“I’m OK. I was surprised when I read the letter. And I felt bad that I hadn’t read it sooner. But I think Jo was respecting his wishes and probably waiting for us to come to her. He’s already gone, so it’s not like I can change anything.” It struck Lex as odd, right in the moment that he could be so accepting of this small deception, forgiving. There’d been so much. In comparison with the withholding of information about his daughter, it probably should have mattered more. He imagined Pete would feel this one more than he. He’d been gone for so long and, in retrospect, so focused on his life and his wants, that it had been so easy for his parents to keep things from him. He never asked. In all his desire to be who he was, he could now admit that he was selfish. There’d really been no room for anyone else’s problems or ego in his life.
If Lu thought his explanation odd in any way, she didn’t mention it.
“In the list of discoveries that I’ve uncovered in the last year, this is just part of it. But finding out about Nina and you, it’s just what it is.” Lex paused. “Am I an ass?”
“Sometimes,” she said, smiling. When he pinched her, she jumped, laughing. “So hard to hear the truth,” she teased.
He loved her like this. Relaxed, not tense, teasing him. He didn’t want to turn the tide of the conversation, but he had to ask, because he couldn’t operate in the dark anymore.
“What changed?”
She stopped smiling. “What do you mean?”
“Last night, you didn’t want me anywhere near you. Now you’ve come to me. What’s up?” He said it all as gently as he could. He could have let it go and maybe should have, but he wanted to have all the information this time.
Lu eyes flashed and he could see her assess him, see her make the same decision, and he wished she would let him in. She tried to step away from him, but he held on to her. A silent struggle ensued until Lex began to laugh and Lu followed.
“I’m stronger,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she responded, giving up the battle.
With the laughter lingering between them, Lex swooped in and kissed her. He intended it to be a quick, searing kiss. But once there, he didn’t want to release her. She didn’t fight him, merely opened up and let him in. Their arms tightening around each other, Lex pulled her closer and deepened the kiss, moving into her mouth. God, he loved kissing her. There was a tentative quality about her that made him feel all protective and worldly. He felt his smile against her mouth as he thought she would hate that he thought himself so much more sophisticated than she was. She pulled back.
“What’s funny?” Lu asked, self-consciously.
Lex grinned. “Nothing. Just happy to be in your mouth again.” A roguish lift of the side of his mouth preceded his sink back into the kiss. As he continued the onslaught, he began moving her toward the bed. He wanted her so badly. He felt their destination as Lu halted abruptly, then he gently pushed her down onto the bed. She sat on the side, suddenly stiff and nervous.
“It’s just me, Lu. We’ve been here before,” he whispered as he lifted her under the shoulders and gently shoved her into the middle of the bed so he could have better access. Coming down on top of her, he went into coaxing mode because he could tell her nerves were getting the best of her. Moving her hands above her head and holding her wrists, he moved his right hand to her stomach, bared by her uplifted arms. Lightly tracing her navel, he grinned broadly at her when her muscles tensed. “Still ticklish here, huh?” he asked, teasing her. “Where else? Oh yeah, collarbone,” he proclaimed as he moved his hand up, inside her sweater and traced her left collarbone, feeling her squirm against him, rubbing him in all the right places. When a reluctant giggle escaped from her lips, he moved in and swallowed it with his mouth.
He worked his way down her body, claiming his spot on her neck while leaving her collarbone in favor of her breast. Stopping, he moved his hands down and pulled her sweater up, over her head as she complied, helping him. In her most aggressive move yet, she removed his shirt at the same time, then watched him pull his undershirt over his head, baring his amazing body. He raised his eyebrow, as if saying, “Like what you see?”
Lu met his eyes. “I’ve had better,” she said mischievously.
Lex laughed. “Oh really?” he teased before dropping his head and surrounding her still bra-clad nipple in his mouth and pulling. At her gasp, he merely smiled, his mouth still at her breast. “Guess I’ll have to work really hard then, huh?” Then he removed her bra, pushed her back and gave all his attention over to her. As he licked and sucked his way down her body, she writhed and moaned, telling him what she liked and didn’t. When he couldn’t wait any longer, he got up and removed both sets of pants. When she was naked, he dropped between her legs and kissed her inner thigh, running his finger through her wetness. His tongue darted out, claiming her.