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Luke paid for the pizza as Orly came down the stairs. “Let’s go to the kitchen,” he said. “I have cold drinks in the fridge.” Luke got a beer and Orly chose a bottle of sparkling water. He pulled out a couple of plates while Orly grabbed the napkins sitting on the counter.
“I can’t remember the last time I had pizza,” Orly said as they took their seats at the dining room table. She took her first bite and couldn’t help closing her eyes, savoring the flavors of cheese and sauce and veggies exploding in her mouth.
“Me either,” Luke said. “I generally try to eat healthy, but I figured we could make an exception today.”
Orly sighed. “Russell didn’t like pizza, so we never had it.”
Luke scowled. “Just because he didn’t like it doesn’t mean you couldn’t enjoy it.”
“That’s exactly what it meant. Especially after…” She took another bite of her pizza, not wanting to think about her life with Russell.
“Jerk,” Luke ground out.
Orly smiled. She loved how Luke always made her feel validated, even in the small things she used to brush off. Not wanting to think about Russell anymore, Orly changed the subject to the different places in and around Dallas she’d read about online, and the rest of the conversation flowed easily while they ate.
After dinner, they cleaned up the kitchen and moved to the family room. Orly didn’t even think about sitting apart from Luke and he instantly wrapped his arm around her, making sure she was comfortably nestled against him. He pulled a blanket over them and Orly nuzzled in as they watched a random movie on cable. She honestly didn’t even know what it was about because all she could think about was being snuggled into Luke, feeling his arm around her, his delicious scent wafting into her nostrils. The way he occasionally lowered his chin to rest on the top of her head, only to press a soft kiss into her hair. It was all so sweet and caring, it made her eyes mist.
Every so often, she glanced up at him and sometimes she’d catch him watching her when he didn’t think she was looking. The attraction between them was so strong, it was almost unreal. She’d never experienced anything like it before. Not even with Russell.
When the movie’s credits rolled, Orly was already yawning. Luke grinned as he turned off the television. “Bed time?” He asked.
“Yeah,” she said, covering her mouth with another yawn.
“Go on up. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He stood, helping her to her feet. “I’m just going to turn out the lights and lock up.”
Orly couldn’t believe how genuinely content she felt despite being exhausted, and it was all thanks to Luke. No one had ever gone out of their way to make her feel so safe and so cared for before, and definitely not in such a short amount of time. It was one thing when he’d been a voice in her head, offering her words of comfort. But dropping everything to get on a red eye, paying for her hotel nights, buying all her meals, driving for two days, bringing her home with him… These were not things people usually did for someone they barely knew. She’d sensed Luke was different, but in the last two days, he’d gone so far above and beyond for her, it was becoming impossible not to fall hard for the guy.
She went upstairs and brushed her teeth and hair, washed her face, and changed into pajama bottoms and a clean tank top. Looking through her bag, she’d need to do laundry soon, but that could wait another day or two. She’d left Russell with two suitcases and now just over three months later, all she had was a backpack. She’d had more stuff as a foster kid, but she shook her head, forcing herself not to relive the past. After everything she’d been through, maybe things were finally getting better. She was safe here with Luke. And they’d kissed. Afraid to even think about where this might lead, only because nothing in her life had ever worked out before, Orly smiled at the warmth that spread deep in her belly every time she thought about Luke’s lips on hers.
Somehow being with Luke gave her hope that just maybe, she could find a way to stop Russell, and have the life she’d always dreamed of. But if she wanted that life to be with Luke, she had to find a way to ensure his friends didn’t turn on her the way Russell had.
Chapter 12
Luke went through the house turning out all the lights before going upstairs for the night. He’d bought this house a few years back, loving the open floor plan and the big yard. From the moment he saw it, Luke knew it was the perfect place to raise a family, but then work got busy and he’d put that dream aside. Having Orly here was bringing it all back.
The guest room door was closed when Luke reached the top of the stairs. A part of him wanted to knock, but he decided against it and turned into his bedroom. She was probably getting ready for bed and trying to unwind for the night. As much as he loved spending time with Orly, he needed to give her space and time to adjust. She’d been through so much in such a short time, and the last thing he wanted to do was overwhelm her.
He showered and put on a pair of clean sweatpants and a fresh t-shirt. He usually slept in the nude, but with Orly here, he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. Then he climbed into bed and snatched his cell phone off the bedside table. There were several text messages on the group text from his friends he’d ignored over the last two days.
Caden: What’s going on? Since when do you not answer texts?
Tanner: Are you ghosting us?
Blake: Are we still on for Madigan’s?
Garrett: We should have a BBQ at my place soon. The fish are biting like crazy.
Martin: Madigan’s sounds good if I’m not working that night.
Luke sighed as he typed a quick response asking if they could all meet in the next day or two. He wanted to introduce Orly to his friends sooner rather than later because he believed they could help with her situation better than he could. As a Dallas Police Detective, there was only so much Luke could do for her. Caden and Blake were FBI Agents though, and could easily look into her ex in California. Garrett was a Texas Ranger, but he had contacts all over the country. Tanner and Martin might be as limited as he was, but they were good men and would do anything they could to help and protect someone Luke cared about. He knew that without a doubt.
The three dots next to Caden’s name indicated he was typing a reply when Orly’s voice drifted into Luke’s mind. Hi. She always sounded so sweet and tentative when she came into his mind.
Luke smiled at the soft intrusion. Hi yourself. Are you okay?
Yes. What are you doing?
Luke loved talking to her like this. It felt just like before, only now he knew she was safe right down the hall. And he honestly couldn’t be happier about that. I was just answering some text messages.
