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His voice deepens. “Callie.” So demanding. So freaking hot. Luke’s need for me turns me on so damn much. I practically live at his house already and spend most of my time in a turned-on, mind-scrambled state of bliss. Luke likes to have me close at all times and never hesitates with displays of affection. He’s always got his eyes, hands or lips on me. I’m fairly sure if he didn’t have a child in the house, I’d never escape him. Not that I want to escape him. Ever.
“I’d like that,” I say quietly.
He raises a brow. “Only like?”
My happiness bubbles up and I grin. Leaning close, I whisper so no one else can hear, “I’d fucking love to move in. Then I can have your cock whenever I want.”
As I lean away, his hand locks around my neck and he pulls me back. “Baby, that part of me is always available to you,” he whisper-growls.
Oh, good God.
He is too much.
I take a deep breath and press against his chest to give us some much-needed space. “Right, you need to go hang out with your child and I need to go inside and fix a vodka. Or two.”
He chuckles and jerks his chin towards the house. “Go. I’ll take this from here although Glenda seems to have these kids under control.”
Ugh.
She’s been a pain in my ass since she got here. But I’ve held my tongue and I can manage to hold it for a few more hours.
“She does. You got lucky today.”
As I make my way up the stairs, I glance back and take in the scene in front of me—Sean having so much fun with his friends and Luke happy and relaxed in a way I haven’t seen before. Something has shifted in him recently. He’s even started talking to me more about his past. Opening himself up and sharing some of those hidden parts of his soul that he’s kept locked tight.
As I think about moving in with him, my thoughts slam hard up against a wall in my mind.
Jolene.
That file sitting in my bag.
Why, God?
Why did you have to make this so damn complicated?
Why did you have to give me a conscience?
I traipse into the kitchen in search of coffee. I’ll save the vodka for after the party. I try to ignore it, but Jolene’s file glares at me from the kitchen table as I walk past. It’s shoved inside my bag, but it’s still glaring at me.
You could just forget you ever saw it.
Yes, but an innocent woman might be sitting in prison.
Luke’s already told you she’s guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Leave it.
Yes, but…
No buts. Clearly, she’s guilty. You’d just be stirring up shit. Luke doesn’t need to go through all that again.
But what if she’s not? What if she just needs someone on her side?
I make coffee and decide to put the file out of my mind for now. I’m going to spend today celebrating Sean’s birthday. After Luke goes to work tonight and Sean goes to bed, I’ll flick through it again. I know, though, that it’s going to be a long night of me wrestling with my conscience. This file is not something I want in my life and it would be far easier to throw it in the bin than deal with it.
* * *
By 10:00 p.m., I’m exhausted. The party ended on a high and Sean was more animated than ever. Luke stayed as long as he could to try to settle him, but by six, I was alone after he went to work and Paris went out for dinner with her friends. He finally fell asleep just after seven thirty at which point I collapsed onto the couch with vodka and Jolene’s file.
I pored over it for two hours. I’ve taken copious notes, but I don’t feel like I’ve gotten anywhere. I keep circling back to the old man who lived n
