LITMIR.BIZ

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on to it, I think. Until we’re on our way out of here, the day after tomorrow.’

      Dory’s heart clenched as she watched him tuck the ticket in his pocket. ‘He deserves to know, Tyler.’

      ‘Maybe. But not today. Not if you want your trip home. Or a job when you get back again.’

      She wasn’t sure she even wanted the job, after this. ‘Why are you doing this?’

      Tyler’s shoulders sagged, and he gave her a tired smile. ‘Believe it or not, I’m not trying to make you miserable. I’m just trying to save my family from imploding.’

      ‘I think you might have lost your shot at that when you started sleeping with your brother’s ex-wife.’ Tyler shrugged, as if to say ‘what can you do?’ Watching him, Dory felt compelled to ask the question that had been in her mind since she answered the phone that morning. ‘Are you in love with her?’

      God, he looked so tired. ‘Of course I am. I always have been.’

      ‘Even when she was married to Lucas?’

      ‘Long before,’ Tyler admitted, and Dory couldn’t help but feel a little bit sorry for him. ‘And I’m sorry, Dory. But I can’t let you ruin this for me.’

      ***

      Lucas tweaked his bow tie in one last attempt to get the damn thing to lie straight. He looked like a waiter, but he supposed chauffeur wasn’t all that far off. It fitted how he felt at these events, anyway. Out of place, and only there to perform a service – to prove to all and sundry that the Alexander family were still as close a unit as ever.

      Even if it was a complete lie.

      The rap on his door surprised him and he knocked the tie wonky again. Swearing under his breath he tugged on the bow and pulled it out, leaving the tie dangling around his collar. He’d fix it later.

      Yanking the door open, he expected to see his mother, come to check he was leaving for the station.

      His breath caught in his chest. Not his mother. Not anything like.

      ‘You look incredible.’ Lucas let his gaze trail down from the pink of her cheeks, over the line of her collarbones, the curves of her breasts, waist and hips, all the way down the silky fall of her dress to the high heels on her feet. God, he wanted to see her legs. Wanted to see every last inch of her.

      ‘You’re looking pretty… great yourself.’ At Dory’s breathy words, he pulled his attention back up to her lips, red and plump and made for kissing.

      ‘Is everything okay?’ he asked, trying to keep his mind on her conversation, rather than what he wanted to do to her body.

      ‘I needed to…’ She bit her lip, and an irrational hope rose up in Lucas as to exactly what Dory might need. ‘Can I come in?’

      Lucas stepped aside, and she slipped past, into his room. Just where he wanted her…

      The mistletoe lay half-forgotten on the table under the window and, as he shut the door behind him, Lucas saw Dory pick it up, twisting the stems between her fingers. ‘Had plans for this, did you?’

      With a shrug, Lucas moved towards her, his bigger hands covering hers completely. ‘Hopes. Not plans.’

      She looked up at him. ‘So what were you hoping?’

      ‘That I’d get to do this again.’ Sliding one arm around her waist, Lucas pulled Dory to him, bending his head to meet her lips with his. She tasted every bit as sweet as she had earlier, and the dress let him feel every curve of her body, close against his. He wondered if she could feel how hard he was for her, through the fabric of his suit. Wondered, if he angled his leg so, if he could feel the heat of her…

      ‘Oh God,’ Dory moaned against his mouth as he slid his knee between her thighs, using his free hand to hitch up her skirt. ‘This wasn’t… I didn’t…’

      ‘Want me to stop?’ Lucas murmured, in between placing kisses along her throat.

      ‘God no!’ Her arms wrapped around him, emphasising her words, and he had to kiss her again, deep and desperate. When she finally broke away, he was breathless, mindless, aware of only one thing.

      ‘I really, really want to make love to you,’ he whispered, mouth against her ear.

      He didn’t pull back, didn’t want to see any indecision or doubt on her face. He knew the reasons for that, and they weren’t to do with him, or with her not wanting to be here. But right now, he couldn’t care less about Tyler’s problems and schemes. All he cared about was Dory, and the desperate need to get her into his bed.

      ‘Please,’ she said, softly. ‘God, yes, please.’

      That was all he needed.

      ***

      Lucas’s kisses were intoxicating. Dory couldn’t help but lose herself in them, the dizzy way they moved from her lips to her neck to the curve of her breasts above the neckline of her dress. Had she ever felt this desperate, this out of control, with Ewen? If she had, she couldn’t remember it. This feeling of fate, the inevitability of this moment, was entirely new to her. As if the bizarre set of circumstances that had brought her here simply couldn’t have happened any other way.

      Giving in to destiny, Dory ran her hands over the broadness of Lucas’s back, feeling every muscle through his shirt, thankful he hadn’t put his jacket on yet. Even the thin cotton was too much separation for her. She wanted nothing between them, no barriers at all.

       Except secrets.

      Dory shook the thought away, focusing on the feel of him under her hands instead, letting her hands roam lower, holding him close against her body. Lucas let out a low groan, in between kisses, and she couldn’t help but feel powerful, as if he were as lost in this moment as she was – and equally unable to control it.

      Tugging her towards the bed, Lucas reached around and unzipped her dress, so by the time they reached the edge of the mattress the silky fabric was already pooled around her feet, leaving her in only her best lingerie, stockings and heels.

      Lucas took in the view, and Dory’s cheeks grew warm watching the heat in his eyes. God, she wanted this. Her whole body ached for him. And yeah, she knew they needed to talk, that she had things she had to tell him… But that would ruin this perfect moment and, quite simply, she couldn’t stand to lose this. Not when she was so close to having him…

      ‘God, you’re beautiful.’ Lucas brought one hand up to run across her shoulder, down her arm, to her waist. Gently, he pushed her down to sit on the edge of the bed, kneeling between her legs, one finger hooked in the edge of her knickers.

      Dory swallowed. Hard.

      Telling Lucas about Cheryl could definitely wait until later.

      Later turned out to be quite some time away.

      Warm and dozy in Lucas’s arms, Dory squinted across his broad chest at the clock on the bedside table.

      ‘Don’t look at it.’ Lucas’s voice was low and husky. ‘If we don’t know what time it is, we can’t be late.’

      ‘I’m not sure it works that way,’ Dory said, but let her head drop back down to rest against his shoulder anyway. ‘Your mother is going to kill me.’

      ‘I’ll protect you,’ he said, tightening his grip on her naked body. ‘Besides, she’ll kill me first. I’m supposed to be picking up guests from the station right now.’

      Dory winced, and tried to rise, but Lucas kept her plastered against his side. ‘We should get up,’ she mumbled against his skin. ‘I need another shower now. And to redo my make-up.’

      ‘Don’t wanna.’ Pressing kisses against the top of her head, Lucas’s hand roamed down over her hip, cupping her bottom as he held her close.

      ‘Neither do I,’ Dory

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