We’re in a bit of a holding pattern. It’s only a matter of time before the police start piecing things together. They must be collecting cell data and everything else. I wonder if Grant could get access to that.
My blood starts to hum when she puts her hand on top of mine on her thigh. See, progress. Joey’s ass is fucking lucky.
The road winds up, away from town, until we break through the trees onto a grassy hilltop. Below us, the lake stretches dark and endless, the last of the sunset bleeding orange across the water.
I spread a blanket in the truck bed and unpack the food I grabbed from the diner. Burgers, fries, two milkshakes. Nothing fancy. She doesn’t need fancy. Thoughtful is more her speed.
Madeline sits cross-legged, looking out at the view. “This is beautiful, Luke.”
“Yeah.” I’m not looking at the lake but directly at her.
She catches my stare and blushes, biting off a piece of her burger to hide it. We eat, the silence easy, and I watch her relax in a way she never does at school. Here, she’s not the scholarship girl. Not Luke Locke’s girl. Just herself.
“How was work?” I ask, taking a bite of my food.
“I like the shop.” She lets out a sigh that sounds tired. “More than I expected. It reminds me of home. My dad’s garage, the guys working on engines, and the smell of oil and metal.” She laughs, self-conscious. “That probably sounds stupid.”
“It doesn’t.”
“I thought I’d have to quit—don’t get all excited—given that the coursework is heavier at Kingmakers, I’d need more time to study.” She picks at her fries. “But I’m keeping up. And I like having the job. It feels... real. Like I belong somewhere.”
I hear what she’s not saying. She doesn’t feel like she belongs at Kingmakers Prep. With me.
“You belong with me,” I say, rougher than I mean to.
Her eyes meet mine, surprised. Then soft. “Luke?—”
“I know I’m not good for you. I know I’m fucked up, possessive, a pushy asshole, or whatever.” I set down my food and turn to face her fully. “But I’m trying. For you. To be what you need.”
She sets her milkshake aside and shifts closer.
“This is supposed to be fake,” she says.
“It’s never been fake for me, and you know that.”
“I suppose I do. It’s in the things you do.” She shifts closer. “And I think you are what I need.”
“Buttercup—” She kisses me. Soft, tentative, then deeper when I groan and pull her into my lap. Her legs straddle my hips, her hands in my hair, and I’m fucking lost. Gone. Hers. Forever.
I kiss her like I’m starving because I am. I’ve been that way since the first time I touched her. Hell, I’ve been hungry my whole life for this and haven’t known it until she was here, in front of me. My hands slide under her shirt and find her bare skin, and she arches into me with a sound that breaks something in my chest.
“Luke,” she breathes against my lips. Need and desire drip off the one word.
“Tell me to stop.” I’m already hard, grinding up against her, desperate. “Tell me and I will.” I’m treading on an edge that scares even me. When it comes to Madeline, I’m not rational and do shit I never thought I would.
She doesn’t tell me to stop. Madeline bears down, grinding her pussy against my cock, meeting my thrust, and we both moan.
I roll her over, lay her back on the blanket, and settle between her thighs. The lake spreads below us, dark and endless, but I only see her. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips parted, and her eyes glazed with want.
“Fuck, I can’t get enough of you,” I growl and yank myself down for another kiss.
We move together, the friction building. My hand slides between us, finds the button of her jeans, and pops it open. She arches into me when my fingers slip beneath the denim and under the cotton of her panties.
She’s bare. Soaked. My groan tears out of me, raw and desperate. My balls are starting to ache, my cock leaking. Fuck, I’m going to get off from this alone.
“Luke,” she breathes, her hips rocking into my touch.
I find her clit and rub slow circles, watching her face. Her eyes flutter shut, her mouth falls open, and she whimpers my name. It goes straight to my soul, if I have one. I pay attention to everything to see what her body is responding to. I speed up, pressing harder, feeling her tense beneath me.
