by Nora Everly
This kiss. It was more than a kiss—we responded to each other in a language only we knew. We spoke with kisses. I missed you. I love you. I’m home.
His fingers dug into my hips, then traveled up my back. He wrapped one arm around my waist, fingers trailing up the hem of my shirt while his other hand glided up my back to caress my cheek. He wound my curls around his hand and took control. I surrendered. Tilting my head back, he positioned me where he liked, then slanted his mouth over mine to deepen our kiss.
Luke had always known how to touch me. He knew what I liked, what would drive me crazy. My heart pounded like it hadn’t in years. It beat for him. He was home, and I was his. I unbuttoned his shirt and spread it apart, so I could get to his skin, the warm planes of his broad chest.
I was mindless with want, with nostalgia wrapped in lust, with love wrapped in rediscovery. He pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it to the side. I whimpered as he bent to my breast and kissed me over the lace of my bra. I felt the vibration of his groan on my skin along with the tickle from his beard and the warmth of his palms on my back. The thought of not having him near, not being able to touch him, made me crazy, and I pulled his face to mine for more kisses. He touched me all the way to my soul, filling my heart so full it was about to beat out of my chest and into his. I wanted this, him, more than anything. This kiss was mind melting, urgent, claiming. Then he stopped.
Luke stepped back. His hands steadied me before moving to lean against the opposite corner of the counter. I was confused, lost in a moment that I didn’t want to leave. I pressed my hand to my mouth and exhaled sharply. I searched his eyes, and he smiled softly at me. Wistful and wanting, he looked at me. “God, Lily,” he whispered. “A moment more, and I wouldn’t have been able to stop.”
“Why did you stop?” I asked softly, hesitantly. I thought he wanted me.
He stared out at the darkness beyond the kitchen window and sighed. “You were right when you said we were moving too fast …”
I saw it when he did. The faint light from a flashlight, there then gone. In the trees at the rear of Gram’s yard, exactly where I’d seen it before. I nearly jumped out of my skin when there was a knock at the door.
“Holy crap,” I exclaimed and hopped off the counter. Luke caught me as I stumbled. He quickly passed me my shirt, and I pulled it over my head. I started to head for the door, but Luke caught my hand and tugged me behind him, stopping me when we reached the staircase to gently push me toward it. I took a few steps up and watched as he strode to the door while buttoning up his shirt. I eyed Gram’s baseball bat in the umbrella stand and contemplated going to get it. I jumped again when whoever it was knocked a second time.
“Who’s there?” Luke said. He sounded scary and mean and in control. Nothing would happen to me and the kids with him here. I exhaled as some of the fear dissipated.
“It’s Cade. Everything okay in there?” What was he doing here at nine o’clock at night? This checking up on me was getting ridiculous. Well, maybe not so ridiculous, considering.
Luke opened the door. “Backyard, flashlight, two minutes ago.”
Cade rushed through the house and out the back like a shot.
“Check the kids,” Luke ordered.
I turned and rushed up the stairs. Rocky stood in the middle of the hallway, alert, watching. I patted his head and peeked in at Dylan. Thankfully, he was asleep. I took the few steps to Calla’s door, asleep too. I sighed with relief and headed downstairs. Rocky glanced at me but stayed put.
Luke stood at the bottom of the staircase, eyes to the kitchen door, waiting for Cade but also guarding the staircase. He glanced at me as I approached.
“I’m glad Cade is here. He has a gun,” I whispered.
“I don’t need a gun to catch whoever is out there fucking with you,” he responded somewhat scarily.
I remembered the weirdo at the coffee shop earlier and realized the only one I’d told about it was Trevor, and he hadn’t texted me back yet. Damn it. “Luke, I have to tell you something—”
“When Cade comes back in.”
I nodded. Then we waited for Cade. It was a long five minutes.
“Someone was back there. No doubt about it. But they got away.” Gram’s backyard was huge, and it backed up to an alleyway. A copse of trees and evergreen shrubbery lined the back of the yard, and there was no fence. It would be easy to hide within the trees and watch the house. Stupid to use a flashlight though, as it wasn’t so far away that a light wouldn’t be visible from the kitchen window or one of the bedroom windows upstairs. I was curious and annoyed by the idiot watcher and wished Cade would have caught him. Maybe we could have finally got some answers and put an end to the oddities that kept occurring since I got here. “There are footprints and trash in the trees, and tire tracks. They must have driven off when you were opening the door for me,” he reasoned.
Luke nodded his agreement. “You aren’t going to be alone here, Lily,” Luke said.
“Yeah, one of us will be with you. I don’t want you going anywhere alone until we figure out what the hell is going on,” Cade added as he placed his gun in his shoulder holster under his jacket.
“Um, something happened today, and I kind of forgot about it until right now …” Cade was going to be pissed that I didn’t tell him immediately. “After I left Luke’s office this morning I ran into a man at Violet’s. He was asking about a flash drive of Will’s and insinuating that he worked with him. Which was obviously a bunch of crap.”
Cade looked annoyed. Luke looked annoyed as well. But Luke’s annoyed was nicer. I didn’t get the feeling he was about to yell at me. I decided to focus on Luke. I turned to him and tucked myself into his side. He wrapped an arm around me and gave me a squeeze. “I’m sorry. I should have mentioned it right away. So much is going on.” I glanced at Cade. “I did text you to tell you to stop by so I could talk to you about it.”
He still looked pissed. “That’s why I’m here now, Lily. That, and I’ll be crashing here again. Dad and I don’t want you and the kids to be alone at night. Dad wants you to pack some bags, stay at the house for a while. Chill out, Lily. I’m not going to yell at you.”
“No need, Cade. I’ve already got the couch tonight,” Luke informed him.
“Gotcha. Rose sent out a group text earlier.” Even though I’d told her to tell everyone, I still rolled my eyes. “I’m glad you’re working it out. I’ll call Dad, brief him. Lily, text the description of that guy to me. I’m out.” He gave us a wave, then headed out the front door.
I relaxed against Luke as he pulled me close. He cradled my head and rubbed my back. “You’re tense, Lily. Relax. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he whispered. I nodded against him. He swept me up into his arms, bride style, and walked to the couch and sat down, with me in his lap. I tucked my knees into my chest, feet next to Luke’s thigh on the couch, and curled into him. I’d always loved sitting like this with Luke. He was so tall and broad, and I was so short that I could tuck my head right under his chin and snuggle tight. It was cozy and warm. I felt safe.
“I love holding you like this,” he murmured and kissed the top of my head. “You’re so small I can hug your whole body at once.”
I laughed softly and wrapped my arms around his chest. I tilted my head back and looked up at him. He leaned forward and kissed me gently. “You’re still tense,” he whispered and stroked my back. “What can we do to settle you down?”
“You could put your hand down my pants. That always used to work,” I said, then I realized what I said and got even more tense. I shut my eyes tight and felt myself turn red. Sometimes, words came out of my mouth before my brain had finished filtering them. I opened one eye and peeked at Luke.
His eyes blazed at me. He licked his lips. “I was going to suggest that I rub your shoulders. But I can rub whatever you like, Lily,” he said as his eyes burned into mine.
My lips parted, and tingles ran throughout my body. I hadn’t had anyone’s ha
nds on me but my own in a long time. I took a deep breath and let my leg drop to the side. His eyes flared, and he ran one hand up my thigh and across my hip. My eyes locked to his. His fingers lingered at my waistband. I was glad I’d changed into my comfy pajama bottoms when I’d put Calla to bed. No way his big hand would fit into my skinny jeans. Tilting my hips slightly, I shivered at the thought of his hand on me. He hadn’t even touched me yet, and I was about to blow my top.
His fingers ran along my waistband, loosening the drawstring and lowering my pants until they rested low around my hips. He kissed me, causing me to gasp. Taking advantage of my open mouth, his tongue plunged inside at the same time his fingers drove into the front of my pants—finding me, parting me, touching me intimately. My head fell back, my lips fell from his, so he kissed and licked and sucked on my neck as he touched me.
I arched back over his arm as he stroked me while he parted his thighs, so my bottom was between them, with his hardness against my hip. I moaned softly as he rubbed faster, circling, then dipping inside, then back out to where I needed his touch. Panting, I tried to move so I could touch him too, but he stopped me.
“No, this is for you,” he said.
I stared into his eyes as I felt it build. Waves of feelings washed over me. I closed my eyes as his touch drove me to the edge. “Luke … Oh …” I gasped and closed my eyes.
“Look at me,” he growled.
I opened my eyes and saw him looking down at me with intense desperation. “Tell me you’re mine. Say it,” he demanded.
“I’m yours.” I gasped. “I’m yours, I’m yours …” I repeated as the orgasm washed over me, leaving me spent and boneless in his arms.
He cupped me softly as I finished coming down. “Mine again, Lily. Mine.”
I nodded because heck yes, I was. I reached up to wrap my arms around his neck and pulled his face to mine. He kissed me again, and I melted into his arms.
“It’s my turn now.” I sat up, then turned and slid to my knees on the floor. I grinned up at him. I was about to reach for his zipper and return the favor. But then I heard Calla cry in the baby monitor.
Well, crap. I’d never had to deal with this before. Now I knew why Violet used to call Finn and Nick her little cockblockers when they were babies.
“I’m so sorry, Luke.” I cringed.
He leaned forward and kissed me again, then laughed softly against my lips.
“Another time, baby. This is our life now.”
I nodded, and he stood up, pulling me up with him. He kissed the top of my head and patted my bottom as I walked by him. I had missed his affection. Luke had always touched me, kissed me, showed me he loved me. But I couldn’t help but wonder when we would be able to do it. Tonight reminded me of when we were teenagers. When we’d turned seventeen, our present to each other was our virginity. But after that, we were constantly on the hunt for opportunities to be alone, and not often finding them. We were handsy, horny teens together, and it felt like we were heading in that direction again. Even as adults, we had often been separated by Luke’s deployments.
We had only been back together for a short time, but really, it had been thirty years. Thirty years of knowing each other. Thirteen years since we’d started doing it, and almost seven years of not being able to do it with him. Mathematically speaking, my girl parts were demanding to be reconciled with his boy parts, and they didn’t want to wait. His hand going down my pants was not enough. I wanted no pants between us. I sighed when I reached Calla’s door.
“Hey, pretty baby. Hungry?” Ew, no, she was wet. I changed her, then nursed her back to sleep. I went to my room, expecting to see Luke, but he wasn’t there.
I went downstairs to find he had made up the couch for bed and was lying down reading a book. I climbed over him, and he tucked me along his side with my back to the couch. After tossing his book to the floor, he kissed me until I got stupid with lust. His hands roamed over my sides, down my thigh to hook my leg over his hip. He pressed himself against me, grinding me into the back of the couch.
“Come to my bed, Luke,” I whispered in his ear, then licked his earlobe.
“I want to be alone with you the first time,” he whispered back.
“Well, it’s not our first time. Exhibit A is asleep upstairs.” I giggled.
“Aren’t you worried they will wake up?” he asked as he nuzzled my neck and gripped my bottom. He was driving me crazy.
“Dylan won’t, unless he gets sick or something. Calla might wake up one more time …” He buried his face between my breasts and started lifting my shirt. I pressed back, away from him. “You’re a tease. Stop it.” I was getting worked up. And we weren’t going to have the big finish I wanted, I needed to stop.
He moved up and buried his face in my neck with a nuzzle. “I’m not trying to tease you. I’ll take care of you again,” he whispered. His breath ruffled my hair, his beard tickled my neck. I shook my head as he placed biting kisses all over my throat.
Gah, my brain was becoming non-functional. I was acting like a dude, like a douchey dude. Putting the pressure on Luke. I felt bad. Guilty and horny and bad. I stuck my face into his chest, so I could hide. “I’m so sorry, Luke. I don’t want to pressure you into something you’re not ready for.”
He pulled back and looked at me like I was crazy before bursting into loud laughter. “Oh, Lily. I almost forgot about the crazy shit you would say sometimes. You’re not pressuring me. I just—” His eyes darkened as he looked at me. “I haven’t been with you in almost seven years. I haven’t been with anyone in all that time. When I finally get between your legs again, I do not want to be interrupted. Understand?”
My body melted back into his, and he hugged me closer. “I understand. I’m sorry for acting like such a dude.”
“What am I going to do with you?” he said with a big smile.
“I’ll get started on a list. And with all this build-up, Luke, the list is will be a long one.”
He laughed again and gave me more kisses.
I pulled away again to ask him, “Do you really want to sleep down here? We could just leave the couch made up, and you could wake up before Dylan gets up, so he won’t see us in bed together. He doesn’t need to see that until we’ve at least gone on our first date,” I teased.
Luke laughed softly. “I would love to sleep in your bed, Lily.” His eyes were hot on mine.
I got even meltier. My heart had turned into a puddle of Luke goo, my brain was mush, and even though I wasn’t going to get any, I was happier than I had been in years.
13
Luke
I woke up to the sunlight from Lily’s window shining on my face. I glanced down to see her head resting on my chest, red hair fanned out across her shoulder and tickling its way down my arm. I blinked a few times to make sure this was real. Please be real …
I’d dreamed of moments like this for so long. Even when she was mine, I’d had dreams like this. I’d been gone more often than I was home, so I was always missing her. I was tired of being alone, tired of being without. I groaned when I looked down and saw the tent I was making out of the quilt. Tonight, would be the night. I reached for her phone and turned her alarm off. She needed rest, and I needed her to know that I was here to take care of her. Carefully, I shifted her head to the pillow and disentangled myself from her arms. I tucked the quilt around her shoulders and smiled as she sighed and snuggled under it.
I got ready for the day, grabbed the baby monitor, and headed for the kitchen, checking on the kids as I passed their rooms. Both were still asleep. Rocky perked up when I passed to follow me downstairs. After starting a pot of coffee, I sent a text to Jed asking him to stop by here to pick Rocky up and bring donuts. I poured myself a cup and headed out to the covered front porch to sit on the swing. Rocky sniffed around the front yard, hunting for a good spot.
I rocked and sipped my coffee. The peaceful street arched over with green trees and glinting with early morning sunlight was a hard c
ontrast to the desert where I spent most of my adult life. I was not used to hearing the rustle of trees blowing in the breeze or the chatter of squirrels and birds bustling about. As I took a deep breath and the smell of flowers and fresh-cut grass filled my nostrils, I found that I couldn’t relax. I stopped the swing so Rocky could hop up and put his head on my shoulder. He licked my cheek and I put my free arm around him. Rocky always knew when I needed him. I settled into the swing and allowed the calm surroundings to ease my mind.
I was sitting there, grinning like a fool, when Jed pulled into the driveway. I shielded my face against the sun so I could see him walk up. He still limped a bit from his knee replacement earlier this year. He stood tall though, his posture still military straight. His hair was all white. When I’d left all those years ago, it still had some brown throughout. He carried a donut box and waved at me as he approached.
“Morning, Pop. How’s the knee?” I called.
He made it to the porch and grinned at me. “Oh, just fine. I’m collecting scars this year. I made it through four tours with only some shrapnel and an itty-bitty bullet hole. This year, I got four new scars, just from old age.” He chuckled. “I’m glad to see you here, boy. Finally taking my advice. Getting your family back. Good for you.” He patted my shoulder and kissed the top of my head, then sat across from me and placed the donut box on the wooden table next to his chair.
“There’s coffee in the kitchen. Want a cup?” I offered.
He waved it off. “Nah, already had some.”
Rocky trotted over to greet him, then lay down on his feet. Jed leaned over and patted his head. “This is a good dog. Failed all my certification tests, but still a good boy, aren’t you?” Rocky licked his hand, and Jed laughed. “He was meant to stay in the family, meant to be with you, Luke.” He was a big believer in fate and destiny and all that kind of crap.