Niall moaned, rocking on the floor. “You son of a bitch!”
Lucas fired again, and I flinched as the Australian howled. The bed hid the damage from me, but I heard the pain in Niall’s voice.
“You’re right about my mother,” Lucas said, his voice dangerously light, “but give me something better.”
“What do you want to hear?” the blond man said through gritted teeth.
“Why did you sabotage my ship?”
Niall looked perplexed. “Sabo…why the hell would I do that? No, no,” he hastily added, waving his arms as Lucas stepped closer. “I swear, I didn’t sabotage anything! Why would I jeopardize my own cargo?”
“Then I’m to believe your visit here was totally by chance?”
Lucas sounded like he was talking about the weather but, like I’d often seen with his brother, I sensed something dangerous behind the words. Niall on the other hand, didn’t seem quite as tuned in. “I saw a chance, and I took it?”
The gun rose, this time aiming straight at Niall’s head. Gone was Lucas’ happy-go-lucky persona. The change was like flipping a switch; fury suffused the scarred face. Lucas stepped forward, laying the barrel against Niall’s forehead as the Australian babbled, falling back to the floor and out of my sight completely.
“Son.” At Matthews’ gruff call, Lucas froze. The grizzled sea captain was watching the younger man closely. “Don’t do it. Not in anger, and not here where the girl can see it.”
For a handful of seconds it looked as though Lucas wasn’t going to listen. I stared at the scene in shock; Niall had disappeared from view, cowering on the floor at Lucas’ feet and begging for his life. The gun shook for a split instant and I saw the trigger finger compress, then the smiling mask came back over Lucas’ face. “You’re lucky that I’m a nice person,” he said, raising the gun so it pointed at the ceiling. He signaled behind him. “Let his man take him downstairs, then lock them both in the hold with a first aid kit.”
“You’re going to pay for this,” Niall muttered as the Scotsman helped him to his feet. It looked as though Lucas had only shot him in one leg both times. “I know people on the outside that won’t take kindly when I tell them…”
Lucas lowered his gun again, casually firing at the good leg, and Niall howled, collapsing into his bodyguard. “Okay, so I’m not that nice.” The scarred man shook his head. “Lord save me from amateurs,” he muttered as a sobbing Niall was led out of the room. Frank followed closely behind, shotgun trained at their backs. Lucas watched them leave, and then finally looked at me. “How did he get in?” When I didn’t answer, he continued in an irritated voice, “I told you to ask whenever someone knocks.”
“He said your name.” I hunched in, hugging my knees. “I did like you said, asked who was there. I thought he was you, then…”
There was a clunk as the gun was set down, then arms encircled me. I flinched but they didn’t let go, and as the adrenaline left me a shivering mess I clung to that anchor. “I’m sorry,” he murmured against my hair as I leaned my head against his shoulder.
Matthews’ voice wafted toward us. “I’ll head down and keep an eye on repairs.” I didn’t bother to look, but Lucas nodded his head. “That boy took off like a bat outta hell when he heard you,” the sea captain continued, obviously for my benefit, before he closed the door with a soft click.
I clung to Lucas, hiding my face when the sobs hit. Attempts at trying to stop the crying only made it louder, so I gave in to the anger and relief and rage, letting it wash over and through me. Lucas rocked me as I wept, the sobs threatening to tear me apart.
Eventually the emotions subsided enough that I could get a grip on myself again, but I didn’t release my hold on the other man. When he made to pull away I clung tighter. “Don’t go,” I whispered. “Not yet.”
He subsided, his hand stroking over my hair. Fingers skimmed down my back and I shivered, but he played the gentleman, keeping his hand from dipping lower. “I shouldn’t have brought you aboard,” he muttered, and I could hear the self-recrimination in his voice. “Hell, I shouldn’t have even brought you into this. There were other arrangements I could have made, ones that would have kept you with…”
Lucas broke off and I raised my head off his chest to look at him. He was staring off into nothing, mouth pursed in a grim line, but met my gaze after a moment. I saw something spark in his eyes, and felt my own belly clench as I realized how intimately we were touching. My fists curled around the thin material of his shirt, holding him close. “Thank you,” I murmured, pushing into the warmth and safety of his body. His scent and proximity overwhelmed me, but anything was preferable to remembering the day – no, week – I’d dealt with thus far.
“No problem.” Lucas’ voice was strained. I looked up into his face and instinctively understood the hunger I saw in his eyes. Memories of our kiss in the penthouse apartment intruded: the feel of his lips against mine, the scent that was his alone filling my nostrils.
“Lucy,” he began, but I never knew what he was going to say because I tilted my head up and laid my lips against his.
He did nothing for a moment, and desperation took hold of me. Help me forget. Twisting in his arms, I wound my arms around his body, pulling him close…then he took over, his lips parting against my mouth. A sigh escaped me as he bore me back on the bed, pressing me against the mattress. He grabbed my wrists, bringing them above my head, and I moaned. He teased me with his tongue, a smile spreading across his mouth. “You like that, don’t you?”
Yes. My hands clenched into fists, wanting desperately to touch him but relishing in the possession. Lucas’ knee slid between my legs, pressing against my core, and I jerked, arching into him frantically. For an instant, the face of Niall loomed in my mind and I broke off the kiss with a gasp. Lucas laid his forehead against mine. “We can stop if you…” he started, but I shut him up with my mouth, and he didn’t protest.
Securing my wrists with one hand, he pushed the other up my shirt, his lips moving to my throat as he thumbed a nipple. I moaned again, craving more, and wrapped my legs around his narrow waist.
“God you’re hot,” he murmured, shoving my shirt up and over my head. I helped as much as I could, not wanting to break contact, but when I felt his warmth against my bare skin I suddenly needed so much more. I struggled free of his hold and pulled at his shirt, tugging at the pants and belt. His chuckle at my clumsiness annoyed me so I pushed on one shoulder, guiding him onto his back. Within seconds I had his pants free, and somehow wasn’t at all surprised he went commando. I palmed him in my hand, running my thumb over the thick head, and heard him gasp above me. Refusing to think about it, I shimmied down the bed, fingernails leaving tracks down his torso, and took him in my mouth.