by Levine, Nina
“How long have you been dating?”
“Only a few weeks.”
She shrugs. “Well, I never did believe time meant very much when love was involved. I knew within a week that I was going to marry my husband. Six months later, we were married, and we enjoyed sixty-one years of marriage. It wasn’t always easy, but nothing worth having is, my dear.”
I pause and process what she’s just said. Nothing worth having comes easy. It’s such a throwaway line these days, but it’s probably one of the most important notions in life. Our society is so caught up in the fast, the easy, and the immediate. There’s a sense of entitlement among so many that I don’t subscribe to. I’ve never shied away from hard work, but it’s always good to be reminded that working towards something you want takes effort.
I reach for her hand. “Thank you for telling me that. What we have is good, but you’re right. We’re going to have to work hard for it. And it’s going to be so worth it.”
On the way to Luke’s bar, I mentally resolve to be more patient with our relationship. I’ll play whatever game he wants to play while we count down the days until we can be together.
The minute I enter Elixir, Luke’s eyes meet mine, and I shiver at what I see there. I might not be close to him yet, but I can read desire when I see it. As I move closer, my core clenches as I see how intensely he’s watching me.
Oh, God, why are you letting me down now?
I was psyched to play along, but this is too much.
He comes out from behind the bar and grips my hand. Hard. Without a word, he drags me into his office. His body is as tense as I’ve ever seen it, and I wonder what he’s going to tell me. He’s worked up about something.
“Luke, wha—”
He cuts me off when he closes the door and pushes me up against the back of it. His hungry eyes search mine for only a split second before his mouth descends on mine. Then he forces my lips apart to take possession. And when Luke Hardy takes possession, I know there’s no coming back from it. If I thought he’d already staked his claim, I was wrong. This kiss screams his ownership in ways he’s never announced it.
His hands are in my hair.
His body is pressed hard against mine.
His growl of dominance fills the room.
When he finally ends the kiss, I’m panting.
“It’s over, baby. And you’re mine now,” he rasps.
I blink, unsure what this all means. “What?”
He takes hold of my face with both hands and kisses me again. I lose myself to his kiss, helpless to stop him. He tastes so damn good, and I never want this kiss to end.
“The cops don’t need me anymore. Turns out someone else committed that murder, so I’m free. The divorce will go through in about ten months or so,” he announces when he takes a break from my lips.
A steady buzz of joy floats through my body. I slip my arms around his waist, needing to touch him more desperately than I’ve ever needed to touch anyone. “So that means we can be together,” I say softly.
His eyes flash with lust, and he grinds against me. “That depends on where you stand on this phase of a marriage. It’s definitely over, and my lawyer has been to see Jolene today to tell her. Does that mean we can progress past friend zone?”
Jesus, how can anyone say no to Luke Hardy? If I thought he was irresistible before, he’s just upped his game.
I loop my arms around his neck and catch his lips in a kiss. We drown in this kiss, and I silently give him my answer. Now that he’s told his wife it’s over for sure, and his divorce is proceeding, I’m 100 percent all for this. No doubts linger. “Consider friend zone dead and buried. I’m ready for you to show me how you really play. Introduce me to your new game, Luke,” I say after I end the kiss.
He exhales a breath as if he’d been holding it in, unsure how I’d respond. “Thank fuck,” he says, and my belly flutters at his obvious need.
A loud knock on the office door interrupts us. “Luke? We kinda need you, dude. It’s getting real busy out here,” Avery says on the other side.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” he says.
“Sorry, Callie,” she says.
“All good, babe,” I reply.
Luke’s gaze settles on mine. “Tomorrow night you’re mine,” he orders. “Unless I can make shit happen tomorrow morning.”
I don’t want to wait that long, but we’re up against his work and family commitments here, so I know I’m going to have to wait.
“I’ll clear my schedule for you tomorrow.”
His hands slide under my ass, and he lifts me up, balancing me against the door. After he kisses me again, he says, “I’d appreciate that.” God, I love that deep voice of his.
I leave the bar ten minutes later and commence the countdown to sex with Luke.
Sex.
Finally.
Oh, God, I need to prepare for this.
Thank goodness I have the whole night ahead.
18
Callie
I smooth a mask over my face later that night. The bottle assured me it would help clear my pores, and I need those pores cleared. I’m beginning to feel a little anxious. Since I arrived home from the bar, I’ve had problem after problem get in the way of my primping for tomorrow. I need everything to be perfect for when Luke and I finally sleep together again.
First, Jasper was ill, so I had to take care of him. Then after I got him sorted, Mrs Harper’s sink blocked, so I took care of that for her. And then, my car alarm sounded. When I went to check on it, one of my neighbours engaged me in a conversation about neighbourhood security that lasted a good half hour. I’ve only just managed to extricate myself.
As soon as I returned from that conversation, I dyed my hair. It’s currently wrapped in cling wrap, sitting on top of my head. And the black pore mask I applied is beginning to set on my face. Next up, a bikini wax. And then my legs need to be waxed, too. After that I’ll do a pedicure and then a manicure. To finish off, I’m going to take a long bath and exfoliate my entire body before slathering on body lotion.
I decide wine is in order while I wait for my mask and hair, so I traipse to the fridge and retrieve the Riesling I bought on the way home. I’ve just poured myself a glass when there’s a knock on the front door. I ignore it because I’m dressed only in my sexy red silk robe that barely covers my ass. I love this robe so much that I’ve got the heating cranked up just so I can wear it. Tonight is all about me feeling sexy, and this robe does that. Winter won’t stop me from feeling sexy.
The banging doesn’t stop—it only grows louder until Luke calls out, “Callie.”
I freeze.
Shit.
Oh, God, no.
No, no, no.
He can’t be here tonight. Not when I look like this.
I peer in the kitchen window to see my reflection in the glass.
He bangs on the door again.
My face is black, and my hair is an ungodly mess.
My phone rings.
Oh, hell.
Shit.
Mothereffer.
I swipe my phone off the counter. “Luke, what’s up?” I attempt to sound normal, but even I don’t recognise the voice that squeaks out of my mouth. It screams guilt.
“Why aren’t you letting me in?”
“Oh… Are you at my place? Sorry, I’m not home.”
He’s silent for a moment. “Callie, I can see your car from where I’m standing. I know you’re home.”
Fuck, fuckity, fuck.
Double fuck.
You have let me down big time, God. You owe me now, buddy.
“Ummm…” I’m lost for words.
“Callie, what’s going on?” He’s beginning to sound frustrated with me.
“Can you go away and come back tomorrow?” God, I’m turning down sex here, I just know it.
“I’m not leaving. And you need to tell me what’s wrong.”
I just want good sex, God.
That’s al
l.
Is that too much for a girl to ask?
Sex with a perfectly waxed bikini line. Sex with waxed legs. Sex with beautiful blonde hair. Sex without a black, freaking mask stretched across my face making me look like God-knows-what.
I sigh. “Hang on.”
I yank the door open and stare at him. His eyes flick to my hair before landing on my face, and then travelling the length of me. He seems to get stuck on my legs. Well, pretty much every inch of my legs is on display in my short, sexy robe. At least I’m not wearing my old panties or a shirt riddled with holes. There is that. There is only that.
“See why I wanted you to go away,” I say while waiting for his gaze to return to mine.
He doesn’t lift his eyes. Just continues giving his full attention to my legs. I have no issue with this, because the longer he stares at them, the less time he gives my face and hair. “I’m looking at a pretty fucking good reason not to leave,” he says, low and deep. Husky as hell.
“Well, maybe we could strike a deal,” I suggest.
His eyes find mine again. “And what would that be?”
When his gaze begins to wander up, I click my fingers. “Eyes on my legs. The deal is you can come in if you just keep looking at them until I fix my face and hair. Yeah?”
Amusement crosses his face, and his lips twitch. “No deal, baby. If you think I can wait for all that to happen, you’re dreaming.”
He enters my apartment and closes the door behind him. When his hand reaches for the sash on my robe, I quickly snap my hand over his, halting his progress. “No!”
His eyes narrow. “Why?”
“Because I’m not ready for you, Luke.”
“Baby, you were born ready for me. You were fucking made ready for me.” While he’s killing me with words, he somehow manages to wrangle my hand from his, and he undoes my robe.
His gaze shifts to my breasts and lust hits me in my core. When his hands glide over my shoulders to shrug my robe off, my skin burns with need. And when he backs me up against the wall and lifts me, I wrap my legs around him and let go of any worry I have that I’m not ready for him.
To hell with it, Luke will just have to take me as I come.
“Fuck, you’re beautiful, Callie,” he rasps as he bends his face to my breast.
He sucks my nipple into his mouth, and I claw at his back, grasping his shirt with both hands. He’s wearing one of those cottony shirts that drive me wild. I only vaguely realise this because his mouth is very distracting and I’m fairly sure my brain is about to stop functioning.
After treating both my breasts to his mouth, he begins kissing a trail up my chest to my collarbone and then to my neck.
I don’t want him to stop, but if he keeps going, he’s going to begin kissing my mask. “Luke,” I whisper.
He doesn’t stop kissing my neck, so I shift my hands to his chest and attempt to get his attention by pushing against him.
Eventually, he looks at me, his eyes glazed. “What?”
I take hold of his face. His beautiful, beautiful face. “Baby, can I at least take my mask off and rinse my hair before we do this?”
His eyes remain glued to mine. “I’ve waited this long to have you, Callie. I don’t want to let you go.”
“I know, and I don’t want you to either, but—”
He cuts me off when he holds me tight, swings around and walks towards the bathroom.
I cling to him. “Umm, what are we doing?”
“We’re going to rinse your hair and wash your face.” The determination on his face is intense. Luke is a man on a mission.
I’m not sure what he means by “we”, but I don’t question him. I’m just happy that he listened to me.
When we hit the bathroom, he puts me down and lifts his shirt over his head. When he reaches for his belt, I know where he’s going with this, and I have to admit I love the idea.
While he strips, I tear my eyes away for a minute to turn the taps on. When I look back, he’s naked and tracking my every movement. He steps around me so he can enter the shower first. Once he’s tested the water is warm enough, he reaches for me, and before I know it, our bodies are pressed hard against each other while water streams over us.
He bends to kiss me, and I try to avoid it because the damn mask is still on my face. “Shhh,” he says before claiming my mouth, and I finally throw caution to the wind. Who am I to argue if he wants to kiss me even if I have an ugly black mask on my face, sucking the sexy out of me?
His kiss practically sweeps me off my feet. It’s long and delicious and searching and anything but demanding. This kiss is different to every other kiss we’ve shared. It’s as if Luke is making a statement—I’m his now, and he has all the time in the world to explore me.
By the time his lips leave mine, my arms are completely wrapped around him, and I’m not ready to let him go. He smiles. “You want me to clean the mask off?”
I nod. “You’re going to have to because I’m not letting you go.”
“You might have to loosen your hold a little,” he says as he reaches for the washcloth.
I pout, but I give him an inch.
He lifts the cloth to my face and presses lightly, trying to remove the mask. I try not to laugh, and his eyes narrow. “Why are you laughing?”
“I’m not,” I argue.
“You are, on the inside,” he says, still not pressing the cloth hard enough.
I place my hand over his and apply some pressure. “You need to press harder.”
He nods and removes my mask. His expression is full of care as he completes his task and my heart swells. This moment is nothing like I imagined. Instead of the horror I felt at the thought of him seeing me in this state, I now feel cherished. In this moment, Luke has shown me more care than any guy I’ve ever been with.
After he finishes, he eyes my hair. “Turn around and I’ll rinse the dye out.”
“Mmmm, I like it when bossy Luke comes out to play,” I say as I turn around.
I expect him to remove the cling wrap from my hair. Instead, his arm circles my waist, and he pulls me back so our bodies press together. Pressing his erection against me, he growls into my ear, “Do you really think you’ve already met bossy Luke?”
I shudder.
Oh, God, I need bossy Luke in my life.
Before I can reply, he reaches up and takes the cling wrap off my hair. He then slides a hand over my shoulder and down my front to rest against my chest. His other hand glides along my collarbone to grip my throat. He then moves it up my neck so he can tilt my head back into the water.
“Close your eyes,” he orders.
I do as I’m told and he proceeds to wash the dye from my hair. I never thought the act of hair washing could be so sensual, but Luke creates his own sexual art. His hand resting against my chest slides down to cup my breast, and he massages me the whole time he rinses my hair. Every now and then, he circles his hips and grinds his erection against me. And with my head resting against his shoulder, he takes the opportunity to kiss my neck as often as he can.
I decide to dye my hair every week. At least once a week, if not more. And I’ll invite Luke over to wash it out. The man has skills.
When he’s finished, he spins me around. His hands cup my face, and he kisses me as if he can’t get enough from me. I feel the same way.
“You need to condition my hair now,” I say after his lips leave mine.
“Would that be before or after I spend some time on your body?” He’s asking this question as if there’s even a choice.
I grip his biceps to steady myself because at the rate he’s going, my legs may give way. “I’ll let you decide.”
His hands move down to hold my throat. His thumbs circle the skin where they meet in the middle. I listen as his breaths come faster, matching mine.
Time stretches out; a long, desperate moment where two people begin to shed their skin and come together.
Finally.
Completely.
Absolutely.
His eyes hold mine for that moment until eventually he looks down to watch as he traces both my breasts. His gaze then trails his hands as they slowly make their way down my body. Every inch of my skin is memorised on his journey. By the time he’s kneeling in front of me, every nerve ending has been lit with a scorching want that I need him to take care of.
His hands glide up my legs and push them apart. He looks up and finds my eyes, holding them as he leans forward to run his tongue over my clit. My hand shoots out to lean against the tiled wall. The intense shot of pleasure he delivers almost causes me to lose my balance.
His eyes never leave mine.
Always watching.
Seeing.
Focused.
His tongue runs circles over my clit.
Over and over.
And over.
My head rolls back, and I bite my lip as the waves of pleasure crash over me.
I’m so close.
Luke’s tongue is unrelenting in his chase of my orgasm. When both his hands grip my ass, and he presses his face against my pussy, I shudder. A moan escapes my lips as he begins to expertly move me towards that place I crave.
So close.
Oh, God, so damn close.
He grips me harder.
His lips and tongue suck and lick, and then he pushes a finger inside me, and brilliant light bursts right in front of me.
I come apart.
I hold my breath as I bask in the bliss.
I’m drowning.
Going under.
The pleasure is too much.
Too intense.
My legs can’t hold me up.
My body can’t hold my heart.
It’s bursting.
I’m falling.
Falling for Luke.
“I’ve got you, baby,” he says as his arms envelope me.
I’m floating.
Luke’s caught me.
He’ll never let me drown.
He’s got me.