Lucas: An Army Wives Novel Read online

  Before Lucas—or anyone else—could say anything else to try and stop me, I ran for my keys and purse on the hook in the small mudroom space between the kitchen and the garage.

  Lucas caught up with me and grappled the keys from my hands.

  Damn his long legs.

  “Isla, calm down,” he said, reaching for my clenched hands. “We can’t go out there and get in the way. The police know what they’re doing.”

  “But I want to see Lily!” I started to cry again and Lucas wrapped his arms around me. I struggled and pushed against him, but my strength quickly drained away, and I let myself fall into his chest. He stroked my hair and whispered reassuring things into my ear.

  “Lucas is right, pumpkin. You don’t want to get involved. The police will call as soon as they have more information,” my dad said.

  Lucas began to guide me back to the bar stool I’d been sitting on practically since getting back to my parents’ house, but at the last second, I veered left, sidestepped out of his grip, and ran back towards the garage door. I shut and locked it behind me before Lucas could reach me, hit the pad on the wall, and hustled into my car as the door slid open.

  I started to back out and Lucas flew into sight as I glanced at my rearview mirror. “Shit!” I slammed on the breaks and that was all the hesitation he needed to get up to the passenger door. He ripped it open before I could think to lock it, and threw himself into the passenger seat.

  “What the hell are you doing, Isla?” He growled through gritted teeth.

  “I’m going to get Lily! And you’re either getting out of my car, or you’re going with me!”

  He stared at me, his blue eyes piercing and fierce, for a long moment and then with a defiant jut to his chin, he reached around and buckled himself in. My parents were on the porch but I turned away from their worried expressions and started off down the road.

  We arrived at the Sea-Tac airport and burst in through the main doors. It was easy to spot the epicenter of activity. There was a large group of police officers, all in uniform, barking orders at TSA agents and bystanders.

  “Isla!” Lucas roared as I bolted towards it with no regard for myself.

  My mind was locked on one thought: getting to Lily.

  Now.

  I raced up to the group in time to see Samuel, clutching Lily in his grasp. He was using her as a shield against the police officers that had their weapons drawn at him.

  “Lily!” I screamed.

  “Mama!”

  All eyes jerked towards me, including the beady set on Samuel, as he visibly tightened his grip on her. “Get back, Isla!”

  “Ma’am, stay here,” one police officer, a young man, who was likely a rookie on the force, put his arm out to block my path. I was ready to push past him, when two large hands anchored me in place.

  “Isla, what the fuck do you think you’re doing.” I knew the voice—and hands—belonged to Lucas without looking up into his face, but his tone was so gruff and stern it had a strange quality to it that startled me. I stopped struggling but didn’t take my eyes off my baby.

  “Mama!” She cried again.

  Tears flooded my cheeks as I waited and watched. The lead officer, who was apparently running the negotiations, took another step closer. “It’s all over, Samuel. You’re not getting out of this place on your own. So, let go of the girl, and we’ll do this nice and slow.”

  “He doesn’t have a weapon,” Lucas said, dropping his mouth to my ear. “They wouldn’t be getting close to him if he did.”

  “He could still hurt her.”

  He didn’t try to argue that point.

  I sucked in my lower lip, every muscle drum tight, as I waited. Then, everything broke at once.

  Samuel shoved Lily forward. She tripped and fell onto her knees and burst into tears. Once she was down, he bolted the other direction. And within seconds, was tackled by at least three police officers. There was noise, chaos, and the entire airport was in a dull roar of panic as the scene unfolded.

  An officer helped Lily to her feet and I raced towards her.

  I exhaled, relief flooded my body at the sight of her sweet little face. She broke free of the officers that were helping tend to her and check her for injury, and bolted for me. When she got close enough, I squatted down and caught her hard against my chest as she launched herself into my arms. Lucas stood by and said something to the officers that had chased after Lily.

  I blocked out everything that swirled around us and clung to my little girl tighter than I ever had before.

  She was safe and in my arms and that was all that mattered.

  I couldn’t say how much time passed before I opened my eyes in time to watch two officers dragging the now cuffed, Samuel, past where Lucas and I stood with Lily.

  Lucas took a step into their path and put his face in Samuel’s, close enough that a fleck of spit landed on his cheek, as he growled, “You ever come near Isla or Lily again and I’ll make sure you never see the light of fuckin’ day again.”

  Samuel glared but didn’t reply and the officers tugged him on their way as soon as Lucas stepped back, his point made.

  Lily released me and ran to wrap herself around Lucas’ legs. “I knew you would come!”

  “You did?” He asked, smiling as he sank down to squat beside her.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re my prince, remember, silly?”

  Lucas laughed and hugged her.

  Chapter Twenty

  Isla

  It took a while for the dust to settle, but things eventually slid back into place as Lucas, Lily, and I all moved forward from the nightmarish scene at the airport. Samuel was in prison, and wouldn’t be getting out for a long, long time, his kidnapping adding an extra decade onto the other charges he was being held on. The custody case was dropped once and for all. Samuel wouldn’t be getting out before Lily was eighteen, and even if he did, there was no way he would be able to even attempt to contact us, thanks to an ironclad restraining order.

  For the first few weeks after the kidnapping, it was hard for me to leave Lily’s side, but eventually, I was forced to go back to work, and Lily went back to her normal routine. The first weekend after getting back into the groove, I left Lily with my mom and dad so that Lucas and I could spend the weekend together.

  He’d picked me up and drove us to a fancy hotel in the heart of Seattle. After everything we’d gone through, and as long as we’d been together, we had yet to consummate our relationship, and hadn’t spent the night together. Between his house full of siblings, and my life mostly revolving around my parent’s house, we hadn’t found the right time.

  Or place.

  But as we pushed through the door to our swanky hotel room, those barriers crumbled, leaving me shivering with nervous anticipation.

  “Some digs?” Lucas said, whistling as he brought our two weekend bags into the room.

  “You outdid yourself,” I said, my tone a light scolding. He’d insisted on making all the arrangements and kept me in the dark. I knew he was planning something special, but even then, I was bowled over by the elite hotel he’d selected. I crossed to the floor to ceiling wall of windows that had a spectacular view of the city below. “This is amazing, Lucas. Thank you.”

  He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He lowered his lips to my ear. “I have to admit—it wasn’t exactly with pure intentions.”

  His statement vibrated through me and made my knees buckle. He pushed aside my hair and ran the tip of his tongue over the shell of my ear. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to get you alone like this.”

  I chuckled softly. “I think I do,” I tossed back, spinning in his arms to bring my lips to his. I kissed him hard and fierce, reminding him that I’d been waiting just as long as he had for this moment.

  Our lips and tongues clashed together in a frantic, desperate battle, each one eager to devour the other. Even though we weren’t worried about getting interrupted, w
e were still in a hurry, hungry to get to the main event, past the point of no return.

  Lucas lifted me up into his arms and I hooked my legs around his hips. He dragged his lips from mine and slid them, hot and eager, down the side of my neck. I arched my back and dropped my head, letting him have as much as he wanted. Each point of contact was like a rock skipping across a still pond, sending radiating waves of heat and pleasure over my skin.

  “Lucas,” I breathed, digging my hands into his hair, happy it had grown out from when we first met. I could easily get my fingers worked into the thick, sandy brown waves and tug him where I so desperately needed him to go. As his tongue slid over my earlobe, I hissed, my body throbbing with need for him.

  He stopped when we reached the wall and braced me against it long enough to strip my light t-shirt off over my head. He threw it aside and palmed my breasts over my lacy black bra as his lips explored all the new territory that had become available in lieu of the shirt. He nibbled up my collarbone as I panted and heaved against his nimble fingers teasing my nipples.

  I tugged his soft shirt up over his head and threw it to the floor beside my discarded shirt. I’d seen him shirtless once before, when we’d gone to an indoor water park with the whole pack of kids, but I hadn’t been able to fully appreciate every plane and muscle. I ran my hands over the trail my eyes took as Lucas turned his attention to getting my bra unclasped.

  “Shit,” he muttered, his fingers slipping from the last hook. I laughed softly and he shot me a look.

  “Don’t worry, baby, I’ll take it easy on ya,” I teased.

  He tugged the bra free and immediately ducked his head to suck a nipple between his lips. He swirled his tongue along the hard bud and I moaned, my teasing smile instantly fading. His palm caressed my other breast, tweaking and teasing the nipple. “I’m not making the same promise,” he said, looking up at me with a dark, mischievous glint in his eyes.

  I moaned and rocked my hips against him and when he pulled me away from the wall, I purred at the sensation of our bare skin crushing together. Lucas carried me to the bed and tossed me down lightly on the mattress. I became mesmerized as he worked the fly of his jeans, stripping them, so I could see the sizable bulge in his dark boxer briefs. I licked my lips and smiled up at him.

  “See something you like?” He teased.

  “Uh-huh. I’d like to inspect a little closer.” I reached for him but he pushed me back down against the bed.

  “Not yet. There’s something I’ve been dying to do for a long, long time.”

  I shivered at his words and sucked in my lower lip to keep myself from screaming when his fingers brushed the skin right above my waistband. He grinned down at me and then went to work on unzipping my pants. With calculated, teasing, slow motion, he peeled them from me and left me lying there before him in nothing but the black panties that matched the bra he’d already taken off of me.

  He brought his face down to my body, kissing and tonguing my stomach, as he made his way towards my throbbing pussy. I tightened and clenched with every second, as something I’d only been able to dream and fantasize about for months, was finally coming true.

  He paused his exploration at the waist of my panties and stared down at my stomach. I seized up, panicked that he’d suddenly noticed the faint stretch marks along my stomach. I started to pull away, my cheeks getting hot. He anchored me in place with his hands on my hips and traced the scar along my belly.

  “What’s this from?” He asked, his featherlight touch moving along the thin line of raised skin above my panties.

  “C-section,” I said, my tone apologetic. “I know…it’s kinda not the prettiest…”

  “Shh,” Lucas insisted, stilling my apologies. He kissed all along the scar and then dipped lower. “You’re perfect, Isla. Never forget that.”

  I smiled, knowing he wouldn’t listen if I even tried to argue. And when his lips sunk another inch lower, all coherent thoughts flew away. His breath was hot on my skin through the thin lace and I fisted my hands in the covers to keep from wriggling away. Lucas met my eyes as he ran his tongue over the wet lace. When he got that first taste, he closed his eyes. “God, Isla, it’s even better than I imagined.”

  He hooked his thumbs on my panties and pulled them down my thighs, over my feet, and dropped them on the floor. When he returned his attention back to the urgent pulsing between my thighs, he spread me apart, and licked up the center. Stars exploded behind my eyes and I arched my back against the mattress. I hadn’t been touched in such a long time, and even my darkest dreams were nothing in comparison to the real sensations that sizzled over my hot skin as Lucas worked his tongue between my legs.

  Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more, he slipped two fingers deep inside me and I cursed loudly, arching and bucking wildly under his touch. He twirled his tongue around my clit as his fingers worked fast and deep inside me and within minutes, I was moaning his name and grinding my teeth to keep from screaming as an intense orgasm ripped through me.

  Lucas brought me down gently, until I was reduced to a pile of shivering goo on the bed.

  When I opened my eyes, I was renewed with a lusty hunger, at the sight of him lying beside me in nothing but his boxer briefs. I pushed him to his back and peeled them from him just as slowly as he had undressed me. I loved the feeling of his eyes watching my every move, and made sure to take my time. I worked down his body, letting my breasts dip to his skin as I went. When he was completely naked, I worked my way back up, stopping to swirl my lips and tongue around his impressive shaft. “Mmmm,” I moaned, taking him fully into my mouth.

  He groaned as I worked him, but stopped me short of getting him off and tugged me back up his body.

  “Come on, baby,” he pulled at my hips as I straddled him. “I want to watch you fuck me.”

  His dirty words excited me all the more and I shed my inhibitions and insecurities. He slipped a condom on and then I lowered myself onto him, still dripping from my own release. I took him in slowly, letting him stretch and fill me, and was reminded of my first time when I winced at the slight pull. When he was fully inside me, I rocked back and forth, getting more ambitious with each pulse. He coaxed me with dirty words and groans until I was riding him fast and hard, my moans and pants melding together in a hypnotic rhythm.

  My insides coiled and I knew my release was close. Lucas’ cock throbbed inside me and I desperately wished there wasn’t a barrier between us. I wanted to feel his skin on mine.

  “God, Isla! Just like that, baby,” he groaned. I looked down and saw him watching me intently. His eyes drunk with desire. As I shivered, he pushed his fingers against my clit and took me the rest of the way with a series of teases of his fingertips.

  I gasped when he exploded inside me and our pleasure blended to one wave that we rode out together.

  After we’d exhausted ourselves, we lay together, nestled under the expensive sheets.

  “I don’t want to move,” I declared, snuggling in even closer, breathing in the soothing scent of Lucas’ faded cologne and a subtle hint of sweat on his skin.

  “Not even for a hot bubble bath?” Lucas asked.

  I pushed up, instantly interested. He laughed at my expression. “You look like a cat that just heard the can opener.”

  “Flattering,” I retorted sarcastically. I slapped his bare shoulder. “Just for that, I think I’ll go explore the bathroom by myself.”

  He laughed as I rolled out of the bed, abandoning the silky soft sheet. He let out an appreciative whistle as I stalked naked across the room and into the bathroom.

  “Oh my gosh…” I breathed, flicking on the lights. The bathroom was a gleaming masterpiece of marble, Italian tiling, and polished silver. The tub sat underneath another large window with a view of the city as it faded from day to night, and was the size of a small swimming pool.

  “Pretty nice, huh?” Lucas’ voice trailed over to me. “I think there’s room for two in that tub.”

 
I laughed. “No argument there. But you have to behave yourself. I don’t want to get my hair wet.”

  He chuckled but agreed to my terms as I started the tap.

  After lounging in the tub long enough to turn into two giant raisins, Lucas finally convinced me to get out and dry off, so he could take me to dinner. We got ready together, each stationed at our own inlaid sink, and when we left our hotel room, I was surprised when Lucas hit the up arrow on the elevator control panel.

  “Where are we going?” I asked, arching a brow at him.

  “You’ll see.” He smiled, obviously impressed with his cagey answer.

  We took the elevator to the top of the hotel, and Lucas led me to an intimate table for two under the stars. A waiter in a dark suit was on standby, and pulled out our chairs as we approached the table. There were candles everywhere, and a huge bouquet of fragrant flowers in the center of the table that was draped in white linens.

  “This is amazing,” I said, taking my seat. Lucas sat across from me and I stared—still open mouthed—at our surroundings. If I’d thought the view from our room was amazing, the view from the roof was even more breathtaking. “How did you do this?”

  He shrugged. “Does it matter? I just want you to enjoy.”

  The waiter poured us each a glass of wine and then disappeared through the door we’d come through.

  “Thank you, Lucas. This is the nicest thing that anyone’s ever done for me. I’m starting to get a little spoiled.”

  “Good.”

  I smiled into the deep, berry red liquid in my crystal goblet. “I can’t believe this is our first weekend away. We’ve been together for almost six months now.”

  “Long overdue,” Lucas agreed.

  “With everything that’s happened, it feels like a lot longer.”

  Lucas nodded and took a deep sip from his own goblet. “Tell me about it. The kids keep asking when you and Lily are going to move closer.”

  I laughed. We’d all spent a lot of time together over the past months and had become something of a modern day Brady Bunch. “What do you think about that?” I asked. “I mean, now that the custody battle is not happening, we don’t have to get married, or at least not so soon.” I looked over the edge of the low wall to the city as I took another long sip. I’d promised myself before the trip that I wouldn’t bring it up, but my question had slipped out before I could rein it back in again.