Page 39 of Coastal Runaway

“Would you keep your voice down?” I hissed, “it was a one night only occurrence under the influence of tequila and sexy masks… and one kiss a few days ago. It is not to be repeated.”

“Why not?” She asked.

“Have you forgotten everything? Me and Luke having sex? Him saying degrading things? Me fleeing the East Coast to escape him?” I was very clearly exasperated and didn’t want to explain myself again.

“I mean, I know what happened. But have you ever stopped to think that maybe it was a misunderstanding?”

I pinned her with a glare.

Maeve raised her hands in surrender and added, “okay, down girl. But also it’s been three years. You are not the same girl you were when you left Connecticut, so why is it so hard to believe that maybe Luke isn’t the same guy who said those awful things?”

“I know you’re probably right, but what if I let him in and he breaks my heart again?” I asked, letting her words really sink in.

“That’s just part of the risk of opening your heart to others, Keegs.” She patted my knee with a loving look on her face, “okay, now that that conversation is out of the way, get dressed. We’re going to the beach!”

She jumped up and practically skipped out of my room.

“Oh yeah!” She popped her head back into the room, and added with a giggle, “you might want to put on some concealer. You’ve got a little something on your neck.”

I sprang out of bed to see but my leg got caught in my duvet and I fell flat on my face with an oomph. I could hear her laughing all the way down the hall as I peeled myself off the floor. I ran up to my mirror and lifted my chin. Sure enough, there was a massive multicolored bruise on my neck with distinct teeth marks around it.

Fuckkk.

“You might want to check your ass too.”

I screamed and jumped in the air, clutching my chest. Whipping around, I found Luke leaning with one hip propped against my open sliding door, arms crossed and looking at me with a boyish grin.

“I may have had too much tequila, but I think I’d remember you biting my ass.” I scrambled to pull down my joggers and looked over my shoulder in the mirror—just in case. A red blotchy mark, that could easily be a handprint, was spread across my right cheek.

“I hate you!” I threw my hands up in the air.

“I think I actually remember you begging me for more.” Luke pushed off the door and strode into my room.

“I was drunk. You could have convinced me to beg for anything at that moment.” I whisper-yelled, too aware that there were three other people living in this house, two of whom I wanted to spare the intimate details of the dirty sex that Luke and I had last night. “Unfortunately for you, now I’m clear-headed and not so easily swayed.”

Luke chuckled and shook his head, “is that a challenge?” He cocked one eyebrow in my direction and took a few steps toward me.

My core heated at the thought of his hands on me. I wanted to feel his talented tongue explore my body again.

I backed up at his approach until my back hit the door. Luke slowly ran his finger up my stomach, between the center of breasts, all the way up to my collarbone before he spread his fingers and purposefully grabbed ahold of my throat. He was gentle enough that I had no difficulty breathing, but firm enough that I couldn’t escape.

“What would you do if I took you by the neck and forced you to your knees right now?” Luke whispered, moving his thumb up my chin until it pressed against my lips, prompting me to open for him. He pushed his thumb into my mouth and I suctioned my lips around it, sucking until he pulled it out slowly leaving my lips with a distinct pop.

“Thats a good fucking girl.”

I could feel the wetness pooling between my legs.

“You think you’re so charming. Last night was a one time thing. Don’t get it twisted.”

“I’m going to figure you out, Tig,” He pulled his hand off my neck and slowly started walking backward, “I’m going to figure out why you keep running from me so I can make sure it never happens again.”

With that he ducked out of my room and disappeared across the balcony. I touched my fingers to my lips and struggled to catch my breath. My mind was racing. This was what I got for allowing my body to have a night of fun.

What the fuck just happened?

What did he mean “he’s going to figure out why I ran?”

How did this get so complicated…?