“It’s still there?” she asked. “I never go to that side of town, so I never thought about it. Was it all run-down?”
“It’s not the best part of town, so it matches the rest of the old buildings,” he agreed. “But the bartender remembered your mom.”
Paisley hopped off the counter, eyes wide. “What did he say?”
“He knew there was a wealthy man who always hung around, but he didn’t know a name.”
Paisley pursed her lips and glanced to the floor, her wheels obviously turning. Lucas, on the other hand, had short-circuited the moment she’d waltzed through looking like his every fantasy come to life.
Paisley turned her attention back to him. “I thought everyone knew who Sterling was.”
Lucas stepped forward, reaching around to undo the ties at her neck and waist. “Maybe he does know Sterling, but this was a long time ago and he may not have known him then. People change.”
The apron fell to the floor between them. Her eyes widened.
“Aren’t you hungry?” she asked.
His body stirred. “Starving.”
Lucas crushed his mouth to hers, palmed her backside and lifted her against his body as he carried her from the kitchen. Paisley wrapped her legs around him, one of her heels digging into his ass, but he didn’t care. He wanted this woman with the snarky mannerisms and quick wit. He wanted her in his bed and he wasn’t about to wait another second.
As he stepped into his master suite, her heels clattered to the floor. She threaded her fingers through his hair and groaned.
Those little noises had always gotten him. When they’d been younger, and he’d had considerably less control, those sweet sounds would nearly have him embarrassing himself before they’d even started.
Paisley pulled her lips from his. “Wait,” she panted. “I don’t want to be just another woman you bring in here. I mean, I know this isn’t love or a real marriage, but I just—”
Lucas put his fingertip over her lips. “Clearly I’ve been with other women since you, but I swear, I’ve never brought a woman into my bedroom. Ever.”
He would stay over at a lover’s place, but this was his domain and it never seemed right to have someone invade his space.
Paisley seemed to relax as her lids lowered and she licked her bottom lip.
Every single thing that woman did drove him out of his mind. She’d always held a different spot in his life than any other woman, but he had no clue since she walked back in just how much he’d missed her.
They’d been so damn young before—so clueless.
His eyes were wide-open this time...and his heart completely closed.
They’d been married for three days and they’d barely kept their hands off each other. That was the marriage he wanted with her, the marriage he needed with her.
Lucas made quick work of removing his clothes. The topic of birth control hadn’t come up since that first time. He knew she was on something and he’d never deceive her with getting pregnant. He wanted that to be a joint decision...but he would sway her to seeing things his way.
Her hazel eyes raked over him. The way she always seemed to sample him with her eyes made him wonder just how she was going to feel once she discovered his true reason for marrying her.
Guilt had no place in the bedroom or his plan.
Right now all that mattered was that his wife was naked and standing inches from him. He circled her waist with his hands and lifted her onto the bed. With a slight bounce, she laughed and stared up at him with wide eyes.
Lucas rested a knee next to her hip and raked a hand up her thigh, over her flat stomach and on up to circle one pert breast.
Her immediate response to his touch was definitely one area that hadn’t changed. Their connection had always been electrifying and unlike anything he’d ever had with anyone else.
Lucas reached back down, keeping his eyes locked on hers, and gripped the back of her thigh. He settled himself between her legs and thrust into her, earning himself a long, slow moan from his sexy wife.
How the hell was he going to go back to work? He wanted to keep her in his bed and forget all his responsibilities.
When she opened her eyes and stared up at him, Lucas leaned down and covered her mouth. He couldn’t look into her eyes, not now. He was confused; he was falling back into their old patterns and forgetting that she’d broken him before. If she started developing feelings, they’d both end up hurt because that was not what all of this was about.