“Those were an old girlfriend’s,” I lie pathetically. Luke’s smile only grows.
“Oh, I didn’t need to see the books to figure you out, baby.” Luke chuckles. “I already found out all your tells a while ago. I know what you like.”
“Lies. Pure lies.”
Luke pushes himself off the shelf and stalks across the room to me gracefully, and I find myself backed into the corner with nowhere to go as he looms over me. Before I can say anything, he pins me to the wall, one hand cupping my chin, tilting my head up so that our faces are only inches apart. My eyes widen, and my body betrays me, shivering against my control. My heart’spounding. It doesn’t go unnoticed. Luke smiles triumphantly before pressing his lips to mine, instantly turning my brain to mush as he kisses me like in my wildest fantasies.
When he pulls away, he drags his hand down my throat and over my heaving chest. He stares at my mouth before lifting his eyes to meet mine, and I shudder at the possessiveness in his gaze. The way he seems to see through my soul.
“Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart,” he purrs softly, and my insides turn molten.
“Okay, fine,” I say breathlessly, grabbing his shirt by the collar. “Shut up and come here, you fucking bastard.”
Then he kisses me until the world goes hazy, and I feel the magic of this sacred space mingling with our jagged breaths.
Later that night, when I finally call my mom back to chat, the first thing out of her mouth is, “Good work, kiddo. I can see why he put you through a gay crisis.”
“I’m blocking your number,” I reply, then I hang up the phone while she laughs maniacally in the background.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Level Up
SittingonthecouchSaturday evening, reading a book with my feet up, I suddenly hear the door to the garage opening unexpectedly, taking me out of the story with a jolt. It’s not uncommon for my friends to let themselves into my house this way, since I never lock that door, but I wasn’t expecting anyone to drop by tonight.
When Luke rounds the corner to the living room, my first thought immediately jumps to one of concern, wondering if something bad happened. Especially when I see the look on his face—intense, determined. But before I can ask, he strolls in with the confident swagger of a man on a mission and only one goal in mind, and I don’t even have a moment to bookmark my page as he slyly plucks the novel from my hand and drops it on the floor out of reach.
My weak protests die on my lips as he straddles my lap and presses his mouth to mine with the passion of someone who’s just returned from war, melting into me with a desperation that’s hard to ignore. It throws me completely off guard, but I’m not complaining.
My concern fades as my hands find their way up his body, over his neck, tangled up in his hair. I feel every fiber of my being light up as if Luke’s presence flicked a switch, bringing me to life. He draws that energy back from me like he’ll die without it, and it feels like we’ve formed a closed circuit of reciprocity.
When he’s finally satisfied, he pulls away and looks at me with a hazy smile.
“Hi.” I grin stupidly, brushing my hand along his cheek.
“Hi.” Luke chuckles in return.
“What was that for?”
“I missed you.” Luke’s eyes sparkle slightly, and his cheeks are rosy with fresh color.
I quirk a brow. “You only saw me yesterday.”
“Oh, okay. So, I’m suddenly not allowed to miss my boyfriend unless we’ve been apart for more than twenty-four hours?”
I can’t help myself as I grin, pulling him back into me, our lips connecting like the only alternative is death. I can feel how the tension leaves his body as if he can finally relax now that he’s here with me, almost like he’s found his way home. And maybe that’s what it is. In his soft sighs and melting posture, he’s at home in my arms.
When we pull back again, the action more lazy than rushed, Luke’s eyes stay closed for another moment of bliss until he lets out a soft “hm” and smiles at me.
“You have this uncanny way of kissing me stupid.” He sighs dreamily. “I could forget my own name after a kiss like that.”
I take that as a challenge, unable to resist. Reaching out, I grab him by the jaw and pull him back down to me, feeling how he shivers when I curl my fingers through his hair. His lips move hungrily against mine, the taste of him so sweet that it’s driving me mad. God, I could do this all day. When we separate, I see the burning ember of desire in Luke’s expression, and I smirk.
“What’s your name, baby?” I tease.
Luke’s eyes flash, his smile wide. “Whatever you want it to be,” he practically growls, crashing his lips to mine again in a clash of teeth and tongues and molten lava burning straight to my core. And when he bites my lower lip, I could forgetmyname.
Whatever game we’re playing, I like it.
