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“You’d send me away?” She asked quietly, a slight tremble to her voice.
“To protect you, Orly. A man like that…” Luke rubbed a hand down his face. “I would never put you in harm’s way. And letting you stay so close to a potential killer who you could point out wouldn’t be safe for you. Especially if he knew about you and your ability.”
“It’s not like a psychic’s word is even admissible in court,” she huffed out.
“Maybe not. But if that was all the protection you needed, Russell wouldn’t be hunting you down. You must’ve seen something or he thinks you saw something that could point back to him.”
Orly sat quietly for a moment, then sighed. “I’ve gone over it in my head again and again. I have no idea what he thinks I saw. I only saw what that poor woman did and she just had her eyes fixed on the barrel of that gun he was pointing at her.”
“What happened when they found the body?” Luke asked.
“They never did. At least I never saw or heard anything about them finding her on the news. I only hear the living, Luke. I can’t track the dead.” Her voice cracked and Luke cursed under his breath, knowing he’d pushed her too far.
“Easy. We’ll figure this out. One day at a time. Let’s get some rest and then tomorrow we can talk more about our next steps.” Luke had a few ideas about what he wanted to do, like call Caden, and hopefully make this a federal case, since Luke did not have jurisdiction in California. He had a feeling it would take some convincing on his part, but after Caden and his friends met Orly, and learned about her ability, there was no way they’d deny her their protection.
“I really appreciate everything you’re doing for me, but you don’t have to take care of me, Luke. I know you want to help me, but once we figure this thing out with Russell, I’m not like your babysitting responsibility. I know you think you owe me, but you really don’t owe me anything.”
Every word out of her mouth in that moment felt like a dagger to his heart. “Is that what you think you are to me? Some job?” He was so wrapped up in this slip of a woman who’d ventured into his mind and captured his heart, he wasn’t even sure he could find a way to live without her at this point. And she thought of herself as a job to him?
Her head snapped up at the tone of his voice. “No. I didn’t mean that, I just…”
“Good. Because you’re not. I’m not here because I want to protect you.” Luke rushed the words, needing to get them out before he said too much. “I mean I’ll kill anyone who tries to hurt you, but I’m here because I want to be here. With. You.” He enunciated those last two words for effect.
Orly bit her bottom lip and fidgeted with a loose thread on the sleeve of his shirt. “Luke, what we have - had - I mean before, when we were talking in our heads… It was fun and easy. But what you’re saying, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”
It was taking everything in him not to glare at her now, because he was quickly losing patience with how little she obviously thought of herself. “Educate me.”
“I’m not easy to be around.”
“Really? Because I find you rather endearing and sweet. Today would’ve been a long day from hell if you weren’t there singing to the radio, laughing at my stupid jokes, and just generally being yourself. What we shared in our heads wasn’t just fun, Orly. We shared parts of ourselves. And that’s not something you can just brush off, no matter how hard you try.”
She swallowed and stared at him with the same intensity he was looking at her with. “Okay. Well, I also hear stranger’s voices in my head and I have a crazy ex who probably wants me dead.” When he didn’t respond, she sighed, as though she’d finally made her point. As if Luke didn’t already know all this. “I’m not the person you want to bring into your circle of friends or attempt to share your life with. I’m - I’m a mess, Luke.” Her words got softer and were filled with more pain, until his name came out as barely a whisper.
Luke hated what he was hearing, but if she needed to purge, he was happy to be the one she shared all that ugliness with. “Want to know what I think?” He asked when she got quiet. “I think you’re the strongest, bravest, kindest person I know, who happens to be the victim of domestic violence. And I’m going to put a stop to that.”
She shook her head. “You can’t. Russell will take down anyone who gets in his way and I don’t want that for you. Trust me, you don’t want this.” She whispered. “You don’t want me.”
Luke was done listening to this bullshit. He’d never wanted anything in his life as much as he wanted her. He was going to wait to do this, but not anymore. Without warning, Luke placed a hand at the nape of her neck and sealed his lips to hers. His mouth covered hers, his tongue flicking out to swipe at her lower lip until she opened for him on a gasp and he surged in. Their tongues danced and she moaned into his mouth, urging him to plunge deeper. Her taste was intoxicating, sweetness mixed with the minty taste of toothpaste. His balls tightened almost painfully as his cock pressed against the seam of his sweatpants, begging for more. She was so damn sexy, he could devour her right now.
After several moments, he slowly pulled back. They were both breathing heavily. She had a dazed and glimmering look in her eyes that only made him want to kiss her all over again. “Tell me again how I don’t want you. Unless you’re the one who doesn’t want me and if that’s the case, then I need you to be very clear on that and I will make sure nothing like this ever happens again.” His voice was rough even as he tried to gentle his tone. He just couldn’t hide his raw feelings for this woman any longer.
Orly stared at him with disbelief and desire. Pure desire. She licked her lips, not taking her eyes off him. “I never said I didn’t want you. You’re all I’ve thought about. You were my lifeline. The only thing keeping me sane, keeping me alive. Just the thought of seeing you, meeting you one day, was all I needed to keep going, to not give in and just go back to Russell. There were so many days before I met you I just wanted to end it all, but then you came into my life and I had someone in my corner. I want you, Luke. I just don’t want to bring you into the hellhole that’s my life.”
“Fuck that,” Luke growled, taking her head in his hands and putting his mouth on hers again. This time the kiss was deeper, sweeter, longer, and it made him ache for her in every muscle of his body. “I’m yours,” he ground out, his mouth so close to her face, he felt her breaths mingling with his. “I wasn’t going to act on this yet. I wanted to give you time, but you have to know this, Orly. I’ve been yours from the moment your voice came into my head in that damn warehouse. And there’s not a thing you can say or some monster can do to change my mind.”
Orly smiled weakly and pressed her mouth to his. He let her take control, opening for her, giving her full access to anything she wanted to take. A low groan of pleasure escaped from the back of his throat. He put an arm to her back as she arched into him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he loved the feel of her breasts pressing up against his chest as her fingers tangled in his hair. Even though they were both fully dressed, he still felt her pebbled nipples through the thin material of her shirt. His hand went to cup her breast and let out a soft sigh. It took all his self-control not to lay her out and have his way with her right then and there.
A few delicious moments later, she broke off the kiss and rested her head on his shoulder, nuzzling her face into the side of his neck. “Luke,” she whispered. “I want you to stay here with me tonight. I mean here in the bed with me. Just to sleep.”
He was still breathing heavily, his cock painfully engorged, when he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll do whatever you want.” He lowered them on the bed until his head rested on the pillow and she was tucked into the crook of his arm, her head resting on his shoulder. Then he pulled the covers over them and turned out the light.
“Thank you for coming,” Orly said. “For talking to me all those days when I had no one. For wanting me in your life and making me feel safe and wanted.”
Luke closed his eyes, overcome with emotion by her words, as they seeped into him while he held her close. If she only knew how much he wanted her and cared about her. How thankful he was to have her in his life. But the last thing he wanted to do was scare her with all his big feelings. She needed a safe place, someone she could lean on and rely on, and he was going to be that person, no matter what. “You’re more than welcome. Now, sleep. I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.”
***
Orly wasn’t sure how long she lay awake. Kissing Luke had been like a dream come true, but now in the dark, her mind kept going back to Russell and everything she’d done and seen and heard.
