a scream.
He adored the sound. It made him want to push her even further over the edge, loving her taste as her body shuddered and convulsed around his tongue. Though he hated to admit it, he realized making love to Lennox was different, special. He doubted he would ever share this level of intimacy with another woman.
She opened her eyes when he eased his body over her, gazed up at him as if she could see into his very soul. That look stirred something deep within him--something he couldn’t put a name to and, at that moment, couldn’t fight.
Her name flowed from his lips when he cupped her hips in the palms of his hand and then he entered her. For a moment, it felt like home. Like this was where he ought to be. This was where he belonged. But he pushed the thought from his mind as he began moving, thrusting hard inside of her. Needing this. Needing her.
He kept telling himself with every deep stroke this was just lust, not love. It was about adoration. It was about the way she responded to him and him to her. It was about pleasure.
He leaned in and captured her mouth, kissing her thoroughly and when their bodies exploded simultaneously, he didn’t hold back anything. He couldn’t.
Being with Lennox brought him pleasure like he’d never known before. He’d give her that. But that was all it was—pleasure. And although it would be hard to give her up, he knew, when the time came, that he would.
• • •
Lennox couldn’t sleep, though she was pretending to. She needed time to think while Roland slept and from the easy sound of his breathing, he was doing just that. She was glad. Over the past month, she doubted he’d ever slept peacefully. He’d always been on alert, protecting her. Now, here in a place that was safe and secured, he could let his guard down.
With only a few days left for them to be together, she needed to start doing the exact opposite—she needed to put her guard up. Over the past month, she and Roland had been through a lot of things. She had come to depend on him.
Both mentally and physically.
There was no need for her to tell him she loved him, because there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He didn’t want her love. And at least she’d have these memories when the time came, and he walked away without looking back.
Would he ever think about her at night the way she would be thinking of him when they returned to Charlottesville? Or would she become a distant memory that would one day fade from his thoughts? Maybe it was time for herto begin accepting she loved a man who would never love her and move on.