I think he’s enjoying being a fucking tease.
However, there’s an unexpected caveat to Luke’s schemes that I don’t know how to interpret. He never wants to spend the night.
At first, I think maybe we just haven’t gotten to the stage where staying over is acceptable, but the longer it goes on, the less confident I am that something isn’t wrong. It’s not like countless opportunities haven’t presented themselves, especially on the nights Luke has been at my house, and we were practically falling asleep on the couch. I’ve never even once hinted at the idea that I wouldn’t be okay with that, but he always makes a point of getting up and going home rather than letting that happen.
I’m not sure what to make of it.
When the end of September rolls around, Luke tells me we’re going on a date. Doesn’t ask,tells.He has the whole thing planned out, but I’m not allowed to know what we’re doing until we get there. I just need to make sure I dress nice.
Hearing that makes me nervous, but I’m more excited to see what Luke has in store for our first ‘official’ date. I don’t knowthe last time anyone went out of their way to plan an itinerary full of activities. Dinner and a movie out, maybe, but never this extravagant. I mean, Luke has the whole day blocked off.
I take a nice long shower, trim my beard, and cycle through my entire closet, trying to find the nicest possible outfit I own. Considering the man I’ll be going out with, I doubt I have anything good enough. I’m guaranteed to be invisible standing next to him, but I still try my best.
Ultimately, I pick a pair of black jeans and a caramel-gray cashmere sweater that my mom bought me for Christmas six years ago. I’d never found a good place to wear it until now, but it’s so soft and comfy. A little baggy, but not to the point that I’m swimming in it. When I roll the sleeves up and glance at the mirror, I can’t help but feel like I look kind of…good. Suspiciously good.
Luke pulls up to my house to pick me up—since he insists on driving us inhistruck—and comes to the door like a proper gentleman. I’ve never been on the receiving end of such chivalrous things before, and it makes me a bit weak in the knees.
When I see him standing on the porch, my jaw literally drops as I take in his entire outfit.
He’s wearing a black turtleneck sweater with the sleeves bunched up to his forearms and a pair of wine-red trousers that hug his hips and ass like a glove. It’s like their only purpose is to show off what's underneath the fabric, and I silently thank them for their service. They’re cuffed at the ankle, showing off his skin over a pair of black loafers that look expensive. He’s also accessorized, with rings on his fingers, his nails painted black, and a shiny black wristwatch. A single, black, dangling earring in the shape of a sword hangs from his left ear.
But the one thing that sends me straight to a place of uncontrollable lust is the round-rimmed tortoiseshell glasseshe’s decided to ditch his contacts for. They make his blue eyes pop, and I can tell he’s wearing eyeliner beneath them. Maybe even more makeup than that, but it looks natural on him.
Seeing Luke wearing glasses in pictures is one thing. Getting to experience it in real life is enough to make all the thoughts fly out of my head. I don’t even have the time to judge my own lackluster appearance against his before I grab him and pull him in for a kiss, my hands finding their way straight to his ass.
Luke smiles against my lips and pulls his head back to look at me with a fire in his eyes.
“Now, now,” he practically purrs, brushing his hand along my jaw, the touch featherlight, but still enough to make my insides melt. “We’ve got the whole day to get through before all that.”
God, I don’t know if I’ll ever get over how fucking sexy he is. He doesn’t even need to try.
“We could skip the date,” I grumble, grabbing Luke’s hips and pulling him closer. “My bed is right upstairs. We could just spend the whole day there instead.”
Luke laughs, but his face goes slightly pink, and it pleases me to know I’ve flustered him. He leans down, kissing me sweetly. “Tempting, but I think you’ll like what I’ve planned.”
I groan but smile. “Okay.”
We pack into Luke’s truck, and then he drives toward the freeway. I have no clue where our destination is for the first forty minutes of our trip, but the further south we move, the more congested it gets. The lush green fields and trees of the country slowly thin out until it feels like we’ve slipped into a different world.
Luke passes through every major city I would have expected him to stop at, the myriad options my brain can think of dwindling until only one remains. Then, it becomes clear that he has a bigger goal in mind.
“We’re going downtown?” I ask curiously, but my heart gives a little jolt.
“We are.” Luke grins.
My return smile feels a little strained, and I turn to stare out the window so Luke can’t tell I’m suddenly nervous.
“Are you okay?” he asks with concern anyway, and I wince. Clearly, I wasn’t as subtle as I had hoped.
I give him a sheepish look. “I haven’t been to Detroit in years.”
“Really?” Luke seems genuinely shocked. “Not at all? No concerts? Sports games? Nothing?”
I shrug. “Big cities kind of freak me out.”
“Seriously?” Luke frowns, his confidence waning, and I realize that what I’ve just admitted sounds terrible, considering he’s planning on spending the whole day in one.
“It’s not a big deal,” I clarify quickly. “I don’t hyperventilate or anything. I only get a little anxious. The parking situation is weird and complicated, traffic is usually insane, and I’m always afraid I’ll get lost. Big crowds make me nervous, so I generally avoid them altogether.”
