Pierced (21 page)

I set my keys and purse on the entryway table and walk slowly in the direction of the sound. Lucian is standing at the island with his back to me. He’s dressed casually in jeans and a polo shirt. His hair is damp, indicating a recent shower. I stand drinking him in, my eyes roaming over him hungrily. God, I have missed him so much. I see the moment he becomes aware of my presence; his body straightens, and his breath seems to catch. When he spins around, we both just look at each other. Finally, he gives me a lopsided grin, saying, “Hey, baby, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Hi,” I manage to croak out. He called me baby. Does that mean things are okay between us? Do I care? Shouldn’t I be pissed off at him? I mean, I know we aren’t in a formal relationship, but don’t I deserve some kind of explanation for his disappearance? Shit, now I sound like all the other girls I knew who ended up complete basket cases over a man. When he walks over and pulls me into his arms,
I am rigid, unsure of what we’re doing.

I am completely floored when he puts his forehead against mine and simply stays there for a moment. “I’m sorry, baby.” I know he’s referring to the disappearing act he has pulled on me for the last week.

“Did I do something?” I cringe, knowing the question makes me sound like an unsophisticated child, but I really need to know if I have done something to make him pull away.

He pulls back to kiss the tip of my nose before pulling me fully into his arms. “No, Lia,” he murmurs against the curve of my neck. “I just…lost it when I hurt you that night. It’s been a long time since I’ve had those dreams, and that was one of the worst I can remember. I could have really hurt you, and it scared the hell out of me.”

“Luc, it was nothing. I barely bumped my head. I should have known better than to startle someone who was clearly dreaming. If anything, it was my fault.”

He leans down, kissing me lightly, his gaze roaming my face. “We just need to be more careful,” he says lightly. “I…have some sleeping pills I can take at night that help if it continues to happen. Just get up and leave me the next time, baby. Please don’t run the risk of touching me. Eventually, I’ll wake myself up; I always do.”

“What are the dreams about? You’ve obviously been having them off and on for a while. Are they…memories of something happening to you?”

He stares at some point past my shoulder for a moment, and just when I think he’s going to ignore my question, he says, “It’s something that happened a long time ago.” He pulls back and motions toward his cup. “Coffee?” I know the subject is closed as far as he’s concerned. I let it go because even with the secrets between us, I’m thrilled to see him and don’t want to do anything to change that. I’ve only known Lucian a short while, and it’s way too early in whatever kind of relationship we have to demand all his secrets.

I walk over to where he is pouring my cup of coffee and lean against his muscular back. I just need a few more minutes of physical contact after days of being deprived of his warmth. When he turns to pull me back into his arms, the look he gives me tells me he feels the same way. Whatever this thing is between us, one thing is clear: I’m not the only one who has suffered the last week. “I missed you,” I admit against his chest.

His arms tighten around me, one hand tangling in my hair. “Me too, baby, too fucking much. Spend the day with me?”

I think fleetingly of my school and his work. I have just gotten caught up on everything I missed when I was out for a few days with the flu. I don’t give a damn, though. If he is willing to play hooky today, then I’m more than happy to join him. “Really? What do you have in mind, handsome?” He chuckles against me, knowing I’m teasing him.

“I thought we could drive out to my house. I haven’t been there in a few weeks, and I need to check on things. There’s an indoor pool, so we can go for a swim, if you like. Just have a lazy day doing whatever we want.”

Grinning, I say, “That sounds perfect, but I don’t have a swimsuit with me. Could we drop by my apartment on the way?”

He pulls away, swatting my ass lightly. “Absolutely not. No clothes allowed in the pool. I’d just have to take them off to fuck you, so what sense would that make?”

He makes the statement so nonchalantly; I just shrug and say, “Good point. I’m ready when you are.” In a few moments, we are in the parking garage, and he is leading me toward the Range Rover. I cover my mouth dramatically, saying, “Oh, wow! Lucian Quinn is going to drive today. Is Sam busy?”

He backs me up against the car, running a hand down between my legs to cup me through the material of my pants. “Maybe Sam doesn’t want to see me touching your sweet pussy today.”

I moan, shamelessly riding his hand. “Good point,” I croak out, making him laugh. I want to object when he releases me but manage to swallow my protest; it’s enough right now just to be with him again. For the first time in eight days, my world is bright, and it’s all because of the man sitting beside me. When he reaches over to take my hand before setting them both on his thigh, I sigh in contentment.

Twenty minutes later, we are pulling through an impressive set of stone pillars, down a well-manicured driveway, and pulling to a stop in front of an equally impressive home. The bottom is made of stone and the top a shingle-type siding; it seems to sprawl out in every direction. Large picture windows gleam in the sunshine, and the circular drive in the front is lined on both sides with flowers. Even though the house must be worth a small fortune, I am surprised at how unassuming it seems.

Lucian walks around and opens my door, kissing me briefly on the lips before shutting it behind me. “Welcome to Casa Quinn, baby.”

“Why, thank you. It’s really beautiful here.” I look around, seeing no other houses in the distance. “I’m surprised you have this much privacy here. Most of the houses seemed pretty close together on the way in.”

“My parents purchased several lots to build on. They loved the area but didn’t want close neighbors. Come on, I want to say hello to Fae before she leaves.” I assume Fae must be the caretaker; a house this size probably requires several people to keep it in such great condition.

I’m surprised when instead of using a key to enter his home Lucian rings the bell. The door is pulled open almost immediately and an attractive woman in blue scrubs stands there beaming at us. “Luc! Honey, I’m so happy to see you. Why in the heck do you insist on ringing the doorbell, though? You do know you own the place, right?” Before he can answer, she throws her arms around his neck and without hesitation, he returns the embrace. When she releases him, he turns to me, taking my hand to pull me closer.

“I want you to meet Lia. Lia, this is my Aunt Fae. She raised me after my parents died. She was my dad’s sister.” The woman studying me in something akin to shock looks far too young to be Lucian’s aunt. Her long, dark hair is pulled up in a ponytail and even through her scrubs; her figure is fit and trim. Her face is unlined, and she could pass easily for his sister.

I extend a hand to her, saying, “It’s great to meet you.” Since Lucian has never mentioned her, I have no other pleasantries to add, and a moment of silence ensues.

Finally, the other woman takes my hand, giving me a genuine but curious smile. “It’s a pleasure, sweetie. Sorry to zone out on you there, but my boy here hasn’t brought a woman home since…well, you know, in a long time, so this is a bit of a surprise.” A look passes between Lucian and his aunt so fast I’m not sure if I have imagined the whole thing. “Anyway, you two come on in. I have some coffee in the kitchen. I was just straightening up before I left for work.” Lucian explains that his aunt works at the memorial hospital downtown as a nursing supervisor.

I follow Fae through a large foyer with Lucian trailing behind us. The house has an open floor plan with high ceilings and tan-colored walls. We make our way past a curving staircase and into a bright, airy kitchen. The cabinets are antique-distressed, and the granite is a matching light color. Fae walks straight to the coffee pot and fills her mug. A grin spreads across my face at the caption on the cup: ‘Nurses do it for twelve hours straight.’ Judging by the house, Lucian comes from money, so his aunt is a bit of a surprise. “How’s the new groundskeeper working out?” Lucian asks.

Fae takes a sip of her coffee before answering. “He seems okay. I walked him through everything, but you might want to talk to him while you’re here today. I saw his truck come in a few minutes ago, so he should be out at the barn.”

“I’ll go ahead and walk down there before he gets started.” He turns and drops a kiss on my cheek. “I’ll be right back. You going to be okay?” I nod my head when what I really want to do is follow him out of the kitchen. His aunt seems nice, but I have no desire to be stuck with a stranger until Luc returns.

When she offers me a mug and points to the pot, I gratefully accept it; at least I have something to do with my hands for a moment. “Let’s walk out to the sunroom; it’s nice out there this time of the morning.” She leads to me into a sitting room with a comfortable sofa, matching armchairs, a fireplace, and coffee table. “So, how long have you known Luc?” I look up, noting that her interest in me hasn’t faded.

“Um…about a month I guess.” As we walk by the fireplace, I notice some pictures and stop in front of them. I squint down at one that shows two teenage boys and a girl. I recognize a younger Lucian immediately and the other boy looks familiar, as well.

Fae stops beside me and picks up the picture. “The three amigos. You never saw one without the other two close behind. They were nothing alike, but boy, did they bond.” She points to Lucian, “my serious one,” then to the boy on the other side of the girl, “and my golden one.” When I point to the girl she has skipped over in the middle, she says quietly, “My dark one.”

Pointing to Lucian, I ask, “I know that’s Luc, but who are the other two?”

She smiles fondly. “The other boy is Aidan and the girl is Cassie.”

“Ah, I knew I recognized him.” I point to Aidan. “I’ve met him before. How about Cassie? Where is she now?”

Fae puts the picture back, walking to the sofa, and sitting down heavily. “She’s…away. She doesn’t live here.” Her discomfort is obvious. I remember her calling Cassie ‘her dark one’ and wonder why. Out of nowhere, she says, “I’m so happy Luc brought you here. He hasn’t let a woman close to him in so long.”

I feel compelled to clarify my place in his life. I don’t want her to think that things are serious between us when they’re not. Heck, I don’t even know what they are. “We haven’t known each other that long, so we’re just…seeing each other right now.” I don’t think she needs to know we are also having mind-blowing sex, so I keep that to myself.

She surprises me when she reaches over to pat my hand. “Honey, if Luc brought you here, then there is something more than casual between you. I’m not naïve. I know he has women in his life, but he never brings them here, and according to Aidan, he doesn’t have them in his apartment either.” I’m further astounded to see her blink back what are plainly tears as she adds, “He seems lighter, happier.” Lucian walks into the room at that moment, settling on the couch beside me. I see him studying his aunt’s face, possibly noticing the drying moisture there, but he says nothing. After a few moments, she stands. “I’ve got to get to work. You two should stay and enjoy the day. There is plenty of food for lunch.”

Lucian drops an arm around my shoulders, smirking down at me. “I believe Lia wants to go for a swim, don’t you?” I feel myself blushing as I dig my elbow into Lucian’s side.

I want to groan as his aunt unknowingly adds fuel to his nasty thoughts. “Great idea. Luc can whip something up, and you two can just eat out there.” His big body shakes beside me as he assures his aunt he had intended to eat out there all along. When I hear the door shut behind her, I jump up, putting my hands on my hips.

“You’re just evil, you know that, right? By the look on your aunt’s face, she knew exactly where your mind was…in the gutter!”

He holds his hands up, looking like the picture of innocence. “What? You did want to go for a swim, and there was some mention of eating something sweet out there. I was just agreeing with her.” I huff in response, trying to look angry. In truth, now that the embarrassment of his aunt thinking I’m some sort of slut has passed, I’m just hot, bothered, and needy. His words have struck a direct line right to my clit, and it’s throbbing for his attention.

“Oh, baby,” he growls, seeing the look on my face. “Come here, I’m ready for my appetizer.”

“No, oh, no!” I hold out a hand to stop him. “I’m so not getting naked on your aunt’s couch.”

He looks adorably confused as he asks, “What’s the difference between the couch and the pool? I’m sure she uses both of them.”

“The pool has chemicals and stuff to, you know…kill off the evidence.” Lucian appears vastly amused by my statement.

“Baby, unless there’s something I’m unaware of, I don’t think we need to ‘kill off evidence.’” He jumps to his feet, smacking my ass on his way by. “You want to be fucked in the pool, just tell me. No need to make up all these excuses.” I sputter behind him indignantly.

Then, I surprise us both when I say, “Oh, hell, who am I kidding. I do want to be fucked in the pool.” His mouth is hanging open as I walk by him, unbuttoning my pants. I have no idea where I’m going, but when he scoops me into his arms, I know he’ll take care of the rest.

“That was seriously hot,” he says as he cradles me against his chest. I smile proudly in return before looking around at where we’ve stopped.

“Oh, my,” I stare in wonder. The room we have stepped into has huge sliding doors with a patio beyond them. Chaise lounges are arranged both inside and out. Lush greenery and a beautiful waterfall into the pool create a tropical paradise right out of a movie. “Oh, Luc, this is gorgeous.”

He smiles at me shyly, seeming pleased by my comment. “My dad had this built for my mom. She had rheumatoid arthritis from a very young age, and the pool helped her with the discomfort. She used it almost every day. I know it seems like a waste to maintain it when it’s not used that much anymore, but I just…can’t stop.”