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I giggle, and he grunts in surprise as I pull his neck down to kiss him again. His hesitance lasts a millisecond before he wraps me up in his arms and kisses me back. His hard length presses against me and he lets out a soft groan before pulling back and putting a little distance between us. “Jesus,” he mutters and I smile, meeting his eyes.
“We should head back,” he says. He runs his hand through his hair before stepping away.
He wraps his arm around my shoulders, tucking me into his side as we make our way to our shoes. We walk back towards the hotel and I shiver again. He tucks me in closer and rubs my arm up and down. I don’t tell him I’m not shivering because of the cold. My body is still buzzing with excited energy. I can’t wait to kiss him again. I’ve experienced nothing like it.
We arrive at the hotel and sit on a bench. He kneels in front of me and brushes the sand off my feet and helps me put my heels back on. Taking the seat next to me, he gets his shoes on and then looks out towards the ocean for a second. He fiddles with his watch and runs a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. Dread forms in my gut.
He smirks and shakes his head. “Nothing. I’m just trying not to freak out.” I smile as I slip my hand in his, and he rubs his thumb over mine. He stares at our joined hands as he speaks. “I didn’t expect you, Liv. I never allowed myself to hope that I would find someone like you. And then one day you appear in an alleyway. This kind of stuff doesn’t happen to me.”
I frown as I try to interpret what he’s saying. “This kind of stuff happens all the time to everyone. Why not you?”
He shrugs. “The universe hasn’t always been kind to me.”
I see an ocean of pain flash in his eyes and I tighten my grip on his hand. I can’t imagine losing both parents so young. And then to be forced to step into your dad’s role and take care of your baby sister and a billion dollar company. The weight he must carry would cripple me.
“Well, if the universe doesn’t start being nicer to you, I’ll kick its ass. Nobody messes with the people I care about.”
He laughs, and the sound warms my heart. “I guess there’s nothing for me to worry about then.” Our gaze locks and he leans closer. “I care about you, too. Very much.”
His lips press to mine and my body hums as the kiss turns heated and his fingers slide into my hair, but harsh voices bring our attention to the pathway about twenty feet away. Luke tenses in an instant and stands, stepping in between me and the noise. I rise to my feet and peek around him to find Mark in a man’s face as they exchange words.
“Luke! It’s been a while,” the stranger calls over Mark’s shoulder.
He’s tall with greasy shoulder-length blonde hair. He stands with his hands in his pockets and smiles at us as he ignores Mark. Something about him makes my hackles rise.
Luke only tenses further. “What do you want, Scotty?” He grips my hand and steps forward, pulling me behind him as he squares his shoulders. My body tenses and I go on full alert, ready for anything.
“Aww come on, is that anyway to greet an old friend?” Scotty pulls his hands out of his pockets and spreads them wide like he wants a hug.
“We’re not friends. What do you want?” Luke says, his tone clipped.
Scotty sighs and pushes his hair behind his ear. He pulls out a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and taps the carton against his hand. After he lights one up, he takes a drag. He exhales a long breath; the smoke flowing out of his nostrils and into Mark’s face. Mark waves his hand around and backs up a step, keeping himself between us and Scotty.
The man’s lifeless eyes move to mine, and a cold tingle runs up my spine.
“Damn Luke. She’s gorgeous,” he says.
He flicks the ash off his cigarette and takes another drag. His gaze moves down my body and trails up to my face. I step closer to Luke on instinct. He moves in front of me, blocking Scotty’s view.
“Aww ain’t that cute. Any chance you want to tell me your name, gorgeous girl?”
“Fuck off, Scotty,” Luke growls.
Scotty chuckles without humor. “Still pissed off about Vegas? Come on, man, that was a decade ago.”
Luke doesn’t respond.
Scotty sighs. “So what am I supposed to call you gorgeous? How about Little Peach? I bet you’re sweet.”
“You have three seconds to state your business before things get real,” Mark says.
Scotty laughs and rolls his eyes. “Always so fucking dramatic.” He finishes his cigarette and tosses it into the sand nearby. “Calm down Brutus. I’m not here for your master.” I can’t fathom how Scotty can talk to Mark with such disrespect. He must be insane. I’d be pissing myself if Mark looked at me like that.
Scotty turns to Luke and the cruel smile makes me tense. “I just wanted to introduce myself to your new girlfriend since we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”
Luke drops my hand and stalks towards him. He gets in his face and Scotty has the good sense to take a step back. “You get anywhere near her, I’ll fucking ruin you. For good this time.”
