Page 25 of Gwen's Delta
“Right, and the master bedroom. But not the bathroom.” Luke typed in a code into a computerized lock and pushed open the door. “Ready?”
“Definitely.” The urge to close her eyes and hold her breath made Gwen smile to herself. It was silly. The room would give her more insight into the gorgeous man standing next to her, but her intuition had already decided he was a good man.
“Go ahead,” he said as he waited for her to walk by him.
The scent of old books hit her as she entered the room. It was like coming home. The bookshelves extended from the floor to the ceiling and were accessed by a ladder connected to a metal rail system. He hadn’t been kidding when he said he had an extensive collection.
The room was masculine without being boyish. The biggest surprise was the lack of a large TV on the wall. But it wasn’t difficult to envision him sitting on the burgundy couch, with a glass of scotch and a book in his hand.
“What do you think?”
“I love it. I can’t believe you did all of this yourself. It must have taken a long time, but it’s definitely you.” Gwen smiled as she faced him.
“The guys helped me install the bookshelves and hook up the ladder. The only thing it’s missing is a fireplace. But since this is Texas, I didn’t think I’d use it enough. Plus, it wouldn’t be great for the books.”
“That’s true. Is this where you were last night when you called?”
“Yup, if I’m home, I’m usually here, in the kitchen, or in bed.”
“I don’t blame you. I’d probably sleep here, too,” Gwen said, and her cheeks heated as she realized what she’d implied.
“I’m glad you feel that way.” Luke closed the distance between them and tilted her face up with a finger under her chin. “It means I did it right.” His smile diverted the heat from her cheeks, and it sizzled over her skin.
“Oh, you definitely did it right.” Her voice was breathless as she stared at his lips. How would they feel against her? How would he taste?
“I’m going to kiss you.”
Her insides screamed, “Hell, yeah!” Speech eluded her, but she managed a nod. His eyes glowed like amber as he slid his fingers through her hair and lowered his lips to hers.
The first touch of his lips was gentle, softly caressing hers, nibbling and tasting. Her sigh parted her lips and allowed him entry, the darting of his tongue tasting like mint and coffee.
The need to touch him became overwhelming, and she stepped closer, her hands settling on his chest. As her fingers grazed across his rock-hard abs, he growled and deepened the kiss. His tongue swept her mouth, sliding across hers, tangling sensuously. Then he tightened his hold and pulled her closer, his erection pushing against her stomach.
Luke groaned and rested his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to go so far. I was just going to steal a brief kiss, but when I touched you…I needed more.”
Gwen worried she’d taken temptation too far. Her lips still tingled, and her insides had melted into a puddle of need. If that was just one kiss, what would happen when they made love?
“Gwen?”
“I’m not upset, I promise. I’m just… Wow. It sounds silly, but you took my breath away. I probably shouldn’t admit that, though.”
Yeah, she shouldn’t have from the look of satisfaction on his face. He might be a lot of things, but he was also a total alpha male.
“I’m glad. The last thing I want to do is scare you away.”
“You didn’t. Surprised me, yes. But definitely not scared.” That might have been a teeny lie. All she could think about was kissing him again and seeing where it would lead. Scary craziness. She’d never had sex on the first date, had never even considered it. But imagining lying next to him, exploring, tasting him soaked her panties.
“I think I need a drink.” She needed to get a grip before she jumped him.
“Definitely, I’m sorry. I should have asked. What would you like? I have iced tea. It’s not sweetened, but I have sugar. Or there’s ice water or juice.”
“I’ll have the tea and no sugar is fine.”
“Do you want lemon or mint?”
“You have mint?”
“Yeah, I have a small herb garden in the kitchen.” His cheeks colored.
