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I slug him in the shoulder. “Don’t be an ass.” Then I lean up, kiss his cheek, and head for Luke’s Jeep. “Ready to go?”
Luke and Mikey exchange a look that leaves Luke glaring and Mikey laughing.
“Yeah, I’m coming,” Luke says, to which Mikey chortles.
Pain in the ass.
I climb into the passenger side of his Jeep, not saying anything. I don’t know what to say. He flops into his seat and puts the key in the ignition but doesn’t start it. He stares out the front window, not saying a word.
His hands are tightly gripping the steering wheel and I can’t help but look at them. His forearms have such beautiful muscle definition. Combined with the tattoos, he looks like a work of art.
Without thinking, I run my hand over his right arm. His head jolts to look at me.
“Today was fun,” I say quietly. And then, for some reason, I feel bold enough to say exactly what I’m thinking. “I don’t want it to end. I’ve got a package of wings in the fridge. Want to join me for dinner?”
He blinks a couple of times and then smiles. “That sounds perfect.”
We chat on and off during the fifteen-minute drive to my house. When he pulls in the driveway and I get a view of the gorgeous four bedroom, three bath log cabin style home, a chill rolls through me.
I only moved in a month ago and I still can’t believe it’s all mine. I never would’ve dreamed I’d be able to afford something like this. I remember when I came to look at it, I knew it was going to be mine. From the second I stepped foot in it, nowhere else has ever felt as much like home.
Luke comes around and opens my door for me, offering his hand to help me out. He is the perfect gentleman. Of course, it helps that Mama O’Brien raised her boys to be that way. Polite, gentlemanly, respectful. And none of it is for show. I remember Mikey hilariously recounting to me once what his mother told him about hooking up. “I don’t care how many girls you sleep with, but you don’t sleep with more than one at once, you don’t lead them on, you don’t lie to get them into bed, and you always treat them with respect. And eventually you stop that shit, get married, and give me a grandbaby or two.” God, I love Mama O so much.
I push open the front door and lead Luke inside. He’s been here plenty of times. He was with me when I first looked at it, as were Mikey and Trish, but he still looks around like it’s the first time he’s ever seen it. His face lights up. And I can’t deny that it makes my heart soar. I love that he loves this house. Somehow that makes it feel even more like home.
We made quick work of dinner, both preparing and eating it. I forgot how much faster things go with two people in the kitchen. He trimmed the wings while I made the sauce. While I was prepping the wings to go in the oven, he made a quick garlic spread and halved the loaf of Italian bread I had. Then, as the wings and bread cooked, I made a quick ranch dressing, and he prepped a tossed salad. It was a delicious meal made better by his company. The whole house feels warmer with him in it. He even loaded my dishwasher after I unloaded it, though he stopped a few times along the way, looking at me with uncertainty as he did. It made my stomach twist because I know that feeling all too well—the feeling that you could never do anything right.Emotional abuse at its finest.Tad put me through plenty of it. Everything was my responsibility or my fault because Tad didn’t want to take care of it.
He didn’t want to take care of the house. Didn’t want to take care of the kids. He sure as hell didn’t want to take care of me. Once, when I had a bad combination of laryngitis and bronchitis, he hired a nurse and a nanny for two weeks so he wouldn’t have to take care of me or the boys.
The fact that Luke even thought to load the dishwasher means something to me. I don’t care if he did itright.
I hoist myself onto the kitchen counter, watching as Luke takes a long draw off his beer. I usually keep his and Mikey’s favorites in the house, since they’re around a lot.
He glances around the kitchen. “This place is gorgeous. I’m a little bit jealous.”
I smile at that. “I know you love it here, and not just because I’m awesome.”
He chuckles. “That’s a nice bonus, but I do love this house.”
I swallow hard, staring at him. Heat pools between my legs and desire twists in my stomach. I want this man. No, I want so much more than that. I want his heart, his soul, his life. Those feelings overtake me, and I find myself saying, “That’s part of why I bought the house. The way your face lit up…”
He blinks a couple of times and sets his beer down, slowly crossing the kitchen to me. “What do you mean?” he asks, stopping just inches from me.
“I love this house. It feels like home. But the moment I knew for sure I was going to buy it, was when I watched you walk into the kitchen. You lit up. I could feel your warmth.” I reach out and gently place my hand on his chest, right above his heart. “I knew if I got to see that look on your face every time you walked in, I’d fall even more in love with it. And I have.” I look into his stunning amber eyes and smile. “When you’re here with me, it feels even more like home.”
He steps over to me, standing between my legs. He brings his big hands to my forearms, never dropping his eyes from mine. “Zoey…”
His forehead touches mine. My heart pounds. “Luke.”
In one swift motion, he grabs the back of my neck, moves in even closer, and shoves his mouth over mine. I push against him, pressing my body into his. I want him closer. I want to feel all of him. Our mouths slant together, tongues twisting and wrestling. He holds my neck tighter, keeping me close to him. Not that I ever want to move. I never want this to end. I’ve been waiting for this kiss for years, and it’s more than I ever dreamed it would be. It’s tender but passionate, filled with years of pent-up feelings combined with raw desire.
I wrap one arm around his back as the other slides up to his hair. I pull the hair tie free and slide it onto my wrist, then twirl my fingers through his soft, fine locks.
We kiss for hours.
Maybe.
Probably not. But it feels that way. I’m completely lost in him, in the heat of his body against mine, the feeling of his tongue in my mouth. I keep moving closer, trying to press my body even tighter to him. When there’s no more space between us, I find myself moaning into his mouth.
