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“Oh, thanks—thank you.” Then I let myself think a few naughty things about him, causing a blush to rise in my cheeks.
Mikey grumbles something in annoyance that we don’t seem to see how perfect we’d be. Trish elbows him in the ribs and waves as we walk out the door.
When we get to his Jeep, Luke leads me around the back and presses me against it, kissing me ravenously.
When he pulls away, he gently takes my elbow and leads me over to his passenger side door. He opens it, revealing a huge bouquet of yellow, purple, and deep red flowers. I’ve always loved warm, rich colors like those.
Tad would always bring me pale pink tea roses, saying they were elegant.
They were. But they weren’t me. This bouquet isexactlyme.
I turn to look at him with shimmery eyes. “These are perfect. Seriously, I love them.”
He kisses my forehead and grabs a bag from the center console.
He hands it to me and I notice the logo from a bakery in Ida, the next town over. They make the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever eaten. I open the bag and see a pile of them.
Butterflies whirl in my stomach as I look up at Luke. “Dessert.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He drops his lips to mine, then picks up the bouquet. Once he’s helped me into the truck and I’m buckled in, he hands me the cookies and the bouquet, then hustles around to the driver’s side.
He stares at me for a moment, then gives me another steamy kiss. We pull apart slowly, and he brushes his thumb over my bottom lip.
“I still wish I could’ve taken you out on a beautiful date first and spoiled you.”
I gently run my hand over his cheek. “We’ve got plenty of time for things like that. And just so you know, the little moments mean more to me than anything else. The cookies, the thought you put into the bouquet, you texting me all day, making me breakfast this morning, staying with me last night… all of that meant so much to me. That is all the wooing I need.”
He sighs softly. “I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be with someone who appreciates me, not what I can give them.”
“All I need you to give me is your heart. Your love.”
He smiles at me, full of love and happiness. “You’ve got it. Always.”
I lean into him and give him a hard kiss, quickly pulling away, every inch of me filling with raw, hot desire for him.
“Take me home.”
He doesn’t say anything, he just backs the car out of the driveway, keeping one hand on my thigh the whole time as my heart slams in excitement.
Chapter 4
Zoey
Thecarridehometook too long. Partly because I want to jump him. Mostly because it gave my brain time to think and ruin everything. And now I’m nervous.
I was never really nervous about having sex with Tad. It wasn’t frequent, long, or good. I knew it was a get in, get out, grab my vibrator and go downstairs once he was asleep, sort of a situation. But while sex was fast and there was generally no talking, there were plenty of moments in our daily lives where heremindedme of the size of my body. He’d critique what I was eating, ask why I needed new clothes and would sneer if I needed a bigger size, and occasionally mentioned how much I’d let myself go since college.
Now all I can think about is how no one has seen me naked in over a year. And no one besides Tad has seen me naked in about ten years. My stomach flips again. I try hard to be okay with my body, but some days it’s not easy. I’m “curvy,” but that means something different to everyone. What it means for me is that I carry my weight a little more in my stomach. I have a moderately sized butt. My waist isn’t slim. You won’t see my core muscles. I’m a size sixteen. And most of the time, I’m okay with that. But I have fat. And rolls. And… Luke is godly looking. He’s strong and svelte. I’m not saying he doesn’t have fat on his body because he does. His abs aren’t six-pack and I like that. He looks real. Not like a personal trainer Ken doll. But Tara was… tiny. She was thin and athletic. I know I shouldn’t care. I shouldn’t compare myself. But after struggling with accepting my own body for years and being made to feel like I shouldn’t be the size I am by Tad, it’s hard not to worry what Luke will think.
When we get back to the house, Luke opens my door and helps me out and we walk to the porch. As I get my keys out, I realize I’m moving slowly. All I can think about is the way my body might look. My proportions. My scars. All of it. Luke says he loves me. That should be enough. But what if he loves me less once he sees me naked?
Great. Insecurity. That’s super sexy. Guyslovegirls who feel uncomfortable in their bodies.
As soon as we’re in the door, Luke is kissing me ferociously. I admit, that takes my mind off things a bit. Or a lot. Because his lips and his tongue are all I can think about. We fumble to get our coats off and then make our way up the stairs, kissing as we go.
Heat pools between my legs. I want him. With everything inside of me, I want him, and I’m trying to push down all my negative thoughts.
