Immortal Trust by Claire Ashgrove

motion.
    “Will you trust I shall reveal the cloth when the time is appropriate?” His eyes said something else, a plea she didn’t dare consider: Will you trust me ?
    She glanced down at their joined hands, the warmth of his palm as enticing as water after a hot day amid the Egyptian sands. Strong fingers. A grip meant to soothe, yet prominent evidence of the power in his hands. Altogether masculine. Wholly appealing.
    Against her will, her fingers tightened around his. She nearly sighed at the delight of holding on to him. They sat in her room, avoiding the subject of their earlier kiss. It had been so long … Did she dare take a leap of faith and believe in what he offered? His words and the physical pleasure?
    No, she couldn’t. Not when they disagreed over an important artifact. As long as they stood at opposing corners, too much room existed for him to work toward his own purpose and hide his intentions. Trust couldn’t be established on such rocky terms. And though he had sworn he’d expose the relic if it proved legitimate, he’d mentioned nothing about giving her team credit for the find.
    “I think you’d better leave, Lucan,” she whispered.
    “Aye,” he answered, equally as quiet.
    He rose, bringing her to her feet alongside him. She followed to the door, indulging in the simple pleasure of holding his hand a few minutes longer. But when he should have disentangled his fingers and reached for the handle, he turned sideways and lifted her chin with his opposite index finger. He shook loose her fingers, used that hand to sweep her hair away from her shoulder. Then with it, he captured the side of her face and brushed her cheek with that tantalizing sweep of his thumb.
    She knew he was going to kiss her. Knew she ought to step back and stop him before he could dip his head. But though logic screamed at her to move, she stood stock still, barely breathing.
    As light as a feather, his lips brushed over hers. His breath stirred the fine hairs on her face. Goose bumps broke over her skin, and Chloe pulled in a short breath to keep from stumbling against his chest. With an inward whimper, she parted her lips and invited him into the kiss.
    Lucan’s mouth settled over hers softly. His lips played a game of capture and release, each press longer than the one before, until he slid his hands into her hair and accepted she had no intentions of breaking free. Warm and enticing, the tip of his tongue slid along the seam of her lips and, caught up in the rush of heady bliss, Chloe touched hers to it. The rich flavor of the wine they’d shared lingered on his mouth. She drank it in as deeply as she had from her glass.
    Pleasure ignited like fire, warming her from the inside out. She leaned into his body, twined her arms around his neck, and rose to her toes as he deepened their kiss. The velvety stroke of his tongue against hers took her to a place she had forgotten. An oasis where no harm came from pleasure and desire knew no punishment. She indulged, abandoning her fears in favor of the safety Lucan’s nearness offered.
    When his kiss took on more demand, she gave freely. Met the seeking thrust of his tongue with equal greed. Satisfaction rumbled in the back of his throat, eliciting her into a soft moan. God, it had been so long since she’d been kissed like this. Maybe she hadn’t ever been … Not so thoroughly. Not so incredibly. No, she’d never before felt like if the kiss ended, something inside her would crack into pieces.
    She pressed in closer, and his hand slid down her back. His arms encircled her. The hardness of his breath mirrored her own. Warmth flowed between them where their bodies connected, drawing her deeper into the magic of the moment. Her womb tightened, and moisture gathered between her legs, stark evidence of how she’d starved her body.
    Lucan’s fingers pressed against the small of her back, urging her hips into his. She took a wobbly step forward, aligning their bodies from