AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She watched as he unlocked the door, dropped his bag off on the bed, and came right back out. He slipped the keycard in the back pocket of his jeans that hugged every gorgeous curve of his ass, and plopped himself down on the curb.
“Did you want to grab a sweater or jacket to sit on?” He asked. “The ground feels a bit cold.”
Without answering, Orly ducked inside her room and snatched the only sweater she had, but instead of sitting on it, she slipped her arms through it and wrapped it tight around herself before coming back out. She didn’t have any pockets, so she held her keycard as she let the door quietly close behind her. She sat next to Luke, leaving at least two feet of space between them. It was silly really, since they’d just hugged, but Orly didn’t trust that she wouldn’t throw herself at him like she’d done a few minutes earlier. She hadn’t even realized how starved for affection and attention she’d been until Luke Harmon looked at her from across the parking lot. That man was seriously lethal in all the best ways.
Luke chuckled. “I won’t bite.”
She smiled, remembering the last paranormal romance novel she’d read about a woman falling in love with a vampire. “I heard only vampires are that good looking,” she teased.
Luke threw his head back with a laugh, then caught her gaze with the kind of smile that had the power to melt her insides. “And here I thought only models had your kind of beauty.”
Orly blushed and averted her eyes. “People are always telling me I should go into that line of work, but it’s not for me. I don’t like the cameras or being in the spotlight.”
Luke nodded. “Noted. I have to admit, I’m not much for that sort of thing either.”
Relief washed over her that Luke wasn’t going to be like Russell, who’d tried to convince her to go into modeling and acting early on in their relationship. It was then that Orly realized how unfair it was to Luke for her to keep comparing him to Russell. The two men were nothing alike, except for being in law enforcement. Even how they felt about their work varied greatly. For Russell, it was always about power and having the upper hand. But for as long as she’d known Luke, he’d always given her the impression that wearing a badge was about protecting and honoring the people he served. The jobs might be similar, but the men and their intentions couldn’t be more different. Orly settled more comfortably on the curb, letting a little of her guard down. “Did you have a good flight? When I told you where I was, I didn’t think you’d drop everything and come so fast. You really didn’t have to do that.”
Luke’s pupils darkened just enough to make her breath catch. “Yes, I did. And sitting here with you now, I’m glad I came.”
Orly looked away, not wanting him to see how affected she was by his words. She’d been so desperate she’d actually done the one thing she swore to herself she’d never do. She’d turned to someone else for help, and not just anyone, but another man in law enforcement.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Luke said, reaching for her hand. His warm fingers closed around her much cooler ones, just as her gaze met his and she was suddenly drowning in the pools of his blue eyes. She’d been careful to guard her mind around him since he arrived, so Orly was sure he had no idea what she was thinking. But in that moment, it felt like time had stopped, and the entire world consisted of just Luke and her. It had been months since she’d had even a single moment of true peace, and now, being here with Luke, she wished time really would stop, so she could stay in this daze with him forever. “You’re worried you made the wrong decision,” he said, interrupting her thoughts. “That telling me where you are could turn out to be the biggest mistake of your life.” Before Orly could say anything, he continued. “Long before I ever got on that plane, I made the decision to do whatever I could to protect you, no matter what you’ve done or haven’t done. Being here with you now, I’m even more determined to do that. But more than that, I want to prove to you that trusting me was not only not a mistake, but the best decision you ever made.”
Orly did her best to hide a smile. “And how do you plan to do that?” She asked, not wanting to let on that she already trusted him. That she had trusted him for a long time now. It was herself she was having trouble trusting. Because Luke was the kind of man Orly could easily fall for and that was the last thing she needed right now.
Luke sighed. “Well, since neither one of us seems to be going to bed right now, how about I start by getting us some breakfast?”
At the thought of food, Orly’s stomach growled obnoxiously, giving away how hungry she really was. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten a real meal, but asking Luke to foot the bill somehow felt wrong.
“My treat,” he said. “And before you say anything, I’m insisting because I’m starving and your stomach just told me that you are too. So, you can’t deny it.” He cracked a smile, but his pupils were still dilated as they met her gaze, almost daring her to say no.
He was right. Orly couldn’t deny it and not just because she was incredibly hungry. Taking Luke up on his offer meant spending more time with him and she wanted that very much. “Okay. Can you give me like ten minutes to shower and change?”
Luke gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Take your time. I’ll shower and change, too. Then we’ll meet out here.” He helped her up, then released her hand once she was on her feet. They still seemed to be in some sort of weird trance, their bodies acting like magnets that never wanted to move away from each other. “I’ll be right here,” he assured her.
Orly swallowed because it felt like he wasn’t just talking about the here and now. She turned to go back to her room, but when she looked back, Luke was still standing right where she’d left him. He offered her a smile and an approving nod that sent delicious tingles all the way down to her toes.
Luke Harmon was incredibly handsome and had an amazing body with muscles for days, but more than that, he was really here. For her. She closed her door as a new feeling settled deep inside that had been missing ever since before leaving California.
For the first time in a long time, maybe ever, she finally had someone in her corner.
***
Luke felt like his every nerve ending was a live wire. The entire time he’d sat out there talking to Orly, his heart was a beating drum in his chest, as if he was a schoolboy finally getting to talk to his longtime crush. It was ridiculous and intoxicating, and it made him take the fastest shower of his life. He was dressed and ready to go in minutes, and was standing outside Orly’s motel room door when she reappeared. Her hair was pulled back in a low loose ponytail, and she wore a long sleeve t-shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers. It was a simple outfit, but he swore the woman could wear a potato sack and still make his heart rate skyrocket. She also had a backpack slung over one shoulder and he got the feeling it held all of her worldly possessions. He considered offering to carry it for her, but had a feeling she wouldn’t part with it easily.
Hating that her life had come to this, he knew he’d be taking her shopping as soon as she allowed him to. He wanted to rage about the man who’d put her in this position, but Luke decided he’d rather spend his energy on spoiling Orly. Showing her just how deserving and wonderful she really was. They’d gotten to know each other pretty well over the course of the three months, but he suspected it was only the tip of the iceberg.
He craved to know everything about her and couldn’t wait to spend more time with her. It was taking everything in Luke not to throw her in his rental car and drive her back to Texas where he could lock her away in his house and never let anyone or anything touch her again. But he couldn’t do that yet. First, they would have breakfast and talk, then he’d invite her to come back to Dallas with him and hope she said yes.
He opened the passenger front door for her and waited as she got in, arranging her bag at her feet. He closed her door and went around the car to get in on the driver's side. “There’s a place called Scrambled not too far from here that has a lot of good reviews online,” he said as he put on his seatbelt. He’d looked up breakfast places on his phone while sitting at the airport in Dallas waiting for his flight. While he didn’t like the idea of her being out in public with that APB out on her, they both needed to eat, and she’d already managed to go unnoticed for three months. It was likely the glasses, which in his opinion made her look like the sexiest librarian he’d ever seen. The thought of her standing naked in front of him, wearing nothing but those glasses, popped into his mind, but he quickly pushed it aside.
“Eggs sound good,” she said, a soft smile curving her full, pink lips. Her brown eyes sparkled in the light of a new day as she turned her head to meet his gaze, and Luke froze, his breath caught somewhere between his chest and his throat. There was something about that moment that took him back to all those times she’d smiled and laughed in his mind. How he’d wished to actually hear her laugh and see her sweet smile. He often tried to imagine if it went to her eyes or created cute dimples in her cheeks. But what he saw in that moment far surpassed anything he could’ve ever imagined. Orly was beautiful, but that small spark of joy transformed her into the most stunning woman he’d ever known.
Clearing his throat, more in an effort to mentally shake himself out of the spell she seemed to have him under, he keyed the ignition and pulled out of the spot. “Thank you so much for coming,” she said on a sigh. “I really didn’t want to drag you into my mess, but I didn’t know what to do anymore.”
Luke inwardly cringed at how long she’d waited before finally letting him help her. He wanted to reassure her that she’d never be desperate or alone again. He also wanted to scold her for being too stubborn to ask for help when she clearly needed it. But instead, he simply said, “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be and I’m the one who should be thanking you for trusting me enough to tell me where you are.” He was all too aware of how precious that trust was and Luke was determined not to screw it up. He drove them to the restaurant. After getting seated and ordering their food, they sat staring at each other in slight bewilderment for a brief moment.
Luke spoke first. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to stare. I just can’t believe it - it’s you.” Even after they’d spent a short time talking in front of their motel rooms, it still felt like they were on a blind date, only this was so much more. This woman had become such an integral part of his life. There were times he didn’t know where her mind ended and his began, and he both loved and feared that level of closeness, having never had it with anyone else. “I know it must be awkward since you don’t meet the people you help.” He hadn’t forgotten her telling him that, which only served to make this meeting even more special.
