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“I come here because this is my safe place, my sanctuary. The outside world can’t touch me when I’m at the lake.” I melt into Luca’s embrace when he starts rubbing circles against my back. “I started coming here shortly after my mom married my stepfather.”
Luca’s body locks up at the mention of my stepfather. Everyone in Salem knows about my past and the dead cop who was once my stepfather. Though I can feel Luca tense beneath me, I keep going.
“They fought all the time. Well, mostly it was my stepdad yelling and my mom putting up with it. Anyway, I learned early on to stay out of the way whenever he came home in a mood, so instead of hanging around and listening to hours of him berating my mother for whatever got on his nerves that day, I would sneak out and go to my grandmother’s. That’s when she started bringing me here. She called it her special place. Then it became something special we shared.”
“What happened to you after your mom went to prison?”
I close my eyes, remembering the magnitude of pain that year brought.
“I went to live with my grandmother after Mom was arrested. Grandma died four months after Mom was sentenced. After that, I was sent to live with my aunt, my father’s sister. My father passed away before I was born. He and my mom hadn’t been dating long when she found out she was pregnant. He lived two hours away, and one night, after working the graveyard shift, he decided to drive to Salem and surprise my mom for her birthday. He fell asleep at the wheel, hit a guardrail, and flipped his truck several times. He died at the scene.”
Luca squeezes the back of my neck. “Fuck. I’m sorry, baby.”
I continue. “Dad’s sister blamed my mom for his death. She said if Dad hadn’t been going to see her, he’d never have fallen asleep while driving.”
Sitting up, I look at Luca. “With no other family, there was no choice but to go live with my aunt. I was sixteen.”
“That bitch hurt you?” Luca’s eyes flash.
I shake my head. “Not physically. Just with her words. She liked to remind me daily that my mom was a murderer, that she killed my stepfather just like she killed my dad.”
“You know that shit’s fucked up, don’t you?”
“Yes. I never took what my aunt said to heart. I know my mother, and she’s not the horrible person my aunt and everyone else in this town make her out to be.”
Luca takes my face between the palms of his hands. “No, baby, she’s not.”
“I was scared to introduce you to my mom at first,” I confess. “Even Sage and Juniper have never met her.”
“Why is that?” he asks.
“I…I want to protect my mom. She’s not the same person she was before prison. She never leaves the house for fear of the bullying she will face if she does. I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by bringing anyone home. I didn’t want her to have to witness anyone’s judgment.”
“I’d never do that to your mom, Sukie.”
“I know,” I rush to say. “And I know Sage and Juniper wouldn’t either. It’s just… we’ve lived like this for so long. Always keeping our guard up. It’s not an easy habit to let go of.”
“I’ve done some shit in my life—shit that would probably have you looking at me through different lenses if you knew. That puts me in no position to judge.”
Luca studies me for a beat. “I’ve seen your mom’s file.”
I suck in a sharp breath at his confession. “What?”
“Met your mom and been around her enough to know she’s no killer.”
“Luca,” I whisper, my breath getting caught in my throat. “Please… don’t.” I shake my head as the memories of that night start to seep into my brain, making my body tremble.
“Sukie. Baby, look at me.” Luca grips my chin and waits until I meet his gaze before speaking again. “No judgment, babe. From me or the club. And I promise you, you and your mom never have to put up with the bullshit that you had to in the past from the cowardly pieces of shit in this town,” he vows.
I don’t know how long Luca and I sit at the lake with me in his arms, my head on his chest, the sun kissing my skin, and the sound of birds chirping in the trees. All I know is I could stay here forever, just like this.
“This is nice,” I murmur, kissing Luca’s neck.
His large hands skate down my sides before cupping my butt. I let out a soft moan as the heat builds between my thighs. With only the thin layer of my panties between us, the outline of Luca’s hard cock presses against my center. Unable to help myself, I rock back and forth, seeking friction. A growl rumbles deep within Luca’s chest. As my need for him grows, so does the wetness between my legs.
“Luca,” I gasp.
“What do you want, baby?” Luca slips his hand between us and drags a finger over my damp panties. He lets out a hiss when he feels how desperate my need is.
